View: Manchester United draw shows that Aston Villa cannot play two strikers anymore
Aston Villa rounded off their tour of Australia with a dramatic draw against Manchester United, with the Lions succumbing to their usual issues.
It was yet another 45-minute display from Steven Gerrard’s side, with Villa having a torrid first half before dominating the second.
Villa started the game with both Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings up front with Philippe Coutinho supporting the pair in the ‘10’ role.
The pairing of Watkins and Ings sounds intimidating on paper, but yet again they failed to deliver, and Ings was substituted off at the interval.
Villa’s dramatic improvement after they switched the system in the second half was the clearest indicator yet that they are so much more effective with either Watkins or Ings, not both.
Switch to a three
Villa’s first half display was incredibly concerning, with Villa finishing the opening period two goals behind.
Both Watkins and Ings failed to get on the ball much and Villa seemed to be content with just sitting back and letting Erik ten Hag’s side dominate the ball.
There were a few bright spots, including a half chance for Matty Cash from range, but the best way of describing the half was turgid.
However, a change of system and the introduction of Leon Bailey at half time completely changed the outlook of the game.
Villa dropped the second striker and deployed Bailey and Emi Buendia on the wings, leaving the Red Devils confused and panicky at the back.
It paid dividends almost immediately, with Bailey using quick footwork to confuse Victor Lindelof and open up space before sending a curling effort past David De Gea.
The Jamaican also managed to get an assist, with his corner finding the head of Chambers to finally level the scores with the last touch of the game.
Villa controlled the second half with United barely threatening them at all and it all stemmed from that one tactical tweak.
Having the wingers there gave the full-backs the protection they needed while also giving Villa the energy they needed to pressure the Red Devils defence.
It made Villa’s issue clear as day, they cannot play with both Watkins and Ings at the same time anymore.
They are much more effective when they choose one of them and build the forward line around them instead of crowbarring both of them in there.
If Gerrard can make the switch to a front three for the new season, Villa could be in for a much brighter campaign.
In other Aston Villa news, Women’s star Alisha Lehmann has signed a new contract.