As I watched Villa at the weekend hang on for a win and a long overdue clean sheet against Paul Lambert’s old club Norwich, I found myself wondering what is the club’s current football philosophy? A manager’s job is to get results but essentially the aim of football is to entertain. Of course judging the team on a battling away win alone is unfair, but in my opinion the Villa boys have not played too much football this season thus far.
Money, money, money, eh? It’s what makes the world go round, and in football terms it seems to make the ball go round the pitch in a much more attractive way if you spend enough of it. Aston Villa have been labelled a “long ball team” in some “special quarters” this season already, and the more of the team I see the more I have to agree. The majority of people claim that due to financial restraints at the club we can’t afford the type of player that will bring an attractive brand of football to Villa Park, but surely the emergence of Swansea illustrates that you don’t have to break the bank to assemble a team of talented footballers.
Swiss club Basel are hardly an economic superpower in world football yet they play the game in a way that is not only entertaining, but also successful. A manager in my opinion should provide/facilitate an optimum environment for footballers to play to the best of their ability. Under Paul Lambert thus far I have to say I would describe Aston Villa as a long ball, counter-attacking team very similar to the way we played under Martin O’Neil. Now that is fine if it yields results but in reality the club is probably facing a relegation battle this season – an occurrence that is fast becoming an annual affair.
Have we become a long ball team as we can’t afford a midfield we can trust in possession? That is a question I’ve been asking myself for some time. Paul Lambert’s teams in England have been known to play in a gung-ho style attacking manner, but I have to say his Aston Villa side tend to get the ball forward as fast as they can, as long as they can. The route one football brings results for the club in abundance on the road but at home it bores the crowd and opposition teams seem to be able to nullify the Villa threat quite easily.
Naturally there has to be balance, and tiki-taka football can be just as boring as Route One if it is played badly. I feel Villa are fast becoming very narrow-minded in regards to their footballing strategy & dynamism. The team’s strengths naturally are in attack especially in the front three, but the midfield is a severe weak link coupled with the fact the defence seek to get rid of the ball quite hastily when in possession. It results in a team devoid of possession and attacking intent for long periods of games.
I find it quite amazing how weak Villa’s midfield is when you consider Paul Lambert is a former centre mid. The lack of football intelligence on show is quite evident, which is often a trait with bottom-dwellers in any division; Bolton Wanderers for many years were the most infamous long ball team in England. Under Sam Allardyce it yielded results and a few cup runs but eventually the fans craved a brand of entertaining football. The attempted evolution of Bolton’s football philosophy resulted in the club being relegated.
I wonder if such a fate is a potential reality for Aston Villa?
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