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BBC pundit questions Aston Villa January signing
By Amir Mir
BBC pundit Garry Thompson has questioned Aston Villa midfielder Henri Lansbury and the work he does without the ball after the 1-0 defeat against Ipswich at the weekend.
Villa signed Lansbury during the January transfer window when the former Arsenal man made a switch from Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest.
He has seen his new team lose three games since his arrival with manager Steve Bruce utilising him in a much deeper midfield role.
The likes of the now departed Ashley Westwood and fellow January addition Conor Hourihane have played with him in a midfield role.
Former Villa striker Thompson was full of praise for the combative midfielder but questioned one aspect of his game.
“Lansbury for me is a very, very good footballer,” Thompson told BBC Radio West Midlands. “Whether, he does the bit the other side, without the ball is the question to be asked.”
Lansbury has played 23 games in all competitions this season for Villa and his former club Nottingham Forest, scoring six goals and supplying three assists.
Four of those Championship games have come for Villa where Lansbury has completed 90 minutes on just once occasion, losing three games and picking up one point.
Villa take on Barnsley on Tuesday night when Paul Heckingbottom’s side visit the Midlands for an important Championship fixture.
Dropped points for the home team could see them drop further down the table with current league leaders Newcastle being Villa’s next opponents.
In other Aston Villa news, Paul Heckingbottom has stated why Barnsley sold Conor Hourihane
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