It is no secret that Aston Villa are lacking experience. Our young team has shown great promise at times, bags of energy and a fantastic work rate, but on the flip side, at times they have shown naivety, immaturity (in football terms), and a tendency to panic.
Many of us, myself included, said this would be the case at the start of the season, that it would be full of ups and downs and even though the downs have massively outweighed the highs of late, I still believe we can turn it around.
Call me delusional if you like but the same team that lost to Bradford and Wigan is the same team that beat Manchester City and Liverpool, and I see no reason why we should give up hope now. Whether or not we can stay up though is not the reason behind this piece; the reason I am writing this is some fans have called for the exiled duo of Steven Warnock and Alan Hutton, and injury-hit Richard Dunne, to be reinstated into the starting XI to help sure things up.
In part, I agree with them. What I would like to see is Richard Dunne, when fit, being reinstated to the first team, in a back three of Ron Vlaar, Nathan Baker, and Dunne. I think Dunne being put back in the first team in the 3-5-2 formation that Lambert seems to favour would work well for us.
First, Dunne is very good in the air and I think his presence defending set pieces would go a long way to stopping the sheer volume of goals we are conceding from corners this season. I know we had the same problem last season and the season before that, but him coming in would make a big difference in my opinion. He is not the quickest but he is experienced, something our young team is desperately in need of, especially in the midst of a relegation scrap when a player’s steel will be tested.
Clark would have a job to do as well. I would like to see him play alongside Westwood in a defensive, holding role, guarding the back three. Out wide, I would keep Bennett and Lowton, switching between a 3-5-2 and a 5-3-2, giving them the chance to track back and chip in defensively. I would keep N’Zogbia ‘in the hole’ as it suits him to a tee, and a strike pairing of Weimann and Benteke would be my front pairing.
I don’t think the addition of Warnock or Hutton would benefit the team in any way if I am honest. For a start, neither have the pace needed to play in this formation. Let’s not forget, both have had unsuccessful loan spells at championship sides Bolton and Nottingham Forest respectively. There is a reason why they were allowed to leave—simply put, they are not up to scratch.
No disrespect to the championship, but there is a massive gulf in class and if two aging players, both experienced, can’t make it at a lower level than the one we play at, I don’t see what they could bring to the team. It’s not an age thing, I just do not think they are good enough. Our problems defensively are predominantly from set pieces and I struggle to see what two aging fullbacks, with little or no pace, could do to rectify that. Dunne, on the other hand, I think could do a job. He is not very quick and maybe clumsy at times, but one thing is for sure—from corners, he will throw himself in the way of the ball without giving it a second thought and that’s what we need.
I am not saying that Richard Dunne is the answers to all our prayers. He is not the messiah. But he is a strong, solid defender who will not be bullied in the penalty area and that could make all the difference.
Clark being pushed further up into a holding role would benefit us too. He can be there to sit back and break up play, allowing Westwood to pick up the scraps and do what he does best, pass and find outlets, essentially giving us a midfield again.
The answer really is that simple for me. I still believe that we will sign players, so who knows, we could get someone better than Dunne in, but should he be called on, I think he could be vital if we are to survive. But as for recalling Alan Hutton and Steven Warnock , for me, it’s a no—it seems to be a case of “anyone but Lowton or Bennett”, but I am sure you all have your own opinions on whether or not they should be given a recall to the starting line-up.
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