Wakey wakey

So Aston Villa have just paid lots of money for a striker in his prime.  The footballing world, including not least many Villa fans, have been completely blindsided by this move.  In the mainstream media people are saying, "What, Villa?" Villa have bid £24m for Darren Bent?  VILLA? Villa buy bargains. Villa take punts on lower league players. Villa sell their best players and look for value.

The fans don't know what to make of it either: Is it too much? Should the money have been given to MON to spend? We could have bought X for that. Obviously this means we must be selling Y and Z.

Here's my take. Villa have woken up to what was missing. No fucking about with 'value for money'. No 'sounding out'. This is a very aggressive move and if there's one word that has not been associated with Villa for at least 50 years it's 'aggressive'. Not on the pitch, not in the transfer market and not in the boardroom. Villa have been too nice, to sensible for too long. Think of how it will affect the players. The expectation has finally been set that the players are there to win, and if they don't win then they have failed in their duty.

So, the impact that Darren Bent will come in the goals that he scores, but more imperceptibly on the other players that the time for talk and being nice is over; you are now playing for a team that EXPECTS you to win.