Aston Villa is known for their European Cup triumphs in the early 80s, in addition to their loyal fanbase and iconic stadium.
While their history serves them well, some of Villa’s modern-day activities have not placed them within the best light.
In 2012, they suffered a £ 53.9 million loss and were eventually relegated four years later, ending a 24-year stay in the top flight.
2016 was a low point for the Birmingham club, as they had to battle it out in the EFL Championship.
However, Chinese investor Tony Xia saw this as the perfect time to purchase the club and be the catalyst for its revival.
From this point, Aston Villa’s fortunes changed for the better due to their new owner’s investment off the pitch and local lad and academy product, Jack Grealish.
Aston Villa’s academy has produced players who have gone on to have lengthy and successful careers.
Gary Cahill at Chelsea, Gabriel Agbonlahor, and Gareth Barry at Manchester City have all accumulated 1396 Premier League appearances, and Jack Grealish was the next player to join this list.
England’s second division was the perfect development platform for Grealish’s growth in terms of his understanding of the game.
Within Villa’s two-year stay in the Championship, Grealish’s potential started to become a fact, as he captained his hometown side to promotion back into the topflight through the playoffs.
In the Premier League, Grealish continued to showcase his talent, which attracted the attention of a heavy hitter at the top of the table.
During the summer of 2021, Grealish left for Manchester City for a record-breaking fee of 100 million pounds.
While the blue side of Manchester has added a piece to their jigsaw, Aston Villa has subsequently lost one; this is not to suggest that The Villans did not spend the money wisely or continue to be successful.
With the likes of Danny Ings and Emi Buendía, the boys from Birmingham are still a competitive outfit.
With this being said, having a player like Jack Grealish creates a sense of relatability to a fanbase due to his local roots, and with his departure, a void was created.
Fast-forward to the start of the 2021/22 season and this void may finally be filled by the rise of Jacob Ramsey.
The young attacking midfielder has captured the heart of Villa fans; the rapid change of manager may have knocked a young player off course, but this is not the case as newly appointed manager Steven Gerrard has propelled Ramsey to new heights.
With this season being Ramsey’s breakout year, the U21 England international still has facets of his game that need improvement, but the talent is clear to see.
In this tactical analysis and Jacob Ramsey’s scout report, I will be discussing the Aston Villa Academy graduate’s offensive strengths, in addition to noticeable weaknesses.
Lastly, I will evaluate and project Ramsey’s future.
Jacob Ramsey Position History
So far this season, Ramsey has featured in quite a few attacking positions under both Dean Smith and Steven Gerrard.
His managers have used him on the front line as a right-winger and as a number ten behind the striker, but most of his minutes have come when he has played as a number eight in a midfield three.
Dean Smith, at times, opted for a 3-5-2 to accommodate both Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins.
Within this system, Ramsey played as a left-sided central midfield alongside Douglas Luiz and John McGinn.
Within Steven Gerrard’s vision, the formation transitioned from a three-man defence to a four, with a 4-3-3.
Ramsey kept his position within the side; on the left of a midfield trident.
From this deep position, Ramsey can utilise all his skills and add real value to this Aston Villa attack.
Jacob Ramsey Heat Map & Positions
Jacob Ramsey Offensive Abilities
The U21 England international is assertive; this aspect of Jacob Ramsey’s style of play can be observed in various forms.
At first glance, Ramsey’s most valuable asset is his ball-carrying ability over long distances.
The young midfielder uses his powerful stride to good effect, aiding ball progression for his side and turbocharging attacks single-handedly when the space is afforded to him.
Regarding his receiving, the Villa midfielder is always thinking forward, as he likes to receive the ball facing the opposition goal, ready to start or facilitate an attack.
With his assertiveness comes his intelligence—Ramsey makes good use of his first touch to bypass opposition defenders, as he can quickly shift the ball and create a yard of space and gain an advantage against an opponent.
Ramsey’s use of his first touch is particularly helpful when he is opposed; this skill also serves its purpose as the Villa Academy product changes the picture or direction of the attack, allowing him to survey his surroundings and pick the optimal pass.
It is important to mention that when faced with a 1v1 against a defender, Ramsey is not an orthodox technical dribbler who will manipulate the ball past another.
However, the attacking midfielder makes good use of no-touch dribbling, using his swift body movement to offset the opposition player and create space to drive forward.
The young Englishman showcases cutting-edge offensive talent within the final third, relating to his off-ball movement.
The Villa midfielder excels during one-two combinations with teammates within proximity.
During these exchanges, Jacob Ramsey can lay the ball off, and then quickly dart into space in behind the defensive line.
Furthermore, he also contributes to attacks as a third-man runner into the box from deep positions.
A perfect example of this can be seen through the two goals scored against Leeds United in early February.
During both occasions, Ramsey attacked the space from deep positions, and when in these types of positions, he showcases good and clean ball striking on both feet.
2nd Goal against Leeds relates to his passing prowess; Jacob Ramsey does not fill the creative chasm left by Grealish, as he did not display line-breaking passing to the likes of Watkins or Ings.
With an xA of 0.8 (56th percentile) and 2.08 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (58th percentile), the shooting-creating element of his game does leave for improvement if that is the direction he would like his career to go down.
We must not forget that he is still relatively young and, as a result, remains malleable.
Jacob Ramsey Defensive frailties
Since Jacob Ramsey is positioned in a deeper role, he is now tasked with defensive responsibilities.
When facing 1v1 out of possession, the Villa attack is susceptible to being sidestepped, based on him being flat-footed.
When this occurs, he cannot switch his feet quickly enough and mirror the moments of his opposition.
Moreover, Ramsey does get caught ball-watching at times, taking his attention off the nearby attack, who can make clear runs uncontested.
It is worth noting that no player is perfect; each has strong areas of play as well as weak areas in their game.
When evaluating a player’s skill set, it is essential to distinguish between what is ‘weak’ and what constitutes a ‘weakness’ concerning the tactical role they assume within their team.
Ramsey was not developed within the youth ranks as a defensive player, so it seems logical for his defensive abilities to be lacking.
The 20-year-old contributes on the defensive side of the ball and applies a good deal of effort.
However, to increase his value within Aston Villa’s tactics, taking into account the tactical demands he has been given, it would be beneficial for the U-21 England international to refine his defensive skills.
Jacob Ramsey Projection
Ramsey has had a successful start to his short Villa career so far.
The young star possesses a well-rounded set of skills that make him a valuable asset within any attack.
As mentioned previously, he has played in a few attacking positions over the last two seasons, and as he gets older, I believe a distinguished position must be set for him.
Upon review, Ramsey is not a winger, as he lacks the ability to beat a defender one-on-one; this is not to imply that all wingers must have this skill.
My point is that playing Ramsey as an out-and-out winger is not optimal for him, given his abilities.
Based upon the Englishmen’s catalogue of work so far, his future lies as a technically sound attacking midfielder, aiming to penetrate the opposition box off the ball, à la Frank Lampard.
I do believe number 10 is still within his reemit, as he can ghost around the penalty area, combine with others and look for shooting opportunities.
With this being said, I still believe the number eight position is best for him, as he started slightly deeper and can stretch his legs and drive forward in long distances while still contributing to the final third.
With time on his side, Ramsey’s defensive capacity can strengthen, and if this is the case, we are looking at a player who can make an impact in both boxes.
Conclusion
Aston Villa experienced highs and lows in football over the years, including relegation, financial debt, promotion, and the emergence of Jack Grealish.
Some thought Grealish would have been a Villa player for life, given his deep-rooted connection, but this was not the case as he left further north for Manchester City for a big-money fee.
Villa’s academy has always provided a figure that the fans can connect with, and with Grealish gone, a void was created.
In comes Jacob Ramsey, a 20-year-old attacking midfield who has been a star under both Gerrard and Dean Smith.
Ramsey is technical and intelligent, constantly looking forward and adding dynamism to Villa’s attack.
There is room for growth on the defensive side, but development will come as his experience increases.
