In Time, Josh Feeney can be the real deal
Josh Feeney – fresh from touring Australia with the first team squad – started at centre back here with Sil Swinkels and immediately demonstrated a calm authority on the ball. As we saw down under Feeney certainly doesn’t lack confidence in his ability to play out from the back; a tactic that drove this rather up and down season opener for the U21s. For someone of tender years Feeney reads the game exceptionally and often anticipates movement that helped his centre back partner here and Filip Marschall in goal. The club rate Feeney and, given time, he will clearly establish himself as an option. The question must remain given the five senior centre backs available to Gerrard in the first team squad whether Feeney will stick around or spend some time on loan (perhaps post Carabao and Papa John’s early rounds). It was evident that Feeney is not vocally at least particularly commanding or organising. Which leads onto the next point.
Identity and Leadership
As alluded to above Josh Feeney will develop in time especially as leadership and organisation goes. Here Hayden Lindley captained the side from the Number 6 spot – and similar to my comments after seeing him perform the role at Leamington in July – he exemplified a lack of leadership in this current U21 side. He’s a neat and tidy player but especially as Villa began to throw away their 3-0 advantage perhaps, we could have expected a little more. The team in general seems to lack an identity. This is perhaps inevitable given the fact many of the key or well-known academy players are either out on loan already or with the first team. Those on show here are potentially in a bit of limbo and at the risk of seeming particularly uncharitable there were some players here who may well be biding their time before the inevitable axe falls.
O’Reilly Injury a Turning Point
As suggested in his brief cameo at Walsall Tommi O’Reilly is a decent little midfielder. What I like him about is that he is a positive and progressive passer. In the first half he linked well with Tyreik Wright as Villa moved through the gears to establish a 3-0 lead. He probes and tests the opposition to force chances and colleagues beyond the defensive line. When he went off injured, Wright was forced to drop back into an 8/10 role which robbed Villa of both their main creative threat and their outlet. Once that happened Brad Young struck a lonely and frustrated figure with virtually no service. Writing this after the first team debacle on the South coast, the second half of the U21 performance rather mirrored their senior colleagues in that although there was some control and possession, they couldn’t do much with it and were punished for lapses of concentration at the back. Glad to see an ethos running through all levels at the club!
Bodymoor Heath – A Great Place to Watch Football
I’d highly encourage any Villa fan who is local and hasn’t done so yet to get down to Bodymoor and catch these games. They offer an insight into the facilities and process that these young players have access to and how that connects to the club. It’s cheap and family friendly. Bodymoor is set in a beautiful location and on a late summer night this is a fantastic venue. Roll on Leeds in a couple of weeks.
Bomb Squad Indications
Our Anwar started this one and looked up for it – I did wonder whether a scout was there watching him. Scored a relatively nice free kick and tried to impact the game. I was surprised that Bert Traore and Fred Guilbert weren’t involved – and this would suggest they are basically out the door. Gerrard had alluded to Keinan Davis getting some minutes in the U21, but he was nowhere to be seen here. There is no doubt that the U21 side will continue to be used to ease fitness issues although again, when this happens, how it affects the dynamic of a side already struggling to gain an identity will be interesting.
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