Monday analysis: Aston Villa left desperately seeking a spark with play-offs looming
At what was supposed to be the defining point of the season, Villa suddenly find themselves desperately lacking in spark.
Three games without a win and with the gap to the top two now at its largest since January, hopes of a return to the Premier League via the automatic promotion places which burned so brightly only weeks ago have now all but been extinguished.
Of more pressing concern for manager Steve Bruce now will be how to go about restoring the belief which has, in the blink of an eye, gone missing from his team in time for a likely tilt at the play-offs. The mean, purring machine which reeled off 10 wins in 12 and blew away Wolves has begun to misfire and is in need of urgent repairs.
Villa have not looked so uncertain of themselves in attack for several months. Questions about their character, which seemed to have been comprehensively answered, have now re-emerged stronger than ever before.
Saturday’s game at Hull was supposed to jump-start the promotion push. Four changes to the line-up - including a first start since December for Henri Lansbury - made those intentions clear. Yet after a promising start, Villa’s efforts fizzled out and by the final whistle they deserved no more than a point from a match they needed to win.
Bruce, ever the fighter, refused to concede defeat in the race for the top two. But there was enough in the manager’s voice and the reaction of his players to suggest they know the jig is almost certainly up.
It is not that Cardiff, who currently hold second place, will not drop points. Neil Warnock’s soaring Bluebirds face a fiendishly tricky run of fixtures starting today at Sheffield United and must still visit Villa Park.The trouble is that Villa no longer look like a team capable of reeling off the run of victories required to make up the ground.
Since thrashing Wolves, they have taken only one point from three matches and – perhaps more tellingly – have scored only one goal. Some would argue they were spluttering even before then. When Villa beat Blues on February 11, it was they who held second spot and momentum.
Yet they failed to kick-on, taking only 11 of the next 24 points available, while a team who have established themselves as the division’s best front-runners have scored first only twice in eight matches.
Such form is simply nowhere near good enough at the business end of the season. From a team so experienced, who should be taking the pressure in their stride, it borders on unforgivable.
The problem is more collective, than individual. Though Albert Adomah might have taken the brunt of the criticism at Hull for some poor finishing and decision-making, the winger’s woes were merely symptomatic of a general lack of cohesion up front.
Villa have lost their ruthlessness, with players needing to take an extra touch and too often picking the wrong option. On Saturday, meanwhile, there was the first hint of desperation during a second half when Villa knew they had to produce but couldn’t.
Not even the return of Jonathan Kodjia, after five months out, could inspire them.
Bruce should take encouragement from the fact his team have experienced such downturns in form before and usually emerged stronger.
Typically, it has only needed one win to trigger another strong run of results. Tomorrow night’s home game with Reading represents another chance to get back on track.
An improvement is needed and quick. The stakes have never been higher.
