The Villa's Christmas List!

With Christmas fast approaching (my how this year has passed by swiftly) comes the promise of gifts; children making their lists for Santa and heck I am again too.

God knows why, but I never seem to awake to Jennifer Love Hewitt in stockings, but with the Christmas period and New Year celebrations comes another time for presents where Randy Lerner once more dips into his seemingly deep pockets and whilst other clubs feel the brute force of the economic climate we seemingly are in a strong position to buy.

The thing is much like our Christmas Lists, we all want different things as presents. When we receive gifts do we ask ourselves how much it cost? or simply smile and accept the gift for what it is?

Lets face it some people can shop around and get us 3 CD’s for the price of one, others might pay the full RRP price and get you one CD. The thing that I’m beginning to realise is if there is something that you want in life and you obtain it for more than you think is reasonable, is the price not beside the point seeing as you have it?

If you get something you didn’t perhaps want/need then you might consider ebaying it.

Choosing a player is like buying a CD as a gift for someone, the recipient might like Country Music for instance but there is a large different between listening to the gorgeous Taylor Swift and the wonderful sound of the Rascal Flatts.

What happens when the latest in thing CD is unavailable though? Do we wait and perhaps leave the recipient unhappy or look to source an alternative?

We all have different expectations of what we want from Randys gifts this January, the general consensus is that we require a striker, but what kind?

For some like forum member PTP, a proven goal scorer who would perhaps get us 6-10 goals in half a season. Whether this costs 4m or 20m, do we judge them on their goal scoring tally for us? Their transfer fee? Work rate? Their reputation?

Some would like a quality full back to play left back or right back, the trouble is do we need an attacking full back or a solid defensive one? There does not appear to be one that fits both categories well available this January.

BBJ (forum member) would like players who go about their business and do their role with no frills just a professional attitude and performance.

Others like myself would prefer to have a flair midfielder capable of opening up a defence either from the wing or in the centre of the park.

The main point is, Randy is paying for player so does it matter about his price; probably not, what we do want and expect is strength in depth and for me the depth to be challenging the main starting XI for their spots in the team, then and only then will I consider us a bigger team than Everton, Spurs etc.

So my message to Randy is “I look forward to the gifts you buy us this Christmas, but please don’t forget to fill the stockings too” (Preferably with Jennifer Love Hewitt)

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.