Unavailable:
Aston Villa – Amavi, Agbonlahor, Okore
Southampton – Austin
Randy Lerner’s statement on Friday surely
came with good intentions as the American looked to bridge the colossal chasm
between himself and Villa’s long-suffering fans, who have no doubt been
preparing fresh bed linen all week on which to scrawl messages to display their
immense discontent. Ahead of this weekend’s game, Lerner looked to employ a “man
of the people” stream of consciousness approach to convey how much pain he was feeling
as the West Midlands club had their inevitable relegation confirmed last Saturday
at Old Trafford.
At one point, he stated that the memory of “Ashley
Young scoring a late winner against Everton still romantically nourish[es]”
him. Now, imagine if the similarly maligned Rupert Lowe penned a note to Saints
fans in 2005 upon their relegation to the Championship declaring how his last
waking thought of the day was always devoted to Brett Ormerod notching against
Watford in the FA Cup semi-final. Surely, it just isn’t an acceptable moment to
say such a thing. Fans want to know what is going to happen to their club, and gain
as much objective information as possible. Of course the American cannot
disclose every last nugget of intelligence from the boardroom (although that
would make an excellent fly-on-the-wall documentary), but those words should
have been solely concentrated on Villa’s future. To be fair to him, at least he
admitted full responsibility for the club’s slide into the second tier.
The playing situation is not ideal for
caretaker Eric Black either. Gabriel Agbonlahor has continued his downward
spiral with some more ill-inspired choices while it also transpires that Jores
Okore doesn’t really fancy the prospect of turning out for an already-relegated
side. Other players who have at least made it onto the pitch seem to be
completely lost – like hedgehogs being forced to find food when they should be
hibernating. Southampton simply have to take advantage on Saturday if they are
to keep that faint flicker of Europa League qualification alive. Ronald Koeman
has plumped for a 4-4-2 in recent weeks, and must do the same at Villa Park. It
pinned Newcastle back. It pinned Everton back. And it will certainly pin Villa
back. A blood and thunder approach with impetus coming from a driving midfield
will be required to force their timid opponents into reverse gear. This may not
be a game for Steven Davis to start – he is remarkably tidy, but not obviously built
for either wide position, and more defensive-minded players will be needed in
the central midfield slots.
As much as that approach should prove to be
effective, Saints must sustain it, and not become impatient should Villa manage
to cobble together a backbone. Yet with Koeman’s often direct approach –
peppering the opposition box with teasing crosses – the visitors to Villa Park
could become that nagging doubt for United, West Ham and Liverpool if they
collect three points.
Key
Battles
Bacuna
v Clasie: Leandro
Bacuna has plummeted below the expected level of a Premier League footballer
this year, but remains in the midfield alongside Ashley Westwood. He has not
been adequately disciplined in the engine room – leaving opposition defences
vast amounts of space to break into. Jordy Clasie should seize on this, and
pick Sadio Mané and Dušan Tadić out, if they delve into a central area to leave
Saints’ full-backs with more space. Ronald Koeman continues to show faith in Clasie,
and will most likely leave the impressive Steven Davis on the bench in favour
of him on Saturday. He will not get a better chance to put his mark on a game.
Ayew v
Fonte: Villa
recently cancelled their Player of the Year Award, but had they not, Jordan
Ayew would have won it at an absolute canter. Direct, strong, and fleet-footed,
he has been the sole bright spark in a below-dismal season for his side. Over
the channel, he has always been outshone by older brother André, and that
continued as the Swansea recruit of last summer impressed in his early days in
South Wales, but Jordan continues to lead the line well for a permanently
beaten team. A mid-table side could do far worse than snapping the 24-year-old
up in the summer. José Fonte will have to control his team in what could be a
vile atmosphere at Villa Park while keeping a careful eye on Ayew, and if the
home side are to have any joy, the striker could well be a central figure.
Possible
Line-ups
Aston
Villa: Guzan
– Hutton, Richards (C), Lescott, Cissokho – Bacuna, Westwood – Gil, Gueye, Sinclair
– Ayew
Bunn, Clark, Sánchez, Kozák, Lyden, Gestede,
Grealish
Southampton:
Forster
– Martina, Fonte (C), Van Dijk, Bertrand – Tadić, Clasie, Wanyama, Mané – Long,
Pellè
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