This weekend’s Premier League results constitute grim reading for fans of the claret and blue. Bournemouth’s hard-earned point against Chelsea, West Ham’s 3-1 triumph over Southampton and Watford’s stunning 3-0 domination of Liverpool leaves them stranded in 19th with just 11 games remaining. A morale-boosting day out at Wembley was a welcome distraction from the impending stresses that come with the culmination of a relegation battle. However, Premier League safety is the overriding priority if Villa want to avoid another lengthy stint in England’s second tier.
With a 2019 summer spend of £146 million, not many expected Villa to be languishing near the foot of the table come March. High-profile arrivals including Wesley, Tyrone Mings and Douglas Luiz joined up with the likes of John McGinn and Jack Grealish who were expected to hit the ground running on England’s biggest stage. Whilst the performances of Mings and Grealish have warranted high praise, those in other positions have been largely underwhelming.
As a result, Villa line up as an imbalanced starting XI who, perhaps most worryingly, have lacked quality and conviction at the top end of the pitch. Wesley has looked lethargic, clumsy and unrefined despite his obvious physical presence. Wingers Anwar El Ghazi and Trezeguet have shown flashes of quality without putting up the required numbers. Of course, football is not played on paper but when every point is gold-dust you rely on the front three to come up with the goods. Goals win points, and points win relegation battles.
Of course, the long-term injuries of Tom Heaton and John McGinn have hit Villa where it hurts. The former has been replaced by the ageing, inconsistent Pepe Reina whose disasterclass against Southampton has rid fans of confidence in their new number one. John McGinn was impressive in the early weeks of the season and brought a certain je ne sais quoi to the Villa midfield that nobody else could. Subsequent reinforcement Danny Drinkwater has looked well off the pace since arriving on loan, meaning Villa have had to rely on peripheral figures to influence games in recent weeks.
If there is to be one extremely obvious positive to take from the season so far it has been the performances of Jack Grealish. In midfield or on the wing, Grealish has been granted a Messi-esque role at Villa Park, getting on the ball as often as possible to progress up the pitch and make things happen. His return of 13 goal involvements is nothing to be scoffed at either. It seems certain that, survive or not, Grealish will get his big move this summer.
Murmurs of a figure around £50-£70m will do little to console fans for the loss of their star man. If they go down however, do not be surprised if they receive a figure well short of that valuation. This will only serve to compound the financial misery that comes with relegation. As a club that has emerged from financial difficulty after their big-spending gamble to get out of the Championship failed for a number of years, a cut-price deal for Grealish would be another firm kick in the teeth.
Without a doubt, Villa are up against it with 11 games to go. Relegation rivals West Ham should realistically have the quality to see them survive, Watford have hit an upturn in form since the arrival of Nigel Pearson, and Bournemouth have managed it in previous years with much lower-quality squads than they currently have at their disposal. Elsewhere, Norwich appear to be as good as gone and Brighton have not found their groove with any level of consistency. The title is already sewn up but matters at the bottom of the table are poised for a blockbuster finish.
EFL silverware might have been the morale boost that the squad needed going into the final weeks of the season. Despite their hard-fought 2-1 loss, front man Mbwana Samatta got himself a goal and Villa nearly forced extra time but for Bravo’s heroics. The loss will undoubtedly hurt, but the huddle at the final whistle showed that players and staff are ready for what is to come.
To put it bluntly, Villa’s final run of fixtures is not a favourable one. However, hope rests in the fact that the runs of their rivals are not much easier. Against the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Leicester, certain players will be required to step up to the plate in ways they have not done so far this campaign. Opting to let Dean Smith see out the season represents a bold strategy with so much at stake. By all accounts, Villa have played some attractive football this season under Smith’s tutelage. Whether he can push the right buttons to convert this into points in the nick of time remains to be seen. With ten games remaining, there is sure to be fireworks. A final-day game at West Ham could just be the stage for Villa’s finest hour.
Guapo Football 