Aston Villa Have Enormous Attacking Potential but Their Game Management Threatens to Undermine It

There is something particularly frustrating about watching an Aston Villa team that clearly possesses so much attacking quality continually make life difficult for itself, because I genuinely believe there is enormous potential within this group of players, even if some of the performances this season have left us questioning how quickly they are going to realise it.

The 4-4 draw against Manchester United was probably the most extreme example of that contradiction, with Villa demonstrating their ability to hurt opponents and establish commanding positions, only to completely undermine the good work they had done through poor decision-making and an inability to manage the game.

I remain incredibly disappointed by what happened at Old Trafford, but I also think it is important to recognise that there are some very encouraging developments within this team, particularly when you consider how much has changed over the summer.

Nicolas Jackson continues to demonstrate why Villa were so keen to bring him to the club, and although there are aspects of his game that still require improvement, his goalscoring and ability to stretch opposition defences have already made him an important part of the attack.

Alysson is another player who has shown plenty of promise, and there are occasions when his directness and willingness to take defenders on can completely change the way Villa attack.

Johan Manzambi has perhaps been a little quieter over the last few matches, but I don't think that should come as a surprise when you consider his age and the demands being placed upon him.

Jacob Tanswell made that point during our latest 1874 podcast, explaining that fluctuations in performance are inevitable when younger players are adapting to a new environment and learning the requirements of Emery's system. He was particularly positive about Villa's attacking potential, although he also identified an important problem with the way the team is currently approaching certain situations.

There are occasions when Villa appear almost too eager to attack, with players receiving possession and immediately looking to drive forward rather than recognising when the better option would be to retain the ball and allow the team to regain its shape. Jacob highlighted examples involving Maatsen, Jackson and Manzambi, explaining that Emery could be seen encouraging his players to turn back and keep possession rather than continually running into difficult situations.

That is something I think we have to improve, because there is a difference between playing with attacking ambition and allowing a game to become unnecessarily open.

Against Manchester United, there were moments when the space available to Villa's attacking players was enormous, and I can understand why individuals such as Jackson and Manzambi would want to take advantage of those opportunities.

These are players who can be particularly dangerous when they are able to attack defenders in transition, and there is no suggestion that Villa should suddenly abandon those qualities. However, there also has to be an understanding of what the team requires at different stages of a match, particularly when you are already leading by two goals and the opposition are desperate for an opportunity to build momentum.

Jacob suggested that some of the newer players are still adapting to the level of tactical discipline Emery expects, and I think that is a reasonable explanation for some of the inconsistency we are seeing.

It is also worth remembering that the manager has previously demonstrated an extraordinary ability to improve players and develop a collective understanding of how he wants his teams to operate.

The concern is that Villa are currently surrendering too much control, and the underlying numbers suggest this is becoming a wider trend rather than something that can simply be attributed to the events at Old Trafford. Jacob highlighted that Villa are enjoying less possession, pressing less frequently and making too many mistakes in dangerous areas, which is particularly concerning when you consider the amount of attacking talent available to Emery.

The more frequently Villa lose the ball in their own half or allow opponents to attack an exposed defensive structure, the harder it becomes for their attacking players to make the difference they are capable of making.

There is also a question of leadership, particularly when John McGinn isn't on the pitch, because Villa sometimes appear to lack somebody prepared to take responsibility for slowing the game down and ensuring everybody understands what is required. I thought that was particularly evident during the final few minutes against Manchester United, when there were opportunities to protect possession, take the ball into safer areas and force the opposition to work much harder to regain it.

Instead, Villa allowed themselves to become caught up in the urgency of the occasion, and the consequences were disastrous.

I don't want to lose sight of the progress being made by some of the attacking players, because I think Jackson, Alysson and Manzambi can all become extremely important figures for this football club. There is a lot of football still to be played this season, and I remain confident that Villa will continue to improve as the newer players become more familiar with Emery's methods.

But there has to be a recognition that attacking quality alone isn't going to be enough, particularly when the margins between winning and dropping points are so small.

Villa have already allowed opportunities to slip away against opponents they should have been capable of beating, and those points could become increasingly important as the season progresses.

The encouraging thing is that I don't believe this is a team lacking talent, and I certainly don't think the solution requires another major overhaul of the squad.

It is about finding the right balance between the attacking qualities that make Villa so dangerous and the discipline required to control matches when they have established an advantage.

Emery has demonstrated throughout his career that he understands how to build teams capable of doing both, and I have every confidence that he will continue working towards that with this group.

But the sooner Villa begin recognising when a game needs to be slowed down rather than opened up, the sooner we will start seeing the full potential of a squad that I still believe is capable of achieving an enormous amount.