Arsenal America

When Grahame Taylor was manager of Aston Villa he promised an attacking style of football……. and the fans cheered. By the end of last season he was playing the same 3-5-2, launch it from the sideline he had played in the 80’s and the fans booed. David O’Leary is now the new manager and promises an attacking style of football…and the fans cheered. In game one at Portsmouth, O’Leary played a 3-5-2, and you guessed it….the fans booed. Though the Villains were able to score on a undeserved penalty, there was no attack and the Villains were sadly disappointing in the 2-1 loss. This past Saturday, against Liverpool, the Villains came out in a “Leeds style” 4-4-2, placing expectations on the midfield to produce chances for the two strikers and allowing the strikers to have a hand at goal. It resulted in no scoring, for either team, but the chances were there and Aston Villa looked much improved.

David O’Leary is a fine footballing manager and has a good footballing mind. He was able to create a Leeds side that made a run in the Champions League. His problem, in my opinion, was not tactics but chemistry with his players. They began to distrust or dislike his style and began a revolt. Though there had been past success he really did need to leave. The Villains are not the same type of group. O’Leary is starting to feel, even though it is early, that his message is getting across. He now wants them to respond and get out of the relegation radar.

A common problem for Aston Villa has been the lack of finishing. Angel and Vassell were able to stretch the Liverpool defense and created a number of good shots. Again the problem was the inability for either to get the ball in goal. Taylor refused to put the goal scoring responsibility on the strikers and play the same duo in every match. O’Leary must give these two every chance to build together or the same problems will stand in his team.

In the summer, despite needing so much in midfield, Aston Villa went full force for a new GK. They had lost faith in Enkelman and Paul Robison was mentioned often. Robison decided to stay with Leeds and Tomas Sorensen of Sunderland was purchased. So far, he has paid his way with a number of tremendous saves. Portsmouth would have been a bigger disaster and he kept the point against Liverpool. The purchase has so far proved to be a good one.

If you have managed to get this far, than you usually expect something like,” beware of the Villians”. No such thing from a club I fully expect to be relegated. These are the matches we should win 3-0, 4-0 without batting an eye. O’Leary appears to be slowly making a mark with his club but they are not near the same class as the Gunners. Gunners keep rolling, rolling, rolling…..

ArseAm predicts: Our French Foreign Legion hits full flight and we blow the Villains away, 4-1.