Last night saw Aston Villa miss out on three points yet again this season, and it was obvious that there are some big changes required at Villa Park.
Aston Villa manager Roberto Di Matteo
With a new owner and a respected manager now at the helm, big things are expected of Aston Villa this season. But whether or not it’s the pressure of the league or trying to re-discover that winning mentality, thing haven’t gone particularly smoothly so far.
Last night’s 1-1 draw against Brentford saw Villa leading the match for well over an hour before the Bees grabbed an 88th minute equaliser. That’s now nine points that the Midlands side have dropped from winning positions, showing that Di Matteo’s first task needs to be eradicating the losing mentality that seems to have seeped over from last season.
It happens to alot of teams that experience diabolical Premier League campaigns – they’ll fall down into the second tier and then it’ll take them a year or two to rehabilitate before they can start to think about promotion again. The problem with Villa is that they’ve got some extremely hopeful fans, so the club either need to lower their expectations for the season ahead or find a way to drill that composure back into the side.
Aston Villa’s Jonathan Kodjia heads at goal
Shortly after the match Di Matteo praised the Villa Park faithful for their support during the game, however when the clock hit 80 minutes you could start to feel a real tension around the stadium. They’ve come to expect the worst with their club and it seems as if the panic button gets pressed by everyone in the latter stages of games, including the players.
There’s no killer instinct and their inability to finish teams off will cost them dearly in the Championship. With expensive strikers like Ross McCormack and Jonathan Kodjia leading the line, they should have the confidence to utilise those talents and press forward once they’ve got the lead. On paper they’ve got one of the strongest teams in the division, but on the pitch they just look nervous.
Aston Villa fans await the arrival of players before the match
If you look at the way in which Villa have conceded these goals lately then you’ll notice a pattern. In the build-up towards the attack the opposition midfielders and forwards are given the freedom of the pitch to run through the middle with no tackles being made. The defensive midfielders and defenders that the club have at their disposal need to be making the challenges necessary that preserve their advantage at all costs.
They’ll be hoping they can turn their fortunes around when they take on Ipswich at Portman Road in their next league fixture.
General view of Paper planes on the pitch thrown by Aston Villa fans in protest – Villa Park
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