So Sunday brings a trip to South Wales, and arguably the “easiest” of the matches in the next run of games because following an away trip to Swansea, December’s fixtures include home games vs Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal, an away match at Chelsea, as well as games vs Stoke and Bolton Wanderers.
Whilst media rhethoric may have you believing that we are approaching a group of fixtures that could put Villa to the sword, the reality isn’t as frightening as some may think. Of the list of teams after Swansea, Manchester United are allowing opposition teams to create chances, meaning we could do well with an attacking display, Chelsea are far from solid in recent terms when put under pressure, Arsenal lost to Blackburn earlier this season, and Liverpool don’t scare me in the slightest.
These games will need attacking efforts though, as defending against these teams will mean draws or losses in each of them. Sooner or later, Villa need to learn how to fight, not surrender.
Anyway, getting back to Swansea, regardless of my prior statements about how December may not be a series of failures, Swansea is certainly the most winnable fixture of the coming seven. In fact, in eight games time we will be playing Swansea again.
Attacking Is The Best Tactic When You Have Nothing To Lose
As we have noticed in recent years, promoted clubs have failed to follow the principles of days goneby preferring now to take the bull by the horns and attack rather than defend. Interestingly, you are more likely to see creative football from the likes of Norwich and Swansea than you are from a mid-table club such as Everton or Stoke.
Why is this? Well in a game where you’re expected to go back to where you came from when managing a promoted team, playing the cavalier approach and flowing forwards is an easy option. In fact, I am surprised it has taken promoted teams this many years to work it out. Win, and you’re lauded. Lose, and it is expected.
Swansea fall directly into this category. With Brendan Rodgers taking the ethos of Roberto Martinez, Swansea’s prior manager, and continuing it, coupled with promotion, the stage is set for a fairytale. Swansea, for all of their current attacking strategy, are managing to operate outside of any real expectation. Like most promoted teams, their fans are viewing this as an extended day out, where the worst case is going back down. So attacking is a simple choice. As the saying goes, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Aston Villa, on the other hand, are something of the antithesis to Swansea. Villa consistently go into seasons with the approach of believing nothing is good enough. Whilst there are pragmatists amongst the group, evidence of this can be swiftly shown by discussing the latter stages of Martin O’Neill’s tenure at the club.
When MON provided 11th, he stabilised the club following O’Leary. When he got 6th, he improved the club. Following another 6th placed season, fans thought things were stagnating, and before the end of his last year in charge, fans were demanding 4th as the next target.
Ignoring for a second the fact that O’Neill’s Aston Villa was built on money Lerner didn’t really want to spend, expectations kept rising, sometimes in an unrealistic manner. Perspectives were cultivated and set in line with beliefs that weren’t commensurate with O’Neill’s investments, never mind reality.
Some fans may have had you believe that 4th was infinitely achievable under O’Neill. Whilst it was true we were close in terms of points, the tactics and lack of rotation of O’Neill’s Villa meant that fatigue would always set in, and Villa would fade away late. It started becoming predictable.
Where Is Villa’s Level? Here’s The Wakeup Call
Getting back to Villa, there is a toxic combination of circumstances that not only threaten the current setup and the present manager’s job, but the underpinning “project” as a whole. Calls for McLeish’s head are becoming more vociferous and larger in number. Whilst McLeish failed to demonstrate tactical ability on Monday, chopping him from the team is only a facet of something else.
It may well calm the fans if such a move was made, but the question then is “Who next?”. We can all cultivate lists of managers who are out of work, and of managers who have styles of football that may or may not suit Villa. Some may suggest Hughes is a suitable candidate, others that we should be looking at the likes of Quique Sanchéz Flores. I’ve even seen calls for Villas-Boas if Chelsea’s season continues with underachievment.
The fact is that there are very few managers who would want this job, and who would be achievable. Hughes might want it, but with a reputation for (lack of) loyalty, I’d be hesitant to give him anything, notwithstanding the fact that (the rather slippery) Kia Joorabchian is his agent. Hughes certainly wouldn’t be “one for the future”.
Quique Sanchéz Flores is totally unproven in England. He might work as a manager, but I doubt he would want to come to Villa without the promise of expenditure. No manager from abroad is going to want to relocate to a new country just to play the role of a Scrooge-like miser who enacts the word of a CEO more focused on money than football.
Villas-Boas, as the third person I mentioned, would have zero interest in taking a job such as Villa. Whilst he may well end up on the wrong end of Roman Abramovich’s heavy handed axe, a move from Chelsea to Villa would never happen. Not only does Villas-Boas have a lack of funding to acquire top talent for Villa, but he would hardly be adopting the most fertile group of players. I’d love him to be at B6, if only for the endless Villa/Villas puns, but it’s not going to happen.
The Gameplan
Getting back to Swansea, and following the awful performance on Monday against Spurs, Villa need to bounce back with a win, and an attacking performance. McLeish, whether one wants to believe him or not, has promised changes to the squad after a poor game, and attacking needs to be at the forefront of his beliefs.
This suggestion may seem laughable for those who have seen Alex’s football as defensive and surrenderous. However, McLeish is running out of options fast. The anger regarding the Spurs game wasn’t so much about the loss, but the manner of it. Playing a midfield that comprises only one real midfielder was puzzling, although there are always justifications.
Villa need to change their attitude for fans to have any chance of changing their opinions of McLeish. Another game where Villa dig deep and defend will bring out the worst in the fan base. Several more unenthusiastic efforts will have the Sword of Damocles swinging over McLeish’s neck. McLeish isn’t playing the game himself, but he is tasked with motivating the players to do well. Houllier struggled, and McLeish has too. It may not be specifically the manager at fault, but he is the man in charge, thus he has to take the credit or blame.
The situation isn’t old enough to be unsaveable at present but, without change from McLeish in terms of tactics, McLeish may soon find a lynch mob at the gates of Villa Park baying for blood. I personally have a lot of time for Alex as a bloke, but unless his tactics change dramatically to show something of Villa’s lion-heart, then fans will take things into their own hands, rightly or wrongly.
So, Alex, the choice is up to you. Villa fans may get over-expectant when it comes to what they want from games, but if it isn’t a massive improvement from Monday, then I can’t defend that kind of football.
The Author
