Move over Villa, Jesus is coming to town

If reports over the weekend are to be believed, Josh Kennedy will be making his way to Melbourne City in the New Year.

It’s a huge boost for the club, who are still reeling from their second half capitulation at the hands of rivals Melbourne Victory on Saturday.

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Many A-League fans have also been left frustrated that David Villa’s ten-game guest stint may only last for four fixtures, with the Spanish star set to return to America to fulfil sponsorship obligations with New York City.

Yet both wounds can be partially healed if Kennedy signs on the dotted line. What’s more, a multi-year deal has been mooted, which provides a clear sign that City are looking at long-term targets, not just short-term publicity grabs.

Because while it is disappointing that Villa won’t be completing his guest stint, it can be argued that he’s already done his job. Exposure was always the number one aim, and he’s helped City pull a record amount of memberships.

His stay was never going to be a permanent one, and though it’s sad to see him leave prematurely, all he could really do from here was score more goals, pull crowds and help City get some results. All short-term stuff.

And while he’s scored two goals, results have been harder to come by, with just two taken from nine. There was always a need for a long-term strategy, and Kennedy is exactly that.

The concern of how City would fare without their temporary marquee has now been banished, the club has a solid Plan B to look forward to if Kennedy’s arrival is confirmed.

John van ‘t Schip can prepare his team for Kennedy’s arrival, and concentrate on the current season as well as keep an eye towards building the club’s long-term future.

Signing Kennedy could therefore prove just as influential as the signing of Villa, probably more so. The latter brought in the crowds, the former can help build a club intent on joining the elite in Australian football.

Two or three years with Kennedy leading the line will see City gain credibility and results. He’s never played in the top divisions of Australian football at length, his time spent almost entirely in Germany and Japan, so it will be great for A-League fans to see him firsthand.

And he’s not over the hill either, Kennedy scored five goals and put on three assists in nine matches earlier this season with Nagoya Grampus, who are sitting mid-table in the J-League.

He will leave them after a fruitful five years, where he won the J-League championship and the Super Cup, and it’s another case of a Socceroos hero returning home.

But Kennedy can likely succeed where others have failed. This is the man who only just last year headed Australia to the World Cup, and was then tragically left at home after failing to overcome a persistent back injury. If he can get on top of his niggling injuries, which is a concern, it will be a huge signing.

The attributes that made him a successful player aren’t going anywhere. He never relied on his skills, pace or fitness to run past players or trick his way around them. Those are all attributes that wane with time.

Kennedy’s forte has always been his positional sense, his ability in the air and his eye for goal. His football brain is going nowhere, and neither is his height. Pop a ball on Kennedy’s head and he’ll more than likely hit the target.

With Damien Duff in scintillating form, the Irish-Aussie partnership could cause havoc on A-League defences, and add a returning Robert Koren into the mix and it’s a mouthwatering proposition.

Koren is yet to get his chance to convince A-League fans that signing a low-profile international marquee outweighs going for the glitzy glamour option. But Marc Janko has definitely shut a lot of people up. His goal against Brisbane Roar on Friday night showed that signing big names is not the (only) way forward.

Kennedy is not a big name to rival that of David Villa, he’s more in the mould of Janko and Koren. Luckily, however, he has a profile in Australia, so his arrival should work two-fold – bums on seats and effective performances.

Villa’s early departure will only hurt in the short term, just as his time in the A-League was only going to prove advantageous in the same timeframe. Kennedy’s arrival gives City the chance to build a new club, and separate them from the ineptitude of Melbourne Heart.

All they need now is to extend Duff’s contract, get Koren on the field, make the 2014-15 finals and the rest should fall into place. Easy, right?