Post by Chris on Oct 26, 2003 10:10:07 GMT
Balaban next conundrum to be solved Oct 25 2003
On the face of it, Bosko Balaban and Alpay Ozalan have little in common.
One is anonymous, the other famous; one is impassive, the other impetuous; one wants the limelight but cannot find it, the other despises the limelight but cannot avoid it.
The similarities, though fewer, are more striking. Both were brought to Aston Villa by John Gregory, both represent wasted money on the part of the club, and both have failed miserably to fulfil their potential.
While Alpay was parting company with Villa yesterday, Balaban was sitting at home wondering if he would be next to suffer the indignity of having his contract cancelled.
It is clear that David O'Leary, the Villa manager, does not rate Balaban but this issue is not as clear-cut as the one concerning Alpay. Whereas Alpay sometimes showed his worth to Villa, Balaban has not even started a Premiership match for the club.
He is not a bad player - how can he be when he was leading scorer for Croatia during their 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign? - but he has been the most spectacular failure in Villa's history.
He spent the whole of last season on loan with Dinamo Zagreb, the club from whom Villa signed him for £5.8 million in August 2001, but returned to Villa Park in June. The arrival of O'Leary did not help him and there is more chance of Peter McParland making a comeback than Balaban making the first team.
To add to the frustration for Villa, Balaban refused the chance to move out on loan. Dundee were one of a handful of clubs who wanted to take Balaban on a temporary basis. He was not interested.
"Why should I go on loan?" Balaban said. "I want to stay at Aston Villa. The manager wants me to go out on loan and the chairman wants me out of the club for good.
"Of course, I would go if it was the right move but the right move is not available at the moment."
If Balaban's football has taken a backwards step, his command of English has moved in the opposite direction. He has three years left on his contract and, with Alpay gone, is now Villa's biggest problem.
What do you do with a player who promised so much yet delivered so little? Villa obviously do not have the answer. When the first-team trains at Bodymoor Heath each day, Balaban is never there.
"I do not train with the first team," Balaban said. "I do not train with the reserves. I work alone. All I can do is keep fit. I do not know what will happen. Every day I work on my fitness. At least I am available to play if I am needed.
"Me and the manager, we do speak. He knows I feel well. But the chairman does not want me here."
In some ways, Balaban is lucky. He earns £1 million a year and could, if he wanted, have the easiest life in Birmingham. Pride will not allow him to adopt such an attitude. His wealth is no consolation.
His nightmare move to Villa cost him his place in the Croatia squad - he was an unused substitute in each of his country's three matches in the 2002 World Cup in Japan - and has drained him of his confidence.
"I am ready for something to change but, at the moment, how can I expect to make the squad for my national team," Balaban said. "I understand that. It is even difficult for me to go out on loan to a club in Croatia."
Balaban does not say why it would be difficult, probably because it is obvious. His wages of £20,000 a week are prohibitive. For that kind of money, you can acquire so much more. Balaban accepts that. Setbacks emphasise reality.
At 25, he should be coming close to his peak yet he is enduring the frustration of watching Villa move forwards while he is moving backwards. It is enough to destroy even the s.est of characters.
Perhaps the greatest insult is that Balaban can no longer command a place in the reserve team. He has played once in the FA Premier Reserve League and did not impress.
Fifteen months after being one of the 736 players involved at the World Cup, he is not good enough to play for Villa's reserve team.
I can remember speaking to Balaban around 30 minutes after Croatia defeated Italy 2-1 in the World Cup in Ibaraki. His face was glowing and, for once, he felt part of something good. There was a rare smile and a rare spring in his step.
He vowed to fight for his place at Villa and try to impress the then manager, Graham Taylor, who was as baffled then as O'Leary is now.
When the next World Cup comes along in Germany in 2006, Balaban will be 28. If his life continues in the same manner, he will have earned £5 million for 140 minutes of Premiership action. That is £35,714 a minute. It has cost Villa much more - about £85,714 per minute.
Balaban must take his share of the blame - after all, the onus is on him to perform - but John Gregory is responsible for executing the worst signing in the club's history.
On the face of it, Bosko Balaban and Alpay Ozalan have little in common.
One is anonymous, the other famous; one is impassive, the other impetuous; one wants the limelight but cannot find it, the other despises the limelight but cannot avoid it.
The similarities, though fewer, are more striking. Both were brought to Aston Villa by John Gregory, both represent wasted money on the part of the club, and both have failed miserably to fulfil their potential.
While Alpay was parting company with Villa yesterday, Balaban was sitting at home wondering if he would be next to suffer the indignity of having his contract cancelled.
It is clear that David O'Leary, the Villa manager, does not rate Balaban but this issue is not as clear-cut as the one concerning Alpay. Whereas Alpay sometimes showed his worth to Villa, Balaban has not even started a Premiership match for the club.
He is not a bad player - how can he be when he was leading scorer for Croatia during their 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign? - but he has been the most spectacular failure in Villa's history.
He spent the whole of last season on loan with Dinamo Zagreb, the club from whom Villa signed him for £5.8 million in August 2001, but returned to Villa Park in June. The arrival of O'Leary did not help him and there is more chance of Peter McParland making a comeback than Balaban making the first team.
To add to the frustration for Villa, Balaban refused the chance to move out on loan. Dundee were one of a handful of clubs who wanted to take Balaban on a temporary basis. He was not interested.
"Why should I go on loan?" Balaban said. "I want to stay at Aston Villa. The manager wants me to go out on loan and the chairman wants me out of the club for good.
"Of course, I would go if it was the right move but the right move is not available at the moment."
If Balaban's football has taken a backwards step, his command of English has moved in the opposite direction. He has three years left on his contract and, with Alpay gone, is now Villa's biggest problem.
What do you do with a player who promised so much yet delivered so little? Villa obviously do not have the answer. When the first-team trains at Bodymoor Heath each day, Balaban is never there.
"I do not train with the first team," Balaban said. "I do not train with the reserves. I work alone. All I can do is keep fit. I do not know what will happen. Every day I work on my fitness. At least I am available to play if I am needed.
"Me and the manager, we do speak. He knows I feel well. But the chairman does not want me here."
In some ways, Balaban is lucky. He earns £1 million a year and could, if he wanted, have the easiest life in Birmingham. Pride will not allow him to adopt such an attitude. His wealth is no consolation.
His nightmare move to Villa cost him his place in the Croatia squad - he was an unused substitute in each of his country's three matches in the 2002 World Cup in Japan - and has drained him of his confidence.
"I am ready for something to change but, at the moment, how can I expect to make the squad for my national team," Balaban said. "I understand that. It is even difficult for me to go out on loan to a club in Croatia."
Balaban does not say why it would be difficult, probably because it is obvious. His wages of £20,000 a week are prohibitive. For that kind of money, you can acquire so much more. Balaban accepts that. Setbacks emphasise reality.
At 25, he should be coming close to his peak yet he is enduring the frustration of watching Villa move forwards while he is moving backwards. It is enough to destroy even the s.est of characters.
Perhaps the greatest insult is that Balaban can no longer command a place in the reserve team. He has played once in the FA Premier Reserve League and did not impress.
Fifteen months after being one of the 736 players involved at the World Cup, he is not good enough to play for Villa's reserve team.
I can remember speaking to Balaban around 30 minutes after Croatia defeated Italy 2-1 in the World Cup in Ibaraki. His face was glowing and, for once, he felt part of something good. There was a rare smile and a rare spring in his step.
He vowed to fight for his place at Villa and try to impress the then manager, Graham Taylor, who was as baffled then as O'Leary is now.
When the next World Cup comes along in Germany in 2006, Balaban will be 28. If his life continues in the same manner, he will have earned £5 million for 140 minutes of Premiership action. That is £35,714 a minute. It has cost Villa much more - about £85,714 per minute.
Balaban must take his share of the blame - after all, the onus is on him to perform - but John Gregory is responsible for executing the worst signing in the club's history.
