Doubts persist over Emiliano Martinez’s availability for Aston Villa against Burnley on Sunday, and should he miss out, Robin Olsen is set to step in.
As per Unai Emery in his pre-match press conference on Friday, the 30-year-old Argentine international is nursing a small calf injury that forced him off at half-time against Hibernian, and he faces a late fitness test to determine his availability this weekend.
Sign up for the Talk Villa newsletter, a free weekly Villa round-up delivered straight to you!
That decision will likely have already been made with kick-off just hours away now, and with Olsen expected to step in and fill that void if needed, it has to be the time for a shift in attitude towards the Swedish international.
There is no denying that the drop off from Martinez is significant. Given his quality and experience though, there is always going to be one, but Olsen hasn’t proven that he can minimise that drop off following a series of shaky performances.
Having conceded 17 goals in eight Villa appearances, it’s understandable why many of us doubt his credentials and ability to be a reliable presence in between the posts when involved.
However, the decision has now been made by Emery. The Villa boss is convinced that Olsen can provide the right solution as cover for Martinez, and he’s had the benefit of seeing the experienced 33-year-old in training week in and week out as well as having had plenty of time now to ship him out if he didn’t believe in him.
While there is still time for a change in that department with a few days remaining in the transfer window, the fact that we allowed Viljami Sinisalo to leave on loan and haven’t even replaced him, shows the level of faith in the Swede’s ability.
With that in mind, we must now get behind Olsen and support him. And while that’s perhaps a token suggestion or gesture on an online platform and many on social media will continue with their usual response to anything Olsen related, it’s more important at the games that we don’t make it an uncomfortable environment for him.
Time will tell if he starts at Burnley, and if he does, the away support will surely back him, provided he gives them reason to feel more relaxed and assured.
The expectation though is that Olsen will start the second leg against Hibernian in our Europa Conference League play-off round at Villa Park on Thursday night, and that is especially where the Villa faithful need to get behind him as he looks to build confidence and consistency.
Those that have been at games where he has featured have experienced the collective groans and anxiousness that surely make it difficult for him even on our own patch. While it may well have been warranted, we must now try to halt it.
Again, this will largely depend on Olsen’s ability to provide answers to our questions and to produce solid performances. He is after all an experienced international goalkeeper who should be playing at a higher standard.
If he doesn’t, then he can’t expect the mood to change. For now though, for the good of him and our hopes for this season, it’s hoped that he can turn a corner this week and really prove he’s capable of providing a solid solution in Martinez’s absence.
