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Aston Villa and Unai Emery have run out of ideas, far too early in the Spaniard’s previously exhilarating revolution.
If a Villa supporter started complaining about drawing with Juventus, in normal circumstances, you would tell them to get a hold of themselves. But having worked so hard to be part of English football’s elite, this is where Emery’s side are at.
And if they want to stay there, this alarming winless run now standing at seven in competitions after a dour 0-0 draw on Wednesday night, the longest of Emery’s reign, must be brought to an abrupt end sooner rather than later.
What’s perhaps most worrying for Villains is that Emery does not seem to be overly proactive in stopping the rot. The same players, in the same system, are deployed week after week, and teams of all levels have worked how to nullify them all too easily.
The obvious change would be giving the Premier League’s most utilised substitute Jhon Duran, one of Europe’s most sought-after strikers in the summer, a start. Anything just to freshen it up.
Ollie Watkins has one goal in seven, Leon Bailey’s inconsistencies have set in, while Morgan Rogers looks a shadow of the swashbuckling attacking option from deep he has been previously.
Rogers looked to have given Emery’s side another famous win when he slammed a loose ball home at the death, but referee Jesus Gil Manzano ruled Diego Carlos to have fouled Juve goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio and the goal was chalked off.
It was a disappointment for Villa, who remain unbeaten at home in their debut Champions League campaign and are still in contention to qualify automatically for the last 16.
But Emery has the talent at his disposal to do much more, having built this squad in his image. Now he must start changing things up, before all his previous hard work is undone.
Believe it or not, Juventus and Aston Villa have history in this competition, with the famous Old Lady having knocked holders Villa out of the tournament at the quarter-final stage 41 years ago – the last time Wednesday’s hosts were seated at Europe’s top table.
The star-studded Juventus side back then, with Paolo Rossi leading the line and Michel Platini scoring goals for fun from midfield, were a far cry from the injury-ravaged bare bones who travelled to Birmingham, however.
Without a host of key players all over the pitch, Juve boss Thiago Motta was forced to field Juventus’ youngest-ever starting XI in the Champions League, with only four outfield players named on a bench with space for 11.
Such a predicament made Villa overwhelming favourites to end their miserable winless run. The Villa from a few months ago would have relished compounding Juve’s misery and earning yet another famous European win to go along with their Bayern Munich scalp, but the fire has been completely extinguishing, with Emery unable to find a spark to get it going again.
The crowd did their part, unveiling a Guy Fawkes tifo before kick off to add a level of intimidation to the red-hot atmosphere. But whereas against Bayern supporters were rarely far from the edge of their seats, another timid display will be of serious concern.
Neither side could muster any real openings of note in the first half, with Lucas Digne’s free-kick that clipped the top of the crossbar as close as we came to an opener.
There were, rather harshly, a smattering of boos at half time, such was the insipidness of the home display.
Were it not for a sensational Emi Martinez save early in the second half, Juventus could really have breathed life into their stuttering season. Francisco Conceicao, whose Sergio won a European trophy on this ground, part of the Lazio team under Sven-Goran Eriksson that won the Cup Winners’ Cup against Mallorca in 1999, thought his header was in.
From several angles it was, but Martinez, who paraded his Yashin Trophy before the match without doing anything obscene to it, clawed the ball out before the referee’s watch lit up.
John McGinn had Villa’s best chance, but Di Gregorio did well to make the block in the Juve goal.
Duran was summoned – Emery’s only attempt at a Plan B – but there were no spectacular thunderbolts this time around. Villa just don’t have that kind of excitement anymore.
Rogers thought he had won it late on, but Villa were penalised for a foul on Juve goalkeeper Di Gregorio. The Holte End felt aggrieved, but they will know, after leaving Villa Park having seen a second draw in four days, their side did not deserve such a lifeline.
