Amadou Onana may be more effective for Aston Villa in a new role – but Unai Emery is sticking to his plan for him
Our dedicated Aston Villa reporter is always on the pulse of all things claret and blue, from major talking points to transfer news to match action, John Townley will bring you the very latest from Bodymoor Heath and Villa Park.
Aston Villa's Amadou Onana
Aston Villa's Amadou Onana(Image: Getty Images)
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Ollie Watkins’ omission from the starting line-up to face Tottenham was the headline takeaway when Aston Villa’s team news dropped on Sunday afternoon.
Only fit enough to start on the bench, Donyell Malen - who scored twice before the October break - led the line instead. But ask most Villa fans, and actually Lamare Bogarde’s absence would have raised a few eyebrows.
Signed for £50 million from Everton in last year’s summer window, Amadou Onana couldn’t have started his Villa career any better, scoring in each of the club’s first three away matches of last season against West Ham, Leicester City, and BSC Young Boys. Two goals followed that flurry - another against the Hammers, this time at Villa Park in the FA Cup from a set-piece - before he crashed in an effort against Newcastle United back in April, similar in some ways to his drive at Young Boys seven months prior.
Although Villa need more goals from around the pitch, with only Watkins and Morgan Rogers recording more than 10 goal involvements last term, Unai Emery is trying to mould Onana into a player who leaves some of his best attributes behind.
“A modern six” was how Emery’s plan for the Belgian had been described, but at the towering size he appears, his threat in the opposition box is largely reduced to corners and the odd throw-in. Before facing Tottenham, a total of 25 per cent of Villa’s shots in the Premier League this season came from corner situations, which also goes some way to showing how not every opportunity will lead to chaos inside the box - where Onana would be a real threat.
Last season, only two Premier League players managed a better successful take-on rate than Onana’s 70 per cent. Granted, it’s not his game to weave in and out of challenges, but his profile and frame means that he is not one an opposition want to leave unmarked in the final third.
The Premier League has gone more direct this season, so having a player like Onana in your ranks should be a useful weapon. The season before he joined Villa, only three players won more of their aerial duels than Onana, at nearly 75 per cent.
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In contrast, Onana looks quite awkward in how he’s being used - whether it’s taking the ball under pressure in the penalty box from Emi Martinez or operating in tight spaces, where Bogarde is arguably more effective. Before Villa’s win over Burnley, among players attempting 50+ passes under high-intensity pressure, Bogarde had the best completion rate, completing 52 of his 56 passes - a 93 per cent success rate.
Spurs’ opener on Sunday came as a result of Onana’s under-hit pass, with Ezri Konsa then closed down before the ball went out for a corner,
In first-half added time, Onana put the ball into touch with an overhit pass, which was basic, but then made an excellent block inside the box minutes later. It’s the inconsistencies in his performances that cause more angst among Villa fans than anything else.
The point is this: whether Onana becomes the combative yet secure holding midfielder Emery is after remains to be seen, but Villa could do with utilising his power and natural build to far greater effect in both boxes.
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