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 injured thats why….
No hang on, he played against Spurs in the League cup. He was one of our worst players, but he still played
Or perhaps his form has dipped a bit. There doesn’t have to be anything complicated about it and total speculation about some unknown scandal is, well, total speculation. He’ll be back. Look at it another way, having realistic alternatives in the squad means we don’t have to suffer if a player has a dip in form.
Remember players lose form it happens he will be back
Players do loose form and it may take a bit of time to get over the fact he has be shoved aside for bacuna. In the long run he should open his eyes abit and realise he needs to step his game up. Mean time we should enjoy Bacuna who seems to really be finding his feet. Lambert did say competition for positions is healthy and this is just proving that to be correct as now we don’t have to suffer an out of form player with no replacement.
im the sort of person who doesn’t believe in a formula to make a club a success but this particular case with lowton and Bacuna may well be the first piece of one.
Average player in an average team.
I think you are overthinking this. He did well for us last year, but had a slow start to this season (perhaps down to injury) and Bacuna has come in and been excellent. If you play well, you deserve to keep your place and Bacuna has done that.
At least we have some competition this year. Although Weimann has been poor and we have nobody really able to replace him from the bench.
So what you’re saying, we want Warnock and co back, Lowton was a breath of fresh air for the first part of his coming to Villa. Now knives are out for him, Christ give him space, he’s lost form, and as for intermateing unsettled goings on in the guys life we have shit press to do that. Me I say time will tell.
I never rated Lowton last season defensively. Iv always said that decent going fwd but has never def well
Both of you , Oohah and Naughtius, give him time, his given possison was right back he appeared to me as if uncomfortably in that roll, he does like to go forward, I personally think he could fill in by being wing or midfield, but what do we know?that maybe why he is like it is.blaim all this on our so called coaching staff.
Are u vases love child. Another give em time apologist. All we ever fuckin do is give players time and they are still shit. He’s had over a year now how much longer
Ya ooh ah you also didn’t rate benteke,vlar,gabby,Clark the list goes on and on of players you don’t rate that keep proving you wrong, lowton is a good RB and with a better midfield in front of him would be a lot better, i don’t even think about his 2 wonder goals last season (1 that was probably the catalyst to our strong finish) what he brings to the team on form is determination, good link up play, good crossing, decent defending and consistency, you don’t just lose all that. Boo before you say he really isn’t good defensively give me 1 game he wasn’t our best defender last season? Or 1 player who destroyed him last year out of all the quality wingers and strickers he was up against?
I think the Chelsea Wigan and spurs forwards gave him a bit if a hard time!! I was wrong about benteke, iv never slagged gabby other than say I want him to do better as he bleeds claret and blue. Apart from the last 3-4 games vlaar has been awful no one in their right mind can argue with that and Clarke was also awful until recently though I don’t remember having a go at Clarke tbh but vlaar deserves my venom as he is most experienced. Bottom line is we finished 5th from bottom last season with no clean sheet for nearly a year and worst prem goal diff ever. We have had our biggest ever hammering with that defence to. The facts don’t lie
he’s just well out of form, when ever ive seen him play he’s looked very poor and a little lethargic, like a good few yards off the pace. against Newcastle Remy took him to bits and imo lowton was largely at fault for their 1st, although Remy will be doing that to many a right back this season. the spurs game he was dreadful and spurs targeted our right flank all game because of this and scored I think 3 of 4 from that side if I remember right.
on top of this Baccuna has been awesome.
maybe lowton needs to take a leaf out of clarks book, clark has been putting in solid performances and keeping it simple but giving 100% and that’s the 1st thing you want from a defender and as was pointed out clark had been benched, only injuries to Baker and Okore allowed him back in the team and he’s grabbed it.
hopefully it’ll inspire lowton to be better, prior to baccuna coming in at RB I don’t think any of us could think of anyone to challenge or replace Lowton, maybe he thought that too.
p.s he’s young and he’s decent, he’ll learn from it and kick on im sure.
Yep lets give him time!!
There could be a number of things, knocks, lack of confidence. Even read on a couple other places that he was going through some personal issues. While 24 isn’t the youngest, he’s still young enough to be given time to get his head back in it as he’s got the talent.
Also seems we’ve missed out on 15 year old Kristopher Da Graca to Arsenal. Does seem good that we’re at least scouting these type of players.
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?