Paul McGrath: Building The Villan Legacy

Bacuna, Now A Magpie

Newcastle United have opened their cheque book to sign twenty-two year Dutch utility man Leandro Bacuna from Aston Villa for a fee believed to be around the £8,750,000. It is understood that Bacuna, who was surplus to requirements was sold for cash to be given to Paul McGrath for new signings.

The Villa boss, along with with his right hand man Roy Keane have already signed Sanogo, Yobo and Castaignos are apparently looking for a couple of loans to possible bring in. It is understood that Villa have enquired about the availability of Scott Sinclair from Man City too but these reports are unfounded at the moment. Aston Villa are definitely looking up the table though rather than down, but how long will this optimism last for?

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Paul McGrath: Building The Villan Legacy

McGrath Relives Memory Lane

I honestly can remember 95% of all my Villa matches. I signed for Villa in 1989 and some people say I played the best football of my life there and I would have to agree. Graham Taylor was the manager that signed me to Villa and I enjoyed an wonderful first season, where we almost won the title! Liverpool finished ahead of us in that season but it was enough to convince England to take Graham Taylor to manage the Three Lions.

I played alongside some amazing players when I was at Villa. Players like Ugo Ehiogu, Earl Barrett, Steve Staunton and Mark Bosnich to name a few from the back. There was also Shaun Teale, Andy Townsend and Dean Saunders too. The list could well be endless but now I get to manage my own side that could become amazing! I have players like Benteke, Grealish, Delph and Vlaar who could make Villa a table topper again. I won my first trophy at Villa in 1994, by defeating my old side Manchester United 3-1 at Wembley and I hope to that the fans will still think of me as God when I have finished the first season here at Villa Park.

I forgot what it felt like to walk out at Villa Park and I hope the side I have selected can start with a win against West Brom today. I have included Luc, Jack and Jordan so it is going to be a huge day for those lads. I have every faith in them and we look forward to a positive result.

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Paul McGrath: Building The Villan Legacy

Aston Villa vs West Brom: A Manager's perspective

(Inside Villa Park changing rooms)

Ok guys this is it the first match of the season, this is where you can make the difference guys. Now we have practiced with several starting line ups and it was touch and go about what formation to play and who to play so here is the line up.


Guzan Starts for Villa

Brad, your in goal and I want you to play like you have in training this week because I believe you are the best goalkeeper in the Premier League. There will be a back four of Matt (Lowton), Ron (Vlaar), Phillipe (Senderos) and Aly (Cissokho), now I know last season three of you four had trouble not conceding but I have complete and utter faith in you and trust me I will be kicking every ball with you four and heading every ball with you four too.


Could Senderos and Vlaar be the key to Villa's season

I have 2 central midfielders and they will be Fabian (Delph) and Jack (Grealish). You two are two of the most upcoming English talents around and I can not wait to see what you can both do for this match. I wish you the best of luck Jack and I can not wait to see you make you Premiership bow.


It is a big day for Jack Grealish as he is in the starting line up

I then have chosen to have two wingers, Jordan (Graham) and Gabby (Agbonlahor), your jobs are to get forward whenever you can! Fabian and Jack will hang back if they need to and I want to see some flair and attacking spirit. Jordan I would like you to just go out there and have fun, afterall this IS YOUR debut and with Gabby on the other wing I do not mind if you decide to swap wings every now and then. West Brom are weak on the wings and I hope that you can both take advantage of that.


Little known before McGrath became manager, Graham starts!

The front two are Yaya (Sonogo) and Luc (Castaignos). I expect you two, not only to have chances but to also provide chances. Yaya, you have an amazing opportunity this season to impress Mr. Wenger and if you do next season you could be in the Champions League playing at the highest level of European football. Luc, if you get your head down and work hard you can become a 15 goal a season man and Roy (Keane) thinks you have a really bright future.

The bench will be Given, Cleverly, Clark, Westwood, Yobo, Sanchez and Weimann.

Good luck my team you have a full Villa Park crowd out there to cheer you on so give them something to look forward too.

The Match

West Brom's defeat against Aston Villa on a wet afternoon at Villa Park saw The Baggies feature a number of debutants in the starting line-up.

Advanced forward Brown Ideye gave the visitors the lead in with a well timed close range finish in the 15th minute. Villa were back level on the 28th minute with a fine headed goal from point blank range. It was a debut to remember for the 19 year old as Paul McGrath backed up what he said when he got the job by giving the youngsters a chance. Grealish delivered the corner for Graham to head home.

Sanchez, on a substitute played absolutely brilliant and on the 82nd minute, there pressure paid off as a cross from Sanchez led to a Joleon Lescott own goal and a 2-1 victory for The Villans and Paul McGrath was very happy with the performance.

We were fantastic in the second half, wasn't we. I can not believe the performance of Jordan Graham, I mean what a star. I can not wait to see what else he can do, as for Carlos Sanchez, rest assured he will be in the first team for the next match. I felt like I kicked every single ball that match, the crowd were very, very welcoming and loved the goal at the end so overall I am very, very happy with the performance.

Paul McGrath: Building The Villan Legacy

Peruzzi: Let Me Talk To Villa!

Peruzzi is trying to force his way into Villa Park

Reports coming out of Angelo Massimino-Cibali suggest that Catania right-back Gino Peruzzi has fallen out with manager Giuseppe Sannino and could be on his way out of the club.

Reports from the dressing room suggest that Peruzzi informed Sannino of his desire to discuss terms with Villans Manager Paul McGrath after learning of their interest in him but was left shocked and angered by Sannino's refusal to allow the right back to even talk to the midlands club.

Sources close to the player suggest that the right back would like a chance to play in a better league and a move to Aston Villa would seem very attractive.

Gino Peruzzi was born in Argentina and started his career at Valez. He impressed in the three season's he spent there and got a move to Serie A and Catania for £2,800,000 it is understood Villa offered £5,000,000 and Peruzzi will now try and force the move through.

Sannino though faces a further headache with the dressing split on the treatment that Peruzzi has endured and some players have sided with Peruzzi but others are also upset with how the right back has handled the situation.

It is believed that a handful of key players including club captain Nicolas Spolli are amongst the group supporting the defender and Sannino now faces a fight to avoid a full-blown dressing room meltdown.

Paul McGrath: Building The Villan Legacy

Guzan & Delph Sign New Contracts

Brad Guzan has signed on the dotted line

Fabian Delph and Brad Guzan have followed Jack Grealish and Ron Vlaar by accepting new contracts at Villa Park. Guzan, a American international has signed a new four year deal worth £43,000 a week and then urged the rest of the guys to sign new deals.

Paul is really putting his marker down now, and we are going to build something very special. I also feel this is going to be a manager that will win trophies for us here so the team need to show the same amount of respect that the fans are showing him and sign up to us.


Delph followed Guzan's lead and signed a new contract too

That seemed to prompt Delph to also sign a new deal at Aston Villa too, signing for four more years also and will pocket £42,500 a week under his new terms. To get Fabian to sign was as important as turning up to every game on time! He is a future captain in waiting for Villa and I think he deserves a call up to the England squad too but that is for Mr. Hodgson to decide but I am glad hes decided to sign on for four more years.


Graham's electric start to the campaign has landed him a new contract

Jordan Graham makes it three players to agree new contracts at Villa for the time being. The 19 year old has more than doubled his money to £8,900 a week for his electric start to the campaign.

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Paul McGrath: Building The Villan Legacy

Westwood Out, Peruzzi In On Deadline Day

Ashley Westwood moves to Southampton to further his career

Aston Villa had a quiet Transfer Deadline Day up until 9.30pm when Southampton placed a bid of £7,500,000 for Ashley Westwood. Aston Villa immediately negotiated as they new time was against them in there hunt to get Gino Peruzzi.

The Argentine was almost at Birmingham International airport on the advice of manager Paul McGrath in the hope they could force through a move to Aston Villa, but McGrath had to move quickly because Tottenham were suddenly showing an interest. By this time Southampton had put a new bid of £9,500,000 but £6,000,000 was upfront and the rest in installments, that would free up the £4,800,000 needed to sign Peruzzi but it was now 10.30pm and half an hour to push both deals through.


Peruzzi flew into Birmingham International Airport to move to Aston Villa

Westwood's deal hinged on the Peruzzi deal so Villa lodged there £4,800,000 bid and it was accepted and now the race was on to agree contracts and get the paperwork in, in time.

Westwood accepted the offer from Southampton and signed a 4 year £31,000 a week deal and was glad to be moving away from Villa Park. I know fans will not agree with me here but with Paul in charge, Aston Villa are only going to get relegated. I enjoyed my time but his and Roy Keane's coaching methods leave a lot to be desired.

Now there was a race against time and at 10.48pm, Gino Peruzzi arrived at Bodymoor Heath to discuss a deal to join The Villans. Peruzzi, who has been capped 4 times by Argentina wasted no time at all in accepting the Midlands club offer of a five year £19,750 a week deal and he is just glad he got his move away from Cantania. The defender, who new no English at all spoke in Spanish to the press with a translator.

Estoy muy contento de unirse a Aston Villa . Había sido un largo y duro proscess para forzar el abandono de Italia, pero tan pronto como nuevas las longitudes que el manager Paul McGrath iría a para asegurarse de que él me podía firmar , me prometí a mí mismo que iba a pasar a ellos. Esto fue todo por el gerente de Catania , Giuseppe Sannino . Tenía una mala influencia en el club y más jugadores quieren irse. Este es un nuevo capítulo para mí y creo que el Aston Villa puede ganar cosas y no puedo esperar para tirar de la camiseta de Claret y Azul .

I am so glad to join Aston Villa. It had been a long and hard process to force a move away from Italy but as soon as I new the lengths that manager Paul McGrath would go to to make sure he could sign me, I promised myself I would move to them. This was all because of the manager at Catania, Guiseppe Sannino. He had a bad influence on the club and more players want to leave. This is a new chapter for me and I think Aston Villa can win things and I can not wait to pull on the Claret & Blue jersey.