Villa’s start to the season – reasons to be fearful (2/2)
The previous article centred on the positive takeaways from the first four matches of our return to the Premier League, of which there were plenty. Although I despise international breaks so early in the season, the premature suspension of serious football may actually work in our favour this time around.
It has been a tough and unforgiving start to our return to where we truly belong, and for all the good things we’ve seen already, there are some areas where the gloss is less shiny, the optimism more muted and the deficiencies are more clearly magnified.
Reasons to be fearful – Part One
We have lost three of our first four matches – 75% to be precise. As I have alluded to, mistakes in matches have cost us big time – Jack Grealish against Tottenham, Heaton and Luiz against Bournemouth, and some poor defending against Palace which allowed Jordan Ayew to come back and haunt us.
Cliché alert: winning is a habit, and so is losing. Whatever the circumstances – the mistakes, the refereeing errors – we can’t get into a cycle of losing week in, week out and expect to survive.
Having said that, hand on heart, I can honestly say that the relegation squad of 2015/16 was nowhere near as poor as they showed. Jordan Amavi, Jordan Veretout and Idrissa Gueye, for instance, have gone on to bigger and better things, but having been thrown together in a ‘moneyball’ experiment along with inadequately experienced coaching staff, it was a car crash in waiting.
And we didn’t need to wait that long.
We need to stop any kind of rot setting in, as soon as possible, if we are to avoid a repeat of the horrors of three years ago. West Ham at home next will be the perfect opportunity.
Reasons to be fearful – Part Two
Our style of play is based around having pace and power in wide areas, with the full-backs heavily involved. So far, the performances have been underwhelming. Jota’s sublime pass for Wesley against Everton was a high point, but otherwise?
Trezeguet looked good initially, but indiscipline and poor refereeing mean he will miss that next match having been sent-off at Palace. Anwar El Ghazi so far looks a shadow of the player he was last season, and frankly, he flattered to deceive too many times in the Championship, so perhaps we are asking too much?
In fairness, El Ghazi scored a superb goal to seal the points against Everton and will surely take the opportunity Trezeguet’s suspension should offer. Both Trezeguet and AEG have Champions League experience and are full internationals for Egypt and the Netherlands respectively, so have played at the highest levels.
Cliché alert: the Premier League is an unforgiving environment and there are no hiding places – the settling-in period is over and it’s now time for shape up or ship out.
Reasons to be fearful – Part Three
Aside from the misfiring supply line, the nagging doubt remains that we are painfully thin where it matters most – up front.
Goals win matches and goals equal success, and perhaps in Villa’s case, survival. Relegated teams average worse than a goal per game, more often than not. While a strong defence may disguise a multitude of sins, if you can’t put the ball away at the other end, the result is normally trouble.
We are competing this season with Wesley, Jonathan Kodjia and Keinan Davis as our recognised strikers. Wesley is another with Champions League experience and the signing of compatriot Douglas Luiz should enable him to settle quickly enough. His performances have been better than his solitary goal suggests but there is still an awful lot of pressure on his young and inexperienced shoulders.
Are ‘Jimmy Danger’ and Keinan Premier League quality? Kodjia is injured too often to know for sure and many feel Davis still needs time to develop and a spell on loan at a Championship club may have been the best option this season.
Proven Premier League experience in the shape of Danny Welbeck and Dean Sturridge were available on free transfers this summer. Even at the end of the European window, the likes of Wilfried Bony and Shinji Okazaki are looking for a club. Would you take a chance? I would definitely take a closer look at Okazaki – he’s got Premier League chops, knows where the goals is and has a League title medal in his pocket.
When you consider we spent the thick end of £30m on Matt Targett and Ezri Konsa, defenders who have still to feature, yet balked at a similar figure for Neal Maupay, there is nothing wrong with asking the question.
We may be a year ahead of schedule in the great scheme of things, but we just as quickly find ourselves back in the Championship by the start of next summer. Of course, the January window is still to come, and while this generally sees clubs panic buying and paying way over the odds for players, especially forwards (Darren Bent, anyone?), we still have the financial clout to bring in an elite striker if needs be. But if we’re cut adrift by that point, not even Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo would be able to save us.
The season is ‘but a baby’. The trouble is, before you know it, Christmas will be upon us and we’ll suddenly be at the halfway point of the season. I genuinely believe in the direction NSWE, Christian Purslow and Dean Smith are trying to take us, but along with the majority of Villans everywhere, we have seen any number of ‘bright futures’ turn into a living nightmare.
Not this time though. We are back and we are here to stay: we have the players, set up and wherewithal to tough it out and flourish when the time comes.
WE are Aston Villa.
