Why Aston Villa are doing the right thing by signing James Collins
According to reports in the Sun, Aston Villa have taken James Collins on trial and plan to sign him for free this season. The Welshman left West Ham United in the summer and snubbed a move to Ipswich Town. He could well return to Villa Park for his second stint with the Birmingham-based club.
Steve Bruce and his men did try to get Chelsea legend John Terry but failed in their attempts. As a result, they are looking to get Collins for free. Villa loaned Tommy Elphick out to Hull City, hence, they are a bit short in central defence. (Sun)
As reported by the Sun, Collins was training with Ipswich Town but his work was restricted due to a muscle injury. Now, the Welshman’s representatives have held talks with Bruce about a short-term deal.
Here’s why Aston Villa could make the right decision by signing the 35-year-old this season:
Experience and quality
With the number of games Collins has played in his illustrious career in English football, you cannot bet against him being a good signing for a club, let alone a return to Aston Villa where he played 91 games spanning over three years (2009-2012).
The centre-back has almost everything in the locker to be a top man for the club this season. He is good in the air, can make crucial clearances, reads the game well to make tackles and interceptions.
Perusing some of his stats from last season, Collins had an aerial duel success of 3.6 per game. He possessed a tackle, interception and clearance average of 1.2, 1.2 and 9.1 respectively. These numbers clearly show that the Welshman could be a game-changing presence at the back.
Steve Bruce’s men have been defensively poor thus far, conceding 14 goals in 9 games. Missing out on John Terry was a blow but if they get Collins, they may not regret not signing the Chelsea legend.
Read More: A gamble worth taking – Why Aston Villa must go all out to sign this former Premier League defender
Verdict
Aston Villa’s poor start to the season would have certainly worried the manager. Their defence looks thread-bare at the moment, both in terms of quality and quantity. Hence, signing someone like Collins would be a boost this team could do with. The 35-year-old is guaranteed to bring an extra bite to the defence.
Stats Courtesy – Whoscored.com