OPINION
It is not often that a player comes out and delivers their personal verdict on the quality or mentality of their teammates – but Aston Villa’s Tommy Elphick has broken the trend.
Back at Villa Park after spending the first half of the season on loan at Hull City, the centre back is among the longer standing players at the club after years of change in the midlands.
Having seen players come and go – not to mention experiencing different dressing rooms during his time away from the Villans – he will have a good handle on what makes a successful squad both on and off the field.
Unfortunately for manager Dean Smith, the defender’s behind-the-scenes verdict on the current Villa lot should be cause for serious concern.
Speaking to the Birmingham Mail, Elphick questioned the mental strength of his teammates, insisting their camaraderie and team spirit went down the drain when the going got tough.
He said: “There are different people in different situations at the moment and I think if we all realised that Aston Villa in the top six is beneficial to everyone, we will start winning games
“When things are not going right for us on the pitch, we can become a bit individual and start playing on our own. I think sometimes we are naive through our own honesty, people chasing on our own, trying to press balls we are not going to get.
“My time with Hull really enforced my beliefs in what you need in a dressing room to do something in this league.”
Villa’s season has been nothing but a disappointment – that much is clear from their league position – and it sounds like the players currently at the club do not have the bottle to remain focused on working together to get the job done.
Football is a team game and while you see the odd maverick starring for a side, you often find that they can quickly become an outcast when the going gets tough.
It sounds as though Villa have too many players with that kind of mindset and if Villa want to push for a decent end to the season and a promotion spot in the next campaign, something has to change – be that the players or Smith’s management.
Either way, it does not bode well for the manager right now.