Filed under: Aston Villa, Liverpool, Premier League, Football
It has become customary for Aston Villa to cash in on one of their star names each summer - the only difference is this year there have been two high-profile departures.In 2009 it was Gareth Barry, then 12 months ago it was James Milner and this year Ashley Young departed to Manchester United.
So, imagine the dismay of Villa supporters when the club decided to cash in on another of their other crown jewels, Stewart Downing, who joined Liverpool for £20million last week despite having previously claimed the player was not for sale.
The heady days enjoyed under Martin O'Neill when Villa twice challenged for the top four and a Champions League spot already looked a distant memory last year, when they instead flirted with relegation before eventually finishing ninth.
And now without their two most creative weapons, both of whom established themselves as key members of Fabio Capello's England squad last season, the chances of Alex McLeish steering the claret and blues back in that direction look even more remote.
The days of mass spending enjoyed under O'Neill are over with owner Randy Lerner determined to push through his plan to cut the wage bill and run a tighter ship.
Big earners like Steve Sidwell, Nigel Reo-Coker and John Carew have recently departed while Emile Heskey is another likely to soon follow out of the exit door.
It means, then, that McLeish must play a shrewder game in the transfer market than that of O'Neill, his former Old Firm counterpart.
That is why the likes of Stephen Warnock and Stephen Ireland will be given a fresh chance to stake a claim having been frozen out by Gerard Houllier.
And it is for that reason too that the sale of Downing actually makes perfect sense.
Already, Villa have a ready-made replacement down the right flank which Downing played in the hugeley talented if still a little raw Marc Albrighton.
But the fact McLeish could bring in Shay Given, Charles N'Zogbia and possibly Scott Parker for fractionally over the £20million Villa fetched for Downing would be nothing short of a masterstroke.
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