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Who is in Aston Villa’s Current Best Eleven?

By Khaled Abdallah

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 08: James Chester of Aston Villa (L) passes the ball while under pressure from Vincent Janssen of Tottenham Hotspur (R) during The Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa at White Hart Lane on January 8, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 08: James Chester of Aston Villa (L) passes the ball while under pressure from Vincent Janssen of Tottenham Hotspur (R) during The Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa at White Hart Lane on January 8, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /
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Five signings in so far and Aston Villa currently have a very large squad. Who, currently, is worthy of a starting spot in Steve Bruce’s lineup.

Villa made their fifth signing official this morning with the announcement of Conor Hourihane on a three and a half year deal. The Irishman will aid in linking the midfield to the attack.

Hourihane may not be the last signing this January. Mixed reports on Swansea’s Modou Barrow and Arsenal’s Chuba Akpom continue to make their rounds in the papers.

With Hourihane now official, how will Steve Bruce utilize his deep squad? His preferred 4-3-3 may be back on the table after scuffling the formation just a few short weeks ago. With a beleaguered central midfield, Bruce was forced into adapting to a more rigid 4-4-2 / 4-4-1-1 variant the last two league matches.

With that said, here is one way Bruce could utilize his 4-3-3 with Mile Jedinak anchoring the base.

Villa XI: Johnstone; Bree, Chester, Baker, Amavi; Jedinak, Lansbury, Hourihane; Adomah, Kodjia, Grealish/Bjarnason.

Substitutes: Bunn, Elphick, Hutton, Bacuna/Westwood, Grealish/Bjarnason, Ayew, Agbonlahor

Jordan Ayew is still away on AFCON duty with Ghana. His exclusion opens a place for André Green on the substitutes’ bench, granted Green does not depart on loan.

Jack Grealish and new signing Birkir Bjarnason can duel each other for the left wing position. One offers creativity in the final third; the offers lock down defense on the left flank. This could change match to match depending on the opposition.

One thing to watch for: The relationship between Birkir Bjarnason and Jordan Amavi. Theoretically, they seem like the ideal pair to man the left flank.

Next: Aston Villa and Chuba Akpom

Jonathan Kodjia will thrive off improved service from midfield. Lansbury, and especially Hourihane, should be able to increase possession totals and overall attacking output. Moreover, Albert Adomah will cherish a more talented right back behind him in James Bree.

Overall, this is just one way Steve Bruce can utilize his squad. The team is so large now that it is hard finding places for everyone on the substitutes’ bench. Expect 1-2 departures – perhaps via loan move with a further number of youth players gaining experience before the end of the transfer window.

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