Dean Smith has an abundance of options in the centre of the park but should the Aston Villa boss go back to the tried and trusted formula?
Just one win in their first five games isn’t how Dean Smith would have dreamt his side’s return to the Premier League but they need to get a grip on things very quickly. Villa were one of the best teams in the Championship last season especially in the final 13 games where they lost just once.
Tammy Abraham was Dean Smith’s main source of goals but with the Englishman now back at Chelsea, they seem to be lacking his output. As big a miss as Abraham is, Villa’s biggest problem so far this campaign has been the lack of proper service in the final third.
Grealish has shown glimpses of what he is capable of and his flair on the ball is certainly a joy to watch. However, his inconsistency in the areas of the pitch that matter the most have played a part in Villa struggling to pick up wins in the Premier League.
One way Smith can improve the service in his side is with the introduction of Conor Hourihane. The Irishman has played just over 100 minutes of Premier League football so far this season and that is a massive surprise considering how important he was for Smith in the Championship last year.
Hourihane scored nine goals and provided a further 12 assists in all competitions last season and was Villas’a chief creator. His only start this season came against Tottenham where he was deployed in a deeper defensive midfield role that limited his creative influence.
With a game against Arsenal coming up this weekend, Smith needs to find a way to play Hourihane higher up the pitch. With the Gunners massively struggling at the back, the Irishman’s passing and late runs into the box could cause them serious damage and Villa could get their first big scalp of the season.
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