Aston Villa didn’t have a good start to their campaign after being demoted to the Championship under the tutelage of Roberto Di Matteo. They withered time and again and patience with Di Matteo eventually ran out, which saw Steve Bruce taking the charge of the historically illustrious club. Bruce has steadied the sinking ship and has cultivated an undeniable resurrection despite a shambolic start to the campaign by the Villans.
The road back to the Premier League is tough indeed, and Bruce has tried to ensure that the woes associated with the club are curtailed. Though the gap of nine points between them and Sheffield Wednesday, who hold the last play-off spot, appears to be a bit too much, it would be unfair to not nest a sense of hope and believe that Bruce’s troops shall not be able to curtail the difference. That too with their shrewd coup earlier this week.
One of the fantastic steps the Villans have opted for in the ongoing transfer window is the signing of Conor Hourihane form Barnsley for a fee which is believed to be in the vicinity of €3.5 million. The sensational midfielder is one of the prime reasons why Barnsley are finding themselves near the play-off spots. In 21 league appearances, he has mustered 6 goals, bagged 10 assists and has also created as many as 46 chances which is simply some outstanding figures.
Hourihane has stated that he wishes to hit the ground up and running and have at instant impact at Aston Villa, thus implying that Bruce has laid his hands on a perfect personnel who can take the team the distance. Being a dreamy box-to-box midfielder, the Irishman never contents himself by merely stationing himself in front of the back four. Rather, he surges forward, chips in with goals and creates a hefty amount of clear goal scoring chances that make him one of the most lethal weapons in the Championship. Not to mention, his work rate is absolutely intriguing.
He has truckloads of quality and caters to the side on every sphere. He offers defensive rigidity, makes sharp tackles, intercepts the ball well and perfectly blends offensive and defensive qualities in him. Frankly speaking, Aston Villa do have a lot of ground to cover as far as making into the play-off spots are concerned but having someone like Hourihane certainly boosts their chances.
Statistics Credits: Squawka.
