Aston Villa defender Matty Cash has backed the club's overhauled squad to come good, insisting the "new Villa" will click despite a winless start to the season. His comments come after Villa drew 0-0 at Hull City on Saturday, their first point of the campaign following defeats to Brighton and Arsenal.
Villa signed 10 new players in the summer transfer window, but lost more than half of the starting XI that faced SC Freiburg in the Europa League final in May. Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne and Ezri Konsa all departed before Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez moved on in the final days of the window.
Slow Start and New Signings Yet to Feature
The upheaval has contributed to a sluggish beginning, with new arrivals Johan Manzambi, Ibrahim Mbaye, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Leon Goretzka yet to feature. Brian Madjo is currently injured, while Joao Gomes was sent off on his first appearance.
Villa earned their first point of the season against Hull City on Saturday night, drawing 0-0 at the MKM Stadium following a 4-0 defeat to Brighton and a 1-0 loss at home to Arsenal in their first two games.
Cash: 'We Will Be Alright'
"We know it is different circumstances, but last season we struggled at the start and then started to pick it up. It's a new Villa, isn't it really? Hopefully we can keep working together on the training pitch and results will come," Cash said after the goalless draw.
"It's a big change. We have had new players coming in, old players going. We want to keep improving. We have the manager behind us, who is unbelievable and getting results and improving young players who come in. But we are going to be positive. We are definitely going to be alright and keep improving week by week, for sure."
Cash acknowledged the need for rapid adaptation, adding: "You need to adapt quickly and obviously the manager said it, the experienced players who have played for him a long time need to take the others on our back and show them the way. We need to adapt to their quality and they need to adapt to the way we want to play. It is a work in progress. It's a new Villa and we are going to be fine, 100 per cent."
Pressure and Key Departures
On the pressure of the situation, Cash said: "There is pressure. Playing at this level, you have to deal with the pressure and turn it into a privilege. A point on the road, if you see it like that, could be in a few months people are saying 'what a good point that was away at Hull'. You look at United. They came here and struggled and lost. To not score is not great but we got a point."
Asked about losing Watkins and Martinez so late in the window, Cash said: "You don't want to make excuses. We know circumstances aren't great. When you lose so many key players in a quick space of time it is not great. I don't want to make excuses but we need to adapt quickly."
Cash also defended the club's spending, noting: "We have brought in players who are brilliant and spent money as well. I said last week and got a bit hammered by Arsenal fans for saying they spent money. But we lost key players, you know what I mean? We are losing six or seven key players who were all starting, so it is going to take time, know what I mean? We will be alright. We need to keep working. I don't want to keep repeating myself. Keep being positive and we will be sweet."
