As we emerge from the final international window of the year, it’s hard not to think the break came at an opportune time for Aston Villa. It is a chance to take stock and for Unai Emery and his boffins to identify and find solutions that hopefully see us turn around a slightly concerning form slump.
With our clean bill of health short-lived, and performances before the break lacking the verve and fluency to which we’ve become accustomed in the Emery era, some of our faithful have quickly grown restless.
And with ten matches on the horizon before the new year hits – a block of fixtures that will play a defining role for our Premier League campaign in particular – we clearly find ourselves at an important juncture in the season.
Despite four straight losses and the frustration of Bournemouth’s last-gasp equaliser still lingering in our memories, it’s now more important than ever to galvanise as a fanbase and get behind the team as we strive to rediscover our best.
Without intending to provide an exhaustive tactical analysis and merely seeking to highlight current challenges faced by the team in a measured way, firstly, and quite broadly, our attacking players appear to be out of form and lacking synergy.
Whether it be a slightly barren spell for Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey not reaching the heights of last season, Morgan Rogers far from clinical in front of goal or careless in possession, or an arrhythmic start to the season for Jacob Ramsey and John McGinn due to injury, it’s just not quite clicking in the final third.
In addition, we don’t seem to be enjoying the same enterprise down the left flank that has cut a swathe through opposition teams over the past two years.
While Lucas Digne has been assured defensively and occasionally progresses for his ‘stand and deliver’ crosses, one thing missing has been the combination play with players like Ramsey. When you add an impotent right flank, the avenues to goal become limited.
Pleasingly, of the aforementioned players, all bar Bailey, who appears to be worryingly out of form, and the injured Ramsey experienced positive experiences with their respective national sides, which we can only hope will provide timely confidence boosts ahead of the domestic season resumption.
It is no secret that the club sought to acquire quality reinforcements at right back in the summer. That we were hampered by what has been reported as challenges adhering to both the Premier League and UEFA profit and sustainability rules, as well as an inability to offload a player like Diego Carlos who, seemingly, had one foot out the door, is no surprise we’re encountering identical headaches to last season.
The absence of Matty Cash has further exacerbated this.
Although a whipping boy for many, and he indeed has areas of his game that require improvement, I don’t think anyone can question his application when donning the claret and blue, nor the fact he is a natural right back. Can we upgrade? Yes, but it’s not worth the conversation at this point and there is certainly no mileage in crying over spilt milk now the transfer window is a distant memory.
When forced to adopt a ‘rob Peter to pay Paul’ mentality by sliding our best centre back in Ezri Konsa to the right and playing Carlos centrally, it’s not surprising that the output from the back half is diminished. Our team automatically becomes more cumbersome than the alternative and something that is preyed upon by opposition teams given the quality that exists in wide areas and the ballistic nature of modern football at the highest level.
More of concern is the injury-prone nature of Cash and with the volume of games coming up, we need to find an alternative. And I don’t believe the current solution is it.
At this point, it would appear clear that Emery believes that Kosta Nedeljkovic is not yet ready, while the experiment with Lamare Bogarde has rightly come and gone. Although bold, perhaps outrageous in the eyes of many, but thinking outside the square, could we evolve to play Ian Maatsen at right back to ensure we maintain stability centrally? Just a thought even though some will be questioning my sanity.
Fundamentally, and although only my opinion, all of the above can only lead to one thing: a one-dimensional avenue toward goal and predictability of ball movement patterns for opposition teams to defend. And our only fruitful route seems to be through the centre of the park.
Youri Tielemans has been a revelation in his pivot role this season and he is so often the rudder for our performances. Yet, much like the deployment of Konsa to right back, playing Tielemans in a more passive role than in previous seasons looks to have hindered us offensively as we have almost wholly lost his precision, line-breaking passes into the final third.
When opponents press us hard while we are endeavouring to play out from the back, saturate the centre of the park and restrict our ability to play through Tielemans, it is no surprise that it goes a long way to blanketing us.
Let’s not forget, one thing often overlooked is the fact we are now a team that is considered a scalp. While we were once the hunter, we are now the hunted, and opposition sides need little motivation to rise to the occasion of playing us. And they’ll do everything possible to suppress our attacking threat.
I certainly don’t have all the answers, but one thing I do believe is that we need to trust Emery, his assistants and the playing group to arrest the recent trend.
And while appreciative we all invest our hard-earned money in different ways to support our beloved club (and with it comes an opportunity to provide one’s unfiltered opinion after an underwhelming performance or things about which we feel aggrieved, like ticket prices), what it shouldn’t give rise to are some of the irrational – frankly outlandish – opinions that have done the rounds on social media since our loss against Liverpool.
Emery and the players have delivered us a ride we could’ve only dreamed of just a few years ago, and with that should come faith in them to turn things around.
Until such time as they show themselves unworthy or incapable of repaying that faith, I’d strongly urge us all to take a deep breath, band together, and remind ourselves that we’re one big family united by the sharing of the common goal of wanting to see Aston Villa thrive.
Up the Villa!
Article submitted by Tristan Foenander.
Contact the author: @tfoenander (X) and @villamantristan (Bluesky)
