Matthew Lowton has lost his spot in the Aston Villa starting 11 to Bacuna, a summer arrival from FC Groningen. The versatile player has already played in numerous positions including ring winger, central midfielder and right-back. Bacuna reminds of the former versatile Villa player Reo-Coker in that aspect, I still to this day believe that Reo-Coker was a very good player for us. Matthew Lowton joined Aston Villa from a League 1 side and was very successful last season demonstrating that he could in-fact make the step from League 1 to Premier League. Lowton scored 2 goals, created 4 assists and was arguably our strongest defender last season. He was linked to Fulham and Arsenal during the season, in-fact I heard that the England staff were also impressed by the development of the defender. This season he hasn’t achieved any success, hasn’t kept any clean sheet’s and whenever he’s played, the right side of defence looks really weak.
One theory, (that I believe was developed on this site) suggests that Lowton’s new contract affected him mentally. Usually if a player is affected mentally it has an affect on his game, we’ve seen this Rooney, Bridge and Torres in the past. But could Lowton have gotten too cocky? Has he gotten too overconfident in his starting role? Perhaps that is the answer, Clark is another player that has been offered a new contract, but he has been superb this year. The only difference I could find is that Clark did serve plenty of time on the bench at the beginning of the season. It appears as bench time, and extra competition has improved Clark’s performances. The young Irish defender had a torrid pre-season as well and was offered a new contract, like Lowton.
You can never rule out second-season-syndrome. A known football curse has struck players and teams. This happens whenever a player/club has had a terrific first season in the Premier League, but in the second, the player has become to predictable and ultimately very ineffective. In fact one of the reason clubs didn’t want to play 25 million price tag for Benteke was because of the threat of ‘second-season syndrome’. It surely hasn’t affect the Belgian but it may have affected Lowton. I’m sure that Lowton will get a chance to play again but only if Bacuna or the defence have an really torrid game in the future.
There’s one many factor that comes to mind, conceivably something may have occurred behind the scenes at Villa Park. So far this season I’ve heard of two ‘scandals’, Jack Wilshire’s smoking and Zaha allegedly sleeping with Moyes’s daughter. Lambert can hold a grudge of player, but Lowton isn’t old, his wages aren’t astronomically high either so we can rule out Lambert’s more traditional reasons to hold a grudge. But you can never rule out the fact that a third mystery factor is keeping Lowton out of the side. It may not be as serious as the Zaha and Wilshire example I’ve listed above, but maybe he’s out with his family or did some harm on the training ground.
I just want to stress that I don’t want to create rumours and speculation over Matthew Lowton, I just wanted to report on how shocked I am that he’s lost so much form and hasn’t even appeared on the substitute bench over the last few games. I hope he finds his feet soon. Hopefully the arrival of Bacuna will motivate him to improve or at least return to the ‘last-season Lowton’.
He has been disappointing this year – no doubt. from the bits and pieces i have seen him.
too early to say he has fallen .. more like the ebb and flow of a footballer and his form.
That said.
I think i agree with ooahh in terms of his defensive abilities.
I think he is an average defender at best. when he loses form like he has .. hmm very suspect at the back for me.
Maybe that’s too harsh. what i have noticed from last year even when we were playing well towards the end of the season.
1- pace .. he lacks out and out pace to be honest. i wouldn’t say he is slow but he is not what i describe as pacey.
2- one on ones defensively .. i have seen him lose quite a few especially against pacey wingers
3- defensive positioning. – this i am less sure of .. as i have seen him cover for beaten CB’s in the first half of last season when we weren’t great.
the most recent example of poor positioning would be the goal we conceded against arsenal?
plus points.
1- as some one said his link up play – very good at offering himself to midfield for give and go.
2- his crossing .. i can’t remember too many wayward ones but i can remember 2 absolute vicious crosses he put in off the top of my head .. its fair to say he can cross a ball
3- the odd screamer .. you cant complain about a full back that can hit it from range – its another weapon and another thing an opposition defense has to think about.
in my opinion .. he is so so defender with a good cross and willing to get forward.
who just happens to be badly out of form right now.
I think he has improved though as the season went on last year and i don’t see any reason why he can’t improve when he recaptures his form.
no reason to abandon him to the scrap heap
Spoil on mate. Especially point 2 he is awful on one on ones. Queue the apologists ‘it’s because he dosnt get cover from midfield bollocks’
no, he is awful on one on ones.
hopefully he’ll get some form back but for now he’s dropped and you can see why.
A full back’s job is very subjective. If the opponents have a strong winger who is their main threat then the full back is in the spotlight, he will do well or badly but he won’t be ignored. If the opponents attack down the middle or on the other wing the full back may have a quiet game but that may also allow him to link with the attack, and his game will be judged as an extra winger not as a defender. I have been watching Villa for over 50 years and the outstanding player to me in that time was a right back. I’ll let you guess which.
John Gidman ?
Could be Kenny Swain, or Fernando Nelson lol !
No one remembers little Alan Wright.?
i remember him ! bombing up and down the left of brian littles 3-5-2!
he had a great cross and a decent shot from range
mr reliable definitely! but mcgrath is my all time favourite villan
His own flaw was he was too small
I do. Alan wright he’s got no hair but we dont care Alan Alan wright lol
John gidman?