Every team with lofty aspirations needs a maverick. An enigma who revels in unpredictability, somebody who can turn a game in the blink of an eye.Manchester United have Wayne Rooney, Chelsea possess the mercurial Didier Drogba while Arsene Wenger at Arsenal has at least two or three in his squad of pass masters.
John Carew at Aston Villa would probably appear incongruous among such high profile company. But the giant Norway striker is a player who could be featuring for one of the Big Four if only he demonstrated some consistency.
As he proved against Bolton Wanderers at the weekend, when Carew has the scent of blood in his nostrils he can be almost unplayable. A cult figure for the Holte End fans already, Carew has finally ended his nomadic existence to become a key component of O'Neill's revolution.
But the frustrating factor for the Villa manager is that Carew's rampaging performance on Saturday is all too rarely seen.
If he was more consistent, the sky would be the limit for him. He would surely walk into the likes of United and Liverpool's teams if Saturday's display was the norm.
Dimitar Berbatov, who almost defines the word 'languid', cost Sir Alex Ferguson nearly £31m but a Carew at the top of his game could offer United far more than the Bulgarian.
That is meant with no disrespect to Aston Villa, who continue to punch away at the established order at the top of the Premier League and are looking far more likely to splinter the top four than Manchester City on current form.
But O'Neill must be aware more than anyone that his chances of progress this season will be infinitely enhanced if Carew fulfils his massive potential.
O'Neill has practically given up trying to predict what will come next from the 30-year-old. The pair clashed last season after Carew was caught in a lap-dancing club before a UEFA Cup game against Ajax and the player's future looked bleak.
But already this season, against Chelsea and Wanderers in particular, the former Valencia star has underlined his vast importance to Villa.
It is almost laughable to think that Emile Heskey's arrival in January was supposed to signal the end of Carew's Villa career. Heskey has simply not been in the same class as his strike rival.
Carew registered only his third goal of the season against the hapless Trotters on Saturday, but wreaked havoc by creating three others for his team mates.
There are few more fearsome sights for defenders than Carew in this kind of form. Now he just needs to find some consistency. Then Villa really will be going places.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Good article.
Yes, he does have the ability, but needs to apply himself more as he can look incredibly lazy at times.