Let's Not Let Fulham Get Scott-Free!

Well, from the latest injury report it would appear that the feller who reports on Villa's injury status might soon be redundant! Villa's sickbay appears to be getting close to empty with our Jack's return, and probably Hause as well. Even Wesley stands a chance of an imminent return, it would seem.

Villa fans will remember that after the previous Grealish long lay-off a couple of years ago, he came back and helped start a 10-match club-record winning run to force ourselves into the play-off final and gaining promotion.

I am not now suggesting that we will now go on a similar run and finish in the top-3 and gain Champions League entry, but I am thinking (as probably everyone else is also) that Villa depends on Jack to such an extent that Villa will surely come out of their doldrums. And who - one might think - comes better to flex Jack's muscles on but lowly Fulham?

However, Scott Parker's team have improved a lot - away from home at least. Their win at Liverpool only a few weeks ago being the highlight. Their home record has badly let them down, but when it comes to away matches they seem to be a different class. And I have a respect for Parker's style of play.

So I don't expect Fulham to be a rollover by any means, and if Jack were not returning I'd be thinking that we might be having difficulty. Even though Ollie, McGinn and Traore have all been on good scoring form at the recent internationals, these matches (i.m.o.) are a different kettle of fish to the pressure of the Premier League.

It's interesting, though, that McGinn is being played in a more attacking role for his country and has managed to score a few times there. At the same time, his battling style is also useful for our midfield, but perhaps he has always shown up better for us when up near the front. Anyway, I'd keep Sanson and perhaps let McGinn get some shooting practise.

Team? Perhaps a 4-2-3-1: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett, Sanson, Luiz, Traore, McGinn,  Grealish, Watkins.

Score? Oh, either 6-3 or 3-6!

UTV!

Flexibility Lacking In Team Selection?

Dean Smith highlights once more how Jack has been missed. But there's a glaring weakness in this quote, and it's to do with choosing not to use more flexibility in team selection:

With Jack, you get that bit of quality like his cross at Southampton where we got the goal. He's got that little bit of quality which can open up teams and would have opened up Tottenham. Unfortunately, we haven't had them and players haven't taken that opportunity.

We certainly had no penetration and in fact looked quite timid against Spurs. But it's not been very different since Jack started taking sick pay, has it? No Villa player has scored in the last 4 matches, and we only scored 2 in the previous 2 matches. Yes, Ollie has had some bad luck in that time, but that aside there's been nowt much to cheer about. As though they can hear our cheers - and boos!

Dean Smith said a couple of years ago that he wanted to build a team around Jack, but I fear that he made Jack too much the centre of anticipation in taking that route.

We are left with too little creative ability outside of Jack, and in fact the kind of build-up we have developed is far too slow with or without Jack.

I am losing some faith in Dean. Perhaps he listens to too many of his coaches. For example, it is clear that Kienan Davis is in need of confidence, but how is he going to develop that if he is only brought on with 10 minutes (or less) to go every time?

With Jack out, it quickly became clear we were relying too much on defence, and perhaps that pressure on defenders' minds contributed to one or both of Spurs' goals last night; both resulted from mistakes in defence.

The fact that Dean relies upon Ollie upfront is also putting too much expectation on Ollie. In the situation of being without Jack, what is wrong in resorting to the old tactic of using a duo to lead the attack with one feeding the other, particularly from headers?

I would have preferred to see Davis start as being the target man with Ollie right behind him. Given that combo we could be creating a lot more - and scoring too. The old-fashioned centre-forward knockdown is just what such a setup could provide, I think, in the absence of Jack.

But no, such simple flexibility seems beyond the ken of our so-wise coaches. 

Dean keeps on saying that Jack is going to be back the next match! - and we are still waiting.

I rather suspect that if Villa fans were present in the ground they would have let Dean know their feelings on the matter.

UTV!

Waiting For Godot - Er, Grealish

The thought of Grealish returning to get Villa going again is probably on the minds of most Villa fans, but having seen the state of affairs over the last few games since the start of his absence, is it not better to ask "Why do the Villa players seem to have depended on him so much?"

This is surely the problem with a one-star team, that the rest of the team seem to adjust to playing to the playmaker's tune - they have lost their self-identity. Matt Target is one - I detected that he really likes linking with Jack down the left, and with Jack not there the effectiveness of Matt's forward play seems to have dropped off.

Sadly, Matt's defensive play also seems to have dropped off after a spell when he seemed to be a super full-back, but has lately been slipping up a fair amount.

But in yesterday's first half against Wolves the over-reliance on Jack seemed to have been put aside. I thought there were moments when the rest of the team seemed to have pulled themselves together and decided that they have to get on with it. But wait, was that the case or was it because Sanson was starting a match for the first time?

I thought he had a good first-half, though I feel there's a lot more to come. The occasion when he skipped down the left touchline, Mortimer-like, leaving a couple of players in his wake, gave me the thought, "This is a player who has not yet played in the same team as Jack and is showing authority." Elmo was also working well down the right, but our Traore was again not showing any great spark, being another (I suspect) who relies on Jack's inspiration.

John McGinn was sensational in the first half, though, and I think that was so because of Sanson's inclusion, allowing John to move forward more.

The Villa should have been leading at half-time. Three times Villa came very very close, with two of those attempts hitting the woodwork and threatening to demolish it at the same time. "All we need is to up our game a tad and the match is ours", I thought.

The second half proved otherwise, but I see that being mainly down to (1) the fact that Wolves seemed to be better organised and (2)  Sanson having to go off on around 60 minutes and was seen having his ankle put in ice. 

For the rest of the match, the Villa were mainly on the back foot, with Wolves somehow missing two chances, one with Elmo's flank being left bare again (as happened disastrously against the Blades three days before) and the other after being presented with their second chance by the indecisive Barkley. He now seems to be qualifying as a liability and after that point did little in the game after having come on as a sub. But we have a super keeper who spared his blushes.

I get the feeling that the Villa management would be happy for the club to finish in a good mid-table position (and with 40 points now gained we can surely forget about relegation!). That being the case, and with injuries to Grealish, Cash and now El Ghazi and (perhaps) Sanson, then this very average mid-season patch can be seen as an opportunity to mix and play to see who is really worth his salt.

For me, this patch seems to show that (sadly) Davis and Barkley will not be staying, plus the fact that Elmo's contract expires this year. Who, then, will be backup to Matty Cash? Actually, a fit-again Hause might be the interim answer.

Whatever is the case, for me the fact that Sanson has finally started a match is a big plus, and - yes - I would like to see the return of Jack just to see how he and 'the Warrior' will combine. It could well be a fearsome combination.

UTV!