Signs of a Bright Future at Villa Park

Not yet. Survival is not confirmed yet. There are still three games to go and Villa are only on level points with Newcastle and Sunderland. And yet, this performance, this result, this night appeared to point to not only survival but to a bright future for Aston Villa.

As Christian Benteke left the field he received a huge roar from the Villa fans and a deserved hug from his manager Paul Lambert. A second half hat trick for the Belgian international whose impact this season should really have warranted him the young player of the year award. But individual accolades mean nothing in a team game. 

No, it was not just Benteke who deserved plaudits for this game or even the whole season. This performance was justification for the manager’s methods and characterised the high tempo game which has been seen in flashes and sparks this season, which has promised to spark and ignite yet has seemingly faltered when the promise of something more appeared. Yet the spark turned to flame and the whole of Villa Park was alight with joy during that second half demolition. It may be the game which keeps Villa in the Premier League and the manner of it epitomised the manager, players and Villa’s future.

Pre-game nerves

It was hard not be nervous about this game beforehand. There was much pressure on the team, with recent results for Stoke, Norwich and Sunderland opening a gap between Wigan and Villa. Many were saying it was a straight shoot out between the two now. Sunderland’s form had improved under Di Canioand Villa had just come on the back of a demoralising first half loss to Man Utd. I say first half because there is no doubt that Lambert’s half time team talk at Old Trafford last Monday was essential for the following week. A 0-0 second half draw which saw more character, belief and quality certainly helped the side in the game against Sunderland.

2-1 up at half time still left many worried; Villa’s record of losing points from leading positions this season has been a worrying occurrence. There have been signs of progress being made; earlier on in the season a win over Swansea seemed to show Lambert was having an effect. Games like that against Man Utd at home where they threw a 2-0 lead away and lost 3-2 seemed to show a team which could play some great football and score good goals yet who looked nervous defensively and appeared incapable of protecting a lead. 

The defeat of Liverpool was excellent and appeared to show the season had turned around and then the Christmas period put the season into real turmoil. It was not just the losses but manner of those losses. Three games and an aggregate loss of 15-0. Things were not looking good, Lambert was looking lost, clinging on to some hope. The semi-final defeat to Bradford was regarded by many in the media as proof that Villa were doomed (somewhat of an over-reaction considering they reached a semi-final).

And yet as spring came Villa started to bloom. In February it was the same against Everton, a 3-1 lead threw away and two points dropped. Yet it was the wins against West Ham, Reading and QPR which really kickstarted Villa's season, fortuitousness at times, riding on luck yet the points were there and that nine point haul gave the club hope. The defeat of Stoke at the Britannia was crucial for the side and gave them what is key at this stage of the season ‘momentum’.

Well the 'Spring time bloom' had certainly given Villa hope and belief and the performance against Sunderland proved that this team was riding high. It was high tempo, high energy, high work rate and importantly clinical from Villa. The second half performance was sublime, Sunderland simply couldn’t handle the speed of the game and a Benteke hat trick finished up by Agbonlahor (who has shown this season to be growing into a mature leader of the team) was a culmination of a season which has seen the team create many chances yet often be wasteful in front of goal. 

In this game Villa were ruthless and Sunderland had no answer for it.

Tactically and motivationally spot on 

Lambert has been criticised by others and myself for his apparent poor tactics and naïve methods and seemingly poor half time team talks yet he got his tactics spot on this time, a three man midfield of Westwood, Delph and Sylla gave Villa a much better balance and  helped give more security and stability to the team. When he chooses N’Zogbia in the number 10 role Villa lose balance in midfield and Delph and Westwood are often overrun. With Sylla in the midfield the team looked stronger and the three forwards were given more freedom and licence to get forward and attack. This three man midfield also gave freedom to both Lowton and Bennett, two players who have benefited from a ‘baptism of fire’ this season and who are looking better for it.

The fans too were excellent, perhaps a noise which hasn’t been heard at Villa Park for over two years. It has been a difficult time for Villa and the fans have suffered from it. This game brought back the belief and atmosphere which has been missing for such a long time. 

6-1! Unbelievable, yet very much deserved. 

A burgeoning team promises a bright future

It was important for Villa not to have to play for their lives in that final game and it has meant that the landscape of this exhilarating relegation battle has changed once again. Now Wigan look isolated from the rest and while Villa's result last night moves them up, fans of both Sunderland and Newcastle must be concerned of their fall. 

The performance against Sunderland not only made Villa's survival ever more possible, it would have alerted many Premier League sides of a rising force in English football. If you think I am over-reacting to a one-off performance you should realise that Villa have been in a couple of seasons of transition and this year has been the start of something new at Villa.

Paul Lambert took a couple of seasons to build his Norwich side, yet time was not given to him at Villa. Expectation was survival and tobuild from there. 17^th would have been acceptable this season, just get through this first year and build from there. And the signs are promising for this burgeoning side.

In credit to Lambert has never quit on his players or his style of play, even when the results were going badly he never hid or stopped believing in the team. At one point Villa appeared doomed to the Championship, not anymore. A performance like this inspires players and fans to believe in more than just survival. The best night of Villa’s season could not have come at a better time. 

Lambert’s transfer policy last summer was based on a remit of 'austerity' and he decided to buy young and hungry players from lower leagues who had the character, the ability to run and work and a desire to play for the team. In players like Lowton and Westwood Lambert has proven that you can find talent in the lower leagues. Benteke and Vlaar proved that there is value abroad if scouted well and the clubs academy should be proud to see players like Clark, Baker, Agbonlahor and the impressive Weimann be given their chance and prove their ability to rise through the youth ranks. 

And special mention must go to Brad Guzan who I was critical of earlier in the season and judged him more on his past seasons with Villa than with this one. His performances have been excellent and although 60+ goals conceded appears poor, he has done superbly to keep that number from being higher and has been a key reason for why Villa look set to be playing in the Premier League again next year.

A model of scouting, cheap transfers and youth development is certainly different to the high spending and big wages era of Martin O’Neill. A sustainable future built on these principles holds Villa’s future in a very positive direction.

For those who read The Whitehouse Address you will know how much I love what Borussia Dortmund have done these past few years. In times of austerity they have adopted a model of sustainability which has seen great scouting bring in cheap signings along with their use of their youth academy has been key to their growth. 

Many see Dortmund in the Champions League final and believe their rise has just happened overnight yet Jurgen Klopp has taken years to develop this team, and has done it by spending nothing (zero net spend!). 

It is not far-fetched to see Villa rise in the coming years and become a real force in the Premier League. A Champions League final, don’t be silly! Yet a positive future ahead which sees more academy players (Villa won the NextGen series this season) and more of Lambert’s excellent scouting system at work.

It is great to see this method of development and running of a club surviving, especially when compared to QPR who believed spending lots of money on experience was the key for success. Tony Fernandes got it wrong and club may suffer dearly for it. Villa on the other-hand went down the other route and both Randy Lerner and Paul Lambert appear vindicated and justified in their decision on how to approach this season.

Some are saying it is another ‘false dawn’ for Villa yet there was something about this game, this atmosphere and the feeling afterwards that a season which has most often been filled with disappointment and pessimism can now be seen as one of growth, development and optimism. It’s not guaranteed yet, however Villa took a massive step towards survival last night and pointed towards a bright future under Paul Lambert.

The Whitehouse Address @The_W_Address