Steven Gerrard has to face up to one of his first challenges as Aston Villa amid a potential defensive crisis at Villa Park. The Midlands outfit secured a £26m deal for Diego Carlos from Sevilla in an attempt to improve their record at the back that was suspect at times in the 2021/22 campaign.
Villa kept only two clean sheets in their last 11 matches, which affected their ability to end the season with momentum. The signing of Diego Carlos was designed at offering better protection for Emiliano Martinez’s goal, although the early signs were not overly encouraging in his Premier League debut as Villa suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of newly-promoted Bournemouth.
Outright Markets
Gerrard’s men did get off the mark with a win over Everton, although the summer hopes of competing in the upper echelons of the Premier League have been dampened by the reality check of losing to the Cherries and the loss of Diego Carlos. Villa is now backed in the football betting odds at odds of 5/1 to finish in the top six of the Premier League, which given their levels of expenditure over the summer should be an outside possibility at the least. The latest football tips from industry experts are promoting Newcastle as strong contenders to finish in the top six along with West Ham, Villa should be in that company, even though one of their key summer signings has been sidelined for the season.
Aston Villa confirm that Diego Carlos has ruptured his achilles tendon and will be out indefinitely.
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) August 15, 2022
The 29-year-old Brazilian CB was signed for $26 million this summer and the injury occurred in only his second game for the club. 😕 pic.twitter.com/19OQ97xhRd
Injury Setback
Diego Carlos suffered a torn Achilles in the win over Everton, limiting Villa’s options at the back. Gerrard had already made a point of calling out Tyrone Mings before the start of the campaign. He stripped the defender of the captaincy and urged the 29-year-old to raise the standard of his performances after a drop in form towards the end of the last campaign.
Mings missed the season opener with a niggle, but was recalled into the fold against Everton and fared well in the triumph. Gerrard will now have to manage the defender to perfection to ensure that his side holds up at the back as new arrivals are unlikely to be forthcoming. Having already spent significant sums in the transfer market, Gerrard and his coaching staff, that includes Neil Critchley, have to work with the options they have at centre-back.
❌ “There’s something in his make up that Steven Gerrard doesn’t fancy.”
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) August 15, 2022
☎️ “Tyrone, bring it on. Phone talkSPORT, we’ll have a chat…”
Graeme Souness says Tyrone Mings should call up talkSPORT if the Villa man has a problem with what he’s said 🔥 pic.twitter.com/GNX159NuIP
Mings’ experience will be vital and the battle of wits between the manager and the former captain has to come to an end for the good of the club. At his best, Mings can be one of the best defenders in the Premier League, and he certainly has plenty of motivation to prove a point to Gerrard and England manager Gareth Southgate, who left him out of his last squad. If Mings wants to break back into the England side for the 2022 World Cup, he will need to produce sensational performances for Villa. It will stand the club in good stead and Mings himself as he looks to re-establish his reputation.
After a summer of discontent, Mings could hold the key to a successful Villa season. Although he has lost his leadership role, he may thrive being away from the spotlight of the captaincy to allow him to focus on the fundamentals and work alongside his teammates such as Calum Chambers and Kourtney Hause. No one will be more happier than Gerrard if he is forced to eat his words if Mings plays a crucial role in steering Villa towards the top six this season.
