It is looking highly likely that Aston Villa will have to prepare for another season in the Championship.
Former Manchester United winger Lee Sharpe has admitted that he would ‘love’ Aston Villa to ‘make a run’ for promotion in these final few months and is hoping Jack Grealish can return and make a ‘big difference’.
Halesowen-born Sharpe is a boyhood Villa fan and he pointed towards them constantly ‘slipping up’ and failing to keep clean sheets, which have cost them in recent weeks.
Dean Smith’s side have the third worst defence in England’s second tier and they have recorded only one win since the turn of the year.
Speaking to the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast Show on 19/02/2019, Sharpe spoke about Villa’s promotion chances and their star man Grealish.
“My team Villa, I would love to see make a run but they keep slipping up,” Sharpe told talkSPORT. “I know [they can’t keep clean sheets]. I am hoping that Jack Grealish comes back and makes a big difference for them.
“Possibly [not too late for a play-off place]. You put a four or five game run together in that league and you can jump places, so who knows.”
Last season, Villa only conceded 42 goals on their way to the play-off final, but during this campaign, they have already shipped 52 goals, with 13 matches of the season remaining.
The retirement and departures of centre-back John Terry and goalkeeper Sam Johnstone have played a part in their defensive struggle as well as lack of stability, depth, quality and balance over the course of the campaign.
The likes of James Chester, Mile Jedinak, Axel Tuanzebe, Tommy Elphick, Kortney Hause, James Bree and Tyrone Mings have played at the heart of the club’s defence this term.
More than likely, Elphick and January addition Mings will play at centre-back when Villa travel to fellow strugglers Stoke City on Saturday.
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