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Aston Villa: Lewis Grabban is the perfect solution to Hogan’s inconsistency

By Josh Tonti

SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - AUGUST 04: Lewis Grabban of Sunderland scores a goal from the penalty spot during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sunderland and Derby County at Stadium of Light on August 4, 2017 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)
SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - AUGUST 04: Lewis Grabban of Sunderland scores a goal from the penalty spot during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sunderland and Derby County at Stadium of Light on August 4, 2017 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images) /
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Aston Villa’s loan acquisition of Lewis Grabban is the perfect solution to scoring inconsistencies and injury problems from incumbent strikers Keinan Davis and Scott Hogan.

Aston Villa didn’t need a striker per se. They already have some good ones. Jonathan Kodjia is an explosive attacker, but he is out for the season with a second ankle fracture inside of eight months.

Scott Hogan, acquired, almost 365 days ago in excess of £10 million, has begun to show his talent after displacing the 19-year old Keinan Davis, another intriguing project. Lost in all the shuffle, is Ross McCormack, who just returned from a loan spell in Australia where he scored 14 goals in 17 matches. Rushian Hepburn-Murphy, another highly-touted 19-year old, is finally back from injury layoff and will return to the U23s/Villa bench, on occasion.

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But Lewis Grabban’s loan acquisition was the perfect signing for Aston Villa to cap off a tremendous January. First and foremost, a loan move means Villa do not assume the long-term risk of player downturn coupled with a substantial transfer sum or years of player wages.

Aston Villa just took out an insurance policy on Scott Hogan’s previous injury problems and Keinan Davis’ penchant for not finding the back of the net – and they’re hardly paying a premium to do so.

Grabban, 30, is a six-foot forward with a broad skill set, not too talented in one area and not too lacking in any. He is strong in the air, but not a hold-up target forward. He is deceptively quick, but never burning defenders with stretching runs. He records a high percentage of his passes, but he’s not Wayne Rooney in his prime, dropping in the hole to find teammates with 360-degree range.

However, what Grabban does really well is finish chances. It sounds simple, really, but the Lewis Grabban at Sunderland converted a high percentage of his chances with the Black Cats. It should be expected for that high rate of conversion to regress. But still, Aston Villa acquired an additional forward who knows how to put himself in excellent positions within the eighteen yard box.

Watch, All 12 goals for Lewis Grabban at Sunderland, including one against Villa in a 2-1 loss at Villa Park:

Scott Hogan has been quite good since assuming his place as starting Aston Villa striker. Since Boxing Day, he has recorded four goals and one assist in six matches. By counting statistics, that’s excellent. Still, there have been worrying signs from the previous two encounters.

Here is Hogan’s touch output from those six matches, beginning with Boxing Day defeat at Brentford: 22, 11, 19, 22, 12, 13.

That’s uh, not good. At all. Granted he is scoring a lot! Which ultimately, of course, is the only thing that matters. But the signs are there, that, should Scott Hogan stop converting every chance, there is a chance he is going to otherwise provide little value to Aston Villa on match-day.

Lewis Grabban provides him just a bit more competition.

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