We are approaching the final few laps of this marathon season in the Championship. The winter transfer window has nearly shut. The cold weather is starting to fade and the evenings are starting to become brighter.
This is crunch time in the season and Aston Villa are well placed to take advantage. Home games against the current top three, and trips to Fulham and Sheffield Utd to come in the next four months. This leaves Aston Villa with their top-flight aspirations in their own hands.
Aston Villa sit on 50 points at the moment in fifth position. They are three points shy of Derby in second with the playoffs at the very least looking assured at this stage. A vital ingredient in the improvement in the team, from this time last year, has been Steve Bruce’s clever use of the loan market.
Robert Snodgrass, Josh Onomah, Sam Johnstone and most recently Axel Tuanzebe have arrived, albeit temporarily, from Premier League clubs. The first three have been key at certain stages of the season.
Sam Johnstone has saved Aston Villa many points this season. He has made saves at key times in games whilst keeping 12 clean sheets in 28 games. Josh Onomah has played in an advanced midfield role behind the striker during Jack Grealish’s injury. The midfielder has performed well overall aside from a few anonymous outings.
Robert Snodgrass has been a real “X-Factor” this season. Even when not playing well, he can provide a telling pass or cross to create a goal while also chipping in with five goals himself so you have to give Bruce credit for persuading these top flight players to drop down a division and slog it out in the Championship.
I think Bruce’s most important signing could still be his next one. He would like another striker on loan to cover in case of a similar injury crisis to December time. For a few weeks, Keinan Davis struggled with the huge burden of being Aston Villa’s only fit striker. The club can scarcely afford another run of results that occurred at during that time. It could signal the end of hopes of promotion.
If Aston Villa get a striker deal over the line in the next couple of days, it could the difference between playing second-tier football again or Premier League football in August.