Leon Bailey: I understand why I might not start every match for Aston Villa
Leon Bailey is ready to answer the bell whenever called upon at Villa after learning to accept he may not start every match.
The Jamaica international bagged his sixth goal of the season in Thursday’s 4-1 Europa Conference League win at AZ Alkmaar but knows it may not be enough to keep his place in the team for Sunday’s Premier League visit of Luton.
Despite starting every match in Europe, Bailey has largely had to make the most of time off the bench in the league, where he has not started a game since August 20.
But the 26-year-old understands head coach Unai Emery’s reasons for juggling the pack and says his sole focus is on performing at his best when chances come his way.
“We have a lot of games coming up, a lot of games,” he said. “It is important to rotate and it is the manager’s decision, at the end of the day, to decide what is best for the team.
“It is always important to make sure when you are called upon you are ready. That is the life of a footballer.
“I have been in the game some years now, so you have to learn. It is hard for a lot of players but you just have to be strong.
“When you believe in your ability and know what you are capable of doing, you just have to wait for your opportunity and be ready.”
Thursday’s win put Villa in a strong position to progress through to the Conference League knockout stages but it is the Premier League where Emery’s team have really been hitting their stride, winning four of their last five matches and scoring 15 goals in the process.
On Sunday they will aim for a 12th straight home league victory, against opponents who have won just one of their first nine matches.
But Bailey has warned they can take nothing for granted. The tight turnaround, with Emery and his players only having today to focus on the game, is another variable for Villa’s first league meeting with the Hatters since 1992.
“It is very difficult,” said Bailey. “Friday will be recovery and you have just Saturday, basically, to train and prepare for Sunday.
“We just have to make sure on Saturday we really focus on what the manager wants going into the game the next day.
“It is the Premier League, the biggest in the world. You can never under-estimate any team at all. Every team is very competitive.
“It is about us getting it right on game day and delivering what we have so far. We are basically going to focus on ourselves and what we need to do in the game.
“We are in a good place at the moment. The whole team has a lot of confidence. We have been doing really well. To stay humble and continue working, that is the most important thing.
“The season is long, we are not even into the new year yet. We just have to go back to the drawing board and focus on the next game right as well.”
