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Aston Villa: Jonathan Kodjia is back, and that matters

By Josh Tonti

LENS, FRANCE - NOVEMBER 15: Jonathan Kodjia of The Ivory Coast stands for the national anthem prior to the International Friendly match between France and Ivory Coast held at Stade Felix Bollaert Deleis on November 15, 2016 in Lens, France. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
LENS, FRANCE - NOVEMBER 15: Jonathan Kodjia of The Ivory Coast stands for the national anthem prior to the International Friendly match between France and Ivory Coast held at Stade Felix Bollaert Deleis on November 15, 2016 in Lens, France. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images) /
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Aston Villa’s leading goalscorer returns after an abrupt end to the Ivory Coast’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. Jonathan Kodjia and signings will spark new life into the dull claret and blue.

Aston Villa sit idly in 13th place in the English League Championship. Out of 24 clubs, they remain eleven points from the relegation zone and nine from the playoff top-six. Villa have scored twenty-eight goals in twenty-seven league matches while conceding just twenty-seven in the process, perfectly average.

All is not over.

Starting Tuesday, Villa will look like a brand new team at Griffin Park. Henri Lansbury, James Bree, Conor Hourihane, and Birkir Bjarnason will all be involved in the eighteen in some capacity.

But it is the return of another player that will re-energize Steve Bruce’s side – Jonathan Kodjia.

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Villa’s leading league scorer on nine goals will flourish under improved service from all parts of the midfield.

Conor Hourihane and Jack Grealish will be free to feed balls over the top to Kodjia with Henri Lansbury behind them. Leading assist man Albert Adomah can cross from the right with the knowledge the lunging Alan Hutton may no longer be behind him.

Kodjia, unlike other options: Gabby Agbonlahor, Ross McCormack, or the extremely raw Keinan Davis, holds the ability to change a match in one sequence.

Kodjia’s link-up play, coupled with a vastly improved midfield, should help eliminate stagnation within Villa’s attack. No longer will the club be vastly out-possessed against lesser talent. Moreover, the long ball hoofing to the most forward player will end.

While we are disappointed to see Kodjia’s Ivory Coast squad eliminated so early, we are absolutely thrilled to have him back. It was a tough three weeks without the striker – a position the claret and blue do not have a lot of cover in. Evidenced by their 28 goals in 27 league matches.

Time remains for Aston Villa to get into the promotion mix. It starts on Tuesday against Brentford, a road match in which Villa’s road woes must end.

Promotion may not happen this season, but there’s no doubt Aston Villa are a new club come this week.

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