Talking Tayls with Ian Taylor

Villa favourite Ian Taylor warns Tottenham the claret and blues will be no Wigan as the top four chasers prepare to do battle in the West Midlands on Saturday.

This might look the worst possible time to be taking on Tottenham but I’m backing Villa to beat them – and finish above them.

There’s no doubt Spurs’ tails will be up after last Sunday’s extraordinary 9-1 demolition of Wigan. I am expecting another glut of goals under the lights at Villa Park on Saturday evening, only this time I expect them to be shared out a little more evenly and Villa to edge it.

Villa Park’s been a happy hunting ground for them this year. They’ve not lost there since the opening-day defeat to Wigan, have beaten Chelsea and were unlucky to draw with Manchester City.
Spurs have the bigger names and the firepower and on paper you’d probably make them favourites.

But they’re a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde team and Villa, for me, have more resilience – just look at the way they dug out a point at Burnley – and I think that will be decisive come May.

The key for me has been the way they’ve shot out of the starting blocks in games – neither Chelsea or City were ever allowed to settle – and it’s imperative they do it again.

Then there’s the small matter of keeping Jermain Defoe quiet. The Spurs striker is never short of confidence anyway but Defoe will have felt like Pele this week.

Only Liverpool’s Fernando Torres is up there with him as a finisher, for me. To score five goals in a Premier League game you have to be a truly special player and I only wish he was in claret and blue, not white and blue.

I’ve had runs myself when you go out there fully expecting to score – it’s when, not if – and that’s exactly how he will feel on Saturday.

But it was great to finally see Stewart Downing in a Villa shirt last weekend and it’s only a matter of time until he cements a starting berth. You don’t spend £12million on a player and leave him on the bench. Certainly, at Villa you don’t.

Therefore, Downing and James Milner both have to play, while Ashley Young – their next-most expensive player – isn’t going to be dropped either.

The man who should make way is Steve Sidwell. And, to be fair, Steve can’t have too many complaints. He hasn’t scored the goals hoped for and his performances have been pretty average. I can see Milner taking over from him in the middle.

He has all the attributes required – a good engine, tenacity, strength and an eye for goal. Martin loves to switch his wingers and I can see that continuing with Ashley Young and Stewart – despite one being right-footed and the other left.

Ashley has been a revelation down the left with those inswinging crosses which are so difficult to defend and I’m sure Martin won’t just suddenly discard that weapon.

I can also see Ashley being used as a second striker when Gabby Agbonlahor needs a rest. The great thing is there are so many options which can be adapted to a variety of formations. One thing’s for sure. The trio won’t line up how they started!

Elsewhere this week, crashing out of the Champions League was a devastating blow for Liverpool – but failing to get back in it next season would be a million times worse.

Fair play to the Anfield board. They made it clear almost as soon as the final whistle blew on Tuesday night that Rafa Benitez’s job was safe. I’m not so sure the directors at some of the other clubs would be quite so supportive.

The fans might be split but on the whole they’ve been loyal to the Spaniard – other bosses have been lambasted for doing far less. Having lost Xabi Alonso last summer, what will particularly worrying them now is what this means for Torres’ future.

Well, with a World Cup ahead of him next summer I actually don’t think he’ll be too upset. He’ll have plenty more seasons ahead of him in Europe – but with Spain in the form they’re in I doubt he’ll ever have a better chance of lifting football’s biggest prize.

OK, Liverpool are still in the Europa League but I wouldn’t expect that competition to put the same mental and physical strain on him. He could end up going to South Africa far fresher and if things go to plan there this Champions League exit will be forgotten.

Liverpool’s problem will be if they fail to make the top four – which is very possible with Spurs, Manchester City and Villa all doing well. It’s then Rafa can expect a knock on the door from his star striker.

I couldn’t see him joining another English club given his cult status in the red half of Merseyside, but there’s no doubt he wouldn’t be short of offers on the continent.

The storm has also not died down on Thierry Henry’s handball against Ireland last week, which I reckon got more media coverage than the X-Factor and I’m a Celebrity combined. I made the point a couple of weeks back how unfair FIFA’s seeding was and the heart-breaking way the Irish went out will have merely rubbed salt into the wounds.

For me, I think there should be someone in the stands watching the same pictures as we see on the TV. He can be hooked up with a microphone to the referee and tell him almost immediately exactly what happened. It’s not rocket science.

More traditional sports like tennis, cricket and rugby have all moved with the times but strangely football – the game that has evolved the most commercially – is still in the dark ages.

See Also:

This article was posted on Thursday, November 26th, 2009 at 2:30 pm.
View more articles about: ashley young, champions league, claret, Clubs, fernando torres, gabby agbonlahor, james milner, jermain defoe, liverpool, manchester city, next, plenty, premier league, referee, rugby, spurs, steve sidwell, tottenham, villa, west midlands.