Peter Crouch has suggested that Aston Villa have the momentum going into the Championship play-offs, and has backed Jack Grealish to “inspire” his boyhood club.
The Villans stormed into the top six with an unbeaten run of 12 matches towards the end of the season that only came to a halt with a 2-1 defeat to champions Norwich City on the last day of the regular campaign.
But the ex-England international still believes that his former team could benefit from that excellent run of form.
Writing in a column for the Daily Mail, he said: “The momentum is with Aston Villa in the Championship play-offs and they will be looking to make home advantage count against West Bromwich in Saturday’s first leg of their semi-final.
“You’d think Leeds would go up, but I think they have run out of steam at the worst possible moment.
“Villa, however, are flying and I want to see Jack Grealish inspire them. He is too good to remain in the Championship and, while plenty of big clubs will be watching his progress, I’d love to see him back in the top flight.”
OPINION
Form counts for so much coming into the play-offs. Riding a wave of confidence, as Villa are, can be the difference in a run of games that are, by their very nature, impossible to call. Small margins can be deciding factors, and knowing that you have gone 12 unbeaten in the recent past can only be a good thing. Crouch is right to pick out Grealish too. The midfielder is quickly becoming Mr. Aston Villa, and his inspired form, plus the passion and drive he exudes in every match, has been a huge factor in turning this side into promotion contenders. You would love to see him pitting his wits against the Premier League’s finest, but you can’t help worrying that if Villa don’t go up this season, the playmaker might be destined to make the step up to the top flight alone. Nobody at the club would stand in his way after another stellar campaign.