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Having released mainstay centre midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker last week after failing to agree a new deal with the 27-year-old I thought I would have a look at Villa’s strength in his vacated department and whether the club will need to invest in order replace the much improved midfielder.
It is an opinion that I know splits most Villa fans and many will not agree, but I believe Reo-Coker came into his own this season and was probably the closest challenger to Stewart Downing for the club’s Player of the Season award.
The middle man finished second, only to Petrov (86%), at Villa in terms of pass success rate with an impressive 85%, indicative of the most improved facet to his game in my opinion. He made more tackles per game than any of his teammates to have played more than 10 league games (3.1) but did commit the second most fouls of players to have played 10+ (1.4) and did well to finish the season with just 3 league bookings.
He played the anchor man role very well in getting around the pitch, winning and keeping possession in my opinion and with Petrov ageing, someone will need to step up to the plate next season. In my mind, I feel that Villa probably knew that Reo-Coker would leave the club and have already made their replacement in Jean Makoun.
The Cameroon international had somewhat of a hit and miss start to his Villa career, but I remain optimistic that he is and will be the real deal next season. In his first few matches I saw enough to convince me that the midfielder has real quality on the ball, and work on his tackling and strength will turn him in to an ideal ready-made replacement. In just 7 games Makoun picked up 3 yellows and a red as he failed to really get up to speed with the English game but a full pre-season should eradicate that issue. The 27-year-old had a decent pass success rate of 79% in his 7 games last season, making an average of 3.6 tackles per game and committing a high rate of 2.6 fouls per appearance.
Youth, as well as experience
Villa can also have a lot of confidence in youth, with centre midfielders not in short supply. Whether the likes of Fabian Delph and Barry Bannan can play a similar role to Nigel is highly questionable, but both offer something the club has missed since the departure of James Milner. Genuine quality and creativity in the final third. Assuming captain Petrov stays at the club, Villa will need a threat going forward from midfield and I feel that both of these youngsters can offer that.
In his 12 appearances last term, little Scot Barry Bannan completed a decent 79% of his passes and notably picked up a memorable assist for the teams goal of the season scored by fellow youngster Marc Albrighton at Fulham. Similarly to Delph, if he is given the freedom to attack next term his average key passes per game of 0.67 will rocket in my opinion as the 21-year-old has real vision and ability, which he has already showcased at senior international level.
Delph has been severely hampered by injuries since joining the club from Leeds but many Villa fans have already noticed that he is a real talent. At just 20 years of age he is a real prospect and is thought of as such by the Villa management. Again, he is a player that will benefit greatly from a full pre-season and like Bannan, can pack a punch with his left boot. After returning from a cruciate ligament injury, Fabian made 7 appearances in the league last term, 4 of which were starts, and impressed with a pass success rate of 83%.
Whether these youngsters will be given more of a chance next term is unknown but I for one, see them becoming integral to the clubs progression. Also don’t forget the success that defender Ciaran Clark had in a holding midfield role and things start to look a lot rosier at Villa Park.
Options outside the club
In terms of players coming in, the club are rumoured to hold a strong interest in talismanic West Ham midfielder and Footballer of the Year Scott Parker. The England international is all but certain to leave the club and if you’re looking for a like-for-like replacement for Reo-Coker, and undoubtedly a better player than the departed man, Parker is an ideal candidate. At a touted £10m I feel it may be a bit steep for Villa to splash out on a 30-year-old but it would be a landmark signing and a real signal of intent if the club progressed their liking with an offer.
The West Ham captain plays slightly more advanced to Nigel and is a role model for any committed centre midfielder, weighing in with an impressive 5 goals last season, though he could not prevent the Londoners relegation. In terms of his passing accuracy, Parker’s average of 83% is slightly lower than NRC, though his tackles per game however, is higher, at 3.9. Parker’s key passes per game rate is double Reo-Coker’s at 1.33.
To conclude my analysis, I don’t think we need a replacement for Reo-Coker, but I feel an advanced playmaker for the immediate future could be a requirement. What do you guys think? Have we got someone to fill Reo-Coker’s boots? Are the youngsters ready to step up next term? And would Scott Parker be a good acquisition?
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