Looking at Queens Park Rangers’ squad, it is hard to see why they have mustered only four points from eight games; it boasts more than a few players of proven Premier League standard, and, in Charlie Austin, a natural goalscorer. This suggests that they have been let down by their manager; it is Harry Redknapp’s job to extract the maximum from those available to him, and patently, that has not been the case so far this season, even if he has had bad luck with injuries.
But, against Liverpool, Rangers were much improved. The defenders seemed more comfortable playing in a four, rather than a three; in midfield, Leroy Fer bristled with authority and aggression, while Yun-Suk-young and Mauricio Isla offered pace out wide; and, up front, Bobby Zamora’s nous and physical presence made him a constant threat.
Whether they can produce a similar performance against Aston Villa remains to be seen – but it ought to be a given, because the single most crucial factor last weekend was the intensity of their effort. They were fast to the ball, strong in the tackle and mentally focused, which provided a platform for their attacking players to display their qualities.
And Redknapp is cognisant of precisely this. “I couldn’t have asked for any more,” he said on Friday. “We’ve got to build on that. There’s no point doing it last week and not doing it this week … we’ve shown what we can do last week and now we have to produce that kind of performance on Monday night.”
But Aston Villa will test them; it is hard to imagine any player brave enough to coast through a game knowing that they will meet Paul Lambert and Roy Keane in the dressing room at full-time. But, speaking to the press before travelling to London, Lambert noted that his players lacked their usual energy at Everton last Saturday, a worrying admission. Since winning at Anfield in the middle of September, Villa have lost four games in a row, conceding 11 and scoring none. In that time, they have also played Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City, it is true, but nonetheless this is a malaise that they must address immediately.
The return of Christian Benteke can only help. Prior to injuring his Achilles tendon in training, he had scored six goals in 11 games, but his contribution should not be measured solely in statistics. His presence is unsettling for defenders, and allows Gabriel Agbonlahor space in which to flourish; there can be few partnerships less pleasant for a defence to police.
Quite whether Villa have a midfield able to provide them with requisite service is another matter and, in the extended absence of Fabian Delph, they must find an alternative source of bite and guile. Though Tom Cleverley’s career had atrophied at Manchester United, at his best he is an astute and purposeful passer. With more pace and movement in front of him than there ever was at Old Trafford, the time has come for him to take responsibility – at 25 years old, his age can no longer excuse his inconsistency.
And it is here that he must be supported by Lambert and Keane, both of whom know a little about running games from the centre of the pitch. But the care that Cleverley needs is as much pastoral as technical, because his issues are as much to do with confidence as performance; if he can be teased into trusting and asserting himself, he will become a very handy player.
