Aston Villa 0-0 Millwall: Thoughts on Saturday’s stalemate

I envisaged having a lot more to work with than a quite simply dire, goalless draw. Aston Villa held on for a single point against Millwall at Villa Park.

This was the first Villa match I had been to in months and I was in high spirits before kick-off, especially considering the strong finish last week against Leeds. However, the footballing Gods had other ideas and ensured an entertaining encounter was not on the cards.

Nevertheless, with a cup of warm Bovril in hand, I survived the bitingly cold conditions and made some key observations about the current state of our beloved team.

1. Aston Villa must sign Johnstone in the summer (or January).

Despite being a winnable game on paper, the only reason the club did not succumb to defeat yesterday was the heroics of Sam Johnstone. He produced a string of fabulous saves to keep Millwall at bay, most notably preventing an almost certain goal when Jed Wallace raced clean through in the first-half. Every time Villa’s defense was caught on the attack, Johnstone was there to either save or clear the danger.

In truth, Johnstone could definitely do a job for one of the Premier League clubs on current form, but it is imperative Villa attempt to sign the Manchester United man when his loan comes to an end.

2. Chris Samba’s physicality is a real asset.

Finesse is not a word one would associate with Villa’s Congolese centre-half, but his presence in yesterday’s defense proved to be most valuable. One of the main reasons Villa never found their rhythm in the game can be attributed to the physicality that Millwall played with; they constantly out-muscled Villa’s players all over the park.

Samba, however, effectively held his own in defense, thwarting a multitude of promising attacks from The Lions. His dogged defending style may concede needless fouls in dangerous positions, but you always back him to win an aerial duel and such qualities helped him contain Millwall’s front-line. Therefore, I really do hope the hamstring strain that forced his premature departure is nothing serious, as he is proving to be a useful asset in Terry’s absence. Reserve defenders Tommy Elphick and Ritchie De Laet could see extended match-time, otherwise.

3. The team’s attacking options need strengthening in January.

All too often yesterday, Keinan Davis looked completely isolated when the ball was punted upfield. When he did win a flick on, there was no one around him to latch onto it, so any glimmer of a meaningful offence was quickly extinguished. The game was crying out for a Jonathan Kodjia, someone who can take the ball on in these situations and create something out of nothing. However, with the Ivorian being a long-term absentee, Villa need to find another way to re-energize their fledgling attack. Davis is not going to be the 20 goal a season striker the club needs (at least, not at this age) if it wants to realistically challenge the league’s top-2 this season.

Either Agbonlahor or Hogan need to find form once they are reintroduced into the starting eleven, or a new recruit must be found in January who can take on the striking burden. This could be a tall order though in light of the club’s Financial Fair Play commitments.

4. Conor Hourihane needs to start against Derby County next week.

One thing that was sorely missed from every Villa attack yesterday was a killer final ball. Time after time the team made it to the edge of Millwall’s box, but the club’s midfielders looked devoid of any creativity when it came to creating a meaningful chance. More often than not, a sloppy cross-field ball would be attempted, only for Millwall to intercept it and subsequently break away. Hourihane is probably Aston Villa’s most creative-minded midfielder and consistently links up play in the middle of the park.

Thus, although Lansbury was worthy of a starting place yesterday, Bruce was correct in his post-match confession when he said leaving out the Irish man was a mistake.

Next: PLAYER GRADES: Villa 0-0 Millwall

5. Villa Verdict.

All in all, it was a disappointing afternoon for the Villans, made worse by the fact Wolves dropped points at home to Sunderland. It felt like a missed opportunity, perfectly embodied by the many frustrations voiced by fans after the match on social media.

Even so, it’s not all doom and gloom and one point is better than none. Let’s hope the team regroups ahead of next week’s clash with Derby and gets back to winning ways!