OPINION
Things need to turn around sooner rather than later for Aston Villa and the only way that manager Dean Smith is going to instigate immediate change is by taking a risk.
Two defeats in his opening three games is not the sort of form that would have been expected by bringing the new boss in at Villa Park and you can be certain that the former Brentford man is more disappointed than anybody he has not been able to transform things straight away.
His luck has appeared to desert him with injury blows at crucial stages of his early Villa career, the latest being the blow suffered by Birkir Bjarnason during the 1-0 defeat to QPR – a setback which he directly attributed with defeat.
He told the Birmingham Mail: “On Tuesday night Tammy and Albert go off injured and they [Norwich] score. Tonight BB has felt his groin and would have normally gone and pressed the lad who put him through. We just couldn’t get close to him.”
It is another blow for the Villans to deal with and the question on everyone’s lips will be who replaces the Icelandic star in Friday night’s clash against Bolton Wanderers?
Well, instead of going for another defensive midfielder to directly fill the void, it is time for Smith to release the chains binding Yannick Bolasie to the substitutes’ bench and unleash him against the Trotters for his first start of the season.
The on loan flyer has two goals to his name in eight substitute appearances but with a win much needed to reignite any hopes of a top six push, throwing the kitchen sink at Bolton is the way to go.
Pushing Jonathan Kodjia up front and moving Bolasie onto the left flank gives another attacking option to the Villans and while it might put pressure on the defence, the club need only look at midlands rivals West Brom to see what a potent attacking line can do in the Championship.
A gamble is needed, and Bolasie is the man to spark this side into life.