Finally, after years of transfer rumours linking Micah Richards with a move to the midlands, he is now an Aston Villa player. Richards penned a four-year contract last week and will be joining the boys in B6 when his contract expires at Manchester City at the end of the month.
Vlaar hasn’t been that good
The departure of Ron Vlaar looks more and more likely, with the Dutch international’s contract expiring later this summer. His time at Aston Villa has proven to be a frustrating affair for the Villa faithful and for Vlaar himself. Injuries have been the main issue since he completed a £3.2 million move in 2012. The list of injuries sustained by him is one that nobody should be proud of: he has had more injuries than most players in the Premier League, challenging Abou Diaby’s injury lay-offs at Arsenal. So why do fans still want him at the club?
Vlaar has been a disappointment for far too long. The ex-Feyenoord defender was given the nickname of ‘Concrete Ron’ in his native country but only on a handful of occasions have Villa fans witnessed the defender living up to his nickname. Like most, they saw ‘Concrete Ron’ at his best during the World Cup in 2014. At Aston Villa, ‘Concrete Ron’ has never been the correct term to describe him. I once wrote an article criticising Vlaar, calling him ‘cardboard Ron’. I said: “Vlaar can be committed but does not show the required level of commitment week in, week out.” I stand by that statement after his performances last season. He gave up against Stoke and conceded a late penalty. He had a good run with Okore at the heart of the defence during our good patch but the injuries that have limited him to seventy-eight appearances in claret and blue shirt need to be looked at. His exact wage is not known but talk suggests he is currently on £25,000 a week and the club officials have supposedly doubled that in an improved contract offer. I do not believe he is worth £50,000 a week, especially when Sherwood has signed a Brummie-born, passionate and versatile defender.
Richards has more to offer
Richards was born in Birmingham and that is always a good start, indicating that he will settle quickly at his new club. It has been reported that he took a pay cut and turned down more lucrative offers to link up with Tim Sherwood at Villa Park, which, if true, shows commitment before he has even kicked a ball. Maybe it is the case, like Cleverley, that he wanted to be closer to home but I don’t care much as securing his signature is a massive coup.
The versatile defender has been capped thirteen times for England, with his last cap coming in 2012. He also has Champions League experience and a Premier League medal. Sherwood said that having ‘winners’ in the squad is vital to turning around the side’s fortunes. Regarding the Richards signing, the manager said he was glad to be “signing a player who is used to winning football matches” and that he wants “players with that winning mentality” at Aston Villa.
Richards should be at his peak when he starts his career with the Villans. At twenty-six, Sherwood says that the Villans “are getting him when he should be producing the best football of his career.”
Dynamism is something Vlaar does not offer. I have watched Richards enough to see that he always plays with his heart on his sleeve and has a ‘never say die’ attitude. The main improvement on Vlaar is the injury record and consistency. Richards was key to the Citizens’ FA Cup win and Premier League title win. If it hadn’t been for an injury that gave Zabaleta his chance, we could well still be watching him playing regularly for Manchester City.
The signing of Micah Richards is encouraging. It is essentially telling Vlaar that if he is not willing to accept the contract offered then he can feel free to find another club. No player will ever be bigger than Aston Villa Football Club. Just let him leave. Micah Richards is a Birmingham man through and through. He will be fully aware of the expectations on his shoulders and of the club’s back catalogue of solid defenders. I expect him to bed in well and he could thrive if, as expected, he is given the opportunity to play as part of a centre back pairing. With Sherwood currently being linked with other defenders, it is pleasing to see that one of the issues we have had is being addressed before the window has even opened. The acquisition of the twenty-six-year-old defender could arguably be one of Villa’s best signings in the past ten years – if he can stay fit and find the form that once earned him thirteen England caps.
I agree completely. Richards and Clark with back up from Okore and Baker looks good to me or even bring Okore into a three (if we can get the right full backs) and retain Senderos for cover. Now to address the full backs!
I would not offer Vlaar a new contract. Apart from the fact that he gets injured regularly – and therefore is not available to play that often which is crazy at a cost of £50k p.w. for a club of our means – these injuries are constantly disrupting the backline and not allowing for a settled defence or CB partnership. Wave goodbye now and look to the future.