Aston Villa may need to call on the much maligned defender following an injury to Chris Samba.
The sight of Tommy Elphick coming on for Aston Villa on Saturday left many of the club’s fans either livid or terrified, but the same could be said when Chris Samba was initially tasked with replacing the injured John Terry in Steve Bruce’s starting XI.
Rather than falling flat on his face, Samba has done well at the back for a Villa side pushing hard for promotion, so it was sad to see the 32-year-old limp off with 12 minutes remaining against Millwall this weekend.
In his place stepped Elphick, a player who has fallen out of favour under Bruce and who some Villa fans simply feel is not up to the task.
But if Samba is out for any length of time – with the matches coming thick and fast over the festive period – playing Elphick in his natural position may be a better option for Bruce than opting for an alternative.
Such is Villa’s defensive situation right now that many supporters will be desperate for the January transfer window to open. However that very prospect could be the motivating factor Elphick needs to ensure he follows Samba’s lead and proves his critics wrong.
After all, the former Bournemouth man will know he has little chance of staking a long-term claim at Villa Park when everyone is fit and available.
For that reason, and with Elphick approaching the final few years of his career, he could deliver the kind of performances Villa need to maintain their impressive run while ensuring potential suitors are impressed rather than put off by what they see.
Samba has already proved Villa fans wrong, so what chance his beleaguered teammate following suit?
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