It’s clear to see that what Villa have been doing in terms of playing football isn’t working, leaving the team struggling to create chances all season. The club’s possession stats are eerily similar to those of two years ago, and that isn’t a positive. In addition, injuries in the defence have even eroded the solidity we were starting to see.
Due to the vagaries of form and injury, this team is starting to look a bit limited. Limited, does not mean poor or hopeless, but it definitely means limited. Our only two fit natural centre backs at the moment – Nathan Baker and Ciaran Clark – have both looked decent at times when playing with the also improved Ron Vlaar. However, playing together in a team where the only source of width comes from the fullbacks, neither have shown the pace or awareness to consistently deal with the lack of cover on their flanks.
The Villa full backs for that matter also seem like they are left exposed by how narrow the team has been playing. The returning Antonio Luna might have been victimised repeatedly by Antonio Valencia, but he didn’t exactly have much support either – at least Matthew Lowton had a rejuvenated Marc Albrighton on his flank.
It isn’t just the defence though. Christian Benteke’s goal drought cannot be discounted. When the opposition knows the only way we can get him the ball is a long punt, he has to beat two men to win a header. Failing that, when he does drop deep to try and get the ball, he’s surrounded easily, and too far away from the goal to make something happen.
So, in my opinion, the time has come to go back to basics. It’s time for Lambert to perhaps embrace the tactics of one of his mentors, and go with a 4-4-2. Not a fancy, modern, cutting edge variant; but a boring, meat and potatoes, functional formation with two banks of four.
No, this isn’t the way forward in the long term in 2013 football, but it isn’t about the future right now – it is about the present. Someday I hope we can build from the back and create chances, but the reality is right now we can’t. Maybe we will in a week, a month, or a year. Thinking we can now is just wishful.
Playing narrowly while unable to create through the middle is getting us nowhere. The weakness of a 4-4-2 is that the club would be outnumbered in the middle three versus two, and we already know that the team hasn’t been able to keep the ball with an extra man, playing three versus in the middle when lining up in a 4-3-3 or 3-5-2.
Playing with wingers will allow the full backs to stay back more, meaning more support for Clark and Baker. Having wingers would also allow the full backs to make a simple pass and set up overlapping runs when the team does get forward. Last week aside, I’d stay with Lowton and Luna. If Chris Herd starts like I suspect he might, that gives the club even less attacking capability in wide areas.
For me, Albrighton was the best Villa player on the pitch by a mile last week. With the way he played and the way the rest of the outfield players didn’t, he has to start this week, fitness permitting. Playing Leandro Bacuna on the other wing will give the club two dangerous crossers of the ball in advanced positions. Maybe better service will get Benteke going again, but wit Gabriel Agbonlahor suspended, maybe playing Andreas Weimann centrally where he prefers to play will mean more potency up front.
I know we won’t win the league playing the rudimentary style I’m suggesting, but if it helps us pick up some points until we get some players back, till some fit players find some form, or we find our long wanted creative midfielder, there’s nothing to lose by trying, is there?
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