The relegation battle is really hotting up and like many seasons in the past, it seems like the place where we’ll be getting the most entertainment will be the battle to attain Premier League status, but the question is – can Aston Villa really stay up?
Villa are currently lying at 16th in the table on 29 points, with Hull City breathing down their necks with a game in hand to throw a bit more uncertainty into the mix. Tim Sherwood has made obvious changes to the starting line-up and the way the team plays, implementing more rigid formations almost hoping to simplify the game for the players in the team and focusing on the motivating the players and scoring goals. Utilising Christian Benteke to his full ability has also been testament to Sherwood’s ability to judge his squads ability.
On the surface, especially in the case of traditional British football, the lanky foreign striker above 6ft2in would automatically be a target man, this philosophy has been to the detriment to many tall players who ply their trade in the Premier League, but it seems Tim Sherwood has seen that Benteke is at his best when the ball is at his feet, being able to use his body on the ground a lot more effectively. This is key to attain Premier League survival, getting Christian Benteke to score, the hat trick against QPR will only stand him in good stead.
The partnerships that have been forming before and after Paul Lambert will be vital too. Ciaran Clark and Jores Okore are two man mountains in character, having great leadership qualities and superb aerial ability and potential to grow more into the Premier League game. Both Clark and Okore, according to WhoScored.com have been Villa’s best players this season, statistically speaking. If a partnership like Okore and Clark can form in midfield or example, it could spark something special for the Villa faithful – the likes of a forward running Fabian Delph operating in sync with Tom Cleverley or Ashley Westwood is something Villa has been crying out for.
The optimism around Villa Park when the club made it to Wembley was nothing short of amazing, especially after all the suffering Villa fans have been going through in recent years and that has to go on throughout the rest of the Premier League games. There is nothing better than a rocking Holte End on a 3pm kick off other than a Villa player who has just scored facing the Holte end. We need that stand rocking 95 minutes a game with the other 3 stands following suit, don’t forget the power of the fans.
All in all, I believe Villa will stay up this season. The quality portrayed in some games this season just shows how good we actually are, we just need consistency and not to panic – but most of all, we need an ethos that we can follow, a strict ethos – not a vaig narrative of “play attacking football”, lets – with Tim Sherwood figure out if we are going to employ attacking football through high pressing or a rapid counter attacking system. In the meantime let’s all get behind the team and help get them across the line.
