Dissection of Villa’s lightweight midfield

For a 4th successive season Villa’s faithful could be facing the dismay of another relegation battle if the problem of finding the right midfield combination and home form aren’t put right.
Over 90 minutes the midfield can 9/10 decide the outcome of a match, the odd moment of brilliance might determine the result, but if the midfield isn’t doing their job something is prone to go wrong.

This season Villa’s midfield has been the predominant problem, Paul Lambert is still to find the right midfield combination meaning when opposition come to Villa Park they think it will be an easy three points; like Manchester United throughout Fergie’s era.
At the end of last season, Villa’s form was practically identical to a top four side (picking up 17 points from a possible 30), but this season, at home, its back to usual. Away from Villa Park, Villa’s form continues to cause teams problems, amassing an impressive seven points from a possible 12 on offer (arguably should of been more), but at home they are still seriously struggling. Four defeats so far at home, with the only win, a lucky one of that, coming against an out-of-sorts Manchester City side.

Beside the formations the personnel Lambert has decided to field has been another notable let-down. Alongside Benteke and Guzan Fabian Delph, the ex-Leeds youngster, must be one of the first names on the scoresheet. Delph has been a revelation since the latter end of last season and has carried that form through to this, showing the best form throughout his so far injury plagued Villa career. But apart from Delph no one in the Villa midfield can rightfully say they deserve a place on the starting team sheet.
Ashley Westwood just hasn’t replicated the form that made the former Crewe captain one of Villa’s players of the season last season. Though clearly the former Crewe graduate is clearly out-of-form he is being still selected by Lambert, some might say it’s unfair favoritism towards Westwood. I’m a big fan of Westwood’s abilities but his form hasn’t been acceptable and I can`t see why he is still starting, he either needs to improve or be ready to warm the bench.

Karim El Ahmadi, just like Delph, this season has vastly improved, starting to my surprise against Arsenal at the Emirates in the opening day success. Without Carzola (due to international committees) for a large part of the game KEA took advantage and controlled the midfield battle; I was thinking is this the same player who I’d been watching last season.
But since that afternoon at the Emirates, he has gradually declined into the footballer who last season was struggling to come with the pace of the Premier League.

The other, forgotten option, available to Lambert is Yacouba Sylla; the Malian international powerhouse when in the middle of the park gives Villa a more solid look. It`s still a mystery to me and probably most of Villa fans that Sylla keeps getting overlooked, Villa have only lost two games when he has started (against Liverpool and Chelsea at Villa Park last season) and have only gained only four points from a possible 24 with him being involved.

At the latter end of last season, a 4-3-3 formation was played by Lambert, both home and away, but teams are now wiser and have taken advantage e.g. Liverpool, Newcastle and Spurs at Villa Park this season.
This season, Villa’s away form is in the top six in the Premiership, but home form in the bottom four, mainly down to the midfield not being able to find a solid rhythm and Lambert not spotting how teams now repel Villa’s counter attacking abilities at home.
When playing away Villa take advantage of team’s compulsory nature to go forward and attack them on the counter, but at home that now isn’t an option. The formation played against Everton (4-2-3-1) will work against teams if the right personal are present, a midfield three of Sylla, Delph and Westwood, like the latter end of last season will work.

When Delph’s attacked minded mentality drives him forward it leaves Westwood (not the biggest guy) overrun by the opposition`s midfield, e.g. Barkey and co. against Everton in the last match. Some might argue that Westwood`s job (stated even by himself) is to protect the back-four, but any world-class defensive midfielder e.g. Pirlo, Alonso or Pogba will get taken advantage of if they are up against two physical opponents on their own.

Lambert finally played the right formation against Everton, but chose the wrong options in the middle of the park. Instead of playing Delph and Westwood in the two holding positions, it should have been Westwood and Sylla.
Sylla’s strength, ability to protect the back-four and tackle would protect Westwood more at home, so he wouldn’t feel so under pressure and vunerable, allowing his array of passing (6 assists last season) to be fully taken advantage of then.
The discussion could be taken further forward up the field as well; Weimann has been nothing like he was last season so needs to be dropped and Tonev given a chance. Also the addition of a winger and number 10 would element both the 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 formations. A number 10 either Tom Ince from Blackpool (out-of-contract in the summer), a welcome return for James Milner from Man City or Ivelin Popov and a winger like Ashley Young on loan from Utd or Zoran Tosic from CSKA Moscow would do nicely.