Another game for rotation and another disappointment, as Aston Villa suffered defeat to Everton and bowed out of the Carabao Cup in just the third round.
A cup competition that Villa would have been targeting as a realistic objective to end our wait for silverware this season, we produced arguably the worst performance since Unai Emery was appointed.
READ MORE: Villa player ratings vs Everton: Woeful display as duo poor in defeat
A display devoid of attacking rhythm and quality coupled with sloppy play in the defensive third led to our 2-1 defeat, and question marks will again be raised over certain individuals who were needed to step in and step up, and provide an important contribution to allow our regular starters to rest.
It was a similar scenario in Warsaw last week, and although Emery will take responsibility and blame for tactical mistakes that he perhaps made and in the set-up of his team, there were disappointing individual efforts on Wednesday night that really stood out.
While it was a painful watch for the most part, it did reiterate the need for Villa to get Diego Carlos, Alex Moreno and Jacob Ramsey back fully healthy as soon as possible, as we could really do with the boost that they’ll provide.
A lack of depth at left-back saw John McGinn start in that role in midweek, with Lucas Digne in much need of a rest. While he had his moments, particularly going forward, that is of course not a natural role for the Villa captain, and while he should be praised for his commitment and sacrifice to play where needed, we need him in more influential roles where he can actually impact games.
That in turn is where Moreno obviously comes in. There was a disappointing development last weekend as Emery confirmed that the Spaniard’s comeback would have to be pushed back by days, or perhaps weeks, as he wasn’t yet ready to return after his hamstring injury.
We’ve all seen just how influential he can be to our attacking dynamic, and combined with his defensive qualities and recovery speed, his presence is going to be hugely important moving forward. With that in mind, it’s only right that Villa don’t rush him back to ensure that when he does return, he’s back for good rather than a short stint before a reoccurrence of that injury.
Meanwhile, Carlos was back on the bench against Everton, and it’s hoped that he’s now ready to step back into the starting XI either against Brighton this weekend, or when we face Zrinjski next Thursday.
Aside from his individual qualities both in and out of possession, the Brazilian centre-half also gives Emery more tactical flexibility, as we’ll have the option of shifting Ezri Konsa across to right-back and playing with a back three in possession, thus giving Moreno, or Digne, the license to attack down the left.
That will provide a much better balance, and along with Pau Torres, that will hopefully be a backline that complements each other and gives us a solid foundation in games to also help stop falling behind to poor goals early on.
As for Ramsey, Emery confirmed that he had picked up a ‘small injury’ which forced him to miss the loss to Everton, and he’s a doubt for Brighton on Saturday.
While it doesn’t sound serious given the Villa boss downplayed the issue, it’s imperative we get him back too as the 22-year-old is crucial to our attacking play along with the defensive shift he puts in.
Youri Tielemans again struggled in that role on the left of our midfield, and that experiment can’t happen again in a big game. The Belgian international needs to improve if he’s asked to deputise in a more central position, and while Nicolo Zaniolo continues to impress, Leon Bailey also limped off with an injury in midweek.
That makes the consistent presence of Ramsey all the more important, and along with Carlos and Moreno, we’ll have such a stronger side available, and crucially, more options, to ensure that when we do rotate, we’ve got more quality to bring in the group to bring in.
