For Aston Villa, 2021-22 was a season of transition and mediocrity. It all started with boyhood Villa fan and poster boy Jack Grealish leaving Birmingham for the blue side of Manchester for a British transfer record £100m. A side built around Grealish, Villa struggled to adapt after his departure. These struggles eventually led to manager, and fellow Villa fan, Dean Smith being sacked from the job of his dreams following five consecutive losses in October and November. Villa enjoyed a slight bounce under new manager Steven Gerrard. However, despite the arrival of the mercurial Phillipe Coutinho and highly rated French international Lucas Digne, the inconsistencies of the previous regime remained and Gerrard could only steer Villa to an underwhelming 14th place finish.
Now that Villa have had a full preseason under Gerrard they will be looking to implement his favoured possession based 433 system and iron out those inconsistencies seen last season. The signings of Diego Carlos and Boubacar Kamara have certainly strengthened Villa’s spine and will allow them to dominate more of the ball whilst retaining better defensive solidity. This should grant flair players like Coutinho, Emi Buendía and Leon Bailey the chance to focus more on scoring and creating for what is a very talented group on paper. For Villa this season success would require competitiveness in the cup competitions and qualification for European competition. Expectations are high.
Signing of the Summer – Boubacar Kamara
This summer Villa moved extremely quickly to get the bulk of their transfer business done before preseason started. That meant the permanent signing of Coutinho, the free transfer of one of Europe’s hottest prospects in Boubacar Kamara, and the signing of highly rated Olympic gold medalist Diego Carlos, all before Villa had kicked a ball.
The pick of the bunch is the signing of Kamara on a free from Marseille. Villa beat a number of Champions League sides, most notably Atlético Madrid, to the signing of Kamara after the player was personally visited in his home by Gerrard and Sporting Director Johan Lange.
Villa have needed an out-and-out number six since their promotion in 2019 with Douglas Luiz being more adept as an eight and Marvelous Nakamba not having been good enough on the ball to be a regular starter. Kamara is the perfect midfielder for villa should he be able to adapt to the Premier League. The Frenchman is extremely gifted on the ball, averaging 72.3 passes per 90 across the last year and landing in the top 3% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues for passes completed. He averaged a 91.2% pass completion rate in comparison to Luiz’s 83.3% and Nakamba’s 85.3% representing an immediate improvement in terms of ball retention for Villa. Defensively Kamara is no slouch either, he averaged 4.81 tackles plus interceptions per game over the last year as well as being in the top 1% of midfielders across Europe for pressure success rate with 39.1%.
Kamara is a hugely impressive signing on a free transfer. His unique abilities will allow Villa to control possession and play higher up the pitch as the midfield will be able to trust his seemingly telepathic positional anticipation and his quality in possession.
Key Player – Jacob Ramsey
Last season was Jacob Ramsey’s breakout campaign in claret and blue. Scoring six goals and providing one assist in 34 games Ramsey announced himself to the Premier League as a player to be feared and respected regardless of opposition (Manchester United found that out the hard way…). In a season where the Villa faithful lost two of their own in Grealish and Smith, Ramsey cemented his place as the new Villa boy on the block.
Affectionately known as JJ to the Villa coaching staff, Ramsey is a brilliant ball-carrier, often gliding past defenders when dribbling and sometimes single-handedly dragging Villa up the pitch. Last season, Ramsey completed 6.02 progressive carries per 90, that’s more than Kai Havertz (5.62), Phil Foden (5.55), and James Maddison (5.49). Now with the additions of Kamara and Carlos, Ramsey can start his trademark mazy runs from more dangerous areas and hopefully add to his goal returns in the new season. Double digits for goals plus assists has to be the aim for JJ.
FPL Asset – Leon Bailey
If one player has taken Aston Villa’s preseason by storm it’s the Jamaican international winger Leon Bailey. Last season Bailey struggled to make an impact at Villa despite an electric introduction to Villa Park against Everton in a 3-0 victory for Dean Smith’s side. Injuries hampered any progress following that game and Bailey simply failed to live up to Villa fans’ expectations.
But this preseason Bailey has shown his quality in abundance, scoring three goals and providing one assist all whilst displaying his pace, flair and tenacity – qualities Villa fans were desperately looking for last season. It appears that Bailey has sent a clear message to Gerrard that he is not just good enough to start but that he has the ability to be a star player.
Bailey will operate mainly off the right for Villa cutting onto his favoured left foot but he is adept at using his right as well. Should he stay fit and continue his preseason form as the Premier League season kicks off, he could prove a snip for FPL managers valued at only £5m. As football fans we all know Bailey has the ability and skillset to flourish in the Premier League, it’s just down to him to kick on and show the world how good he is.
Expected Eleven
This season Villa will look to line-up in Gerrard’s favoured narrow 433 formation. Copa America winner Emi Martínez picks himself in goal as one of the better keepers in the Premier league, despite a slight drop in his form last season. A defence of Digne, Mings, Carlos and Cash is likely but there are doubts as to whether Mings will be Carlos’ centre-back partner or whether Konsa or Chambers can stake a claim for a position that’s certainly up for grabs.
The midfield three will contain Kamara at the base, who will drop between the centre-backs during build-up allowing the full-backs to push high, alongside newly appointed captain and combative number eight John McGinn and fan-favourite Jacob Ramsey. In the attacking line, Villa will use a narrow three with Coutinho on the left, with licence to roam into the half-space and find pockets to create chances, Ollie Watkins or Danny Ings through the middle and either Bailey or Buendía on the right.
By Owen Jameson
