According to Mat Kendrick, Aston Villa were in the race to secure the services of Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole until he accepted a year-long loan at French club Lille. Had Cole come, he might have provided some of the creative presence in the middle of the pitch that so many of us are clamoring for. I realize his tenure with Liverpool hasn't been as successful as had been hoped, but he was a solid player who could have been a help.

But, that's no longer an option. In two days we've gotten stories of Aston Villa missing out on players that certainly could have helped this year. Yesterday it was Yossi Benayoun, and today Joe Cole. Apparently Alex McLeish is still searching for a playmaking mid, and we should probably expect to see something today. I'm just not sure exactly where it will be coming from at a point this late in the game.