Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield believes that if asked what his favourite position is, Matty Cash would say right wing-back.
Villa signed Cash from Nottingham Forest for £16million in September 2020 and since then he has gone on to make 36 appearances for the Villa Park outfit, scoring one goal and registering four assists.
Do Villa play better playing five at the back?
Yes
No
Having played most games as a right-back during his career so far (76), Dean Smith has mixed the shape of the Aston Villa team up and has played with five at the back and so Cash has been moved to right wing-back, which Hatfield believes if quizzed would be the defender’s chosen position.
“With Cash having previously played right wing, it’s one which he is pretty natural to. I think if you asked him his favourite position, it probably would be right wing-back now it gives him the opportunity to defend but have a telling say going forward,” Hatfield told This is Futbol.
The 24-year-old offers versatility to his game, as during his time at Nottingham Forest, he also appeared as a central midfielder, attacking midfielder and left midfielder and went on to to score 13 goals and provide 15 assists in his spell at the City Ground.
So far this campaign Cash leads the tackling stats for Aston Villa with 17, with John McGinn and Jacob Ramsey the next closest to him on 11, and Cash is third for the number of passes made for the club on 238, with Tyrone Mings leading on 304.