What's Going On At Aston Villa? (Not-so Positive Reprise)

Just over a year ago, I sat down and wrote a post entitled, 'What's Going On At Aston Villa?'  After a COVID-19 enforced delay to the start of the 20/21 season, Villa had just won their fourth consecutive game at the opening of the campaign, marking a landmark occasion. I couldn't believe it. From feeling impending doom throughout most of Villa's first season back in the Premier League in 19/20, to beating the reigning champions 7-2 in our backyard and breaking records of our own - we had come a long way.

Fast forward to 1st November 2021. 10 games in, Aston Villa look a shadow of the side that appeared confident and composed in 2020.  Yesterday, almost 42,000 fans witnessed yet another concerning performance from Villa - one in which the spark and intensity of the last 12 months seemed a distant memory.

West Ham turned up to Villa Park and showed how easy it is to play against us at the moment. For months, starting with Project Restart in summer of 2020, one thing you could say about Villa was that they were a tough team to play against. Clean sheets, solid defence, playing out from the back with ease - Smith had his team whipped into decent shape.

Following the win away at Man United, it felt that further improvement on last season was imminent. Beating our biggest bogey team away, on the back of a thrilling 3-0 win against Everton, injected real fire into our fan base. Who couldn't we beat? From then, all starting with a lethargic visit to Spurs, Villa have looked extremely poor. 

Defensively, things have seemed so fragile despite an identical back line - the only difference being the absence of coaching insight from John Terry. We are now averaging three goals conceded in the last four games, which is genuinely scary. We can't just blame the defenders for this, since so many of Villa's issues originate in the centre of the park. This isn't a new narrative either - since we were promoted, there has been outcry to solidify the midfield, particularly with a strong CDM. With a plague of injuries, illnesses and general lack of personnel, Villa's midfield has looked thread bare at times this season.

A passive midfield is inviting pressure onto the defence and forcing more and more errors, fragility and, from my perspective, a fear of making mistakes. We seem reluctant to try and thread balls through the midfield, starting with transition from the back four, as the midfield is so wide open. Instead, balls are continuously hoofed long to try and reach a pretty solitary Watkins (or winger) and we concede possession so easily when there is nowhere else for the ball to go. The fact that Villa seem to concede goals so soon after scoring is also becoming a worrying trend. Heads go down, concentration falters, confidence takes a knock.

Sunday's performance against West Ham seemed to put a magnifying glass to all the cracks in this squad and its coaching, from player mentality to tactics. The players look frustrated, and management look somewhat out of ideas. With these mental barriers building each week, it's becoming seemingly hard for Villa to crawl out of this sinking pit. As confidence comes into question, performances and intensity quickly follow. There was a distinct lack of closing down against West Ham, nor were there many willing to go in for a challenge or turn up the pressure. When the Captain is getting dropped and players are starting to avoid certain decisions in fear of making an error, there is a real issue with mentality and leadership within the team.  

After a summer of exciting recruitment in the likes of Bailey, Buendia and Ings, it was easy to get carried away with dreams of European nights and braggings rights over rivals. However, general expectations are simply just improvement on last year, with Europe a bonus. At this point, our season is slowly sliding towards aiming for another mid-table finish. Yes, we lost the focal point of our team and we are rebuilding again, but to be 15th after 10 games with the same defence as last season and a £100 million front line, there are few excuses to be made.

The game against West Ham, I think, was defined by the bizarre substitution of Ashley Young for an injured Jacob Ramsey. The man can play almost anywhere, but central midfield is certainly a new one. The desperation to get some leadership and experience in the middle of the park was evident, yet it still failed. This substitution reflects a side void of any consistency, stability or assurance. Villa failed to win second balls, 50/50s, and the few glimpses of promise shown were quickly squashed by sloppy dispossession or a close call at the other end of the pitch.

One of the most concerning stats I have read since yesterday is that Villa did not lose more than four in a row in the first season back in the Premier League, when relegation seemed certain, and they did not lose more than twice in a row last season. With only 10 points after 10 games, and a very poor run in form, Friday's game against Southampton is undoubtedly Smith's biggest in his three year tenure. Lose then, and Villa will be in the worst form since the dark days of the Championship.

It's hard to put a finger on what can change between now and Friday. Smith will have an even more limited squad after Ramsey's injury and Konsa's red card, and greater pressure to field the right team. Formation is clearly not the issue now - there is something running deeper at Aston Villa. Whether it's tactics or sheer lack of confidence, something needs to change, and fast. 

As fans, we just want to see grit, determination and passion from our players every week. We are missing the spark of last season, and the excitement that we can show up and beat any team. Right now, it's a pretty worrying time to be a Villa fan. All of us are behind the team against Southampton, where we hope the tide will turn towards positivity, again.