There was disappointment in midweek as Aston Villa fell to defeat at Legia Warsaw, and the absence of key individuals from the starting XI was telling.
Given our ambitions to compete on multiple fronts for silverware this season, Unai Emery will have to utilise his squad depth, and ultimately those stepping in have to be better and deliver in big occasions.
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We failed to do that in our Europa Conference League opener, and while the Villa boss conceded he made a tactical mistake in the defeat, he was also equally let down by those given an opportunity to impress, particularly in defence and midfield.
Perhaps it’s the easy ‘excuse’ when we lose, but having conceded 11 goals away from home at Newcastle Utd, Liverpool and Legia Warsaw so far this season, the absence of Tyrone Mings is really felt in these games in particular, and that is reflected in the porous defensive displays that we’ve produced thus far.
However, one other absence was specifically noticeable in the Polish capital this week, and that was of Douglas Luiz, who was afforded an opportunity to rest before having to come on in the second half as we looked to salvage something from the game.
One of the common issues in our troubles on the road so far this season has been that we haven’t been able to control games in the manner we want to, and have done in the past. Given Luiz was heavily involved in those losses at Newcastle and Liverpool, it’s not to say it’s all on him, as we have to be better collectively.
Villa look more measured, patient and dominant at home, but we seem to be losing our way against tough opposition away from Villa Park, and that has to be improved quickly with a trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea ahead this weekend.
It’s been clear from the first game that Emery took charge of that he wants to play a certain way. He wants possession, to control games and the tempo with the ball and our positioning on the pitch to dominate and dictate offensively, and simultaneously nullify the opposition’s threat.
We lost our shape and rhythm against Crystal Palace at home after their opener early in the second half too before regrouping and launching a brilliant late comeback, but there is clearly still room for improvement.
While some might question the decision to rotate so much in midweek, others will rightly point to expecting more from the likes of Youri Tielemans to help us implement and execute our gameplan more effectively.
However, we weren’t the same without Luiz dictating in the heart of our midfield, and the Brazilian’s importance was certainly emphasised while he was off the pitch.
With a 90 percent pass completion rate, his ability to progress the ball up the pitch quickly into key areas, his presence and tactical awareness with his positioning and decision-making to shield the backline, he has firmly established himself as one of our most important players for some time now.
In turn, we have to be better without him in the side as the Tielemans-Boubacar Kamara partnership wasn’t as influential as it needed to be, and how our midfield performs is ultimately a significant factor in our results as it influences both phases of the game.
With an inability to control possession for longer periods and a lack of balance in terms of providing sufficient defensive protection in front of the backline, we were left exposed in quick transitions. Neither Lucas Digne nor Calum Chambers covered themselves in glory with their efforts in the full-back roles either, but the midfield was an obvious issue too as John McGinn was too quiet before coming off as well.
That in turn led to the post-match discussion as to whether Emery got it wrong in terms of team selection for a tough game away from home in our European opener, with Luiz’s presence in midfield potentially giving us a completely different level of control that could have impacted the outcome.
The Brazilian midfielder, as well as some of the other influential figures in the usual XI can’t play every game this season though, and so we need those coming in to step up. Emery has his blueprint or template if you like on how he wants to build this team, and the idea will stay the same regardless of personnel. That means those brought in to do a job, have to do it better.