Why Aston Villa are still relying on old guard – and can it last?
After the January return of Douglas Luiz – signed from Manchester City in 2019 – Villa are just one away, a left-back, from being able to field a team of Smith players.
Add Lucas Digne, who joined under Steven Gerrard, and it will be a side without the initial input of Unai Emery, even if the Spaniard has re-signed Luiz and Ross Barkley.
Smith was sacked in November 2021 after three years in charge but his influence remains.
In January 2019 he signed Tyrone Mings on loan from Bournemouth, the longest serving player of his reign, who played his 200th game for Villa in the win over Brighton.
Ezri Konsa and Luiz arrived in the summer, after Villa were promoted to the Premier League, while Matty Cash, Emi Martinez, Lamare Bogarde, Barkley, Leon Bailey, Emi Buendia and Ollie Watkins also joined under the former Brentford boss.
The backbone of the squad are players – Mings, Konsa, Watkins, Cash and John McGinn – signed from a lower level [the Championship and Scottish Premiership] with a risk element attached.
McGinn signed for £3.5m from Hibernian under Steve Bruce while Konsa – now an England international – joined from Brentford for £12m and Cash cost £16m from Nottingham Forest.
Emery has lifted the squad to unexpected levels but unless they unearth a gem, Villa cannot replace Konsa for £12m in the current market and certainly not for the relatively low fees previously spent.
There lies the biggest problem, succession planning with limited funds.
The average age of Villa’s starting XI is 28 years and 84 days – the second oldest in the Premier League – and there is internal recognition it needs to be dealt with.
Brazilian winger Alysson, 19, joined from Gremio for £10m last month with 17-year-old Brian Madjo arriving from Metz for a similar fee to start that process.
Villa signed them earlier than they would have liked but moved to get the pair for a smaller fee, reducing the risk.
Neither are expected to make an immediate impact, although Alysson made his debut in midweek, but the January window was viewed as striking a balance – addressing the age issue and solving the first-team problems.
Striker Tammy Abraham arrived to back up Watkins while Luiz returned on loan from Juventus out of necessity following Boubacar Kamara’s season-ending knee injury.
With Villa committed to spending £18.25m on Abraham they had no money left to cover Kamara, so Luiz was ideal.
He was cheap, available, with his loan at Nottingham Forest being cancelled, and knew what Emery demands.
