Our series of 2015-16 Premier League team previews continue with a look at Aston Villa, who after a stuttering 2014-15 campaign, will be looking for some stability ahead of the new season.
Summer transfers
Even the most battle hardened Villa fan would struggle to recall a more exhilarating summer transfer window than Tim Sherwood’s first as manager. It started off worryingly predictable when Villa’s two best players decided to jump ship. First club captain Fabian Delph tied himself in knots before opting for Manchester City, before Christian Benteke left on somewhat better terms, deciding that the lure of Liverpool was too much.
Since then there have been no less than nine (yes nine!) summer signings rubber-stamped by Sherwood including highly-rated fullback Jordan Amavi and young playmaker Jordan Veretout. The Villa boss is not done yet either, with deals for Emmanuel Adebayor, Dimitar Berbatov and a central defender, possibly Joleon Lescott, remaining strong possibilities.
Last season
Villa’s last campaign was a tale of two stories. For much of the season it looked certain they would drop out of the Premier League for the first time after a run of defeats culminating in the 2-0 loss to Hull City on a cold Tuesday night in February. Paul Lambert’s side looked bereft of confidence and out of ideas in front of goal – at one point they were the second-lowest scorers in Europe. That’s a stat they won’t want to repeat in a hurry.
Sherwood’s arrival gave the club the timely boost they needed to limp over the line once more. The FA Cup turned out to be a useful distraction from the league with famous victories over rivals West Bromwich Albion and then Liverpool at Wembley, before coming up against a far superior Arsenal side in the final.
Manager
Tim Sherwood has the backing of the Villa faithful and they buy into his ‘heart on the sleeve’ mentality. His complete overhaul of the squad has bought him extra time but his toughest challenge now is to find a formula to win football matches. You are only as good as your last game in football so Sherwood will want to get some points on the board early on. That is a task easier said than done with so many new arrivals; especially as many of them have had little time to adapt to their surroundings and could struggle with the language barrier initially.
Sherwood will play with more width this season, meaning new boy Scott Sinclair should get more game time under his belt. With the addition of attacking fullback Amavi, don’t be surprised to see Villa set up for the counter-attack rather like the Martin O’Neill days.
Strengths
Villa’s squad is the strongest it has been for several years and having competition for places all over the pitch should raise performance levels. They have pace in abundance and plenty of players who are comfortable on the ball and that can beat a man. But more importantly Villa now have the creative flair which has eluded them for so long in Carles Gill, Jack Grealish and new boy Veretout.
Weaknesses
While they may have more creativity, it is now up to one of the strikers to step up to the mark and score the goals to replace Benteke. With so many new signings, Sherwood’s major task is to get them all to gel on the pitch and bond off it. A lack of Premier League experience could prove costly in certain fixtures and if Villa hit a bad run of form, are these new arrivals equipped for another relegation scrap? That remains to be seen. Questions marks also remain in defence with several sloppy goals conceded during pre-season, largely due to a lack of concentration and awareness. They need to address that quickly.
Key player
This is a big season for Scott Sinclair. He’s reaching his peak at 26 and having just had his first child and securing a permanent contract with the Midlands club, this is the most settled Sinclair has been in a while. By the end of the season we will probably know whether he is able to ever fully recapture that scintillating form he showed for Swansea City. He has already showing signs of improvement and the hat-trick he netted at Nottingham Forest on Saturday – including a 25-yard screamer – will have done wonders for his confidence.
To say Villa’s midfield was goal-shy last season is an understatement. Sherwood will be hoping Sinclair can replicate his 2011-12 season for the Swans when he bagged eight goals and four assists. The pacy winger can be a real threat when on form, but far too often in recent times he has become the forgotten man.
Best XI
(4-1-4-1): Guzan; Clark, Okore, Richards, Amavi; Westwood; Gueye, Grealish, Sinclair, Gill; Kozak.
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Prediction
This Villa team is unrecognisable from the one which froze at Wembley at the end of May. In eight short weeks they have lost their two best players but ploughed on with a major overhaul of the squad and replaced those losses with a real array of players. Some have a point to prove, some have raw potential and some have past pedigree.
The media have written them off yet again but if Sherwood can find the right blend, and that’s a big if, then Aston Villa could be the surprise package this season like Southampton were last. Finishing somewhere between 9th and 13th is not an unrealistic prospect. The heady heights of mid-table would be a welcome relief for Villans after spending the past four seasons fighting relegation.
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