Biggest Disappointments of Aston Villa's Season So Far
Aston Villa have had an encouraging start to their Premier League campaign and are currently sitting 12th in the table after a challenging set of opening fixtures. Paul Lambert's young team continues to impress and improve each week.
Nonetheless, there have been several areas of concern that have critically impacted Villa's season so far. Overcoming these shortcomings will leave Lambert's team in an excellent position to continue their season and the players' development.
These are the five biggest disappointments of Aston Villa's season so far.
Jores Okore's Injury
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Lambert's tenure as Aston Villa manager has been plagued with injuries to many of his crucial players in both his debut campaign and the current season. The most damaging absence for Lambert's team this year has undoubtedly been the loss of Jores Okore.
Okore was signed over the summer from Danish club Nordsjaelland and was touted as one of the best young defenders in Europe. Unfortunately for Villa, he was injured making just his third start for the club and has subsequently been ruled out for the entire season.
The Danish defender was the club's marquee signing of the transfer window. His absence has left Lambert with fewer options in defence and the 21-year-old player will miss a crucial year to develop his skills in the Premier League.
Although Villa's defence has improved from last season's miserable performances they are still without the young defender who was poised to be its integral piece. Both the Villa fans and manager will be hoping that Okore has a smooth recovery and can make his mark on the club next season.
Aleksandar Tonev's Performances
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Aleksandar Tonev was Lambert's first signing of the summer transfer window and was a sensible acquisition for the club. Following in the footsteps of his compatriot Stiliyan Petrov, Tonev filled the team's urgent need for a winger.
Unfortunately, Tonev has failed to deliver on the pitch. Wild shots, misplaced passes and late tackles have all become commonplace when Tonev plays and he has greatly struggled in his short time at Villa Park.
Tonev has been unable to provide quality service to his strikers and his wastefulness in possession stops many Villa attacks in their tracks.
With Charles N'Zogbia injured and Marc Albrighton on loan at Wigan Tonev is in the fortuitous position of being the only natural winger at the club. This fact, along with minor injuries to many of Villa's players, has helped Tonev stay in the starting XI despite these disappointing performances.
But the Bulgarian must improve quickly if he hopes to repay the faith shown to him by Lambert and keep his place in the team. Gaining some composure and demonstrating superior decision-making will greatly enhance Tonev's game and allow him to flourish rather than flounder.
Lack of Goals from Strikers
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Last season, Villa struggled early in Lambert's reign and their slow start and abysmal defending left them mired in a season-long relegation fight.
The silver lining during this struggle was the team's potent attack, led by forwards Gabriel Agbonlahor, Andreas Weimann and Christian Benteke. In 2012-13, the trio combined to score 35 goals, 14 of which Benteke scored in the season's second half alone.
This attacking trio has failed to pick up where they left off and are struggling to find the back of the net. Agbonlahor has failed to score this season and Weimann has just a single goal to his name. Benteke has managed four goals in ten league appearances, but he has failed to convert in the last five matches.
Injuries have contributed to the problem, sidelining each player for several games apiece. Nevertheless, Villa's strike force must regain their previous form and begin to find the back of the net again.
If Villa cannot rely upon their first-choice attackers to regularly score goals then they will be at grave risk of sinking back into a prolonged battle for Premier League survival.
Poor Home Form
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One area that Villa have consistently struggled with during Lambert's time at the club has been winning matches at home.
Currently, Villa have taken just six points from their six matches at Villa Park, ranking 16th in the league at home. Unfortunately for the Villa faithful, this is hardly a new problem. Last season, Villa also struggled at Villa Park and were the 17th ranked team on home form alone.
Although Villa's above-average away form helps mitigate these numbers, Lambert must improve the team's performances at home. In addition to dropping points, frequent losses and poor showings greatly dampen the supporters' morale and lowers attendance for future matches.
Some of Villa's struggles at home can be attributed to the team's style of play as a counter-attacking outfit. Villa have proven most dangerous when they can absorb their opponent's pressure before striking back quickly on the break, a tactic that is less effective at home where the visiting team is often less adventurous in attack.
Villa's home form is not completely catastrophic. The four teams that they have lost to all sit in the top half of the table. The majority of their future opponents at Villa Park will not be as dangerous. Still it is important for Villa to produce better results at Villa Park and repay the supporters who stand by the team.
Absence of a Playmaker
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Over the past few transfer windows Lambert has been dedicated to constructing a team of young players hungry to prove themselves. This policy has been very successful, finding the club a number of talented players at bargain prices. It has not, however, resulted in signing the club a creative player that the team crucially needs.
Villa lacks a true playmaker who can control the game from the middle of the park. Their current midfielders possess useful qualities, but none of them are the incisive passers that the team needs to take their attack to the next level.
Rumoured moves this summer for Younes Belhanda and Hiroshi Kiyotake would have resolved this issue, but neither transfer came to fruition, leaving Villa without the No. 10 they desperately require.
With a month to go until the winter transfer window, Villa fans will have to wait for improvement in this area. But once January comes Lambert must be given the funds to acquire a potent playmaker to fill the gaping hole in the squad and he must use them appropriately.
Rumours of moves for Clint Dempsey or Mousa Dembele are unlikely to materialize with Villa's modest transfer budget and Lambert's player preferences. But, regardless of his track record or transfer fee, a talented creative midfielder must be the top priority for the club's management in the coming transfer window.
