PREMIER LEAGUE:IT HAS been a strange week for Martin O'Neill. The Aston Villa manager has spent the past seven days rejecting suggestions he is about to be offered a lucrative new contract, distancing himself from reports that he has been lined up to replace Fabio Capello, addressing an alarming slump in form and railing against supporter unrest.
“Not entirely helpful” is how O’Neill described the recent mood at Villa Park.
Seven games without a victory and Villa find themselves behind Arsenal in the race for fourth place and seemingly gripped with self-doubt before back-to-back trips to Anfield and Old Trafford.
Fatigue has unquestionably been a problem for a small squad and Martin Laursen’s presence in central defence has been badly missed but there is also a sense that Villa were a far more cohesive unit when O’Neill, as a result of John Carew’s back injury, was left with little option but a 4-5-1 formation that saw Gabriel Agbonlahor deployed alone up front.
Agbonlahor, who has scored only once in his past 15 matches, thrived leading the line. Behind him a five-man midfield offered defensive protection and, just as significantly, provided the platform to launch counter-attacks that turned draws into victories at West Ham and Hull City.
O’Neill admitted yesterday that the system worked “great away because we could exploit space” but he also claimed “there was still a problem at home” as he ruefully reflected on Villa’s record in front of their own fans, where they have dropped more points than they have won.
“We need to start winning some home games,” lamented the Villa manager. “If the home form had been anything like the away form, we would be in a great position.”
While that is indisputable, questions surround the impact Emile Heskey has had since joining from Wigan Athletic in January. His arrival was hailed as a coup and expected to add much needed presence up front in the absence of Carew but, while he has not played poorly, he may well have created a problem by prompting O’Neill to ditch the formation that had propelled Villa above Arsenal.
The England international dovetailed with Agbonlahor when he scored on his Villa debut at Portsmouth but there has been little evidence since of a partnership developing. Indeed, it would not be entirely surprising if O’Neill decided to drop one or the other against Liverpool to suffocate midfield and hope that Villa can pose a threat on the break.
O’Neill certainly needs to find a remedy for the malaise that has set in or Villa will be without Gareth Barry as well as Champions League football next season.
“We would love to keep Gareth, irrespective of whether we qualify (for the Champions League),” he said. “But what’s the point in me saying last year, ‘Give it one more year (Gareth),’ if at the end of this season I’m saying, ‘Give it another year?’ I wouldn’t do that. But with a little bit of luck we are going to qualify for Europe ourselves.” (Guardian Service)
