With defensive organisation a particular issue thus far this season, many supporters questioned whether ex-skipper, John Terry, had left behind a large hole in Aston Villa’s leadership department. Of course, the former Chelsea central defender is now back on the scene in his coaching role. With that, the club have regained his leadership abilities albeit with a new remit. But is Dean Smith’s regime already starting to get more from the array of supposed leaders that the club always possessed?
The fact that former manager Steve Bruce left Villa’s defence, let’s say, pretty bare, need not be covered once more. The result of this, however, remains relevant: Villa have shipped 23 goals in only sixteen fixtures this season. That’s already over half the goals we conceded in the whole of last season.
Not only that, a lack of leadership has been displayed through the manner in which Villa have allowed the opposition to score. Twice this season, the team have lost games from winning positions. Last season, such results just didn’t happen. Last season, the team held on to slim winning positions. This was in no doubt thanks to a togetherness and hardiness developed through organisation and determination from those in that Aston Villa squad.
And the noticeable absence of this to date in the 2018/19 campaign does not necessarily aim criticism at James Chester, the club’s captain. Even though he himself claimed that he has had a sticky patch (and followed that up with his display against Bolton), it is understandably difficult to lead a team whilst also covering a whole back four as he has been forced to do on numerous occasions this season.
The responsibility of leadership within the camp, however, was addressed by Dean Smith immediately after his appointment. In interviews with the club, the new boss explained his captaincy philosophy and expressed his desire to create ‘a team of leaders’.
The former Walsall boss certainly does not have a lack of potential suitors to work with. That is perhaps the most astonishing thing about Villa’s early season woes. Apart from Chester, the list of former captains in Villa’s squad, includes primarily: Conor Hourihane and Henri Lansbury (perhaps not the best example admittedly). Not only that, there is a wealth of Premier League experience in the forms of full backs Neil Taylor and the Scottish Cafu, Hutton. Axel Tuanzebe was famously the first first-year scholar to captain Manchester United’s Under-18 squad since Gary Neville. At the other end of the pitch, Tammy Abraham has already been visible wearing his heart on his sleeve when things have not gone perfectly. It is this desire which can also be translated into leadership qualities.
The way Smith and his coaching staff have spoken since their arrival indicates a certain tactical nous which will not only encourage the supporters, but also more importantly the players. With a clearer awareness of what they are supposed to be carrying out over the course of a match, Villa’s organisers will most certainly come to the fore.
The recent victory of Bolton at Villa Park is a fine example of this. Yes, there were still a couple of hairy moments, but Villa looked more assured in general.
After facing plenty of criticism previously, both full-backs had a relatively decent game. Ahead of them, Villa’s midfield trio of Hourihane, McGinn and Grealish ran the game for large periods. In particular, Tuanzebe and Chester are beginning to form a useful partnership and the latter led by example with aplomb. Heroically, a stunning goal-line clearance ensured Villa retained the lead in the first half. Later, a second headed effort (after an earlier one being ruled offside) made the victory a certainty.
Smith’s mixed bag of results thus far has highlighted the challenge he was left. Nonetheless, it is hard to deny that his Villa side have improved with every game. The tactically-assured play now being carried out by the Villans serves in part as evidence that the squad has never lacked any real sense of leadership, but rather a cohesion as a result of tactical cluelessness. From now on then, we can really hope that our key leaders can go into battle ready to carry out a clear plan, rather than feel abandoned by the generals sitting in the dugout.