Neil Taylor’s solid displays compared to the erratic Jordan Amavi means Steve Bruce’s Aston Villa selection should be a no-brainer.
Neil Taylor may not be the most popular guy in football right now with onlookers still reeling from the leg-breaking challenge that consigned Seamus Coleman to crutches for the next few months.
Yet, the Welsh international remains highly valued at Aston Villa. Taylor may not exactly stand out on the football pitch but Steve Bruce’s side clearly miss him when he’s not there. And the stats prove it too.
In Taylor’s 12 games for the club since signing from Swansea in January as part of the deal taking Jordan Ayew to South Wales, Villa have kept eight clean sheets. Norwich City, Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield Town all failed to open up the Midlanders with Taylor at left-back.
Brucey Bonus
Furthermore, when injury kept him out of games against Reading and Fulham this month, Villa conceded six times. No wonder Bruce is under no illusions about his importance to the side.
“I thought he was terrific and he’s been a very good signing on the quiet,” Bruce told the Birmingham Mail after Taylor’s Man of the Match display in Sunday’s 1-0 Midlands derby win against Birmingham City. “He’s done a very good job.”
And Taylor’s steadying influence looks all the more essential when contrasted with the erratic displays of his fellow left-back. It’s no coincidence that, when Jordan Amavi replaced him against Reading and Fulham, Villa’s defence was far less sturdy.
Second thoughts?
In fact, the Frenchman, who owner Tony Xia claims was the subject of a £25 million January bid, according to The Guardian, looked closer to a player worth £2.5 million. Constantly caught out of position, Amavi appeared to be targeted by the opposition as Villa’s ‘weak link’.
Taylor may not possess the same ability to burst down the flank with explosive acceleration and whip a laser-precision cross into the six yard box. But he is a reliable, consistent operator capable of providing Villa with a solid defensive platform.
Therefore, it would be no surprise if Villa were to give more thought to any bids for Amavi in the summer.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
