One of the things I've enjoyed most about Aston Villa's performances over the last week has been the impact of Ibrahim Mbaye, because I think we're beginning to see exactly why the club were so keen to bring him in during the summer. I was really impressed with him against Fenerbahçe in the Champions League, not just because of his attacking qualities but also the work he put in defensively, and his introduction against Newcastle United gave Villa something completely different at a stage of the match when they were struggling to retain possession and get themselves up the pitch.
Villa were protecting a narrow lead at St James' Park, and while I thought the defensive performance was excellent, there were periods in the second half when we weren't particularly effective with the ball. Newcastle were committing players forward, Villa were struggling to establish any sustained possession and there was a danger that we would spend the closing stages simply inviting pressure without providing enough of an attacking threat ourselves. Mbaye's introduction changed that dynamic, because suddenly Villa had somebody who could receive possession in a wide area, attack his opponent and carry the ball considerable distances without needing several passes to get into dangerous positions.
I genuinely thought he could have been involved in another couple of goals, and on a different afternoon Villa might have won that game much more comfortably. There was a real purpose to everything he did, particularly when he found himself isolated against a defender, because his first instinct was to get forward and make something happen. He came close to scoring after cutting inside, and even when he didn't produce the final action, he forced Newcastle to think about defending spaces that they hadn't necessarily been concerned about earlier in the half.
Jacob Tanswell made a really good point during our conversation on The 1874 Podcast about how Mbaye's qualities can be particularly effective when matches begin to open up. There are going to be occasions when Emery doesn't necessarily want to start him, particularly against opponents who defend deep and restrict the space available in wide areas, but when a game becomes stretched and defenders begin to tire, his pace and ability to attack players one against one can become an enormous weapon. That's not to suggest he should be restricted to substitute appearances, because he's already demonstrated that he can contribute from the start, but it does highlight the different options Emery now has available.
One passage of play against Newcastle was particularly interesting because it demonstrated that Mbaye's contribution wasn't simply about running at defenders whenever he received the ball. Villa actually managed to retain possession, work it across the pitch and create a situation where he could receive the ball with space to attack his opponent. He then did exactly what you'd want from a player with his attributes, driving forward and creating an opportunity from a position that hadn't initially looked particularly threatening. It's the sort of attacking sequence Villa haven't always been able to produce this season, particularly when opponents have made it difficult to progress through central areas.
There's obviously plenty for him to improve, and I think that's important to acknowledge because he's still only 18. Jacob described him as almost being too quick for himself at times, which I thought was quite a good way of putting it. His natural instinct is to attack space and take players on, but there are occasions when he needs to recognise that retaining possession or finding a teammate would be the better option. That decision-making will develop with experience, and working under Emery should be enormously beneficial because he's a manager who places such importance on players understanding the situations they're operating in.
What I find particularly encouraging is his versatility. When Villa signed him, we spoke quite a lot about the prospect of having a winger who could operate high and wide on the right, something the squad had been missing, but we've now seen him used effectively from the left as well. Against Fenerbahçe he also spent periods operating closer to Nicolas Jackson, almost in the sort of supporting striker role that Moussa Diaby previously occupied at Villa. That ability to play across different attacking positions gives Emery considerably more flexibility, particularly when he's making changes during matches.
Jacob explained that there isn't necessarily a fixed plan to move Mbaye permanently to the left. His position will largely depend on who else is on the pitch and where Emery believes Villa can exploit weaknesses in the opposition. With McGinn already operating on the right against Newcastle, there was little point in disrupting two positions simply to introduce Mbaye, particularly when the opportunity existed for him to attack down the opposite flank. That sort of adaptability is going to be increasingly important as Villa attempt to manage the demands of competing in the Premier League and Champions League.
I also think his emergence says something about the quality of Villa's summer recruitment and the strength of the attacking options now available. Despite losing some hugely influential players, Villa have assembled a group that offers different qualities and different ways of approaching matches. Manzambi can carry the ball through central areas, Jackson provides relentless movement and physicality, while players such as Mbaye give Villa genuine pace and unpredictability in wide positions. I've said previously that I think the overall squad depth is at least comparable to last season, and in certain attacking areas I actually believe it's stronger.
The important thing now is continuing to develop Mbaye without expecting too much from him too quickly. He's going to have matches where things don't come off, where he makes the wrong decision or where opponents find ways of limiting the space he has available, but that's part of the process with any young player. What matters is that the raw qualities are there, and Villa have already seen how effective they can be against good opposition.
After watching him against Fenerbahçe and Newcastle, I'm increasingly excited about what he can offer this team. Emery has a player who can change the direction of a match through his pace and directness, operate in several different positions and provide something that opponents have to account for even when Villa aren't dominating possession. For a squad that needed more variety in attacking areas, Mbaye is already looking like a very useful addition, and I suspect we're only beginning to see what he's capable of.