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.

Aston Villa, the Championship beckons

No posts in an age, mostly because Aston Villa haven't bothered to play any football but things have been interesting (if you're not a Villa fan), culminating in a disgraceful 2-0 loss to Hull City.

Paul Lambert would clearly make a great Director of Football, his signings have been brilliant and the prices have been very fair but management is not something that this manager excels in.
Looking at his mistakes this year it's clear to see that he is as clueless about remaining tactically astute as he is about player management.

Certain examples point to Villa's problems and none more so than player selection, when McLeish let go of Guzan Villa fans rejoiced when Lambert signed him up again, and we were right, he has saved Lambert's behind on a number of occasions.
An incredibly low goal total has been followed by a lack of attacking ability and player selection has played its part, Lambert is treading a thin line.

Performances have been as bizarre as player selection with Lambert choosing under performers to almost every option. In contrast to other teams fortunes Villas own youth players have been given no support to steady a sinking ship and stagnant stars are given countless opportunities to fail.
On one hand you could argue that the players have failed the manager but in the case of Agbonlahor any ability to have an impact has dried up and Benteke's movement, or lack of it points to either a lack of belief in the managers tactics or no desire to play, I would suggest the former.

Any manager who has seen a football match, let alone one who escaped the Championship, understands that players need to follow the pass, move to create space or make supportive runs but time after time Aston Villa players have been allowed to perform in their sideways style looking for five aside passes to motionless players, when Alan Hutton is your most creative player you know you have problems.
These are managerial failures, the manager should either drop players who aren't doing what they're told or change what they are doing because the current idea train is failing.
The same failures have come with Grealish who never gets a game, Robinson who was brought back from a successful loan only to stagnate, Bent who is now scoring in the Championship and countless others who have either been given their shot for an extended period of failure or ignored outright in favour of Lambert's guys.

Clearly Lambert's tactics are flawed, the loss of Bent and Albrighton point to this, one likes to finish inside the box and the other likes to put the ball into the box, while neither will set the Premiership alight they will get you chances and get you goals, two things that don't occur at Villa park or away from it. We do however see many passes outside the box, neat interplay when defenders are in defensive positions and a complete lack of movement inside the box. Villa's woes have suffered from a lack of variation and a lack of ambition, passes are never with purpose and the perfect pass is always a consideration, a classic example was the recent fixture with Hull where the ball in the box created real chances and thus two goals, but only with 5 minutes to go a Westwood shot delivered a great chance for Benteke.
The manager must appreciate variation and needs to learn, quickly, or Aston Villa will be relegated, at least he has pedigree at getting back into the Premiership, he'll need it!.

Edit -

Gone, gone, gone, gone, gone! The Lambert nightmare is over, now if we can just get someone with a football brain into the club we might start to go in the right direction, I'll take two places higher than we are if that's all we can get!

Chesterfield 3 - 1 Aston Villa (player review)

Aston Villa ran out with their youth team in full flight but it was the three older outfield players who really struggled to match Chesterfields excellent determination and teamwork. With a slow start from the Villa Chesterfield showed they're a team brimming with confidence as they dominated the first half, especially the opening 20 minutes of the game. The first Chesterfield goal by Darikwa was taken well but it was a mistake from a Villa defender and the lack of positioning which really told.

The three wiser heads on the pitch, Bennett, Lowton and Tonev clearly struggled to match Chesterfields determination and none of them really impressed. Tonev looked purposeful but struggled to either make or take chances, Lowton didn't struggle as such but some poor passing, slow reactions and wing back defending didn't make up for his ability to link with Gardner as the first half progressed, and Joe Bennett showed that even League 1 could be a struggle as he was constantly caught out of position and lacked any sort of bite in the challenge. Clearly targeted in the game Bennett showed Villa fans that a struggling season could be on the horizon and that the flying winger Richardson really has to play, despite his own defensive inadequacies. 

Despite the first 20 minutes of Chesterfield domination there was most certainly some positives in the next 25. The return of Gardner after a battle with injuries was great to see and the young central midfielder showed he hadn't lost his ability to spot a pass and switch the play, even if some of his passes were floated and not hit with purpose, his touch was decent and he managed to build a decent partnership with any player who was able to play one touch football but mistakes were made and he looks like a player returning from injuries rather than one with a new lease of life. The same could be said of Johnson who was extremely neat on the ball, happy to pass through the middle of the opposition and extremely useful getting up and down the pitch. Johnson built good partnerships with his teammates and although some passes went awry he showed he has the character and determination to be part of both defensive and attacking needs, his energy was a huge part of his good play but he's clearly trying to impress, sometimes to his teams detriment.

There were some eye catching performances from a youth perspective and Robinson looked lively and determined to show he had a good first touch and desire to go forward with or without the ball. Chesterfield were excellent at stopping him attack but it was clear that he wanted to push the defence backward and with Burke next to him they looked like players who are improving rather than stagnating. Burke especially was part of many good moves and his determination and strength allowed other players the opportunity to take better forward positions and build attacks. Though few and far between any chances created were due to Burke's good work and he should be proud of his ability to disrupt the oppositions defence. 

The second half saw a raft of changes but two players who started in the first were strong throughout, Donacien and Carruthers. Donacien started poorly and was at fault for Darikwa's goal but as the game progressed the young defender grew in confidence and started to show that he has the ability to make tackles, win headers and spot an interception. The central defender is blessed with excellent pace and this was of huge benefit both on and off the ball allowing him to either dribble out of defence or cover mistakes made by the likes of Bennett, Gardner or Johnson. Central defence is a very tough position but the youngster showed great signs of building on the minutes he's been given and is a definite option instead of Clarke and Baker when we need to dig for young replacements. 

Similarly Carruthers started poorly, with a few squeezed passes intercepted by a busy Chesterfield defence but the naturally offensive player showed real signs of class missing from previous Villa teams and deserved to play the whole game. He created many opportunities for attackers to move forward, his passing became creative and although he didn't make many chances for himself the Villa team would've looked flat and uninspiring without him. In his previous game the midfielder played as a holding midfielder and it really didn't suit him but as he pushed forward Villa did too and tactically the more advanced position helped the team look dangerous.

The second half also saw Grealish and N'Zogbia come on and the impact was immediate, N'Zogbia ran with the ball well, worked well with his team and constantly pushed the Chesterfield players out of position. The usually selfish player had a part to play in Villa's only goal and while one on one with the keeper he squared to Grealish who nipped ahead of the defence and slotted the ball into the net. Energy levels were much improved in the second half and Villa's trio of N'Zogbia, Grealish and Carruthers showed that together they could link up to good effect. Sadly tactical ineptitude reared it's head throughout the game and two goals were conceded from set pieces with a visibly frustrated Guzan confused at how stationary his defence could be. 

The positives were clear to see and although Chesterfield could have scored a few more the game was a good work out for the younger Villa players and the impact of the better players would have made Lambert a happy man. Huge problems remain, sadly Bennett was back to his worst and on set pieces nothing has improved but some of the Villa youth got important minutes and the confidence to play for the club.

An honourable mention for Herd who is back, lets hope in the long term as we need a central midfielder with bite (though he did play centre back in this game), and Okore, Herd's replacement in defence who looked a little rusty but confident on the ball and unfazed by any previous injuries.

Well done to Chesterfield who played good purposeful football and made Villa's trip a fight or get trampled affair.

Hopefully the future is bright but it will still require a lot of tactical consideration from the manager and personal development from the player, though only a friendly most Villains can count themselves lucky that Guzan is still a Villa player as once again he could be the difference between survival and relegation. 

We have our club back! McLeish is gone!

McLeish has gone, the droll tactics are over and the next man will get the full backing of a club desperate for football rather than trophies.
Rather than discussing his inadequacies I thought I would write about our squad rebuild, a squad that isn't as bad as uninformed journalists and inept managers report.
Next season is another of rebuild, we have had a few of them recently, but we have a good base that would allow the next manager a flexible attitude for improvement.

If I were a manager, or a chairman looking at what we have and which manager fits my ambitions this is how I would look at my current squad.
The following is the squad of 20 I would use next season (not including transfers), players in red are those younger players I would move closer to first team action.


Given
Marshall (for his coaching academy)
Siegrist

Lichaj
Dunne
Clark
Baker


Herd
Gardner
Albrighton
Delph
Ireland
Bannan
N'Zog
Caruthers
Johnson


Bent
Weimann
Delfouneso (with lots of ass kicking, reality checks and support)
Graham Burke

My ambitions would be to see whether Gardner is defensive or driving, I would bring on Johnson whenever I could but in training see who he plays the best one touch football with, he is very talented at this, then use him with those players.

N'Zogbia I would encourage to be more like a forward and try and work him with Ireland and Bent; I would make sure he realises that Albrighton is a great outlet for a chance switch of play.
Albrighton I would keep near the wing, unless he comes inside to link up play, but with the hope to take the second or third pass behind the fullback.
Ireland and Bannan are great at doing this and Albrighton loves a chance to cross so I would encourage him to always flash the ball across the box if he hasn't got time to be accurate. Early balls win games.
This I feel would make proper use of Bent and allow midfielders to make late runs into the box; the one thing that is true of Gardner is that he does like to make late runs into the box.

In defence I would go with Clarke and Dunne, Clarke should play in his natural position and has good feet for a centre back but not for a midfielder. Baker would be in the mix and I would drop/shift Dunne if the young kids built a brilliant relationship. (I would try them)

Lichaj on the right would complement a winger and not a forward but I would spend good money on a left back that would actually make things happen going forward while having the pace to get back and support his defenders.

Other big money signings might come in the form of a winger because I think Albrighton tires easily and it would be nice to have a lethal threat on the wing.
I would look at getting a young decent right back and see who was available for low fees and wages in the lower/other leagues, if economically they were sound I'd buy them anyway because young players depreciate very little, it works for Spurs.

Young players across the whole of defence, up front and on the wing would be imperative but I wouldn't turn down a chance to buy someone with real potential to sacrifice some of the older, or slower improving players.

Ability is important but mentality is key and I would look at getting players who are still battling to understand the game, their potential and their ability to work as part of a tactic. Managers can achieve this as is being demonstrated with Ben Arfa at Newcastle but they also need to know their limitations as Ferguson has shown with Ravel Morrison.

I would sell Collins, Cuellar, Heskey, Warnock (unless he signed for much lower wages), Agbonlahor, (maybe n'Zog), Makoun, Hutton and Delph/Ireland if the money was good. (Ireland can be the key to our success but also a financial imbalance)

I think with some additions the squad is good enough to stay up again, and with the right players we could play with freedom and confidence in a successful manner. We have players coming through and now we have Holman he can take their place in the reserves or be used as a hard working substitute.
Depending on the size of the transfers paid I'd expect to get 45+ points and would be happy with that.

The Villa youth team is one of strong interest and unfortunately is blessed in attack more than defence, a little like the first team.
In defence Devine and Williams show promise but need to forge that promise with games. A double loan would be a good plan unless they were ready for first team activities or the first team played like the reserve team; but just as central midfield games at a decent/competitive level are imperative to development in this position.
Caira is still without a naturalness to his position and Ward is still developing his defensive attributes. I wouldn't feel comfortable moving anyone from defence into the first team.

In midfield Nelson-Addy is explosive but has a long way to go, Stieber is plodding along and Lampkin is finding it difficult to stay fit but shows ability. Courtney Cameron shows excellent promise and is ready for some first team mixing, perhaps with Jordan Graham not far behind. Jack Grealish is someone that any future manager should show interest in, young and lightweight he is a nightmare for defenders on the back foot and has shown flashes of brilliance but needs time and support in order to be a consistent threat.

In attack Connor Taylor is not considered a player of great potential but is supported by Michael Drennan a natural goalscorer and Graham Burke who have been progressing well.

The youth team needs a first team manager who supports their passing football and who would seek to develop Kevin MacDonald's initial philosophy. Having this approach would see a less tricky progression to the first team and youth players can be introduced as complements to the tactic rather than impact substitutes worrying about their individual attributes.

Wages need to be lower and tactics smarter, so use those who have already shown promise and loyalty and not those decreasing in ability at a weekly rate.

The future is very bright and the books are looking lighter, with a smart approach to using what we have, and what me might have, players can come in a act as the backbone to a team needing propping and not overhaul.

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.

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.

Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 – 3 Aston Villa (21/01/2012)

Sighs from both sides showed the fans know best as a cautious Aston Villa team came out with all three points thanks to the player that had Wolves fans fearing the worst.

Starting brightly Villa looked offensive and full of purpose; some loose passes from either side allowed some younger players to settle and the opening goal from a penalty on ten minutes delivered a black country present to the claret and blues.

Darren Bent did well to win the penalty and score the first goal, but it was a gift that he literally stole from the foot of Berra who went to kick the ball but instead connecting with Bents foot as he nipped in the steal the last touch.

Full of confidence some managers may have continued to push with a high midfield and linking Irishman but Aston Villa showed nerves and panic as they protected their lead and spent the next 35minutes pinging balls over Keane’s head. Clearly nobody had bothered to do their homework as an insightful Wolves went about slicing the Aston Villa defence apart and pulling their players from their positions thus allowing space past midfield and on the wings.

Clark at left back found Kightly impossible to track and was given no support by a disappointing Agbonlahor; Kightly made the most of his space and showed why the Wolves fans have been holding out so much hope for the injury prone winger. The warnings were not heeded and Kightly spent 45 minutes skipping past defenders, delivering quality crosses and corners and finding the back of the net. His lovely equalising goal for Wolves had a Villa backline stationary and full backs scrambling, Given couldn’t get down quickly enough and Kightly duly drove across the defence and found the corner of the net with a low curling shot.

The warning signs kept coming for the Villa as an excellent Kightly caused them problems in open play and serious issues from set pieces; ultimately Albrighton’s clearance off the line fomr a Wolves corner was an omen as Edwards headed the ball into the net from a Roger Johnson corner flick on. Wolves could have been 4 – 1 up at half time but they would have to settle for 2 – 1 as a beleaguered Aston Villa traipsed off the pitch with no doubt a managerial tirade coming their way.

Wolves came out unchanged but McLeish made a brave move by taking off Agbonlahor and putting on Warnock to quell the danger of Kightly. Clark goes to midfield, Albrighton to the left and Gardner moves to right wing. The second half starts the same with Aston Villa giving the ball away and Wolves teasing them with possession play.

In truth the second half didn’t really start for the Villa until Keane took control and Frimpong came off after Petrov kicked him in the eye; diving headers are for the brave. Keanes stunning on the turn shot curled past Hennesey and the Irishman bowed his head to the supporters as a gesture of respect. It was a great goal only surpassed by his stunning second and winner in the 84^th minute. Once again he showed great respect to the fans even after controlling the ball beautifully and lashing the winner into the net from 25yards.

Throughout the game Wolves played well but the problems at Aston Villa were evident; their fortune today came in the shape of two excellent solo strikes, the injury of Frimpong and the 76^th minute sending off of Henry for a stamp on Marc Albrighton.

Petrov played slow backward football, Gabby was ill (for the last 5 games perhaps) and Collins and Hutton made every attempt to give Wolves all the space and time they needed.

McCarthy was no doubt gutted that he took nothing; clearly today luck was against him and very much for the Villa. 

Aston Villa 1 - 1 Everton (14/01/2012)

As the teams lined up there was a silence amongst the fans that gave us no clue the match was about to begin. The 27,000 Aston Villa fans were clearly expecting the worst and in the main the team didn't disappoint.

In the first half drab football from the home team and a high line by the away team just made things worse and as the second half whistle blew friends were still chatting to each other.

The first half saw Everton pushing on and playing the ball through midfield with good confidence. An intelligent Petrov and defensive Clark stayed back and found it difficult to come forward with the ball, or receive it in the opposition half.

Fellaini however was enjoying the defensive Villa midfield and played balls straight between, or across them. Everton used the wingers well and the insightful running of Landon Donovan dragged defending players out of position giving his team mates a lot of room. Good defensive support from Drenthe neutralised Albrighton as a threat, Gibson looked out of practice and Cahill isn't a striker but yet Everton still made things very difficult for the Villa back line.

At the other end Bent was dragging defenders very well but his passing was woeful as Aston Villa spurred many counter attacks and rarely troubled Everton. The first half also saw a poor Alan Hutton getting away with a penalty; it was a good job Saha made contact with the ball; Hutton might not have been so lucky if Saha had missed it all together.

Slow passing from Villa, no desire to play one touch football and a quiet Agbonlahor summed up the first half, one which Everton easily won but couldn't put the ball into the back of the net. (despite Warnock trying the most ridiculous back pass ever)

The second half saw a shift of momentum, but only until the 56 minute when Bent scored a great tap in. I say great because Aston Villa showed no signs of effort until that is Albrighton got his wish to play sharp, one touch football. Not blessed with amazing physical attributes he worked well with Ireland to move the ball around quickly and create space against backward running defenders. This proved the reason for the goal as an Albrighton cross caused trouble in the box and Ireland was able to take advantage of a loose ball and cross for Bent to tap in.

At this point perhaps Aston Villa would have been better to try and seal the game rather than protect the lead but they returned to the slow, safe football that ultimately cost them.

Landon Donovan who had played excellently continued to stand out from his team mates; a now yellow carded Fellaini looked quiet but his simple passing was allowing play to move forward; unlike the backward passing Petrov. Donovan ghosted past players with ease and an excellent pass through the middle of Dunne and Warnock (Collins had typically charged forward to make a tackle) found Anichebe who slotted the ball away nicely. Albrighton was sure he had kept Anichebe offside but that is why he is a right winger and not a left back.

The rest of the game saw Aston Villa push forward always looking vulnerable to the Everton counter; they stopped using their wide men and the very late introduction of Keane continued to show their ineptness as a slow Keane found space but had nobody to support him.

A fair result and a good one for Everton who played with midfielders in every part of the pitch but still managed to look the team with the better understanding of their game.