Aston Villa are in the midst of a woeful run of form, with some of their players coming in for criticism for a perceived lack of effort.
Henri Lansbury celebrates during his time with Nottingham Forest
Former Villa striker Garry Thompson spoke to BBC Radio West Midlands, and shared his belief that January signing Henri Lansbury needs to put in more of a shift when his side do not have possession of the football, although he did praise the midfielder’s all-round game.
The 26-year-old made the move to Villa Park from Nottingham Forest last month, for a fee believed to be in the region of £2.75 million, and has gone on to make four appearances for Steve Bruce’s men.
It has been a torrid start to life at Aston Villa for Lansbury, with his side picking up just one point from the four games in which he has played.
And Thompson, who scored 17 goals for Villa during a two year spell with the club, suggested that the former Forest man needs to increase his levels without the ball, if he is to make a real difference to Bruce’s side, when speaking to BBC Radio West Midlands:
“Lansbury for me is a very, very good footballer. Whether, he does the bit the other side, without the ball is the question to be asked.”
With 16 points now separating the Villans and sixth placed Sheffield Wednesday, promotion to the Premier League is becoming increasingly unlikely, but there is still hope, with 16 Championship games remaining for Bruce’s men.
But with games against Newcastle United and Derby County on the horizon, there will be no respite for Lansbury and co as they look to salvage their flagging season.
Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce
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