Aston Villa: ‘Leon Bailey attitude problem’ on show vs West Ham, he needs to sort it or leave
Aston Villa may have secured victory against West Ham last time out, but Leon Bailey didn’t cover himself in glory.
The Jamaica international was named as a substitute against the Hammers and was eventually brought on with just over 20 minutes to go.
Unai Emery’s side scored immediately after his introduction as Ollie Watkins took advantage of a spilt Morgan Rogers effort in front of the Holte End.
His strike made it 2-0 after John McGinn’s earlier stunner as the away side were left with no route back into the game.
Bailey was given a chance against West Ham, but showed no signs of improvement after a string of shocking performances in B6.
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Leon Bailey issue clear for all to see vs West Ham
There has been very little positive to say about the winger since his loan deal at Roma was cut short during the January transfer window.
It was a no-brainer for him to return as Evann Guessand was allowed to depart and join Crystal Palace on loan, but things haven’t really worked out for anyone.
| Stat | Leon Bailey (Aston Villa) | Evann Guessand (Crystal Palace) |
| Appearances | 12 | 10 |
| Goals | 1 | 2 |
| Assists | 1 | 1 |
Bailey has been nothing short of terrible since returning to the Midlands, and that was on show once again versus West Ham last time around.
He was brought on and was constantly forced off the ball while making a string of poor decisions in claret and blue.
Former Villa scout Bryan King was unimpressed by his performance and has suggested that he has an attitude problem that is hampering his B6 form.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, King said: “He obviously wasn’t happy being a substitute.
“It was a good job by the time he came on, Villa were comfortable.
“There’s an attitude problem there. He’s been left out and thinks he should be in the starting XI.
“He’s got to get it together because it’s the final push for all competitions now.
“They need the squad to be together rather than coming on and playing as Bailey did. Either get it together or get out.
“He needs to be chomping at the bit to get on and prove how good he can be, but after that performance, he looked like a wasted substitute.”
Bailey’s struggles have now continued with Jamaica, as he has shown a drop-off in form that will be a concern in the Midlands.
Bailey shocking with Aston Villa and Jamaica right now
The 28-year-old may have been poor against the Hammers, but facing El Hadji Malick Diouf is a difficult task at the best of times.
That could represent a way out of scrutiny for the winger if he looks to explain his way out of his poor form in claret and blue.
He won’t be afforded the same courtesy with Jamaica after putting in a poor performance against New Caledonia on Friday.
His nation may have secured a 1-0 win, but Bailey was still terrible after coming on as a substitute in the 68th minute.
The Villa man managed a pass accuracy of just 67 per cent and failed with three of his attempted dribbles on the day.
Losing five duels also won’t go down well and proved just how shocking he has been, so something really has to change for Bailey.
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