Aston Villa have the personnel to utilize a high press system

Steve Bruce could take a page out of Jürgen Klopp’s book and emulate Liverpool’s style at Aston Villa. The current midfield and attack personnel are well suited for a furious high press system.

Steve Bruce is a pragmatic manager, one whose teams traditionally sacrifice any daring attacking escapades in favor of risk aversion. Last season, Aston Villa conceded less than one goal per game in league play as 42 goals were blasted behind Sam Johnstone’s net in 46 matches.

For much of his tenure, Bruce has utilized a no-nonsense 4-1-4-1 or flat 4-4-2, primarily relying upon the magic of Jack Grealish and Jonathan Kodjia for goals.

He, however, is wasting the attacking talent he has at his disposal by not unleashing players within a high press. The current squad is full of mobile, two-way central midfielders needed to close gaps, passing lanes, and opponents. Conor Hourihane, Henri Lansbury and Jack Grealish are all in the primes of their careers and possess the needed offensive and defensive skill set to pull-off such a system.

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While light in depth, Villa’s wingers are also athletic enough to cover ground and threaten in the wide areas. André Green on the left and Albert Adomah on the right. Up top, both Jonathan Kodjia and Scott Hogan love to press the backline with their respective top-end speed. Though both drift in-and-out of games, the pair together can provide the first line of defense in official matches.

The defense, however, is where we could see issues. James Chester isn’t the problem, but his partner, Mile Jedinak, would likely be. Asking the Socceroos skipper to play up near the touchline could be a recipe for disaster on the counterattack. Some of the current fullbacks, too, are not well suited for a high press with lower-end quality on the ball.

Neil Taylor has extensive international experience as wing back. So too, does Ahmed Elmohamady. But that pair, plus Alan Hutton do not profile well as marauding fullbacks who will require heavy possession in a high pressing system.

Aston Villa High Press System:

GK: Steer/Moreira

DEF: Taylor, Chester, Elphick, De Laet

MID Rotation (2): Hourihane, Lansbury, Bjarnason; Glenn Whelan to kill matches

AM: Grealish

ATT: Green, Kodjia, Adomah

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