Dan Bardell: Aston Villa need pace injection to slow and laboured attack
We’re delighted to welcome The Athletic’s Dan Bardell as our exclusive Aston Villa columnist each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at the club…
Aston Villa lack pace in attack and the current habit of repeatedly changing the front three isn’t helping build any rhythm says Dan Bardell.
Both big money number 10s started for the sluggish 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest on Monday (10 October) but neither Emi Buendia or Philippe Coutinho could get anything going once again, while Ollie Watkins, and substitutes Danny Ings and Cameron Archer couldn’t find the net between them.
After the game former Lions forward Gabby Agbonlahor suggested on his personal Twitter account that the star creative pair needed to be dropped and the three strikers should play from the start, but as the team struggles on Bardell isn’t convinced that would work either.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News he said: “I don’t think Villa have had the same front three at any point this season. I think it’s been a different one every single game, so there’s no chance of any rhythm being built up and players creating relationships in the front three.
“I take Gabby’s point. I’ve spoken to him at length about Villa and where they’re at. Something needs to change because Coutinho at the moment…
“I must stress that I don’t think you can single out players at Aston Villa at the moment because collectively as a team it’s not good enough, from the coaching staff it’s not good enough.
“This is not the Aston Villa we were expecting to see this season, but it’s clear that with Coutinho at the moment he’s not in games.
“He’s a world class footballer but he’s not involved at all. Buendia’s shown flashes when he’s come on as a sub, then he’s played against Forest and not really done it.
“There’s nobody in that team that can say they played well in that game, perhaps with the exception of Ashley Young.
“I think the best Villa looked was against Manchester City this season (3 September) with a front three of [Jacob] Ramsey, Watkins and [Leon] Bailey, where there was a bit more pace in there.
“Villa are very one-paced, I don’t think they’ve got enough pace in that side and my opinion is that all the best teams have got some pace.
“So it becomes quite slow and laboured when you’ve got Coutinho and Buendia playing in a front three together because they’re never going to get in behind, it’s just not going to happen. So then Watkins ends up isolated.
“I just don’t think they’ve found a front three that works. I’m not sure what Gabby’s advocating, playing three strikers, would work either.
“I don’t know if they can do it because they’ve got injuries in midfield, but I wouldn’t be averse to seeing Jacob Ramsey in the front three because I think at least he’s a ball carrier and he can get Villa up the pitch.
“The best Villa performance was when he was playing on the left against Manchester City in my opinion.
“But at the moment I think we can keep dancing around and changing the team to try stumble onto something that works, but I keep coming back to the fact that when I watch them Villa look the worst-coached team in the league and that’s a massive problem.”
If the coaching staff can’t come up with a system that is working for anybody then it is a worrying sign for any prospect of success this season.
And with the injuries in the squad currently it doesn’t feel like there is much chance of getting the pace in attack that might be the answer on a regular basis.
Confidence seems to be draining out of previously high-quality and dangerous attacking players with every game so a spark has to be found from somewhere or the chances of salvaging anything from this campaign could be lost.
In other Aston Villa News, Lucas Digne has teased a potential return from injury on his Instagram.