Solving the loss of Grealish

Aston Villa have spent brilliantly since losing Grealish. Bailey is a versatile attacker, Buendia is a fantastic link player and Ings is a constant goal threat but what hasn’t been replaced, is the influence Grealish had on midfield.

Since the 2013/14 season and the retirement of Stiliyan Petrov, Aston Villa have struggled to compete in midfield.  One season with an improving Idrissa Gueye showed promise but the French revolution Gueye was part of ended as quickly as it began, with Villa relegated and the players sold.

During that transition period, Grealish started getting minutes and his influence on the game was clear, as he increasingly covered for Villa’s midfield deficiency by slowing the play, getting fouled, forcing opposition players to get into their defensive shape and allowing Villa’s midfield to get into attacking positions through quick passing triangles.

This continued throughout his time at the club and for McGinn, Nakamba and Luiz, this has proved incredibly helpful as it allowed them to move into the final third with the confidence that defenders were moving backwards, now fearful that Grealish was going to take advantage of any gaps.
On possession turnover, the oppositions retreat also allowed the Villa defensive shape time to get back into position.

Some may argue Traore offers a similar slower style to Grealish – and he does – but it is in a direct attacking, not calculated form and this was seen during Grealish’s 2020/21 injury period, as Villa midfielders still struggled to get forward and instead, passed sideways, backwards and long; now lacking the confidence and capacity to push the opposition backwards through passing triangles.

This was also evident during the 2021/22 pre-season, as Villa sought to find wide players for crosses, rather than interplay through the middle.

New signing Buendia did example an ability to play forward passes from midfield, with some fabulous pre-season assists but they were played from deep, created through his own endeavour and in friendly matches. The Premier League is a different challenge.

Against Watford, Villa’s opener to the new season, the central midfield inadequacy was clear, with the team completely overrun and ball turnovers putting Villa defenders under immense pressure.

The turnovers were mostly down to Dean Smith’s ‘attack wide’ tactic, which skipped midfield to find wingers either straight down the line, or through cross-field passes. Crosses came in but they were poor, or the ball was lost almost immediately as players came unstuck taking on the opposition.

This ensured that attacking opposition players who would usually track back, didn’t need to and were available for the counter. This exposed the defence, particularly Matt Targett, who was chasing back to cover lost ground, rather than facing or tracking his man.

A set piece inspired win against Newcastle didn’t hide the midfield struggles, with the main tactic remained to go wide or long. Fortunately, the Magpies gave the ball away so often that Villa didn’t have the same worries as those experienced against Watford, yet they still managed three through balls to Villa’s none and even more key passes.

Defensive midfielder Luiz, who was back after winning Olympic gold, showed his typical short passing accuracy but didn’t contribute much defensively and offered little to support attacks.

Dean Smith therefore has some decisions to make. Ultimately, he needs to bite the bullet and either buy a true defensive midfielder who plays simple passes, protects the defence, and wins most fifty fifties; or he purchases midfielders who play quick triangles around the opposition, thus creating gaps and pulling their defenders out of position, or into a deeper defensive shape.

Smith doesn’t appear to have faith in the current players to either attack as a form or defence, or hold possession; otherwise Villa would play down the middle more often.

In Jacob Ramsey and Morgan Sanson, Villa may have talents who can play neat, brave football to hold the centre of the park but it would require Dean Smith to stop playing his favourites and even then, neither players are top passing talents, or defensive maestros. They, like the current starters, are all-rounders who do not excel in any capacity and one very much at the start of his career.

Aston Villa are therefore at a crossroads, and while the clubs may see this issue as ‘sneaking up on them’ most Villa fans will say it’s been coming for some time. Gueye stuck around for one year and his true defensive impact was realised at Everton, not Villa. Petrov controlled the game as Grealish did but similarly to Carrick at Manchester United, who also wasn’t a defensive player, his timing on the pitch, reading of the game and incredible passing aptitude allowed him to cover his defensive deficiencies.

Therefore, it is not since Gareth Barry that Villa had a true defensive midfielder and he wasn’t an enforcer but rather a defender who was brilliant in midfield.

Grealish is gone and his style and unique midfield influence is not coming back any time soon. Unless midfield is bolstered to recognise that and fix an endemic issue, the step up the club craves wont be happening any time soon.