Aston Villa squad depth important for a sustained promotion push
By Dean Caffrey
Steve Bruce made his substitutions spot-on against Leeds. On came Jack Grealish and Henri Lansbury to change the game and earn Aston Villa a draw in the end. The developing injury crisis ensures Villa fringe players will be tested over the Christmas fixture period.
It was nice to see how the course of a game can change positively if the right changes are made, at the correct time. Fair play to manager Steve Bruce and also the aforementioned Grealish and Lansbury for turning a defeat into a draw.
It proved that Aston Villa can rely on the alternate players in the squad, and not just the first 11. In the midst of this injury irritation at the club, especially up front, it’s even more important to lean on those who haven’t been used too often this season. One such example is in the case of Keinan Davis, who I believe most fans would agree needs a rest. Taken out of the firing line for a few games as he’s only 19 still might be in the club’s best interest.
The return of Gabby Agbonlahor to training is well-timed and he should come into contention over the festive period. He’s a different player to Keinan Davis so the team’s style could be altered if and when he returns, most likely strictly as a substitute.
Chris Samba has been thrust into the starting team recently as cover for John Terry and performed admirably, but at 33, he won’t be able to play every game over the December period. With Mile Jedinak out for the foreseeable future, the return of Tommy Elphick is well-warranted, too.
Birkir Bjarnason, as maligned by Villa fans as he is, has a role to play. Albert Adomah and Robert Snodgrass have been stars for the Claret and Blue, but they too will need a match off here and there. Bjarnason has the 2018 FIFA World Cup with Iceland to think about, and will want to showcase his talents in order to keep his starting left-wing spot safe come next summer.
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It’s important to have a settled team to gather momentum but it’s been difficult for Bruce to achieve that due to injuries. But a team of just 11 players don’t win the big prizes (save for Leicester 2015/2016 who seemingly never picked-up an injury).
It’s always a collective effort and the full use of Villa’s squad will be tested in the coming weeks.