The Gareth Barry saga has cast a shadow over Villa Park, but expectations are still high in the Midlands.
O'Neill aims to improve on last season's sixth place
A few weeks ago I was charged with the task of penning a 'what's happened so far' at Villa Park and spent the first five paragraphs lamenting the fall of civilisation as Gareth Barry went all Prince and threatened to start the season with 'Slave' etched on his cheek.
The summer's second most protracted transfer saga has seen Martin O'Neill go all Jerry Maguire in regularly exclaiming 'show me the money!' To date, his pleas have not been met by a Liverpool board that continues to squabble over how best to spend Rafa Benitez's somewhat vague transfer kitty.
It would appear Barry only penned his diatribe at Martin O'Neill in semi-permanent marker though, as for the moment it looks as if his dream move to Merseyside has gone from being nailed on to less likely than Joey Barton becoming the new face of McDonalds. I hope he starts the season looking like Young Kenny from Phoenix Nights.
Of course by the time I've finished this sentence he'll probably have signed for Liverpool but if we're accepting for the moment he's staying, then it's a massive fillip for O'Neill and his players.
Whether you're a Barry boo-boy or willing to overlook his switching of allegiance, the fact remains he was a key player in what was a much improved campaign for Villa last term. Whether he'll have the same impact next season with the whispers of Liverpool interrupting his sleep remains a question only time will answer.
Steve Sidwell was brought in seemingly as a ready-made replacement and it could be that O'Neill will be presented with the tough ask of getting the best from a player whose heart lies elsewhere, should Liverpool's bids for Barry continue to fall short of an £18million valuation.
Lamented
For much of the summer Villa supporters have lamented a lack of fresh faces, as O'Neill refused to be rushed or bullied into adding new players for the sake of numbers. However, fears of a shallow squad being drowned by a congested fixture list have now been partially quelled by the acquisitions of Nicky Shorey and Luke Young.
Another who has been brought in is Brad Friedel, who at 37 certainly adds the experience O'Neill had been looking for in choosing to reject the opportunity of landing last season's loanee Scott Carson on a permanent basis. I thought the West Brom new boy had been quite popular during his Midlands sojourn; Villa fans inform me he's less use than cupping your hands around your mouth when someone can't hear you.
Friedel is the Premier League's Helen Mirren in that he's aged well and should be an astute acquisition, but a new look back four in front of him does raise concerns. Wilfred Bouma's horrific ankle injury against Odense left Villa short of a left-back, while on the opposite flank Olof Mellberg's defection to Juventus deprived them of a seasoned campaigner of real quality.
The signings of Middlesbrough's Young and Shorey of Reading look unspectacular on paper but are typically astute on O'Neill's part.
Replacing two members of a back four requires major rebuilding work but O'Neill has gone with a duo of proven Premier League pedigree to ensure as seamless a transition as possible. Both are England internationals, further enforcing Villa's refreshing buy British policy, solid characters who were well liked at their previous clubs and most importantly in joining Villa, are making a step up rather than step down.
Martin Laursen and Curtis Davies - who has made an ahead-of-schedule return from a ruptured Achilles - are a central defensive partnership of considerable pedigree that should remain uninterrupted, unless injuries intervene.
Desire
Sidwell has spoken of a desire to break into Fabio Capello's England squad so is clearly not shy of confidence having removed his Chelsea splinters but if O'Neill elects to use the same system as last year then he'll be left to fight it out with Barry, Stilian Petrov and Nigel Reo-Coker for three central midfield berths.
The greatest source of optimism for Villa is at the sharp end of the field as a three-pronged attack of John Carew, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young combines power, pace and no little panache.
The latter pair are facing the quintessential difficult second season and will be hoping to be more (What's the Story) Morning Glory than Second Coming, as Fabio Capello continues to drop in at Villa Park on a regular basis.
Another striker as back-up to Carew would be welcomed but Marlon Harewood proved last term he is capable of being a decent impact player off the bench when called upon.
After years of being the type of side that would turn someone with ADHD into an ME sufferer, Villa fans should feel optimistic that bright times are ahead for those in claret and blue. O'Neill may be a little cautious for the tastes of those that crave instant gratification but the Ulsterman is the master of slowly, slowly catchy monkey and given time should establish the club as regular European qualifiers.
The size of their squad will be severely tested by a spot in this season's Uefa Cup but if O'Neill is able to deliver another couple of signings then Villa should occupy the higher echelons of the division. The likes of Everton, Spurs and Portsmouth are likely to be the best of the rest, excluding the top four, but Villa are more than comfortable in such company.
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