OPINION
Aston Villa manager Dean Smith will know that things have to change at Aston Villa if they are to stand any chance of securing a top six finish and after their embarrassment against Wigan, that begins with the starting XI.
A 3-0 defeat away to the Latics was a real hammer blow to the Villans and there would have been a serious dressing room inquest as to why they were steamrolled by their hosts.
Every defeat, or even draw, that Smith and his men endure pushes them further and further back from the chasing pack and with Hull City up next – a team who sit just above Villa in the table – the manager needs to make sure he picks a side who can pick up a confidence boosting victory.
So just how do they wipe the floor with the Tigers?
Well, the first thing that needs to be done is axe the deadwood who were at fault against Wigan, with five faces – including two 2018 signings – to be axed.
Out go James Bree, Tommy Elphick, Birkir Bjarnason, Ahmed El Ghazi and Yannick Bolasie to be replaced by Alan Hutton, Kortney Hause, Glenn Whelan, Albert Adomah and Jonathan Kodjia – Smith calling upon experience to get the side out of their rut.
Tammy Abraham is not going to be axed, that much is clear, but summer loan signings El Ghazi and Bolasie offered no support against Wigan and there needs to be huge changes if there is going to be any cutting edge against Hull.
An experienced midfield trio of John McGinn, Conor Hourihane and Whelan, should be enough to keep the Tigers quiet in the middle and at the back Hutton and Hause deserve to start after seeing their teammates concede three.
The experience, quality and downright doggedness of this side should be able to keep Hull at bay while terrorising their back line over and over again with Smith’s attacking intentions.