Aston Villa boss Dean Smith. (Getty Images)
Aston Villa have made an underwhelming start to the season, finding themselves 17th in the Championship with 18 points from 15 games. It is true that two-thirds of the campaign is still left, but the way things are panning out for the Birmingham club, especially on the field, it would require a massive improvement from their side to get promoted to the Premier League.
Due to a circumspect start, Steve Bruce was given the hook and ex-Brentford boss Dean Smith took over. John Terry, who played for the club as a centre-back last season, is now a full-time assistant manager.
Analyzing the problems this team has, there are plenty of things to work on before they become a genuine force in the Championship. And they should start with the defence, which has leaked goals at important junctures of the game this season. The back-line is not robust enough to sustain relentless pressure from the opposition.
After loaning out Tommy Elphick to Hull City, Aston Villa are left with two first-team centre-backs – James Chester and Axel Tuanzebe. The latter is on loan from Manchester United while Mile Jedinak has played in that position as a make-shift.
Hence, it is clear that the need for a new centre-back is a must ahead of the January transfer window. Here are the two names they can ponder on while planning:
With the partnership of Fabian Balbuena and Issa Diop flourishing for West Ham, Ogbonna has been warming the bench more often than not. The Italian has played a total of 189 minutes of football in the league this season, which is just not enough for a quality centre-back.
The 30-year-old was one of the best defenders for the Hammers last year, depicting his propensities to handle the pressure of the Premier League. Aston Villa can monitor his situation and take him at Villa Park. The duo of Ogbonna and James Chester could be a solid prospect for Dean Smith’s men.
On the evidence of what we have witnessed in the first part of the season, it is pretty clear that Matip is a fourth-choice centre-back at Liverpool. Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Dejan Lovren are ahead in the pecking order.
As a result, the Cameroonian could only get his chance when there is a need for squad rotation. Villa can take advantage of this situation and get the 27-year-old on loan in January for the rest of the season. Matip has an abundance of qualities in his armoury and would certainly improve the defence alongside Chester.
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