Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert is under pressure after his team suffered a -0 defeat against fellow strugglers Hull City
Aston Villa suffered a 2-0 defeat at fellow Premier League strugglers Hull City on Tuesday that saw the Villans slip into the Premier League’s relegation zone.
The defeat means that Villa have now went ten games within a top-flight win, which is an alarming statistic.
Crucial
Last night’s game at the KC Stadium was a crucial one in the battle for Premier League survival this season.
The Tigers moved out of the bottom three and leapfrogged Villa in the top-flight table.
It was the sort of game that Villa fans would have been hoping their team could have raised their game for, but instead they yet again struggled to pick-up anything from a Premier League game.
Goals
Villa may have conceded two goals against Hull at the KC Stadium, but their biggest problem this season has been the lack of goals at the other end of the pitch. Villa have scored just 12 goals in the Premier League this season, the next lowest scorers West Brom, Sunderland and bottom of the table Leicester have all scored ten more than Villa.
The fact that the Villans have scored just once in their last eight Premier League matches is just ridiculous. They cannot continue to offer such a lack of attacking threat and expect to stay in the top-flight.
Earlier in the season the Villans defence was remaining solid, so bailing out the ailing Villa strike-force. Unfortunately it seems Villa now cannot defend either, as they have now conceded at least two goals in their last four Premier League games.
Their away scoring record of just six goals in their last 20 Premier League away games and three this season tells a story of a team badly struggling for quality and confidence.
Lacking
Aston Villa seem to have lack a cutting edge this season. Their midfield is not exactly blessed with players who artisans. The likes of Tom Cleverley, Ashley Westwood, Fabian Delph and Carlos Sanchez, while tidy players none of them are exactly master creators.
None of the above players seem to have the creativity, drive, or energy to assist the lone striker and wide players at Villa. That means the Villans often lack ideas going forward.
In Tuesday’s game against Hull, Villa actually had more shots on goal, but it was more long range hopeful efforts than anything else, although Westwood did see a late effort saved by Tigers keeper Allan McGregor.
Boss
Villa boss Paul Lambert is now under severe pressure. A number of Villa fans held up banners at the KC Stadium urging the Villa hierarchy to sack the former-Norwich boss and if results continue in the same vein then those calls will only get louder.
Villa’s results have not been good enough this season and the Scot obviously knows that. I do feel a modicum of sympathy for Lambert, as it seems that Villa owner Randy Lerner is no longer willing to invest in strengthening the squad.
That means that Villa and Lambert are left to shop in the bargain basement for players. Players like Tom Cleverley, who was once a promising youngster end up at Villa Park and just continue to disappoint.
Villa cannot keep bringing in other teams casts-offs and players on-loan, because the team is just stagnating and the quality of football is suffering as a result.
Benteke
One of the strangest phenomenon’s at Villa is the story of Belgium international striker Christian Benteke. A few seasons ago he was regarded as one of the top young strikers in the Premier League, as he bagged himself 16 top-flight goals in his debut season in England.
The scouts from the so called ‘bigger clubs’ were reportedly stalking the young striker. Fast forward to today and the striker has been dropped to the Villa bench for the last two games.
Lambert has recently stated that Benteke needs to improve, but in truth Benteke is the sort of striker that needs service from his teammates and as previously stated this Villa team just seems void of any creativity, especially in midfield.
Benteke will score goals if you give him the service. He has proved that in the past and Villa need to play to his strengths, because quite simply he seems from the outside looking in the best hope that Villa have of scoring goals.
Possible
In my eyes Aston Villa are a big club and should not be in their current predicament. However, their current position is down to the club making poor decisions at every level.
The Villa owner no longer seems interested in the team becoming a success, so it is down to the players and coaching staff to ensure the club survive the drop this season.
At the moment sceptre of relegation is hanging over the heads of Aston Villa and something has to change quickly, or the side from the Midlands could very well find themselves playing in the second tier of English football next season.
Should Paul Lambert be sacked as Aston Villa boss?
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