I want to tell you really positive things about Aaron Tshibola but he's had 36 appearances for Reading and Hartlepool in his professional career since 2013 and because of those numbers, there is nobody on the planet that can tell us really positive things with any real credibility. Sure, I've read that there is promise and a lot of hope. But then there are so many former Aston Villa players that didn't make it, that I've become immune to players with promise.
I do however want to believe that Tshibola will come good under Di Matteo but it raises a big question; who is a 36 appearance veteran replacing?
We've currently got Veretout, Gardner, Sanchez, Gueye and Westwood who play in his position and I'll be honest, even though I know basically nothing about Tshibola I know that I'd rather start with Gardner, Veretout, Gueye and Westwood ahead of him.
But this sort of takes me back to my post the other day where I wrote that it was mostly about team mentality and the football. You see, we've got the players to survive in the Premier League, it's just that we made so many bad decisions; Paul Faulkner, Tom Fox and every manager they appointed (apart from Houllier).
It's not about new players
The job ahead of Di Matteo is to create team unity. To do that he has to get rid of Gabby and Richards. That he hasn't figured that out yet worries me and more than anything, it should worry all of us. That he is spending money on players we already have also worries me, but that is something I can live with because the most important thing is mentality, team spirit and the way we play football.
And I know I'm going on about Gabby and Richards. But it's because it really is that important.
We've all followed Gabby for many seasons and we all know he'll convince the new manager that he's ready and we also know that Gabby will do one thing at the start of the season, maybe a solo goal or an inspired performance, and then he'll stop and sit back and live off that for the rest of the season. It's the Gabby way and it shouldn't be allowed. That is the cancer that spreads.
The same could be said for Micah Richards, because he runs around like a headless chicken and others think it acceptable. It isn't and it makes us a bit of a joke. And like I wrote above, it worries me that Di Matteo isn't acting. But he's young and he thinks he can fix things. He has to make his own mistakes.
But Aaron Tshibola has signed and who knows, he could be the player that wins us the Championship next season so we have to celebrate that moment for today because we've got another £40mn to spend on more players we don't need.