Aston Villa perhaps received a little bit of Karma yesterday for their unsettling of Taylor Harwood-Bellis with an embarrassing defeat at Brighton, but that has perhaps strengthend their resolve.
When Aston Villa put in their £18 million bid for Taylor Harwood-Bellis last week, they must have been stupid to believe that Southampton would accept it, after all they had turned down a similar offer from Benfica only days earlier.
Of course Villa knew this, they aren't stupid, they are just sly, they knew the initial bid would be turned down, but they wanted to unsettle the player, make him pressurise his club to let him go.
This was quite clear when Harwood-Bellis was missing from the Saints side to face Stoke on Saturday.
Tonda Eckert played it down in his post match comments, saying that it was his decision, but I would dispute this, the decision is always with the player and his own attitude and professionalism.
THB could have shown his manager that despite the uncertainty, he was focused on Southampton FC as long as he remained contracted to them. in training sessions, he could have had a quiet word with him and tell him that he was ready to play.
Given that he played through the Benfica interest, then what has changed now ?
Tonda Eckert will have made the decision not to play him but the player himself could have taken it out of his hands by his own professionalism and attitude.
Three years ago when James Ward-Prowse was the subject of transfer interest and was on the verge of a transfer to West Ham United, he did just that and played in the season's opening game at Sheffield Wednesday and played his part in a 2-1 win, if he could do that, so could any player.
Eckert will know that if West Ham continue to fail to meet the asking price and THB has to stay, he doesn't want the fans on the players back, he is taking the flak off THB.
On Sunday afternoon Aston Villa were slaughtered at Brighton, they were 4-0 down after 30 minutes and down to 10 men just before the break.
Somehow the game finished on that scoreline, Villa failed have a shot on target and only had 5 touches in the opposition box, if Karma does exist then it was bestowed on Villa at the Amex on Sunday.
But that seems to have only strengthened Villa's resolve as givemesport.com have reported on Sunday evening another bid went in, supposedly for £20 million plus £4 million in add ons.
This is now slightly above the amount that Saints paid Manchester City, but it is still not the £30 million that is the amount that Saints want.
That is not unreasonable give that in the two years since that permanent transfer THB has played his first game in the Premier League and indeed an entire season under his belt, plus earned player of the year awards for his efforts last season, which would surely have seen Saints back in the Premier League but for events off the pitch.
Add an England cap & goal to the mix and Villa are either naive or just cheapskates in starting with a bid well under the price we ourselves paid.
Southampton are said to have also turned down this latest offer but the feeling is that it is at least somewhere near to being close to the price that the club want.
I think that if Villa get somewhere near £25 million plus add ons and a sell on clause, then we will be ready to do business.
I don't blame Taylor Harwood-Bellis for wanting to join Aston Villa, he like all players is ambitious, we might not like to hear it, but a season at Villa Park in the Premier League and a chance to play in the Champions League is a better proposition for a player than a season in the Championship, especially when you add on the signing on fee and a large increase in wages.
We will see now whether Villa are serious or will look elsewhere
All Photos Via Reuters
Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.