The two halves of Lambert; the trouble with Villa

Paul Lambert is a manager in which I place great trust, he has a passion for tactics, shown by the variety Aston Villa have utilised, a desire to play passing football and a quality emphasis on trusting his players. He has developed over the last year and improved on player selection, tactics for players and changing things when the team isn't playing well but while all these positive occur they also exist as real negatives that could be adding to the struggles.

Instead of delivering countless match reports I wanted to deconstruct where I feel the manager needs to develop and why.

Player selection and trust
On the whole Lambert has come on a lot in this respect, below are some examples of successes and good decisions that have improved the side.
Last year Joe Bennet probably experienced the hardest part of his career so far, a huge amount of trust was placed in the young left sided player yet he delivered very little in the role Lambert gave him as left back. His defending was woeful, positioning very poor but attacking play showed promise. Lambert received a lot of criticism and finally when the year began we saw him dropped from the team.
Ashley Westwood also found some criticism but due to excellent passing, some Petrov like reading of the game, and a desire to put his mistakes behind him Lamberts trust was rewarded and he has become a key player this year.
Clark who saw favour at the start of Lambert reign has been replaced by the decisive, passionate Baker, and Luna who we hoped would solve the left back crisis was quickly replaced by the quality Bertrand.
Fabian Delph was considered a Championship player but trust and individual development has placed him as one of the first names on the team sheet and a quality member of the Villa squad.
These players have shown where Lambert has balanced trust with quality and has made important decisions to replace the less quality options, such as bringing in Luna and Bertrand as left backs but has Lambert also caused himself some headaches by ignoring fringe players that perhaps he hasn't placed as much trust in?

Two of these fringe players are Samir Carruthers and Marc Albrighton, while the later has found himself injured Carruthers has seen his Villa career stifled hugely and is finally getting some quality games while on loan. When he has played for the club he has filled a role Lambert wanted, a number 10. He plays behind the striker, takes on his man and has some good passing going forward, a role that doesn't suit any other player at the club. This role is imperative to breaking down stubborn defences and allows a new tactical approach to winning games yet we have not seen it utilised in any manner during Lamberts tenure. This is not to say Carruthers has the quality to make this role his permanant home but it's clearly a role he can play, something Bennett cannot as left back.

This fact brings us nicely to Marc Albrighton, the only wide player at the club. Though he perhaps lacks the quality to be a top winger he has the best cross at the club, a desire to help out all over the pitch, natural width and a passion to make run for through balls, qualities which endear him to fans and players alike. He however has seen his game time cut short mostly because of Lamberts desire for short passing tactics.
These two players can still improve but need games and a managers plan B, Lambert has either not considered how they could work or doesn't trust their qualities to deliver chances. I would chance at a combination of both but lead toward the latter as being the main reason.
Against West Ham Albrighton changed the game, the wide approach completely threw their defence and while we didn't score we did threaten, a lot, it seemed to take the team 15 minutes to realise that these crosses were actually real chances, by then the game was mostly over. This change of tactics were not down to manager tactics but down to player attributes, if only Lambert realised he also needed someone to poach a second ball/rebound. Weimann perhaps?
Weimann is an interesting player, trusted by the manager he is filling a role rather than playing to his strengths and it has shown as his few chances a game are usually spurned  rather than taken, if he was playing as a striker instead of a hardworking wide forward perhaps we'd finish the chances the creative Benteke carves out. Though a good player Agbonlaor isn't a poacher and he doesn't read the game like the little Austrian Weimann.
We have lacked a combination of player trust and tactical naturalness and this takes me nicely onto tactics.

Tactics
Lamberts 352 and 532 got us in a lot of trouble last year, he tried to fit a team to a tactic rather than a tactic to a team and over and over it caused us issues, as soon as we moved to 4 at the back some calmness came but certain players still underperformed. This year we have seen Lambert show real strength in this respect and we have seen a balance of good tactics against the right teams, however the balance of tactical personnel is still lacking. As mentioned the omission of Albrighton and Carruthers show Lambert hasn't considered width and a link man and player wise Lambert is struggling to find a quality balance, over and over this season certain decisions have confused the fans as well as lowering confidence within the team.

This weekend Newcastle scored a winner in the last minutes of the game and two players contributed hugely to our downfall. When Westwood came off we lost the only quality passer in the team with Sylla his replacement; though Sylla didn't do a lot wrong he also didn't add much to our play, didn't play box to box, or higher up and gave the ball away through poor crossing. This changed the way we attacked with no compensation in a tactical sense, the calmer passing dried up with Delph left doing the defensive and creative midfield work. For the next 10 minutes we looked impotent going forward but still had some counter luck on the right as Newcastle pushed forward, then in the final 10 minutes Lambert made his second error of the day and this was bringing on Joe Bennett as left back. In the weeks previous Bennett worked well as a left wing back and wide man but the problems he faced while defending came back to haunt us. Remy's goal was poor defending all round but Bennett was the real problem, his awful defensive header gave the ball back to the Magpies and they duly make their chance count. As soon as he came on, with Sylla on the same side, Newcastle attacked our left and we saw Villa's defenders looking nervously in order to cover potential defensive frailties; suddenly our defensive confidence was decreased and Newcastle drifted forward with ease.

But did Lambert have immediate options? Tactically perhaps not, the club has no depth in midfield; Gardner and Carruthers are out on loan, Johnson has not seen the bench in some time and there really isn't anybody else to mention. As far as left backs go perhaps Bertrand was injured but if not Lambert went for the win from left back and ignored both Albrighton and Tonev as attacking options. Tonev is really struggling but he doesn't lack confidence and has a lot of pace going forward and Albrighton who plays on the right could have exploited the passes Agbonlahor wasted. Even Bennett as left winger could have worked but instead we stuck with our impotent setup.
He could have gone to a natural 442 and pushed for a win with a solid back line, instead he gambled on a tactic that wasn't working and favouring plan A with plan A players.
Many of our poor performances and losses can be attributed to plan A, as well as a last resort desire to find Benteke with a long ball.

Lambert is a developing manager but he needs to understand what he has and where he can influence outcomes, if this means eating some humble pie by bringing players back into the team then he should do it, it makes him more flexible and more in tune with his players. He needs to place trust in all his players and not the ones he has brought in/nurtured and strike the balance between tactics and quality.
We all know he wants to pass to win, and I support that passion (even though at times we've had appalling pass completion statistics), but he needs attacking personnel plan B's and not just tactical ones.

The relegation zone is not too far away and so experiments will most likely not occur but perhaps the week in Portugal was as important for the manager as it was the squad; we can only hope.

Arsenal 1 - 3 Aston Villa (17/08/13)

An opening day fixture in which Arsenal were strong favourites ended up exposing Wenger’s tactical fragility; as an ever attacking Arsenal were left frustrated by some great goalkeeping from Guzan and desperate defending from the Villa back line, the Claret and Blues, today Claret and White, made their chances count, with a small hand from referee Anthony Taylor.

The first half started as last season ended, Villa fragile at the back and lacking a controlling midfield presence, and Arsenal attacking freely and looking like they could score at every opportunity. After 5 minutes Oxlade-Chamberlain was clearly ready to play as he used his pace and Arsenals incisive passing to stretch his full back and feed in Giroud with a simple cross. That’s right, I said Arsenal cross. 1-0 Arsenal. In fact the Gunners crossed a good amount for a Wenger team, sadly Jenkinson, who came on for Gibbs (cut above the eye) was the main exponent of this and he wasn’t particularly productive.

The first half continued that way with Arsenal creating good space in wide areas and Rosicky pulling the strings in the middle, yet for all of Arsenals good chances and neat play it was the pace of Agbonlahor that caused the most danger. A lovely move left the striker free to play kick and run through the middle and Arsenal only had one option to stop this advancement. A blatant foul in the box by Szczesny almost worked as the resulting penalty, taken by Benteke, was saved by the keeper. However the striker is a goal scorer and the nicely presented rebound was nodded in with ease.
Villa looked sharper for the rest of the half but Arsenal were clearly the better team and Villa simply couldn’t cope with their play.

1-1 at the break, Arsenal fans would feel rightly aggrieved.

The second half started similarly to the first with Villa floundering to keep control of Arsenal’s neat play style, however their passing looked crisper and on the hour Agbonlahor stripped the ball from the dwelling Cazorla, darted through the middle and was brought down by a desperate tackle from Koscielny. Sadly for Arsenal it seemed a good tackle, but the referee had a blocked view and Koscielny was punished with a yellow and a penalty. This time Benteke shaped for the top corner but swept the ball to the other side. 2-1 Villa.

From that moment Arsenal were stretched, their counter attacking game couldn’t work in the same manner and instead of soaking up pressure and breaking quickly they lost control of the midfield and needed to move up in clusters of passing. This suited Villa perfectly who with Agbonlahor’s desire to get back, and midfielders closing easy balls nullified the one touch passing.
Rosicky still looked dangerous and had a fantastic chance to level, he’d missed 2 easy chances before, but Guzan rushed out to make a great save; a few minutes later this was followed by another great save that saw Cazorla’s shot tipped onto the bar; this was the last Arsenal really tested the Villa defence.

Sadly for Arsenal things got worse as Koscielny’s yellow was doubled for a red and the Gunners high line allowed a great ball from Weimann to find Luna; one on one from the half way line the Spaniard entered the box, shaped for a return pass and slotted past a stranded Szczesny.
It was quite a celebration for the man nicknamed Tony Moon.

Sadly for Arsenal it felt like little had changed over the summer, dangerous play but nobody taking control at the right times, Wilshere played well and passed nicely but was moaning as much as the Arsenal fan’s instead of getting on with the game, Rosicky looked genuinely brilliant and was unfortunate to not score, but Walcott looked above his level again and Cazorla is clearly still in a pre-season mindset. Sagna got injured late on which has to be a real worry but Arsenal need a Suarez, or someone with his arrogance/ambition. It could be another season of ‘close but not cigar’ for the Gunners, though I’m sure not many teams would be disappointed finishing 4th.

Villa however might have a sneaky eye on Europe, two things could occur this season and for the Villains the manager is key; Delph looks a great midfield disruptor, Agbonlahor looks back to his hungriest, Lowton and Guzan continued their good form, Spurs will regret not buying Benteke, Weimann was the usual outlet and even Clark seemed ready for the long year ahead.

Where Lambert got it right today was the inclusion of El Ahmadi who sat back well, picked out good passes and made a nuisance of himself in defence without needing to look like a defensive player. His passing was clearly a threat and this allowed Villa’s counter attacking style to strangle Arsenal’s advances. With such a young squad, Westwood a Lambert favourite, and Sylla as an option tactical squad rotation in central midfield may prove the catalyst for Villa’s success, or their frustration.

3 points deserved for the Villains, Arsenal simply didn’t look hungry enough; though I am sure a certain Thunderbird will heap blame on a man in black.

Oh, a small mention for GDS (Goal Decision System) when Delph’s shot from distance rattled off the post and rebounded across the goal; for a tester it did indeed work and TV replays were quick to agree.

Aston Villa; manager, club or players? Some faults analysed.

The last three months have been a real roller-coaster at Villa park and the fans have shown an unfortunate amount of accuracy in judging their team and manager.

This accuracy would mostly concentrate on the lack of squad depth and poor use of tactics from our attacking manager.

With four days left in the transfer window the worries are really surfacing as a fragile Villa team has added nothing to their armoury.

Quality has been a real issue, and a lack of leaders is destroying confidence minute by minute; the return of Vlaar inspired a confident first half performance against West Brom but the slightest opposition attack has most Villa defenders sprawling.

The question of quality is problematic, a young team plays an awkward tactic and even though 352 could really suit their abilities pieces of the puzzle are missing.

An experienced left back leaving the club hopefully points to a plan of action relating to midfield, Delph and Bannan are a very poor partnership as both are mop up players but in different parts of the pitch; and neither have real physical presence. Delph has shown real maturity in recent weeks but he needs a partner to protect him, a true tackling midfielder who takes on a man with his physical presence rather than technical ability, the same could be said for Bannan.

The loss of Petrov really highlights this, while not the strongest player his on the ball positioning and calm attitude allowed the team time to assess their own tactical presence and though he played a slow game he took pressure off struggling players. A potential alternative could be Herd but a lack of defenders has pushed him into the back 3.

Injuries have devastated the team yet the reliance on poor performers is keeping confidence low, with Agbonlahor back, Dunne on his way and Nzogbia looking fit there must be something to get excited about; yet this excitement has nothing to do with Lambert efforts throughout the season where his young signings have really struggled to pay back unwavering managerial support.

This support hasn’t found its way to our own academy and far from setting a challenge it is simply decreasing the potential of them succeeding; for the many fans who were watching MacDonalds academy team thrive in previous seasons their absence seems to point to a manager doing it his way, rather than a manager who galvanizes, perhaps Weimann’s absence at the start of the season and instance of playing wide might point to this.

After Carruthers spirited performance in the last few minutes against Liverpool fans probably expected to see him getting some more game time yet in recent weeks the non playing ‘take on your man’ midfielder has been dropped from the squad entirely.

A rare glimpse of first team action for Daniel Johnson stopped as soon as it started, striker Jordan Bowery has been supporting from the wings in dying minutes and Derrick Williams was publicly told he wasn’t ready after 10 minutes of game time.

Enda Stevens has latterly found game time but has struggled with fitness, as has Lichaj; yet whenever called upon both have shown dedication to survival and added to the team’s unity.

Many fans would be questioning whether Bennett is ready? Whether Lowton really supports our defence? Why money was spent on Bowery when Delfourneso was sent on loan? And why El Ahmadi was bought when he offers no defensive quality? Poor performances from Bannan and Delph have seen them retain places, and Holman is a grafter rather than the link man the manager hopes for.

Player relations are imperative and there are examples of ex Villa players that left due to a lack of first team football, I’m sure many fans would be over the moon if the squad still included Crouch, Cahill and Gardner, and perhaps not too upset if it included Ridgewell, Lowry, Hogg and Whittingham.

Paul Pogba has proven that even the big teams can let useful players go; and I am reminded of a certain Samir Carruthers who came to Villa from Arsenal.

Player management aside tactics haven’t played to players strengths, a defensive crisis is compounded by Collins and Cuellars departure and the board seems to lack a director who understands the wider nature of success in football. Lambert is in a difficult position but he has been charged with this responsibility, he missed a huge chance to reduce first team pressure during the FA cup tie with Milwall yet a strong side exampled their fragility to Tuesdays opponents Newcastle.

Lambert needs to be strong; he was strong enough to buy young, part company with MacDonald, set strict team rules and gamble on a young Belgian but he hasn’t show enough strength to look at his own flaws and change his own managerial methods.

With enough games to save themselves extra numbers could really bolster the Villains campaign, but if not forthcoming the only way the club will stay amongst the elite is if their young talented manager changes his approach and plays to strengths and not beliefs.

Aston Villa 1 – 0 Reading (27/11/2012)

A deserved win for the Midlanders in an anxious match

Reading never looked like taking control but neither did the Claret and Blues; Aston Villa seemed comfortable in midfield but in the final third flooding Reading defenders made them look very ordinary, on the flip side Reading looked dangerous on the break and made their way into Villa’s final third with ease but lacked somebody who was willing to take control of the second phase.

Team balance was a problem for both teams, Roberts constantly pushed the Villa defence back but lacked a partner or midfielder to support him, while Villa’s Agbonlahor and Benteke found their best fortune going it alone.

Reading’s midfield were anonymous as a team, Robson-Kanu did pull the Villa defence around and Leigertwood closed down the dangerous plays with ease but their fragility was exposed while defending set pieces from a dangerous Bannan. Bannan showed glimpses of brilliance but offered a swagger of over confidence which was only quietened when Ireland stepped onto the pitch, fitting then that it was Westwood’s corner from which Benteke headed in the winner, the first right footed corner Villa had tried. This 80^th minute goal was deserved, but looked unlikely.

The link between midfield and attack had been Bannan but he wasted many opportunities to play through the defence and sought to play the more difficult ball when he could, the same could not be said for Reading who on the day lacked any real ball players and struggled to find space.

Reading looked stale in attack but their defence looked dedicated, aided in part by their midfield. They didn’t really look tested on the ground and did a good job at closing the middle or forcing players out wide, unfortunately deep midfielders allowed Villa full backs to push high and their defenders to come up for set pieces. Clarke perhaps had more action in attack than he did defending.

Villa had a paper thin defence for this game and the injury of Stevens was a real blow, fortunately injury prone Baker continued after his knock and Lichaj filled in for Stevens with admirable quality. Lowton was a particular performer on the day and this caused Reading to stick to defensive positions, thus slowing their support, but the lack of experience still showed and players such as Clark, Lowton, Lichaj and Baker will need to remain mentally strong in the next few months.

Reading had real issues connecting up phases of play and squad depth isn’t going to assist them, Pogrebnyak who remained seated would’ve caused Villa problems, though an excellent Guzan would probably disagree, but little more graces their bench. The exciting McLeary had a few minutes but was dealt with easily by the impressive Lowton and this must be a concern for the Royals. Reading need a bit of a miracle before Christmas, as well as Guthrie, but with very difficult games ahead it could be a January transfer window that makes or breaks their season.

The same can be said for Villa, play and players are gelling but points are difficult to come by and wins even rarer; they deserved the 3 points against Reading but only managed it thanks to a LeFondre gift of a miss; something needs to develop and a player capable of taking control of the game and ball needs to be added.

West Ham 1 - 0 Aston Villa - 18/08/2012 - Drab, but not bad.

West Ham 1 - 0 Aston Villa - (18/08/2012)

A match with spurts of quality (not from Villa) fizzled out into drabness with West Ham the happier.

The first 20 minutes gave no clue to the rest of the game, Aston Villa passed well, drew West Ham out and ignored the physical capability of West Ham's outfit.
Yet 4 minutes later West Ham clearly felt Villa's passing game would not take them into the final third and they pushed up accordingly.
Long balls to the effective Cole allowed Nolan to be a nuisance and Villa never worked out how to crack their shape. As soon as Diame found his feet the midfield was closed leaving Villa out of ideas.
Set pieces had West Ham invigorated and on the 40th minute a flick on ending up dropping to Nolan who wasn't wasting his opening day gift.

To be honest there wasn't much to toast from a Villa perspective; they looked stifled and lacked a plan B, they used the long ball a little more in the second half, and big hearts helped them get up the pitch but there was no real consistent working of a plan.
Ireland was involved and look lively, El Ahmadi was insightful but always on the back foot and N'Zogbia spent much of the game allowing West Ham to get back in defence. Changes to the line-up did little to stimulate the Villains, Gardner had a horrible 15 minutes, Bannan tried but had no runners and Weimann, like Bent in the first half had nothing to feed off.
The passing was fine, the attitude was excellent but without wingers, or players who take on their defenders the staleness were evident.
Albrighton and Agbonlahor were real misses, both create space and drag defenders and this should be a thought for the future, perhaps Carruthers future.

West Ham were well drilled, strong on the ball and played decent football, they closed the game and the fans were even treated to a goal line clearance from Nathan Baker when Maiga rounded Given.
Vaz Te was a constant thorn and constantly worked the Villa defence, even Demel felt his position as defender was safe and made the right wing his own.
Whether this ploy will work all season is a question for 37 games time but West Ham start with 3 points and a good blend of characters. Nolan, Noble and Diame certainly make up for any defensive concerns.

James Collins left with a smile on his face, with his opposite numbers pondering the next game; Clark looked nervous and Vlaar over exuberant.
Allardyce probably expected a tougher game, and was surprised to come out with a clean sheet and 3 points, I don't think Lambert will be too concerned, this was always a test and certain tactical changes will take time, perhaps with a signing or two.

A deserved 3 points for West Ham, but as a Villa fan it was great to see the team passing even if these first 5 games might be a hard watch.

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.

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.