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betting » Previews » Aston Villa

Aston Villa

By David, BettingExpert.com | Edited

 

Another go for Houllier


 

The last time we saw him he was battling accusations of having underachieved with Liverpool. Houllier now returns to add some facts along with the few, more or less useless, trophies he had won for Liverpool in that memorable 2000/01 treble to prove his worth in a league he would have loved to shine in. Can Aston Villa afford the Frenchman’s experiments? They sure don’t afford getting the necessary reinforcements.

 


Coach: Houllier

 

Tactics: 4-4-1-1

 

Players In: Ireland

 

Players Out: Milner, Shorey

 

Current Probable Formation: Friedel, L. Young, J. Collins, Dunne, Warnock, Reo-Coker, S. Petrov, Downing, A. Young, Agbonlahor, Carew

 

 

 

Ok so last season was not a disaster. A sixth-place finish three points below Manchester City and one above Liverpool can hardly be called such. But the team had been going on a few litres of fuel all season long with the best players at the team outperforming themselves to get the team to achieve almost the impossible. The defence played exceptionally well and Downing, Ashley Young and Agbonlahor proved their worth in the league. It is surprising to note that all three stayed put but alas it was a summer of very little spending by the big clubs.

 

The only victim of the transfer market has been Milner who, after a long and strenuous courtship by Manchester City, packed his bags were money is plenty and trophies more easy to come by alongside star players. Villa’s policy of getting players only after having sold others was evident in their only major summer recruitment, Ireland, who made the reverse trip from Manchester to Birmingham. Will he be able to displace last year’s unified lot?

 

Sticking with last season’s heroes will be Houllier’s maxim. Only Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool could boast a better defence than that organized by Martin O’Neill last season. For the Frenchman to change all that would be paving the way for criticism in case things go wrong. There are fine balances in the team and Houllier will definitely not want to meddle with those. The best thing of last year was the backline with 39-year old Friedel in between the goal posts, the Irish and Welsh centre-half partners Dunne and Collins and left-back Warnock. Most were new arrivals last season and they changed the team radically as postulated by O’Neill. That same backbone should be retained with right-back duties to be fought for by Cuellar and Luke Young, both valid alternatives.

 

The four-man midfield with heavy reliance on the wingers will now miss the contributions of Milner, but hopes are that the team forgets the past quickly like it happened with Barry a few months before when he had also opted for Manchester City. Reo-Cocker and Stiliyan Petrov will be the central pair with flank men Downing and the young Albrighton completing the set. Ashley Young, in fact, will not be given duties of a winger anymore. Houllier’s main change will be to move the fast Englishman right behind Agbonlahor or the metres of Heskey or Carew. That way his off the ball runs into the box can be put at better use just like his goal instinct.

 

The ex-Chelsea midfielder Sidwell should not be forgotten either although he has competition in Ireland this time round. Apart from that the numbers are short in midfield, especially with regards to the wingers. The attack may be considered complete with Agbonlahor, Ashley Young, Carew and Heskey for two shirts. The defence, however, is in the same waters as the midfield with ‘shallow’ the key word and this time it means trouble in this context, especially given the Europa League competition which they need to keep in mind.

 

 

Predicted finishing position: 12th

 

Unless the team is modified too much by new manager Houllier there are good prospects for the side to do well. Players which can turn things around are available and if the work O’Neill has done with his defence is left untouched too they should once again prove rock-solid. However, numbers are short and with a midweek European fixture to juggle there should be problems with the Villains keeping their focus on a top ten finish this year.



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