Dan Bardell claims Aston Villa defence ‘most alarming’ issue ahead of Everton clash
We’re delighted to welcome Sky Sports journalist 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 must sure up their defence ahead of their clash against Everton on Sunday following their 5-1 thrashing against Newcastle on their opening Premier League fixture, according to Dan Bardell.
Unai Emery’s side were outclassed at St James Park on the weekend. While the scoreline may not have reflected the nature of the game, the lack of solidity at the back caused the Villans plenty of problems.
Now missing star centre-back Tyrone Mings, which The Guardian claimed (14 August) could be a season-long absence, Emery must ensure the “most alarming thing” about the opening day is addressed.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, Bardell said:: “The defensive structure was the key issue. If Emery could do it again he probably wouldn’t play with such a high line against Newcastle.
“Even when we went to play a five at the back and tried to sure it all up, we were still playing with that high line and it did cause us troubles.
“We saw this last season. We played very high against Manchester United away. A lot of the time it has worked, but against Newcastle it’s really tough to play that.
“When Pau Torres was introduced, you could see they weren’t on the same wavelengths with the setup and playing in the line.
“So many of the players involved with the high-line that had got it down to a tee weren’t there on Saturday. Alex Moreno and Ashley Young were a massive part of that, then Mings goes off.
“It was probably just teething problems. Against Everton at Villa Park, it should work, but in general, the defensive structure is the thing Emery has got to get right ahead of Everton.
“Everton are a completely different opposition. Yeah, you’ve got to defend in a different way and be good at different things against Everton but I’d like to see us be a little more compact.
“That was the most alarming thing about the game.”
In other Aston Villa news, images have been taken of a Villa target in Solihull.