Aston Villa - What Does An Experienced Free Transfer Add To A Young Premier League Team?

When news broke that Aston Villa had signed Robert Pires at the ripe age of 37 it got me thinking...why has such a signing been made? and who stands to benefit from it? I hope to look at the value of such a signing and whether experience is the key in the ever-changing modern game. Can a Premier League team benefit from signing an experienced player whose career will soon be drawing to a close? Can you think of any past success stories or catastrophes at your cub? If so I would really like to hear from you!

Does Robert Pires offer more on the training ground than he does on the pitch? Photo: AVFC.

When Robert Pires spoke of his six month contract at the club, he said: "I hope to bring my experience to the team and help the younger players". This statement suggests that perhaps his role as a player at the club may precede his role as a mentor.

Speaking of signing Pires, Villa's assistant Gary McAllister said that "He will gain respect. But I am sure Robert Pires isn't coming here just to be a player that everyone is going to stand back and admire". McAllister eludes to the fact that Pires is coming to Villa to continue his career playing at the top level, but I am far from convinced. 

When we look back at the career of Pires their is absolutely no question that he has experienced success on some of the biggest stages in World Football. In terms of his club achievements he will be remembered most for a glittering six-year spell at Arsenal. During this time Pires won the two Premier League Titles and three FA Cups. Perhaps the most meaningful and significant honor came when Pires was voted Arsenals sixth best player of all time by the fans of the club; an incredible achievement when one considers some of the players that have represented the Gunners over time. Pires achieved 79 caps for France; winning the European Championships in 2000 after World Cup glory in 1998.

His CV represents the career of a football player who has achieved as part of very successful teams in recent times. Likewise his talents as an individual have been recognised by teammates, fans and the media alike.

Aston Villa have become accustomed to making the most of their own resources and products. You only have to look at recent team sheets to see the likes of Clark, Delfouneso, Albrighton, Bannan, Hogg and Lichaj are featuring regularly in Villa's first team. Randy Lerner's philosophy at the club is starting to become a little clearer as time continues to pass. The purse strings are very tight indeed, so Villa are having to rely on a blend of youth and experience to get results. Having developed the likes of Gareth Barry and James Milner in recent years, Villa were very quick to cash in on them; something that speaks volumes about the clubs' ambitions! Relying purely on academy products and experienced signings to bring success to Villa Park is in my opinion foolish, and who could say for certain that the likes of Albrighton and Bannan will not go the same way as Barry and Milner?

The signing of Robert Pires will add to Villa's current crop of experienced players who are undoubtedly responsible for helping the young talents around them. Brad Friedel, Stylian Petrov and Emile Heskey have accumulated 1665 league appearances between them. Pires has himself achieved 520 club appearances in his career, but I am not sure this experience holds the value it used to. 

Pires has a very short contract to fulfill at Villa, which may lead some to suggest that his impact in this amount of time is likely to be minimal. I can see the positive aspects that Pires will bring to Villa on the training ground; mentoring younger players and providing  advice. I have no doubt that the likes of Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes for example hold great value to Man Utd; working alongside world class players and helping them develop in a similar manner as they did. The fact that they have spent their careers at Man Utd means such experience is imperative.

Even the most optimistic of Villa fans would tend to agree that the future is not looking too bright at Villa Park. Despite an exciting and at the time fitting takeover of the club, Randy Lerner has really failed to attract quality players to Villa Park. So is Robert Pires a last ditch attempt to bring some success to Villa Park via different means? I believe you can count Villa's top quality players on one hand, so I do not believe that signing Robert Pires is the answer. 

Giggs and Scholes represent the benefits of experience at the highest level. Photo: Zimbio.

Just for a minute lets imagine that Pires has signed a six-month contract at Arsenal, with the primary aim of helping younger players and adding experience to the Arsenal bench. I think such a move would have been a great one for Arsenal. Working alongside the likes of Fabregas, Nasri, Wilshere and Walcott on the training ground could only have a positive impact.

When all is said and done, Pires would not make it into my Aston Villa starting line up. Likewise I don't believe he will pose a threat from the bench. You only have to look around at the quality that other teams have on the bench to see that Pires simply does not cut it with them. To conclude, I think that experience players used in the right way are of great importance in the modern game. However, signing a 37 year old player who has no history at the club and little left to offer as a player is simply not the answer.

DH