Steven Gerrard hints at possible Aston Villa system change for Nottingham Forest clash
Aston Villa travel to the City Ground on Monday evening to face Nottingham Forest and Steven Gerrard has hinted at a possible system change.
For the entirety of his reign at Villa Park, Gerrard has utilised a four-man defence with various guises of attack in front of them but Ludwig Augustinsson’s injury has thrown a spanner in the works.
The Swede was the only natural left-back fit after Lucas Digne picked up an injury but he too then suffered a knock and will miss the trip to Nottingham.
“We’re going to have to find a solution on that,” Gerrard said, as quoted by Birmingham Live. “Ashley (Young) can do it, (Matty) Cash can do it. We can change our system slightly.
“That’s what we’ve been working on all week. Is it better for us to try something completely different? Or do we ask one of the lads to go in there and do us a professional job?
“We know Ash can do it. He’s done it before. It’s not ideal but it is what it is. Needs must. We’ll find a solution. We won’t feel sorry for ourselves. We’ll do what we need to do.
“It goes without saying I prefer to play with a four. But we have to keep analysing the injury situations. If we were to have any more, or any situations during the game, we have to prepare and practice what we might need to go to.”
Flexible
Gerrard has done well to build a defence, at least, that can be moulded into any shape he desires with enough central cover to allow for either two or three in any team.
Steve Cooper’s Forest are likely to produce a back three with wing-backs as they have done all season on Monday night and it might be a good test of his players to match up the Reds in their own backyard.
What he now needs to build is a midfield and attack that can also play in many different systems because it is all very narrow at the moment.
Leon Bailey is arguably the only proper winger he has to choose from unless Young is pushed forward when Digne or Augustinsson are fit.
That has to change when January rolls around, if the budget is available, and if Gerrard can’t manage it then, it simply must be the highest priority for the summer by some distance.
In other Aston Villa news, the answer to Gerrard’s full-backs woes might already be at Bodymoor but he has to swallow his pride first.