Taylor offers Alpay olive branch
Aston Villa manager Graham Taylor is set to recall transfer-listed defender Alpay for tonight’s home clash with Southampton – but warned the Turkish star not to repeat his “nonsense” when the transfer window re-opens in January.
Alpay has been out in the cold since a nightmare performance in the derby clash with Birmingham five weeks ago when he was at fault with two of the goals in Villa’s 3-0 defeat.
Taylor believes he has not been in the right frame of mind since returning from the World Cup and has been affected by summer transfer speculation over his future.
Alpay also made critical comments in the Turkish media about the Midlands club in which he questioned their ambition.
Taylor is prepared to throw an olive branch and Alpay is set to replace the injured Ronny Johnsen against the Saints.
Taylor told PA Sport: “Alpay has got a transfer request in and that remains. I’ve got no objection. Everyone has the right to do that but what I am trying to establish here is a total togetherness.
“The ball is firmly in Alpay’s court. Unless there is some great deceiving going on, I get on very well with him. Getting on with people doesn’t mean you’ve got to pick them in the first team. The chances are that if Ronny is not fit then Alpay will play on Monday and we’ll get on with it.
“The message is ‘look, you’ve had a reality check, there has not been a club in for you and you’ve still got two years left of your contract’.
“We are saying we’re not looking to kick you out but, with January coming up, we can’t afford to go through all that nonsense we had before.’
“I don’t expect people to be happy if they are not playing but I do expect them to understand that if we are to have any success here, it is by having people wanting to play and commit themselves to the team because we’re not going to get it otherwise.”
Johnsen is struggling to overcome a hamstring injury suffered against Leeds.
Meanwhile Taylor has confirmed his interest in Swedish youth international Kim Kallstrom as one of a group of players he is keeping tabs on.
Twenty-year-old Kallstrom, who plays for Djurgarden, is also being monitored by Arsenal and Parma.
Taylor said: “We’ve looked at him. In fact, John Deehan (Villa assistant manager) was out there looking at him only last week.
“We’ve not made any moves but the thing is we have looked at a lot of players. It is all part of the process of making sure we bring the right players in.”
Villa first team coach Stuart Gray will look to put over Southampton after being sacked as manager a year ago today.
He said: “I must have been the right man to be given the job at Southampton. I was just a little disappointed in the manner I was treated. I had 10 good years there and I still have a lot of friends there.”
