I’ve seen enough of Leandro Bacuna to personally think we may have a player on our hands, but certain labels are already beginning to become attached to the upcoming Dutch starlet such as versatility and utility. He can play in a wide range of positions and Paul Lambert has utilised Bacuna’s versatility to supplement the team at right back. Matt Lowton’s loss of form has dictated that Bacuna plays at right back, but what position should Paul Lambert be seeking to develop the player in?
A struggling team is not the ideal environment to be developing players, but certain individuals thrive when they are thrown in at the deep as some players demonstrated last season. The problem is that the needs of the short term often outweigh the needs of the long-term, and until Aston Villa reach the survival points tally, we are embroiled in a relegation battle whether we like to admit it or not. Perhaps Paul Lambert signed Bacuna for his versatility more than anything else, but I think he has the potential to become a decent box to box centre midfielder.
Against Manchester City, the boy displayed some sublime touches and vision, along with a free kick thunderbolt that left England’s number one, Joe Hart, rooted to the spot. It’s obvious he has a shot in his locker, maybe not one as powerful as the one “Der Hammer” [Thomas Hitzlsperger] possessed in the past but, let’s face it, who has. Paul Lambert wants his sides full of youth, and so far he seems to be able to attract young European talent to Aston Villa. The problem is, of course, young players are raw, so it is the manager and club’s responsibility to develop these players. If, for one reason or another, a number of players failed to develop at the club, well then naturally we would become a less attractive proposition for young transfer targets in the future.
The Bacuna conundrum maybe one that gives Lambert a few headaches this season, common sense and forward planning may need to be applied to ensure we get the optimum from the player. It is widely claimed by many a Villan that centre midfield lacks a creative edge, so perhaps Bacuna can give us that dimension to our game in time but, at the moment, it seems Matt Lowton’s loss of form is dictating how the players is developed. The battle between the needs of the short term versus the needs of the long-term is one that not only takes place on the balance sheets but on the training pitch as well.
Will it work out? Bacuna’s development as an individual won’t make or break the current manager, but the percentage of his purchases that becomes successes, or failures, surely will.
The Author
