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Are recent Aston Villa struggles proving Josh Onomah is not an attacking midfielder?

Venezuela's forward Sergio Cordova (C) and England's midfielder Joshua Onomah compete for the ball during the U-20 World Cup final football match b...
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Tottenham Hotspur’s young talent thrived in a deeper role in the Under-20 World Cup last summer.

Josh Onomah of Aston Villa looks on during the Sky Bet Championship match between Birmingham City and Aston Villa at St Andrews (stadium) on October 29, 2017 in Birmingham, England.Josh Onomah of Aston Villa

Josh Onomah had an excellent summer last year. After a decent breakthrough campaign with Tottenham Hotspur he travelled to South Korea for the Under-20 World Cup, a competition which England of course won.

After that success he earned himself a loan move to Championship side Aston Villa. This would give him a chance to prove himself on a regular basis at a big club in the second tier.

But that has not been the case. The Tottenham youngster has struggled to find his best form since making the move to Villa Park.

Josh Onomah of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League 2 match between Tottenham Hotspur and Reading at The Lamex Stadium on March 13, 2017 in Stevenage, England.Josh Onomah of Tottenham Hotspur

In recent games, with Jack Grealish and Albert Adomah injured, Onomah has come back into the fold at Villa and been tasked with adding the attacking spark they are missing – he has failed to provide the goods.

This again is proving many a Spurs theory that, despite his reputation as an attacking midfielder, Onomah is better in a more defensive role.

It is in the deeper role that he shone for England in the summer and he looks far more like a Mousa Dembele type on the field than a Dele Alli.

Venezuela's forward Sergio Cordova (C) and England's midfielder Joshua Onomah compete for the ball during the U-20 World Cup final football match between England and Venezuela in Suwon on...

Simply put, he is not the creator going forward that was perhaps once believed. Onomah is much better using his athleticism in the middle of the park, breaking up the play and playing simple passes from a deeper role.

His recent performances at Villa have done little to dissuade the argument that Onomah’s future at Tottenham should be further back in the midfield.