Despite holding out until the second half before collapsing in spectacular fashion, this was another game that showcased all that is wrong with the team this season.
Inaction
It seems that the inaction and refusal to actually try and make things better has fully grasped all levels of the club from board to players and now to the manager. We all know that the board have failed to even make any effort to prevent Villa’s slide out of the top-tier. Now the suggestions are that at the end of the season a full audit will be carried out of the running of the club. While that should be welcomed it feels like it’s too late, and its hard to believe there will be any real progressive change while Lerner remains the main man.
As soon as City scored this team completely gave up, as has been the case all year. Any attempts at urgency or pressing were completely abandoned as the team sleepwalked its way to 90 minutes and 4-0 could quite easily have been more had City been more determined to twist the knife.
The only gameplan seemed to be to park the bus and hope Ayew could create something out of nothing without any support from a midfield who resisted every opportunity and urge to play a forward pass.
Among the more worrying developments is the fact that even the manager now seems to be falling victim to the lethargy that is cursing the club. Again substitutions were made too late and with little real tactical motivation. With the obvious facts that 1: Things aren’t working out and 2: Big changes will be needed next season, it seems perplexing that new approaches aren’t being tried earlier in games before they are completely out of sight.
Another option would be to finally start giving some playing time to the squad’s younger players, the only ones who seem guaranteed to be here when we start in the Championship.
Using the Bench
Quite a few of Aston Villa’s managers in recent history seem to have some sort of allergy to making substitutions, or using them as anything beyond giving a few minutes to a senior player in a game that’s already over.
In terms of fresh legs, tactics, and developing talent for the future in-game substitutions, as with most things at Villa Park these days, have been grossly neglected and mismanaged for too long now.
Attitude Problems
As strange as this may sound at first, one of the biggest flys in the ointment in recent months has been Villa’s brief positive spells in games. At 4-0 down against Manchester City Aston Villa finally had a short spell where they played without pressure, and looked to have at least some sprinkling of footballing ability. Similarly against Everton with the game nearly done the team finally started to push forward with some intent, albeit without any real guile or creativity. This is perhaps the biggest condemnation of player attitudes at the club.
While this squad doesn’t contain any real world beaters, these players (believe it or not) are professionals and regardless of management issues should be able to give a better account of themselves in the relegation fight, they just don’t seem to be bothered to do it when it matters.
Next Season…
Regardless of how humiliating the rest of the season proves to be planning for the next should start now. I’ve already mentioned that the academy players should have their development stepped up now with some more playing time but one eye should already be on the clear out and who, if anyone, should be retained.
This will unfortunately be difficult due the general operational mess that is our club, and the fact the there may be yet another managerial change before the 2016/17 kick off. Personally I would much rather have players who will be around next year being given playing time and gaining experience than to waste time on the senior failures and crybabies who have proved that they don’t deserve to wear the jersey and can have no future at this club.
UTV
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Leave the kids alone and out of this mess. The squad is poison and it will infect whomever comes in contact with it. Gabriel get lost, I saw time and time again he would only jog around the pitch; even when we had the ball and were attacking he was behind the play and couldn’t be bothered to run. Westwood hasn’t been prem quality for some time, Hutton the same. Veretout isn’t a defensive midfielder nor Gana a no. 10. The harder Micah tries the worse he plays, Guzan made some saves but his kicking was woeful and no communication to the back four as usual. Cissokho isn’t fit. Clarke has never stepped up from the youth, Jolean was Jolean. Only Ayew looked ok, and even he wasn’t doing as much as usual (tho don’t blame him, I wouldn’t want to run for 9 other outfield players). The way the team capitulated only in the second half smells of their own doing, as if they are trying to get Garde fired. Who I am losing faith in, but going to blame that on AVFC and the squad. Now there’s talk of Steve Bruce. (That is not a step forward IMO). Think you could bring a chocolate cake to that club and it would turn to mud.
Only good thing, is they will get no more of my money until we are in the top tier again, Mr Useless Hollis you have lost a “customer”. Unless Lerner you reach out to me and I will fix the club for you. (Will do it for 25% of Fox’s annual compensation too)
I’m absolutely amazed at the relatively calm and measured article. One could almost accuse the writer of suffering from AVFC Syndrome. ie No idea, No motivation, no urgency, No passion, No spine. My anger with all things AVFC is at such a level I’ve uttered more obscenities this season than the previous 61 years of my life. I admire your calm.