Press article:

Villa getting true value with Solano - 26/01/2005

When your strikers have forgotten where the net is, as David O'Leary's have to such spectacular effect this season, it must come as a huge comfort to have a Nolberto Solano in your side.

Aston Villa's top scorer has made up for Villa's misfiring front-men this season by scoring seven goals from midfield.

His goals have been supplemented by five from Lee Hendrie and a welcome four by another midfield regular in Gareth Barry, goals that have kept Villa's European ambitions just about alive and kicking.

Because of the creative impetus Solano provided when he signed from Newcastle United a year ago, O'Leary is fulsome in his praise.

"In the 12 months he's been here, he has to rate as the best £1.5 million I've ever spent and the only thing that still surprises me now is that there was no competition to sign him," the Villa manager said.

It is the sort of gushing tribute many modern-day footballers revel in but Solano takes it calmly in his stride.

The Peruvian winger said: "I am very proud when the manager has a nice opinion of myself like that.

"It is good when the manager gives me compliments but there is a bit of extra pressure because I have to play well every week.

"I have to keep it going as it is important to try to stay in good form and give the best for the team."

While he, Hendrie and Barry have supplied more than half of Villa's Premiership haul of 27 goals, Solano has sympathy with his fellow South American Juan Pablo Angel and remains confident that the goals will flow again from him soon.

He said: "If you ask Juan Pablo and all the strikers, they'd love to score all the time.

"At the moment they are not doing that but we know Juan has the quality. You know when a striker has a lean patch, they will eventually come back with many goals and at the moment, the midfielders are scoring the goals."

As for how this season will finish for Villa after the final 14 games, Solano is mindful of the problems O'Leary is labouring under.

"Injuries have been a problem as we have a small squad," he said. "Although the manager is working hard to sign new players, it is difficult now, especially with the market for this club.

"We try to play good football every game but we need points if we want to finish like last season. We are working hard to try to finish in the top six again, but it is more difficult to get into Europe this time as there is more competition.

"Last season, Liverpool and Spurs weren't very good but now they have signed good players and have been playing well. So have Middlesbrough and Everton, which is why this season will be very tough."

One thing that will make it even tougher for Villa is that injury list. Gavin McCann is not expected to play again this season after undergoing a cartilage operation while Darius Vassell will not reappear until next month at the earliest after today's scheduled 'clean-up' operation on his ankle.

Mark Delaney, the luckless Wales right-back, saw a specialist for an MRI scan which confirmed the damage done to medial ligaments in his left knee against Manchester United at Old Trafford last Saturday.

He is being targeted to miss only three games and to play against Everton on February 26.

O'Leary ought to have been further comforted that Martin Laursen was due to play for the reserves last night resuming his comeback with his first competitive game since August, in the same team as fit- again Thomas Hitzlsperger.

Although Jlloyd Samuel will miss next Wednesday night's match at Fulham because of a five-match suspension, O'Leary is not perhaps as hamstrung as it seems at first sight. n Kizito Musampa is set to join Manchester City from Atletico Madrid today, initially on loan until the end of the season with a view to a permanent deal.
 
 

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