NOW BRUCE WANTS TO GROW A PAIR
ASTON VILLA’S £25million strike duo Scott Hogan and Jonathan Kodjia must learn to play together, Steve Bruce has warned.
Hogan, signed from Brentford for £12m in January, is set to return from injury against Wigan today.
Boss Bruce wants to pair him with 15-goal top scorer Kodjia (above) – yet Villa lost all FOUR of the matches they started together.
Villa then went on to win FOUR of their five games during Hogan’s absence.
“I’ve made no secret that I want to play two up top,” Bruce (above) said.
“If you look at all teams that have been successful in the division, they’ve all done it. “We can’t just keep relying on Kodjia. “I’ve been asked before ‘can he play in a two?’ He’s a free spirit, he’s off the cuff, he plays in a natural way, but we have to try.
“Now and pre-season is the ideal time to forge a relationship. When Hogan is fit, I wouldn’t want to play against him and Kodjia.
“If we can get them scoring 15-20 each we have an outstanding chance of promotion next season.”
Villa’s mini-revival has triggered optimism among fans that a late push for the play-offs is possible, and Bruce hasn’t ruled it out.
“We’re never going to give it up because there are still a lot of points to play for,” he said. “It’s just a shame that in the bad run we had we didn’t even pick up average points because if we had have done, we would be sitting very nicely.”
Midfield anchorman Mile Jedinak will start at centre-back against the Latics after stepping in during last weekend’s win over Sheffield Wednesday.
Bruce said of the 32-year-old: “It might prolong his career if he plays further back.
“You see people playing up to the age of 38 in the position. There aren’t many playing in central midfield at that age.”
Wigan caretaker boss Graham Barrow has ordered his players to attack their way out of trouble.
The Latics gave Warren Joyce the boot after just eight wins in 37 games left them five points adrift of safety.
Barrow wants more chances created at home to Villa today.
He said: “There’ll be no shackles on. If the players want to run forward then great.
“You can talk tactics until you’re blue in the face but modern-day football means you have to work really hard and get up and down that pitch. I just don’t think we’ve had enough players running in the attacking direction.”