Sheriff Kimbo's Thursday Thoughts #2

Hello all, did you have a good week? The transfer window closed, so that can only be a good thing. But then it is the week of an England game, and therefore we are in Dullsville!

Speaking of the transfer window, I don't believe that Chelsea will be doing much business for the next twelve months… Now, if they did what they have been accused of, I can not help but think it is the right thing to do. The 'big boys' in the game are developing more and more of a bullying attitude and anything that can be done to nullify that is a good thing as far as I am concerned.

Chelsea will be fine this season of course, the window is closed and unless they have lots of injuries then they have a squad good enough to win the Premier League, let alone 'cope' with the situation. Next summer though, an aging squad will be twelve months older and will want to add to the squad so if they are unable to do so, well next season could be a bit more difficult for them, especially as everyone else will be looking to do business in order to improve themselves. They certainly need to keep everyone fit and happy, but to be honest I think that it could have been a lot harder had it happened to a mid-table Premier League side, for example.

As for the window, it appears we (Villa) were the big spenders on the final day; partly because, according to Richard Dunne, Citeh 'needed the money'. If there is any truth in that - and why would Dunne lie? - then it makes you wonder what their financial planning will be like for the future. There are certainly noises being made that they will not be having another window like this one.

I went to watch Villa reserves on Tuesday night, where they defeated West Ham reserves. Andrea Zola was in central midfield. He's the son of Gianfranco Zola, but I assure you, he does not play like his old man! I have no idea how good he is on the ball as he didn't get much chance to show that, but he did plenty of kicking! At one point our young Aussie midfielder Chris Herd was unlucky not to go off injured after a particularly nasty Zola challenge (is it just me or does that sound weird?). There was perhaps some poetic justice served when not long after he went up for a headed challenge with Isaiah Osborne, and promptly left the game with an ice-pack on his face!

Speaking of Gianfranco Zola, I said last week that I would have rather have had him - amongst others - in my team than Eric Cantona. I took a little bit of stick (mostly from Manchester United, ahem, 'fans') for saying that Cantona was 'the most overrated player in the history of football'! First of all, I stand by that. Secondly, overrated does not mean rubbish. I think Frank Lampard is overrated, doesn't mean I wouldn't love to see him at the Villa. I think Radiohead are overrated, doesn't mean I don't like some of their music. I think KFC is overrated, doesn't mean I don't enjoy eating it. I think Jordan is overrated, doesn't mean I wouldn't… Anyway the point is that I still think Eric Cantona was a very good player. But in the big scheme of things, he was nowhere near as good as people remember him. He isn't the best foreign player of all-time, as Ossie Ardiles suggested, which is what started this. He isn't the best Manchester United player of all-time, as he was voted a few years ago. The people that voted probably never saw a game prior to the existence of the Premier League. Heck, he isn't even the best Manchester United player of my generation - in fact, he wasn't even the best Manchester United player in that team! For one thing I would take Ryan Giggs over Eric Cantona every day of the week!

Anyway, all this stupid pointless ranting over a player that retired over a decade ago is the fault of Ossie Ardiles and Soccer AM! Damn them! Hope you all have a good week, speak to you next Thursday.