Aston Villa are in danger of entering a bit of a crisis situation at the worst possible point in the season, having lost five consecutive games with 10 league games left to spare.
Perhaps most worryingly, the same issues that have plagued the Villans for much of the season are still rearing their ugly head, with the four goals conceded to Leicester on Monday characteristic of a team that has conceded the most in the Premier League, with 56.
Something needs to change, therefore, as a lack of bite in midfield means Villa often get dominated, with their average of 47% possession limiting the opportunity for the likes of Jack Grealish to influence the outcome of a match.
The next four games look very tough on paper too with the Midlands outfit coming up against teams who are all placed inside the top six, and if Dean Smith fails to mix things up then a repeat of the Foxes’ clash could take place.
In light of that, the Villa boss may look to make personnel changes to his back four, with Bjorn Engels’ place possibly under threat after his WhoScored rating of 5.8 on Monday.
Here’s what our team of Football FanCast writers said about the possibility of dropping the centre-back.
Danny Lewis
“Bjorn Engels has been atrocious at times, with the most obvious example being the Tottenham Hotspur loss, in which he gave away a penalty and then made the mistake that led to Son Heung-min’s winner.
“While he should be taken out of the team by Dean Smith, arguably the most worrying part is this may not even solve the issue at hand. Villa’s loss against Leicester City saw a plethora of calamitous defensive errors: Pepe Reina sprinting out of his area, Frederic Guilbert’s awful positioning, while Tyrone Mings’ carelessness led to a penalty.
“Taking Engels out of the team is the correct decision, but it may not result in Villa picking up more points.”
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Lewis Blain
“Bjorn Engels isn’t the only issue amongst Villa’s tragic backline so it would be unfair to single him out and drop him. Ezri Konsa is vastly inexperienced so there’s no guarantee that he will be able to produce the goods, especially as he’s only started 14 matches this term.
“Some of the blame must be attributed to John Terry, who should be transforming the Belgian centre-back into the ideal colossal partner for Tyrone Mings. Engels also can’t be held over the fact that Pepe Reina had a rush to the head or that Frederic Guilbert was caught napping against Leicester on Monday night.
“It would be a big mistake to drop the 25-year-old on this basis. It could have a potentially huge effect on his confidence for the remainder of the season.”
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Billy Meyers
“I don’t understand Dean Smith’s obsession with Bjorn Engels. Ezri Konsa has been far more impressive and has also helped Villa win five of the 14 league games he has appeared in, whereas the Midlands-based outfit have only won three of 15 league games in which Engels has featured in.
“Additionally, Konsa is three years younger than the summer signing, so there is even more of an incentive for Smith to play him ahead of the Belgian, who is closer to being the finished article whereas the former Brentford defender has space to grow.
“Smith is making a mistake by continuously selecting the 25-year-old, but even then, I do think it would be harsh to say that the centre-back is the main reason for Villa’s downfall – you only need to look at the team’s capitulation as a whole against Leicester to see that there are more severe issues than Engels’ form at Villa Park.”
Kealan Hughes
“Bjorn Engels has struggled to adapt to English football and it seems his confidence is at its lowest point after Monday’s humbling, and therefore Dean Smith really should consider a change.
“Even if he opts to keep the 25-year-old in the side then he should consider bringing in another centre-back to play alongside him, as that added protection could prove pivotal in making Villa more difficult to beat.
“That would mean the manager moving away from his preferred 4-3-3 style, but considering that has only brought 25 points from 28 games it is clear that a change would not be a bad thing – as they are clearly struggling currently.
“Tyrone Mings hasn’t been himself lately and that suggests the problems run deeper than personnel, and even dropping Engels may not improve the recent return of 12 goals conceded in five league games.”
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