McLeish away! Are we similar to the Browns? Can Shurmur unlock the Scots potential?

Randy Lerner has sent Alex McLeish to the US to exchange ideas/learn from Cleveland Browns coach Pat Shurmur. The exchange will see Big Eck monitor a coach with similar troubles and pressures.

The Browns have had an average to poor season, haven’t excited too much and concerns about tactics have always been in question.
Though both managers share similar sporting disappointments there is one clear difference to their style; Shurmur has the fortitude to share examples of his own failures and recognise his development potential.

Comments from Shurmur such as,

"We have to play smarter" and “We can't be our own worst enemy. That's an important thing to learn.” 

echo in the opinionated minds of Aston Villa fans; McLeish so rarely criticises his team and is yet to recognise his own mistakes with tangible actions.

The recent Man City defeat was an apt example of Aston Villa’s play this season and even post match questions to McLeish exampling his lack of attacking ambition did little to encourage the manager to recognise his errors.

“I thought the players executed the plan really well and the discipline was fantastic”.

“We were never going to go gung-ho against City because we just don’t have the players to do that.”

Dwight Yorke politely disagreed with McLeish in the post match analysis and his studio colleagues offered no disagreement to the Villa legend.

This has been a problem with McLeish, he has little faith in his own players and even less in his tactical aptitude.

But why send McLeish  to the US? Match reports suggest the managers shared similar problems and a critical article from the Bleacherreport compounds the fans opinions.

'The team was terrible, especially on offense where he was the man in charge. The play-calling—his play-calling—was confusing, boring, unimaginative, and ultimately unsuccessful. All in all he looked lost many times trying to run the team.'
(http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1001827-pat-shurmur-hot-seat-ranking-the-hcs-biggest-blunders-in-2011)

The similarities in on-field play are agonisingly close but structurally they probably end there, Shurmur had little off-season, no offensive coach and limited offensive talent whereas McLeish had a whole pre season, a selection of coaching staff, old and new, and two England International strikers, one with a tremendous league record. 

Presumably he also had scout report from his most recent Premiership adventure if he did want to add any potentials.

So what can such a fresh coach teach the wise Scot?

Shurmur has gone through fan turmoil but through honest appraisals and some experimentation he seems to have won supporters over in a way that mirrors McLeish’s much slower progression.

Shurmur is able to reflect on his own management technique, something McLeish has shown little of; on his coaching technique, play calling and staffing Shurmur is quoted as saying,

"More than anything, I think what it will do is allow me to just step back and look down on some things and some areas that I may to be able to contribute more"

McLeish on the other hand has had many years as a manager, he has at his disposal a much respected Kevin McDonald as coach and a less loved Peter Grant as assistant but is neither able to use them beneficially or take a step back to work out where he/they are not contributing enough, or contributing too much.

Shurmurs inexperience may be beneficial to the wise head of McLeish; and give him fresh perspective in changing old tactics/views and trying new ideas to improve team harmony. 

Something is awry at the club and rumours are Peter Grant is not a player favourite.

As well as coaching this is something that could apply to players; on 25 year old Colt McCoy Shurmur is supportive,

"I think he throws the ball well enough. There’s so much more that goes into playing quarterback than just pure arm strength. I think you’ve seen through the years examples of guys that No. 1 have had extremely strong arms and couldn’t succeed and guys who have been very efficient and had not very strong arms and have won a lot of games."

Like the Browns Aston Villa have their own talisman but unfortunately at 32 years old Petrov, who releases most play from midfield to attack, does not have the time to develop or the mentality to do so, and in his case it’s up to his manager to change the way he plays.

This is a problem that Shurmur faces when appointing an offensive coach; he needs to get the best for his team through McCoy and he realises his new starter needs support, games and the right tactic; most of which he has been given.

In soccer central midfield is much like the quarterback position and demands a real edge of team and enigmatic play, this season McCoy began his first Browns season as a starter (replacing Delhomme) and has found his plaudits and support. Senaca Wallace who has been a pro for 9 seasons is a steady replacement but when fit McCoy is much preferred.

Aston Villa also have their McCoy/Wallace combination in the way of Petrov/Gardner but they have only recently been a preferred partnership and Petrov is yet to be removed from the equation.

McCoy has spent the year learning his trade whereas Gardner has watched his elder youth colleagues get only odd minutes before crowd pressure forces the managers hand. 

In the case of Gardner it is difficult to see how fans didn't have an influence and they have been shown astute in their passion for him to get minutes. 'Barry for England' comes to mind.

As Aston Villa fans we will take any improvement we can get for our team whether it be a physical improvement for the players or a better ideas for team morale but what we really crave is a manager who recognises football and sport is evolving and so should he.

It seems both managers will be allowed to continue for another season and perhaps the cross in sports will develop their own managerial confidence. McLeish is now stepping to the edge of his technical box a little more which has been encouraging, and Shurmur is conscious that he may need someone to call some of his plays for him.

From my own perspective I hope McLeish looks at his own technique; he needs to fully assess the quality of his coaches, look at the type of decisions he makes/could make in game and see them as brave and not a gamble. He needs to work with his players to give them sustained chances, learn how to work with particular players to get the best of them in individual and team play and develop tactics that stifles teams instead of setting out a tactic to stifle them in the final third. 

Apart from Hutton he has done an good job in the transfer window, and even Hutton is beginning to look like he is a footballer; I firmly believe with reflection and support McLeish can do a great job for Aston Villa and like Shurmur he needs time and patience.

Aston Villa 0 - 1 Manchester City (12/02/2012)

With both managers feeling the pressure but only one in fear of backlash the score line may have been a positive for both managers; Aston Villa however failed to deliver any sort of competition for a swaggering Man City who coasted to victory to reclaim top spot in the Premiership.

Manchester City lined up with a decent team littered with players struggling for form or starts and Aston Villa lined up with Heskey on the right wing, Cuellar on the left and 10 men behind the ball, the end result was one of drab defensive football and a midfield battle Aston Villa never participated in.

From the first minute the two game plans were obvious, Aston Villa sat back lumping the ball to Heskey and Bent while Man City calmly plugged away in their defensive exercise.

Until the 88^th minute the match was barely a contest, but at least it became a game in the 76^th with the introduction of Stephen Ireland. Aston Villa were drab, predicable and defensive with no intent on pushing forward as a unit and taking a chance on matching Man City. Man City were fairly drab too but never really looked concerned by the Aston Villa tactics.

Aguero looked lively and shifted the Villa back line every time Man City moved into the final third; his shooting lacked the same class and Johnson who hit the post in the first 10minutes also followed that trend. In truth the game was about a controlled Man City backline including Kolarov and Zabaleta and smart midfield including Barry and Milner who made Petrov look inept and Gardner inexperienced. The Aston Villa midfield were not aided by awful tactics but Barry looked excellent and moved the ball to his teammates with ease in all parts of the pitch. 

When Villa did move forward Barry closed them down well and held a solid shape with De Jong.

Man City had a vast majority of the ball but it was a corner in the 62^nd minute that finally gave their away form the boost it needed. Man City always looked dangerous from corners and while Silva lacked through balls in open play his set piece delivery was stunning. Constantly under pressure Villa finally cracked from a back post inswinging corner from Milner, Barry met the ball and headed it across the box to a karate kicking Lescott who put the ball away cleanly.

Lescott in truth has a good game especially in attack where the childhood Villa fan had the Villains scrambling at every corner. For the goal he was helped by a confused Cuellar who instead of watching the ball ran across the box to where he thought it was going to land and Collins who wandered from his position to also close down the curing ball. Lescott was happy to accept his freedom in the box.

Freedom was something that Man City had on their left side; Albrighton was the pushing highline but also played as a wingback, he was left to chase many balls and was not aided in any way by a bungling Hutton who looked involved in the final third but lacking any defensive ability.

For Aston Villa the game came alive in the 88^th minute when McLeish encouraged his players to come forward but the late substitute N’Zogbia had little support from midfield and Albrighton had already been withdrawn. Late on Aston Villa had a couple of chances that did trouble Hart; especially a volley from Bent but it was too late and they had wasted their home advantage and Man City’s lack of away form.

Mancini would no doubt leave happier that his out of form players picked up a win but a post match interview McLeish showed he too was satisfied with his teams’ efforts.

Those Aston Villa efforts were directed to defence and three centre backs showed their intent; Albrighton played more like a returning defensive midfielder than a winger, Heskey who was great in defence offered no attacking ability and a dropping midfield left Keane frustrated in his last game and Bent completely isolated. Bent perhaps could have won many more headers with his back to goal but this was the Aston Villa ploy, hold the ball if possible and stifle the Man City possession. 

They did neither.

Aston Villa fans were no doubt expecting to concede a few more but like at Arsenal a few weeks ago Man City were there to be tested; unfortunately like the Villa team that came out in the second half of that clash at the Emirates they lacked managerial backing and any belief to win the game which ultimately made them look second rate.

The 100 odd Villa fans protesting McLeish may have been in the minority but after 88 minutes of uninspiring football and a self assured McLeish interview perhaps their numbers will swell.

Update - Dunne who was injured late on has a fractured clavicle and will be out for 2 months.

Manchester United 2 – 1 Liverpool (11/02/2012)

Two strong teams lined up in a game neither could afford to lose and it was Sir Alex who came out on top with his blend of youth, intelligence, experience and hard work.

In a game that started under an Evra/Suarez black fog and a lacking an ‘all clear’ handshake there was little animosity on the pitch and a sense of purpose from both teams.

Liverpool started the brightest and immediately pushed forward with Suarez and Kuyt running the channels well; unfortunately they were met by a staunch United defence and excellent tracking back from United’s attacking players who as soon as the game settled made both Liverpool strikers took fairly anonymous.

Wayne Rooney’s two goals in 3 minutes exemplified United’s killed instinct but the work of two of his teammates allowed move after move to find its way into the Liverpool half and Sky’s Man of the Match 

Rooney to play the game at his tempo.

Paul Scholes played a neat passing game that allowed a hardworking attacking outfit in front of him time and more importantly space to get onto the ball; a lesson for any central midfielder Scholes used his teammates to great effect and rarely misplaced a pass, or relied on the killer balls to get a move going. His body shape and control on the ball was only matched by Rooney who was devastating in all parts of the pitch and had Liverpool players scrambling.

The quality on show from both players only materialised because of their target man, channel running lone forward Welbeck who played magnificently and worked tirelessly to get himself all over the park, especially in the first half. In their own half Welbeck put Liverpool under huge amounts of pressure and allowed Giggs and Valencia to take their defensive duties seriously and time to get into attack.

This all amounted to a fairly average and stagnant performance from Liverpool who defended in numbers and failed to push United back until they changed to 442. Suarez looked full of purpose but he found it difficult to get any extra time on the ball and wasn’t helped by a slow passing midfield and dropping Gerrard.

Wayne Rooney who should have had a hat trick continually tested Liverpool in midfield and attack and looked comfortable with Scholes behind him and Valencia racing up in support. His first goal on 47mins typified his ability and Liverpool’s frailty, as a corner missed by everyone dropped to his right boot and allowed him to volley the ball past Reina with Johnson left stranded by Rooney's movement..

In the 50^th minute Rooney struck again as he was found by a fantastic Valencia who deftly played a ball into Rooney’s path allowing him to slide the ball in-between Reina’s legs. It typified United today who won many 50/50 balls and pressurised Liverpool in every part of the pitch.

On 80 minutes a Charlie Adam ball into the box and a mistake from Ferdinand, who was caught out by the flight of the ball, dropped to Suarez who duly tucked the ball past de Gea. Adam who came on with 15minutes to go allowed Liverpool a little more room and a better shape to force United back but ultimately the goal came out of nowhere and Liverpool did little to trouble United after that.

A well deserved victory for United that puts them top overnight and leaves Liverpool tittering on the edge of mediocrity.

Though United deserved the victory the game will be overshadowed by two tunnel incidences, a lack of handshake from Suarez (though Evra enjoyed the pantomime of it all), Ferdinand sticking up for this left back with the same gesture to Suarez, a foolish celebration and two passionate interviews from the opposing managers.

On the pitch the match was without incident and at the end of the day that was what mattered.

Yes sir, no sir, three bags full of money. Capello resigns.

   As Capello leaves his post as England manager a nations fans rejoice and the FA could be pushed into making the decision the fans would have made many years ago.
That decision is not one pertaining to the potential appointment of Harry Redknapp but rather if he does get the job fans will feel vindicated that they finally have a man with motivational charm and in this case a suitable nationality to boot.


And Booting will most likely be the next step for Mr Redknapp; a few players must be concerned for their future and others perhaps ready to give the best 6months of their career but what we know is that he has the attitude to make players believe and everybody with the right attitude could be in contention.


Capello leaves amongst Terry turmoil and the FA’s statement showed no signs of giving anything away.

"We have accepted Fabio's resignation, agreeing this is the right decision. We would like to thank Fabio for his work with the England team and wish him every success in the future."

At least they are taking control again and perhaps the next step they make will make or break them as a unit.

   Capello whose recent appearance on Italian television criticised the way The FA dealt with the Terry affair was the final insult for both parties, and the impending resignation has been nicely coupled with 6 months press of ‘Arry for England.’

If anyone needs reminding of the qualities of a man motivator they should look at O’Neil at Villa, O’Neil at Sunderland and of course Redknapp at Tottenham.

So who might prosper and who might get cut and who might sneak in if Redknapp gets the nod?



Darren Bent – Sold by Redknapp; thinks his wife is a better striker.

Jermain Defoe – Liked by Harry, plays for his club, still in and around the England squad.

Kyle Walker - Harry’s right back star gets things going for his attacking team and works well in his system.

Ashley Young – Harry tried to buy him so will probably get his place

Gabriel Agbonlahor – Another player Harry has been linked with

Aaron Lennon – Admired by Harry, plays for him and in front of Walker.

Frank Lampard – Family, blood is thicker than water

Joe Cole – Surely not....but Harry has always liked him

David Beckham – Still an admirer; sees him at Spurs so why not England

Dawson – Not a regular for England but one for Tottenham and liked by Redknapp

Phil Jagielka – Handy player that Harry would find useful at Spurs and probably useful for England

Ledley King – Looks assured of his place if he stays fit, a certain starter under Redknapp

Jack Rodwell – Harry has made no secret of his admiration, perhaps he will get some friendlies

Scott Parker – Clearly a starter for Harry and it could signal the end for either Lampard or Gerrard with a captains role to boot

So is it going to be Harry? And if so is he going back to Spurs? A nice way to get to know some players if he is.

Alex McLeish - Thoughts and analysis

   As the season has developed McLeish has looked more assured and more comfortable rotating his team, he is however struggling to gel a few of his stars into the defensive force his pedigree illustrates.

An International centre back in his footballing career the anguish is obvious when teams attack his fragile Villa defence and he can only look on in disbelief as Villa defenders stray from their position and ready up the boo boys.

Big Eck as he is known has inherited an ageing stagnant defence that has little competition and a league position that cannot be experimented with. On paper the defence should offer a lot, two hugely experienced centre backs, a highly capped Scottish right back and a left back with strong Premiership experience, but in reality there seems to be a real struggle keeping out the opposition attackers and a lack of concentration that does little to help the sprawling defensive midfield.

He has options but they are in the way of youngsters with injury problems and little Premiership experience. Lichaj (right back) has returned from a long injury, Enda Stevens (left back) has only just arrived at the club, Baker (centre back) is untested and Clark (centre back) is filling in for the injured Herd as a defensive midfielder.

Carlos Cuellar has recently come in for Collins but looks every bit as fragile as his counterpart and just as frustrating a partner for Dunne; whose agitation on the pitch is evident as he plays at least 10minutes of the game covering his wandering colleagues.

   Big Eck has little to work with at the back and making drastic changes could create a downward league spiral that could remind him of his Birmingham City relegation days. Many Villa fans have been calling for Collins to be dropped for Cuellar, which didn’t work out spectacularly, or Clark to return to his favourite position and play alongside his Irish counterpart Dunne but for now the fragility of the whole team is clearly stopping McLeish from risking his younger potentials.

This issue probably arises from the fact McLeish is a centre back; he understands the importance of a consistent tight unit and is searching for just that (trust put in Hutton perhaps), but this ability to understand a defence may be hindering him to create a balance of players who play well together in the modern game and are not simply committed to getting players behind the ball.

  This could however be symptomatic of problems elsewhere especially in central midfield where there is little or no balance. In the last few games Petrov and Clark have played admirably with Petrov managing to sustain his fitness past 60minutes but they have offered little outlet in attack and found themselves almost sitting on their defence or playing within 10 yards of them. This defensive mentality helps get men behind the ball but it also allows attacking players time to commit two opposition players and create holes in an already confused Aston Villa backline.

The success and failure of Aston Villa probably relies on the dropping of their most consistent player; Petrov who has been magnificent for a few years does little wrong, he is however as ineffective as he is consistent and although he has incredible ability to keep the ball he also facilitates a slow game that usually ends up with him playing the safe, slow ball backward. Alongside him Clark has been covering for Herd but both have defensive midfield attitudes and lack the passing ability Petrov holds.

This is where McLeish is letting the team down, he has recently brought in Gardner but has been playing this central midfielder on the wing and not taking a gamble on a predictable Petrov.

   There has been little in the way of central midfield experiments and it has been detrimental to the defenders; especially those who are already making mistakes. Central midfield is rarely available to win 50/50 clearances, they stand on their defenders pushing them back or forcing them to commit and infrequently become high line supporting players on the counter.

Unfortunately this problem has to be with management, either the tactic is wrong or they are failing to identify problems the current central midfield is having. A mix is available with Bannan, Gardner and Delph all able to play midfield but none of them really show the defensive duty that Herd showed in his brief spell; and even then his partner Petrov only played a few yards ahead of him.

This issue in midfield is certainly causing the defence extra problems and is affecting the mentality of a usually calm Dunne who has been caught out of position a lot this season; usually because he covers his straying defenders.

This central midfield problem can be highlighted in every game since Robbie Keane arrived; the intelligent player is dropping into positions that usually win him the ball but spends a lot of time dropping into the places central midfield should be. What seems baffling is how often he comes back only to see the ball fly over his head and into a 4 defenders vs Darren Bent scenario. His remonstrating arms do little to change the momentum and central midfield seems vacant and lonely for the striker as he gestures furiously at the tea party still happening in the Villa half.

   In the last three games it seems McLeish has noted this and Villa have been playing with a much higher line, players are pressing and the defence is looking a little more comfortable. Newcastle who last week were lucky to steal all 3 points would most certainly agree, and most Villa fans, though disappointed, could see marked improvements in the way their team played as a unit.

Defensive issues still remain, Hutton needs a retreating winger, Warnock needs a midfielder to reduce the space attackers have in his defensive zone and Collins/Cuellar regularly need a dropping midfielder to play alongside Dunne.

The problem is either with the players or with the tactic, but adjustments are needed and consideration is needed for players to play their natural game.

Attack on the other hand has been hugely improved since the signing of Keane, and even before then Ireland was looking more dangerous and combined well with the likes of Bent and Albrighton. Agbonlahor has looked off form but close touch football and incisive passing on the opposite wing has created team chances in the final third.

Since losing Young and Downing the wings have been a problem for Aston Villa and Agbonlahor plays his best football up top; Albrighton has played sporadically and is now suffering a niggle, Bannan has not been thrust into a forward position with Heskey preferred on the flank and in the hole.

  There seems to be little attempt to truly test defences and McLeish has often reverted to a strong man back to goal model with onrushing supporting players.; unfortunately he doesn’t play the right supporting players to get the best of this, which is why Darren Bent has been playing just outside the centre circle in Heskey’s absence to allow Ireland and Keane on the ball. This lack of tenacity and determination makes the team predictable, as Martinez will testify with Moses sometimes it is good to play a player whose first thought is to go forward and wants to make and score goals. As exampled with N’Zogbia it seems McLeish does little to encourage him to beat the man and usually has him taken off for losing the ball too often or looking out of touch with his team mates.

Aston Villa must be wondering how to get the best from their stars but using Herd and Ireland as examples probably gives us a clue as to how he should manage his ‘underperforming’ stars.

Very different players they have benefitted from belief when the chips were down and a sustained amount of football in a supportive tactic. Herd was allowed to defend and Ireland has been allowed to play a free role for more than the usual two games that McLeish allows his less known players.

Albrighton has come in and looked good but is rarely allowed to grow into games and is left isolated or retreating a fair amount of time. A good link up player and one happy to take on the opposition he is given very little in the way of one touch play and has grown into games a lot earlier since playing close to Ireland and even Keane, McLeish rarely plays to his strengths and he is expected to formulate and create attacks while covering Hutton or Warnock, depending on which wing he is switched to.

N’Zogbia suffers this problem too; though a very different player with great footwork and strong upper body strength he rarely has an overlapping player to complement his want to draw in a defender and rarely crosses early; something that must be picked up by management. N’Zogbia has looked isolated too but usually of his own making, though he has lost the ball a lot this year he still wants it and is happy to cover to make up for his mistake. Instead of finding a supporting tactic, playing him wider (or as a forward) or continuing to show belief for a sustained period of time McLeish has dropped him or taken him off early.

He has tweeted he is unhappy and it isn’t really much a surprise for this enigmatic player.

   Over this season Big Eck has made many comments about his team that spoke truth, such as berating them for not being good enough at Spurs, but McLeish has made two comments that should concern most Villa fans, “I'm disappointed we didn't hold on” while 1 – 0 up at home to an injury plagued Everton, and against Newcastle on substituting Ireland "it was clear at half-time that he didn't have the capacity to get close to people. He had an ankle problem."

Everton are a difficult unit to break down but playing is your won half is no way to beat them and on Ireland, Petrov rarely has the ability to close down a player especially in the 70th minute but has been a consistent thorn in Aston Villa advancing forward.

Ireland on the other hand has really shown real commitment and defensively has been a different player; yes it was disappointing that he didn’t close down a cross that lead to a goal but Hutton makes this mistake at least 5 times a game and is punished fairly regularly, Warnock too misses tackles and leaves Dunne hugely exposed.

Ireland made life very difficult for Newcastle’s defence and his calmness on the ball was only matched by Keane who dropped out of the game after half time leaving Aston Villa looking fairly impotent. Bannan did a good job at linking up play but he has a long way to go and needs minutes to settle his desire to impress. McLeish has dealt with Bannan’s troubles well but the question of when he will get real minutes has been circulating for a while.

   Substitutions have been an issue for many Villa fans and McLeish has been making changes to some of his policies, such as using his youngsters earlier, but he still remains steadfast in his last 10minute sub tactic usually wasted with the likes of Heskey and not Weimann.

Recently we have seen McLeish happy to remove a lacklustre Agbonlahor and try some youngsters but much of this feels like crowd pressure and not shrewd decisions, a little like the eventual dropping of Heskey. Gardner has energy and determination to burn and is finally getting some sort of chance, even if on the right wing, Delph was smartly dropped and sent out on loan to regain his confidence but players such as the hard working Weimann were overlooked by an infrequently used Delfouneso, who has looked assuredly arrogant of his abilities even at Leicester. Burke and Williams have made the bench but it is baffling that a very assured looking and in-form Daniel Johnson continues to gain his experience watching more establish youngsters warm the bench and not with playing a few minutes here and there.

   McLeish and Grant clearly work well together and McLeish has been getting off the bench a little more instead of simply using Grant as his collaborator; but he needs to take more control. The board seem happy with the appointment and in truth Villa haven’t been any worse than under Houllier but as the season starts to conclude it has to be a concern to most Villa fans that new players will come in, the gelling period will continue and a season to test the younger stars will have vanished.

The answer is not easy but a radical approach to the way players get their chance needs to be established, younger players and those considered out of form need a real chance, tactics need to play to players strengths and the last 30 minutes of games should not be used to close out games, or improve how the tactic works they should change the tenacity of attack when down, or the way players are released from midfield when his team is in the lead. Gambles are needed, especially when so many of the squad have played together at youth and reserve level. Herd, Albrighton, Clark, Gardner, Johnson, Bannan, Weimann, Lichaj, Baker and Delfouneso all know each other’s games but they rarely get a match to test their abilities, or 20minutes to chase a game.

   Aston Villa have showed quality in spurts; McLeish has helped some players develop and does deserve a proper transfer window to replace the less cohesive players but many recent seasons have been wasted, attendances are down and hopefully McLeish realises these next 6 months he can continue developing own his management technique as well as the experience of the next generation of Villa stars.

Aston Villa - Analysis

My short analysis on the main Aston Villa players and their general contribution to the team.

Players Analysis

Shay Given – Excellent goal keeper and stunning shot stopper but needs some protection from swinging crosses and the team benefits from a central midfield that pushes up to pick up rebounds from short clearances or 50/50 headers. Fairly quiet communicator.

Brad Guzan – Stronger communicator, good shot stopper, decent with crosses but lacks match practice. Solid and determined.

Alan Hutton – Quick and strong tackler who likes to get forward and overlap. Poor timing in the challenge, average in the air and poor positioning when anticipating defensive and attacking play; benefits from a covering winger. Links up well with wingers but does lack the confidence to play incisive pass and move football and put in accurate crosses.

Stephen Warnock – Decent passing ability with a strong slide tackle and decent positioning. Does throw in rash tackles which means he is out of position but has the desire to get back and make up for his mistakes. Follows wingers and offers an outlet but prefers to cross from deep and pass back when he is near the opposition corner flag. Looking slow as the years progress in both physical attributes and in making right decisions but allows attacking team mates players a lot of space.

Carlos Cuellar – Quick, strong, good in the air but can seem a little slow reading and making decisions of the play developing around him. Decent footwork and is happy to have the ball at his feet but hasn’t had a run of games in any set position. Is sometimes prone to wandering from central defence but overall sticks close enough to his partner. Goes to ground for tackles as much as Collins but perhaps lacks the same timing.

James Collins – Strong in the air and likes to clear the ball when pressure is high. Comes out of defence a lot to pressure attacking players, in many cases creating huge holes in his backline  Collins has an excellent ability to block strikes and generally has good timing in his tackle, this cannot be said for his anticipation and he is easily caught out by quick interplay. Has a decent cross field pass but perhaps uses this poorly with the long straight ball which floats and gives the opposition time to reset.  Rarely disheartened but needs quick defenders around him to cover for his mistakes.

Richard Dunne – Despite losing some pace he has excellent awareness on the ball with decent first touch and ball control. Strong in the air, strong in the tackle and excellent at anticipating even the quickest strikers to keep himself goal side or in control of the play. Decent coming out with the ball and although he rarely uses it can be an incisive long passer. Sometimes scores own goals but this underlines his determination to defend and clear the ball at any cost. Benefits from a quick agile partner who can take orders well and cover his lack of pace.

Ciaran Clark – An intelligent centre back with midfield qualities, but not a midfielder; has benefited from playing with Petrov and shields the ball well. Strong enough in the tackle, decent feet and takes direction well but does need to improve his ability in the air as he sometimes anticipates the header poorly. Happy to drive forward with the ball, be part of passing play and be a nuisance in the box, either late in play or on set pieces. Sometimes his poor acceleration can cause him difficulties in midfield and his anticipation is developing but he shows signs of becoming a good Premiership player.

Chris Herd – Not enough seen really, he has good anticipation and a well timed tackle but can get stuck on the ball. Likes to push on and support attackers and isn’t afraid to play the ball forward and start a counter. Needs games to develop but he is determined in the defensive half and effective on the attack. In defence he appears decent in the air but in attack seems very motivated to win the ball from set pieces.

Stiliyan Petrov – Improved fitness but lost a lot of pace. Excellent passer of the ball but fragile in defence and a poor tackler. Well versed in winning free kicks, rarely loses the ball due to brilliant body shape and has an excellent anticipation of opposition player’s movements, however at times his fitness makes it difficult for him to keep up. Less inclined to pass forward and although his footwork is good he uses it to move backward rather than forward. An interesting clever player who adds little box to box tenacity to a midfield but a lot of experience; neither a defensive or attacking player. Consistently shows these attributes.

Stephen Ireland – Excellent passer, great interplay, happy to run with the ball and take players on but prefers to create rather than finish and will pass rather than shoot. A confidence player which explains his desire to pass and not shoot but someone who can be really effective if he has movement around him and players to play off.  When confident he admirably covers the pitch and will try his hardest to be play box to box. Not really a physical presence but has good feet and ability so is difficult to get the ball from. Fairly ineffective if players around him are static or has nobody to play sharp interplay with.

Barry Bannan – Lightweight but determined, good ball skills with a swagger of arrogance but a desire to work hard. Excellent passer on the floor, in the air and spotting killer balls. When he has space he relies on the killer ball a little bit too much but is very happy to drop deep or move forward in order to receive the ball. Always wants to be part of play and has a sweet left foot when he is on the edge of the box. Good free kick and corner taker but in play would benefit from someone alongside him that plays one touch football and another player running off him. Lacks the physical presence to defend but not the heart.

Marc Albrighton – Quick enough, good ability to turn players and move the ball away from defenders, has a dangerous early cross. When he has space he sometimes needs to grow into games and he does benefit from having someone supporting him that can release him or play quick football with. Good first touch and ability to bring the ball down but prefers to take the ball on the run, or use his first touch to get moving. Easily disposed of when marking close due to his size but he always wants the ball and always wants to take the defender on which in some games can make him unplayable. Needs management belief rather than personal confidence as he does have the quality to deliver an excellent ball from all angles. Top notch work rate and a willingness to cover and run for as long as he is on the pitch.

Gabriel Agbonlahor – Very quick, very strong and good body shape. Does have quick feet but perhaps poor decision making and poor anticipation of defending players. Rarely makes incisive movements up front but is happy to be part of team play. A decent crosser on both feet but not a natural, a good first time finisher but can be predictable when he has time. He can seem very despondent and look lazy on the pitch though this is probably down to poor reading/anticipation of the play around him. Rarely drops to get the ball deep and drive at defenders but will take on anybody down the wing or if he has space. Defensively he works as hard as anyone can but sometimes this causes him to be stuck in the defensive half and not realise he can be released to form a counter attack. While his crossing has developed over the years his positioning hasn’t particularly flourished and when on the wing looks less motivated than when up front.

Charles N’Zogbia – Skilful, clever and creative but sometimes likes to play with the ball rather than play with his team. Likes to take the ball forward with his first touch and brilliant at drawing a player in but sometimes look despondent when he fails to beat his defender. Enigmatic player who would benefit from learning to play with certain players in order to find space but he likes to have a ball as much as possible and show his skills. Excellent technique and when he fancies it is unplayable. Gets back and has strong upper body strength; happy to give away a free kick in midfield and drive at defenders on the counter but isn’t the quickest at top speed perhaps because he draws defenders in before beating them.

Darren Bent – Quick enough, decent feet and works hard to get back. Okay in the air from long balls but excellent in the box. A finisher who consistently hits the target but couldn’t really be considered consistently clinical and isn’t the strongest shooting from outside the box. Can look very isolated up front if he has no support but has improved hugely at returning deep to support the midfield. While not the quickest he is extremely sharp at getting in front of defenders or anticipating where the ball will go, or what the opposition may do. Makes life very difficult for defenders and his anticipation needs to be used through early and many crosses. Drags defenders away extremely well but sometimes needs to check around him to keep himself onside; through balls may aid him as he is always looking to turn and break forward. A goal scorer and not really a forward.

Aston Villa

Currently there isn’t really any fluidity in the way they play, Robbie Keane has helped bring Ireland into games and allowed the younger players to play alongside him with quick passing play. Younger players such as Albrighton and Bannan would benefit from playing more regularly and in the future Gardner could be an excellent central midfield prospect.

In attack central midfield is a problem that Aston Villa have, Petrov is an excellent player but he does slow the play which makes other attacking players turn back when they move too far from the player with the ball. Petrov is neither defensive or offensive but allows the most forward players time to get forward even if they are released a little slowly. A better midfielder partner, or pairing would help massively as players such as N’Zogbia, Agbonlahor or Albrighton break quickly. Albrighton especially likes to get play moving and involve supporting midfielder's.

Making use of crosses would definitely help Bent to score more regularly, the team often gets stuck in central midfield and although passing can be neat players are infrequently released early and the opposition is rarely on their heels.

In defence Dunne seems to have trouble coping with Collins charging from his position and isn’t helped by Hutton who can fail to anticipate his defensive responsibilities. Warnock closes players down well but this also causes Dunne problems on his side when he does miss a tackle. Though adept Warnock is still struggling to show his form from a few years ago but his passing has improved hugely; Hutton however is having real difficulty gelling. In the final third Hutton gives great support but he still looks lost in defence and in midfield.

The team rarely play attacking incisive football for long periods of time but when they do they look dangerous and mobile; on too many occasions their play is spoiled and they go into their shell to hold their position instead of playing through teams, this causes the defence to play long balls which is evidenced by the addition of Keane who drops between defence and midfield but regularly watches the ball fly over his head.

The recent addition of Keane has helped the attack use the space they find but the defence struggles to push up or remain solid which has them tracking back.

The biggest problem this season will be Keane leaving as he is a class above most players at getting into space, better play may come from the youth teams experience together or Keane’s experience but with Aston Villa teetering above the relegation vacuum they need to continue believing and playing football instead of going into their shell and holding their lead.