Wingers: Do Villa Actually Have One?

With a nod to a certain AVL regular, and the absence of a match to preview, I really just wanted to pose a bit of a question today.

Off and on over the last few days, people have talked about Lowton, less so Bennett, and whether he can get his place back from Bacuna. Is he nicked? In the doghouse? Complacent? Simply up against it?

I don’t think he’s complacent or in the doghouse. I simply think Lambert wanted to shore up the defense, and Bacuna is looking a stronger defensive player. Is this a temporary thing, a bit of insurance while Benteke’s out? Or a longer-term shift? Is Lambert looking to further develop the back-three option?

Can’t say I know. But the back line has seemed steadier of late. While Bacuna hasn’t yet provided quite the same attacking element as Lowton does, he’s showed flashes of real ball-carrying ability, pace, strength and purpose. And he obviously has a shot on him. Some would rather see him in the middle, and I can’t say I disagree.

For now, though, it’s good that he’s playing.

Which brings us back to Matt Lowton, and an idea I’ve seen floated and considered myself.

Would he, and Villa, be better off if he were employed as a wide midfielder in more of a 4-4-2? I guess, in fairness, one might pose the same question regarding Bennett.

Both have some defensive capability (I know, I know), meaning they ought to be able to overlap, track back, harass and harry. Both can deliver a good ball into the box. Obviously Tonev is going to keep looking to make his case out wide as well.

Of course a 4-4-2 poses other questions of the side, in particular a central pair strong enough to make it work. One might imagine Delph and Gary Gardner, putting aside Gardner’s fitness questions, for example. Or a player yet to be named.

At any rate, those bits aside, it’s a move I know I’m not the only one to have toyed with.

So, there you go, a simple enough question. Maybe it’s something that’s only used to change things up late in a game. Maybe it’s just silly. But I do keep wondering about it.

Which means Lowton will come back and acquit himself well and Bacuna will move to the middle.