Former Aston Villa star and Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie has been left raving over the impact that James Chester and Axel Tuanzebe have had at the centre of defence under manager Dean Smith.
The duo are now the first choice pairing at the heart of the back line having seen the likes of Mile Jedinak fill in as a makeshift option, the Manchester United loanee used primarily as a full back by former boss Steve Bruce.
Speaking about the defence, Hendrie admitted he was head over heels for the two centre backs and the way they bring the best out of each other, and insisted they would be crucial to Smith moving forward.
Asked about how important having Chester available for the clash against Birmingham on Sunday, he told Sky Sports’ coverage of the derby (25/11, 11:30): “Absolutely massive. Since Dean’s come in he’s kept that same back four which I think has really and truly brought Villa on so much.
“Having Jedinak playing in there at times, dropping out of position, it hasn’t suited this Villa side at all. Him (Chester) and Tuanzebe have been superb.
“The experience of having Chester back there alongside Tuanzebe, they complement each other so well – Tuanzebe’s got that pace, he can cover, you can bring Hutton and Taylor into the equation, they’re very defensive minded.”
Opinion
Hendrie has hit the nail on the head when it comes to picking out why Villa have looked so much more assured under Smith. It seemed really strange that Bruce was wanting to play Jedinak at the heart of the defence when he had Tuanzebe available as an option, and it was a gamble that obviously failed to pay off. Putting the loanee alongside the experienced head of Chester really has brought the very best out of the pair and makes it much more difficult for opposition attackers to get any sort of advantage on the ball. Chester brings a physicality and know how to try and stop forwards while Tuanzebe is a much more mobile centre back who has the ability to keep pace with rivals to try and thwart their efforts. Having a solid back line means that the rest of the team can feel confident they are not going to concede too many, and that is exactly what Smith has brought – although he is simply using the same players available to Bruce,