Aston Villa: ‘Ineffective’ Leon Bailey slammed ahead of West Ham United clash in Premier League
Don Goodman has slammed Aston Villa midfielder Leon Bailey for his “really poor” performance in last weekend’s loss to Tottenham.
Bailey struggled – as did every Villa player – in a 4-0 defeat at Villa Park that raised questions over the Villans’ top-four aspirations.
The Jamaica international has since netted in the subsequent 4-0 win over Ajax, but Goodman was concerned by his display versus Spurs.
“It’s always tough when you’re playing a direct rival,” Goodman, who saw the game up close as a commentator for Sky Sports, told Villa News.
“If you play well but are unlucky and lose by the odd goal, it’s bearable – not ideal, but you can take some positives going forward.
“That didn’t happen for Villa. It looked like a very tired performance. Unai Emery changed formation and used three central defenders at Villa Park for the first time this season.
“It didn’t look like the shape suited the players. Leon Bailey looked lost, almost disinterested. He was very ineffective. That’s not me picking on him, but I’m singling him out because it was a really poor performance.”
John McGinn to miss next three Aston Villa matches
Goodman added: “It was all compounded by the fact John McGinn picked up a red card and will now miss the next three games. Not only have you lost to Spurs, you’ve also lost one of your most influential players for the next three games.
“When you put all that together, and look at the next fixture, West Ham away is massive. For me it’s a game they probably have to win. You know Wolves will then come and make things very difficult for Villa.
“Then it’s Man City and Arsenal in two of the next three games, so that is a really crucial next game for Villa. It’s still all to be played for and Villa will not give up. If Villa fans had been offered this scenario before a ball was kicked, it’s one they would have taken no question.”
Where can I watch West Ham v Aston Villa?
Both teams were in European action on Thursday (14 March), explaining why this game is on Sunday (17 March), but it has not been selected for television coverage in the United Kingdom.
Highlights will be provided by Sky Sports shortly after full-time, though, as well as on BBC’s Match of the Day 2 later in the evening.
As Goodman rightly says, this is a “massive” game for Villa as they now have an unexpected opportunity to reopen a five-point gap on Tottenham, albeit having played a game more.
Bailey and his team-mates were poor in that loss to Spurs last weekend, but the victory against Ajax by the same scoreline suggests they are very much back.
The Jamaican has showed a lot more consistency with his performances in recent weeks, the loss to Tottenham aside, and you would not bet against him having a big impact against West Ham should he be selected by Unai Emery.
In other Aston Villa news, Goodman also reacted to a gesture spotted by a Villa player towards a team-mate in a recent match.
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