Solidity Is Villa's New Keyword

'Grit', 'tenacity', 'commitment', 'determination'. These are all apt words to describe the Villa's two second-half performances against Crystal Palace and Chelsea, leaving the opponents' team managers (Hodgson and Lampard) both looking fed up at the end of the two matches.

In the Palace match, their ageing defence was partly responsible for what looked like an unlikely Villa win after we were reduced to 10 men, but the commitment and skill of the entire Villa team was clear in that second half with the result that Palace had few chances to get a goal.

Against Chelsea it was a similar story of commitment by Villa, but against quite a different opponent, with Chelsea being quick movers and gritty themselves. The likes of Grealish and Traore had little opportunity to show their silky skills, but both played a solid part in keeping Chelsea at bay and trying to keep the Villa in with a chance of a winner. And then young Ramsay so nearly fashioned a winner after midfield dynamo McGinn had rocked the Chelsea bar from 25 yards.

Hause and Konsa were a solid central pair, and were ably supported by the two Villa full-backs. The only thing missing from the back was Mings's ability to play the ball out of defence, but the team's overall commitment was first-class, punctuated only by a silly rearguard pass across the edge of the penalty area from Jack that they nearly capitalised on. It's odd that arguably Villa's two most classy players in their respective departments - Grealish and Mings - manage to do silly things, but they do.

El Ghazi, having been eviscerated for his wastefulness against Burnley, is suddenly a darling of the Villa fans having scored 4 in the last 3 matches. He's certainly the man of the moment in goalscoring terms, and poor Trez must be looking on with worry. In fact, El Ghazi seems to fit in well with Jack and Traore right now.

With the ever-reliable Martinez behind this solid Villa team, things do look quite bright and I am sure they will give a good account of themselves on the first day of the new year at Old Trafford after 5 games undefeated. Mings and Barkley should be available for that match. 

The question then remains as to whether Villa can score another seven the following week against Liverpool in the FA Cup, but they, of course, should be much better prepared this time. Hopefully not, though!

UTV!

Why Do Villa Have To Frustrate So Much!

Results-wise, the past three games (bringing 7 points out of 9) have surely restored some faith that the early season run was not entirely a fluke! However ... these last three matches have left me a little drained! Perhaps the reader feels the same, but please allow me to explain anyway...

First - the match against Wolves. I felt that if it hadn't been for the excellent Martinez, we may well have lost that match. He really seems to have big hands, doesn't he, and because of his heroics in that match we eventually obtained a win - albeit via a penalty and after Douglas Luiz had been given his marching orders. The match was also extraordinary in that two players called Traore were playing, with one being a former Villan. It was the latter that looked the potential match-winner, however, with his swift runs and dangerous centres, an ability that Villa would have done well to have hung onto i.m.o., instead of letting him go.

Second - versus lowly Burnley. How - on Earth - can you have 27 shots and not score?! The score could easily have been 10-2 instead of 0-0, and resulted in both El Ghazi and Traore getting the thumbs-down from a good number of Villa fans: El Ghazi for his profligacy. He had 8 shots, with only a free-kick giving trouble to their 'keeper. And the Villa drove forward with such myopia that on at least 2 or 3 occasions, players in better scoring positions were ignored.

Third - last night versus Albion. Both El Ghazi and Traore were restored to some level of respect as they finished the only scorers in a 3-0 win that took until the last 10 minutes for Villa's superiority to be reflected in the scoreline, after taking an early lead. At times, Villa looked too ponderous (as they have in other games) to stand any chance of breaking through Albion's 10-man team, and I suspect that the fact that Villa improved the scoreline at the end was at least part due to the subs that Allardyce introduced to try to force a draw.

So, 7 points obtained after a lot of huff and puff! And a goalkeeper that always seems to remain so very alert even when not much is thrown at him. We surely have found a jewel there and now seem to have a great richness in the goalkeeping department.

Another talking point - yet again - is surely VAR. Maybe I'm the only one of this opinion, but how was that a valid sending off of the Albion player? Yes, there was a certain aggression about his tackle that probably warranted a yellow card, but did he really touch Grealish? And i.m.o. he went for and took the ball, not the man. I feel the ref's first judgment was the correct one. 

Then, another Watkins 'goal' disallowed. As I recall it, his previous goal that was disallowed (vs West Ham) was because his arm was offside (!), and yet vs Albion the defender's arm surely put Watkins' onside! 

If we are to have such stringent rules, let they be at least consistently interpreted! It seems that the human decision (the referee) has been transferred to a studio to be essentially decided on by another referee, and usually after some delay! Where is the logic in this - especially when consistency is as lacking as it was before?! Bah! Humbug! 😒

Well, Are we going to transform Boxing Day as meaning to Box the ears of Crystal Palace?! Their ears must already be sore after their humiliation at home vs 'Pool the other day, and since we put 7 past the 'Pool, does it mean that we'll achieve double-figures in this match?! No, of course not! Such is football that it may well be a case of a tightly-fought match with a draw at the end of it. But who am I to make predictions.

But, to finish on a good note: I am happy to see Traore quietly blossoming. He and Jack seem to be like twins in their artistry, though Traore's game has not yet quite come alight. And, as they said on MotD, McGinn's passing and industry is worth a lot. I do think we have a "Bright Future" - but (thankfully) without Lerner and Co.!

UTV!

Alex Cropley and The Health Of The Game

The news about Alex Cropley, that dynamic Villa midfielder of the late '70s, is indeed very sad. Yet another serious football-related condition it would appear, adding to the ever-increasing list of sufferers. And the issue seems to have developed in Rugby Union, too, where the obvious solution is to ban scrums, as they have been in Rugby League.

One thing that I did not know about Cropley was that he broke the same leg on three occasions before he came to Villa, and when he suffered a fourth break that spelt the end of his short career at Villa Park. But what a formidable tiger of a player he was. Villa fans loved him.

Although we heard of great footballing competitors like Dennis Law and Tommy Smith suffering serious long-term body ailments, those conditions were almost considered as just an accepted outcome of football, but now the matter has got to an understanding that everyday mental functions can be impaired, it brings on a touch of deep sadness.

We were all so innocent about contact sports, were we not, back in the 'old days', and contact by body or head was all part of the physicality which we loved - and love. But the long-term effects are all too sad.

Oh, by the way, Villa's great centre-half of the 1890s, Jimmy Cowan, regarded footie as being just footie - he refused to head the ball, although perhaps he did when he had no other choice.

For me, I seriously question the future of football now, with not only that very sad on-going news but also the farce of VAR in the way it is being applied and is now so clever it can't pick up a ball that has gone out of play (West Ham v Man U last week-end) before swerving back in and allowing a goal to be scored. 

I also seriously question how the game still fails to pick up seriously bad tackles like that on Virgil van Dijk earlier in the season, where - in my view - the Everton 'keeper was quite reckless in coming out to ensure that van Dijk would be stopped. And we all remember the hatchet-job done on Wesley last season.

This is all in addition to the farce of the length of time being taken now to determine whether an offside has taken place,

Sport is sport, and the old distinction between amateur and professional is now very blurred. But for me I think the real future lies in non-contact sports such as tennis, badminton and golf, in which I have to say I found far more participatory enjoyment, despite my deep allegiance to Aston Villa from boyhood and family tradition. The first two sports named can be very physically demanding, too.

Importantly, the non-contact sports, in my view, help more to generate real understanding between people, for what we have witnessed particularly in the last 50 years and more, is a violent antipathy between supporters of rival clubs which is just plain unhealthy and did not exist before the 1960s, apart from small pockets of fans. You do not (except perhaps rarely) get any of that in rugby, let alone the non-contact sports.

Further, though football has always had a number of 'hard men' (old fans will remember the likes of 'Chopper' Harris), they were the exception. Today, the snidey clipping of ankles and bumping from behind that are commonplace now, and so-called shoulder charges without use of shoulders, do - in my view - threaten the integrity of the sport.

Understanding between peoples is the goal of the future, not antipathy nor snidey play, if the world is to have a chance of surviving the mammoth problems that have particularly engulfed us in the decades since 2000.

Although football has played a great part in creating understanding in the past and probably will continue to have a role in the future, I think footie is in danger of becoming a dinosaur in this ever-changing world - but how is footie to adapt, I ask. I ask because I do think that we have now become more consciously aware of the drawbacks and money-orientated nature of this often lovely contact sport which will necessitate a serious change in the nature of the game in the future that is upon us on this planet. Can we ignore these drawbacks as 'something for them to sort out'?

That view may not be acceptable for many, but I foresee that forthcoming circumstances will force us all to take a view on this.

Fortunately, Aston Villa as a football club has, for the most part, always stood up for fairness and high standards, and has been a credit to the game in that regard.

Anyhow, that's just a thought to dwell on, but please don't think we have a lot of time in which to choose!

For a deeper exploration about the need for change in the world, please click here.

Despite all - UTV!

Talking About The News (Dec 4, 2020)

The bits of news that have emerged from Villa Park recently have stimulated the media to write large headlines and inflated copy to attract the fans - and I don't blame them; they have to stay in business!

But an analysis of what has been published does not, in my opinion, really represent much. First of all the business of Jack Grealish. The media, first of all, seemed to suggest that he could be on his way in the January window, but we went through all this in the summer and Jack finally said "Home is home" and signed a hefty contract that represented the desire of the Villa's owners to keep their best players in order to keep on towards their ultimate aim.

And then the media has made a big issue about a £100m being set as the fee that clubs would have to work from if they want to buy him, suggesting that Villa might sell if the price was right. Well, I don't see the reality behind that logic. Greg Evans in his Athletic article made it clear that the owners have high ambitions and it's not plausible, in my view, that the skipper will go, having gone through the negotiations of the summer with a clear conclusion. Especially as this season he's only just started to properly realise his capability. Let's at least win the FA Cup before we even think about letting him go!

Talking of the FA Cup, it's 63 years since I saw Villa last winning it. And at that time there was a big noise because it had been 37 years since Villa had previously won it (1920 - 100 years ago)! For a club that was once famous for its cup-fighting traditions, we have sadly wained and had to be content with just 5 League Cup wins instead since Johnny Dixon's and Peter Mac's big day in 1957. Even the League Cup has not been won for 24 years, but we won it in some style that year, as we did in 1994, too. Great games.

Yes, we have won the European Cup as well, but the FA Cup was very much part of the club's tradition, and with less than 4 years to go before Villa's 150th anniversary, we have to - surely - make amends in this department. So, Liverpool come to VP in January for this precious FA Cup opportunity, and though I hardly expect a 7-2 win again, it will be Villa's grand opportunity to state their intentions in the business of winning trophies.

Coming back to the 150 years anniversary: is that a significant point in the club's owners' minds? Is that the target date that they plan for the Villa to be re-installed at the very top? Jack will be 29 by then and - we would hope - at the very top of his form.

One last topic - Ross Barkley. Reading the media comments about his planned return against Wolves next week, it would appear that people feel that the Villa have lost the last two matches because he's been out. Is that right? Is Barkley such a highly-rated centre-back who would have prevented those so-silly goals being conceded?! Would he have prevented Trezeguet (and all) wasting goal-scoring opportunities? What rot people come up with! This really does illustrate how silly the media has become, for I have yet to see Barkley consistently do such great things for Villa that he should be rated as a guaranteed match-winner.

In my opinion, Barkley has a useful array of skills, but I have seen him have the odd blip as well. I think he has still to do some adjusting before we should regard him as a saviour. I do think, however, that given time he could become something of a true hero in Villa's colours, and if he does achieve that will Villa pay the £100m that Chelsea will ask for him - let alone hang on to Jack?

Well, them's the thoughts of the week from me.  We now enter hibernation for a few days of cold - and more empty news!

UTV!

Jimmy Hogan, We Need You!

 Mmm....

One of my earlier posts referred to Villa being Chumps, not Champs, and as the games go by the phrase keeps on coming back to me. Not only were we delivered a real sucker punch against Brighton last week when all the Villa outfield were encamped in the Brighton half, but we have now seen West Ham obtain two goals from virtually their only attacks in the game - and at the very start of each half.

We also have the frustrating sight of Trezeguet missing one straight forward chance after another over the season so far (bar one or two matches) and now Watkins decides to join the act by slamming a penalty against the bar, plus another chance which should at least have troubled the keeper. 

I'm not going into a debate about VAR and that disallowed 'goal' as I really do think that the main problem lies within the Villa mentality. But I am fed up with VAR - leave it just for over-the-line situations, please! What, otherwise, are referees now paid for?

It seems to me that when we face a team that has allowed Villa to play open football (Fulham, Liverpool, Arsenal) then we've looked good. But the moment we face bread-and-butter sides (such as the last two matches) that have a plan to keep the Villa out by hook or by crook, and have players that are awake to their opportunities, then we have problems. And on top of that, we miss the chances that do come our way. Thereby such opponents win.

Yes, I know we are still witnessing a Villa that is being rebuilt, and we're certainly not going to win every game, but there is a weakness in the team that keeps on repeating itself over and over again - particularly in defence. Is that weakness lack of concentration or complacency, or a combination of the two? I'm not sure. But whatever it is has not been dealt with.

Yet there are times when the way Villa motor forward gives me a thrill - especially when we see Jack (especially) or McGinn twist and turn their way past players. Unfortunately, though, attractive play by itself does not produce points. The way to winning is surely achieved by swift and incisive passing. As Villa's famed coach Jimmy Hogan once said, "What's the point of beating 2 or 3 players when one pass can do the trick?"

I think we still miss Gareth Barry and James Milner.

I rest my case.

UTV!

Youth Will Always Be Villa's Best Source Of Talent

Jack's fine game against Belgique on Sunday evokes the history of Aston Villa's star forwards in me, and Brian Little is the first to come to mind as the most recent (probably) to have had the talent to be compared to our Jack.

What a player Brian was; even Andy Gray said he was the best he ever played with, and that includes Kenny Dalglish when Andy and he were playing in Scottish colours.

But then my mind turned to the fact that although Brian, like Jack, came out of the Villa Academy, he actually originated in the north-east, and to ensure that Brian would not be homesick, the Villa even signed Brian's brother Alan as well, and his dad as the club's kit man! What great sadness that Brian had to bow out at only the age of 27 because of injury.

Another equally great north-eastern name in Brian Little's era is Gordon Cowans.

But stemming from that comes thoughts of other great Villa forwards from the north-east. Before Brian and Gordon there was Johnny Dixon who, from 1946 to 1961, was a much-loved player and captained the last Villa side to win the FA Cup. How he failed to get an England 'cap' is a mystery, especially during the time when another north-eastener, Tommy 'Toucher' Thompson, played in the same forward line as Johnny, and in season 1951-52 it was Tommy that gained an England 'cap'. That was even though Johnny scored 26 goals for Villa that season and had a fine understanding with Tommy. 

After less than 5 years at Villa, Tommy went on to Preston, who in those days were a very good side and had the famed Tom Finney leading the line. The two 'Toms' scored 200 goals between them over the next 4 years and the great Finney was full of praise for his scoring partner.

Going further back in history, the Villa had the great north-eastener Clem Stephenson in their ranks, from 1911 to 1921. He was regarded as being better than the later well-known Billy Walker, and - in his 30s - went on to play for the then-ambitious Huddersfield Town, who won the league championship three times in a row under his captaincy. Clem's brothers George and Jimmy also played well for the Villa.

Charlie Wallace was another from the north-east; a clever winger from 1907 to 1921, and an international. Going back earlier there was Bob Chatt and Albert Evans, great stalwarts of the 1890s.

But though from the north-east, nearly all these players joined the Villa when they were young and learnt how to play the Villa Way.

So, the Villa have been well-served by the north-east, but there have been more major big names in Villa's history since the start of the league that have derived from the Midlands. We can list Brummies and Midlanders of the ilk of John Devey, Howard Spencer, Charlie Athersmith, Fred Wheldon, Joe Bache, Albert Hall, Harry Hampton, Frank Moss (father and son), Dickie York, Arthur Dorrell, Tommy Smart, Billy Walker, Len Capewell, Ernie Callaghan, Harry Parkes, Peter Aldis, Nigel Sims, Gerry Hitchens, John Sleeuwenhoek, Alan Deakin, Mike Tindall, Tony Hateley, Garry Shaw, Tony Daley, Ian Taylor, Darius Vassell and Gabby - not to mention the Welsh 'Brummie' - Vic Crowe! - and the difficult Stan Collymore.

There have been many more great local servants, including Jack Grealish's great-grandfather, Billy Garraty, who was a key figure in the winning of the FA Cup in 1905. 

So there has always been a strong Villa tradition in utilising local talent, and young talent in particular, and it so pleasing to see Jack being the latest successful example of that. Long may this tradition continue!

UTV!

Ole, Ollie, Ole!

I have been hoping for another striker with a similar style to that of Gerry Hitchens and Andy Gray for many years, and I'm beginning to feel that at last we have that player in Ollie.

Yes, the likes of Tony Hateley, Peter Withe and Christian Benteke should never be forgotten - neither the value of Derek Dougan, Andy Lochhead, Dion Dublin, JPA and a few others - but in Ollie we see the goalscorer with a true sniffer technique (thinking there of Allan 'Sniffer' Clarke, the Walsall man who should, surely, have become a Villan, but didn't).

Which other striker we have had in recent years would actually have been very ready to bury that chance that came from a lovely Luiz-Barkley combination; to charge in and thump the ball home like that? It was a glorious goal in its energy and accuracy from the build-up to the finish, and his second goal was also taken with great aplomb, thanks to Jack's great drive forward.

Yes, the Arsenal side we saw yesterday was nothing like those we saw a few years ago, but they will come back, I'm sure, and there were a couple of moments in the first half when they could have come back. But they didn't have Ollie Watkins as their striker!

At the MotD desk, poor Ian Wright was a most forlorn figure and so exasperated with his old team, but he admitted that the Villa were great on the night.

I did feel so, so sorry for Trez again last night. He has been popping up and throwing all kinds of good stuff against opposing keepers in the last 2 or 3 games, but yet again he has a credit snatched away from him when he, really, should have been given the credit i.m.o. He made it happen after that delicious build-up from the left.

It was so nearly a perfect display from Villa, with John McGinn doing more than his share, but just once or twice in the first half, the Villa rearguard were just a little too much generous to the opposition.

If we can maintain this kind of form for the whole season - with the odd blip no doubt - I will be a very happy Villan!

UTV!

Ings, Mings and Things

Well. A Saints' player has a birthday in more ways than one: one assist and two goals. All dead ball situations given away so easily before half-time.  The third one was so laughable - all the defence bar Cash (who was also out of position) had drifted over to one side of the pitch! Game over? Pretty well.

Yes, we had a flurry at the end, but it was all so, so late, and so much play had been wasted - aided by yet another opposition 'keeper in splendorous form.  I did feel sorry for Trez ... he had four good attempts on goal and they were all saved. But Barkley and McGinn were rarely in it.

When is all this naivety going to end? I really get the feeling that the Villa players have such a nice cosy time at VP that they forget they're supposed to be earning their money! Meanwhile, clubs like Leeds and Southampton come to VP with a real desire to get all points. The Villa just seem to stand and watch - and give free-kicks away around the penalty area - while giving the superficial impression they want to win the match.

I will not suggest that the players don't care: I think they do, but they don't care enough to remember that skill has to be accompanied by a strong intensity at this level. Just as the Saints and Leeds showed.

It's still early season and at least we have a useful number of points in the bag, but it can be so easy to lose another match and just slide down the table. What we don't want now is for the Villa to be blown away by the Gunners next week.

It is so important to stop the slide straight away. So, at least a point next week, fellers ... please! Otherwise I'll be asking for the season to be suspended until fans are allowed back in to voice their feelings to the players!

Oh, P.S. ... Dean, perhaps you've not noticed that the defence is still not OK. A total of nine (9) goals have been conceded in three of the last four matches. And in the fourth match, the fact that Vardy did not play for Leicester that day probably accounts for Leicester not scoring a couple.

UTV!

Villa Seem To Be Chumps, not Champs!

The Villa know how to bring you down from the clouds, don't they?!

Never mind, we should be used to it. 

When fixtures against Leicester and Leeds come up, I'm always more apprehensive. The match earlier this week could have so easily gone the other way if Vardy had played, i.m.o., due to Villa's casualness first half.

Leicester also play in an aggressive way, and some of that was in the Leeds team, too, but they combined that with something else, and look more likely to be challenging the top-4 based on that performance.

For me, the Leeds manager, Bielsa, demonstrated everything a team manager should be.  Having had to make adjustments to his team owing to the absence of a couple of important players, he managed the tactics and on-going play to perfection, with emphasis on teamwork.

Early on he was quick to substitute a player once he had received a yellow card and looked likely to get another. His main capability, I think, lies in his commonsense. The question was put to him:

"In the first half, maybe the one criticism was there was maybe some loose passes - was that the thing that you changed most in the second half, was that the key to winning the game?" Answer from Bielsa:  "Not only what you mentioned, but in general it’s not good to lose the ball before you reach the attacking phase, in the opponent's half."

That answer highlights one of the Villa's major problems, and one that came up in the first half against Leicester earlier this week: casualness. This happened again and again in last night's match. It frequently happens when coming out of defence, but last night I saw it in Barkley's play, too, and his misplaced midfield pass triggered at least one goal. But it was compounded by the defence - and Mings in particular - by just standing off and looking.

But in my view, Leeds won because they played as a team. And they passed and passed quickly and accurately. Villa, on the other hand, look more like a team of individuals most of the time. And in these last two matches I have seen Grealish attempt to beat the entire opposition defence on his own three times. 

Grealish was well held a lot of the time last night, though his first-half shot on goal was magnificently cleared off the line by Leeds. In fact, both teams finished the first half on a par in terms of opportunities, but that goal-line clearance was superb. 

And then the second half, when first Grealish tried to beat the whole defence but couldn't thwart their keeper, and then the keeper's magnificent save from Konsa. At some point Bamford gave the impression that he had been nearly killed by Mings in his attempt to get a penalty, but that incident seemed to ruffle Mings as he looked on while Bamford then gained a hat-trick.

By the way Villa have played since that thrashing of Liverpool, they seem to have adopted a kind of swagger that seems to suggest that they just have to turn up to win, and after 8 league games undefeated, including that Liverpool result, they may have thought they had good reason to. At least they should now realise that they are not yet champs. More like chumps just at this minute!

Let's hope that Dean Smith will take stock and realise that it's no good having potential match-winners like Grealish and Barkley in the team if they are not functioning properly as part of a whole. And a whole that needs to be alert, not cocky.

This was not good enough, Villa. We were starting to get used to better than this.

UTV!

Were The Three Lions Missing A Villa Lion?

Well, England loses and, of course, everyone weighs in with an opinion on why that was. In particular, "Why wasn't Grealish brought on?".

I don't wish to labour on that particular question (I would be accused of bias!), but I do think that Southgate shot himself in the foot post-match when he said that the Three Lions needed speed following McGuire's sending off in order to get back into the game. But they didn't get back into the game, did they, Gareth?

The problem is, Gareth, that England just did not do enough based on your criteria. Someone like Jack (not necessarily Jack) was needed to pick the lock. A player who could stand on the ball and get it to other players who did have the speed, but at the right time. Obvious, init? Johnny Haynes did that with great skill. With him around I remember England winning games 9-3 (vs Scotland, when they had great players), 4-2 (vs Spain!), 5-1 and 8-1 back around 1960 time. Then came Sir Alf and the more cautionary approach took over. But we won the World Cup, didn't we?

After years of soul-deadening cautionary play, I also remember Joe Mercer taking over as manager pro tem and doing a wonderful job in his short time at the helm. But all that is history - the old ways of playing and looking at the game is now the stuff of history. Perhaps that's a pity. Or perhaps we just rely too much on teamwork these days, when - on occasions - you need an injection of individual brilliance.

I am seriously now wondering whether Gareth has lost the plot. When he came in I thought he did a great job in renewing faith in the selection of teams that brought in the best of England's promising players. Now, he seems to have reverted to the old habit of caution in selecting a team and substitutions, which - surely - can only be described as a negative ploy.

I also note that a number of pundits thought that England's defence looked more settled after Mings came on.

If you are going to lose then go down with honour, please! Lions are not pussy-cats!

Best At Villa - George Best!

Well, just as we were getting excited, an international break interrupts everything! I hope the players do not forget what they've done when they return, and demolish the Foxes as well.

So, as we have free time, let's have a look at a big one-off in Villa history - when George Best turned out for the Villa for 60 minutes, wearing the no. 11 shirt!

Yes, it happened as follows, as reported in the Birmingham Mail on the occasion of the sale of Best's Villa shirt, Nov 28, 2014:

The appearance was a fundraiser hurriedly scheduled following the Bradford City stadium blaze on May 11, 1985, which killed 56 people and injured 265.

The Holte End was closed for the clash against [the Albion] and most of the 5,663-strong crowd was sandwiched into the Trinity Road stand.

In fact, the match was arranged with such haste, no programme was published. Fans had to make do with a four-page newspaper-type flyer.

Best lined-up in a side that also featured Kevin Poole in goal, Gary Williams, Tony Dorigo, Allan Evans, Brendan Ormsby, Ray Walker, Steve McMahon, Peter Withe and Paul Rideout.

On-line writer Dek Hogan was there. He recalled: “It is absolutely true to say that George wasn’t in prime physical fitness, being just shy of his 39th birthday at the time.

“But all the skill was there and his every touch was greeted with yelps of delight from the assembled Trinity Road throng.

He added: “I was certainly awestruck, so much so that I couldn’t find it in my heart to sing the old classic: ‘Georgie Best, superstar, looks like a woman and he wears a bra’.

“Mind you, the emerging middle-aged spread and the full beard made the song somewhat redundant anyway.”

After a tame first 45 minutes, fans were treated to something of a goal-fest in the second half.

McMahon and Evans put Villa 2-0 up before Steve Mackenzie and Tony Grealish levelled matters.

Gary Thompson put the Baggies ahead, but Didier Six earned the home side a 3-3 draw.

It so happened that an old Villa-fan pal of mine, John Biddle, ran the line in the match, being a qualified referee. John was once a supervisor at the Lucas company, where Stan Lynn worked under his wing for a time, much to John's glee. Stan 'the Wham' Lynn was one of our favourites back in the 50s.

UTV!

How The 'Pool Got Drowned!

It all brings back the best of memories of games against Liverpool at Villa Park, doesn't it?

Most of all, probably, the 5-1 demolition of the 'Pool in 1976-77, when a Villa side that included the very great Brian Little took them apart in one half of the game. Alas, that game was not - it would appear - filmed for posterity. Some say that was a better Villa team than the subsequent 1981 title winners, and season 1976-77 certainly had some great moments about it.

If we're talking of taking Liverpool apart in one half, we also should record a similar game against them back in 1899 (no, I was not there!), when the 'Pool came to Villa to decide the league championship. Well, Villa did precisely what they did in 1976 - scored 5 first-half goals. On that occasion, Villa became champions as a result. Villa were mesmerising that day, just as in 1976.

Then there was 1992 and a superb 4-2 win, but one game that will always stick in my mind is a mid-week tussle back in 1960, when 'Pool led 3-0 at half-time and were 4-0 up with 20 minutes to go. Villa - having mainly slumbered through most of the match to that point - suddenly came alive. Villa not only brought the score back to 4-4 in those last 20 minutes but should have scored the winner in the last minute!

Great games, great tussles - and (I hate to say it) my memory of wee Ian St. John (a wonderful Scottish inside-forward of the 1960s) running around with socks around his ankles and mesmerising the Villa defence with his skills.

Last night showed that we now have players that can really make opponents' defences think, and Watkins must surely be a leading example of that. His hold-up play - as well as his scoring ability - is really excellent. Barkley, too, will probably only improve as he gets to know his fellow team-mates. And Jack himself looked happier I thought, now having other players he can rely on more, including McGinn. My only fear is whether we have enough depth of such attacking ability in the squad. 

One match does not make a season, but what a relief such a win provides for the Villa faithful after some totally embarrassing results in that horrible 2015-16 season and before. It also provides immense hope that Villa is now able to compete equally with the so-called 'big boys' and give them a run for their money.

Next up? Oh, just Leicester City. 

UTV!

Wow! We're Fourth In The League!

Well, let's enjoy it while it lasts. A good opening to the season, but of the four teams we've played, none were 'great shakes'. However, remembering that we won the pre-season match-warmers against Arsenal and Man U as well, perhaps we have good reason to be opti.

Our boys certainly seem to be playing with more vim, with McGinn quietly getting back to his old form and Jack has done well. Conor is Conor, but as last night proved, he can be in the right spot at the right time, adding to his deadball skills. But how long will he last with a new midfielder being touted? Luiz was not quite on form last night, and Trez doesn't achieve a lot but always seems to provide something good to remind people of his presence. Ramsey could be very good indeed.

The new players have also done well i.m.o., with Ollie showing mobility and footballing skills that give me confidence, though he's yet to make his goalscoring mark in the league. Matt Cash looks well acclimatised, while Traore is just plain cool, and I was disappointed he was not brought on last night as soon as we went into a 3-0 lead.

Anyway, folks, look who's up at VP this week-end! And after the 'Pool, we go to the newly rampant Leicester City. Wow! Two testers indeed, and if we can get 2 or 3 points from those matches I will be very pleased.

We wait and see.

UTV!

The Cash Is Certainly There For The Chase!

 Villa's new full-back pairing of CASH and TARGETT says everything doesn't it?!

The question is, I feel, "Is the spending being directed wisely?". I admit to having to struggle with the apparent need to sign a new 'keeper. I know that Heaton is still not fit, but I really believe that the custodian position is the least of our worries, particularly as Steer is reportedly fit now.

Similarly, though having another striker of potential is welcome, he is only potentially the answer. For me, I would rather see Keiran Davis being given better coaching to provide him with the one thing that I think is missing from his game - the end product: goals. Smith said it - and I also feel it - that Davis could be a heck of a player.

Most importantly for me, though, is the lack of real potency in midfield. I do like Grealish, McGinn and Douglas Luiz, but I feel that they do not have the combined potency needed in the Premiership. If Grealish were to be accompanied by a midfielder who is a driving force, then we could be on to a really good team.

So when the speculation about Josh King started to circulate, I took real interest, as I feel he may well be the kind of power we need to supplement the talent of Grealish, with Luiz being the man in front of defence. As to McGinn? I don't know to be frank, though he deserves further time to see whether he can come back from that injury.

While it's good to see that the club has owners that are willing to spend, and the two players we have so far acquired appear to be good, I feel the cash should be spent a touch more wisely - otherwise we may never get going properly.

But - with COVID around in the way it is - will the season get going properly?

UTV!

Aston Villa History Site Major Upgrade

I am delighted to announce that facilities on my history website are being extended to include details of each match by season, including teams, substitutions, scorers etc etc. 

In order to provide improved linkage on my website to access these new facilities, the Match Centre page has been re-vamped.

To begin with, only league matches are being included to this new level of detail, and at this point only seasons since 1992 (the start of the Premier League) are shown. You can get direct access to this new page by clicking here. All the intended data for all league seasons prior to 1992 will be 'up' by the end of September, and the teams for all Cup matches will be 'up' later this year.

This is an attempt at showing statistical information in a more clear manner, while including the most relevant matters related to each match and events in the season. One departure from previous publications of this ilk is to keep league and cup results separate, but the players' combined records will be summarised and shown in the Players Database on this site.

NOTE that from the start of the Premier League (1992) I show all red card incidents - both Villa and opposition players - so that including the timing of Villa substitutes there is a bigger picture of comings and goings on the pitch. Also shown from 1992 is a chart of when the goals were scored in each match.

Please note that not only have I been a Villa historian for over 20 years but for 40 years was a computer applications consultant/designer/developer, and ran my own consultancy on that basis for 20 years, dealing with significant organisations. Thus in developing this site I have spent a considerable amount of time thinking about how to present this data in the most accessible way. Note that each season's match and team details are displayed with an image having a right-side slider to bring in and out additional data.

Thank you for reading this and please mail me (see the how-to on my webpages) if you have any difficulties or observations to make.

Many thanks,

UTV!

We Now Have A Premiership Team

Well, those words - "We now have a Premiership team" - (or similar) were an utterance from Dean Smith himself. They do not reflect my view. And I use it as the subject line as I - sadly - feel that this kind of statement (if he really believes it) could indicate that we continue as a club to live in a fool's paradise.

Though the Villa definitely put something together and did play better as a team over the last few games, there were plenty of frailties to be seen - the main one being the lack of belief in shooting on target, and particularly in not making the opposing keeper earn his bread and butter.

Let's face it, by the time we came to the 35th match of this staggered season, we came to be facing teams that did not have a lot to fight for. Their existence or success did not depend on beating the Villa, and if they had that kind of motivation, perhaps the results of these last four matches might have been different. As it was, it was a close run thing - if we had lost yesterday we would have gone down, and as Bournemouth had been twice successful against us this season, and taking into account our frequent slack play, perhaps they deserved to stay up.

But - hey - I'm a Villa fan. I shouldn't say those things, should I?

The fact, however, that there might be a false self-belief at Villa Park is somewhat worrying, and perhaps more so as Dean Smith is a well-known Villa fan himself and (we would like to think) knows what's in the mind of a good many Villa fans.

In looking at causes for the tragic state of affairs we nearly succumbed to, we must surely look at the modern view that seems to pervade Villa Park. And whenever I hear Boris Johnson say "We should go with the science" I am inclined to take him to mean what's also going on at Villa Park. What kind of science is it that abjures common sense that surely would tell us that we need Premier League experience to help guide us through the first season back in the top flight? What makes everyone think that 'science' is always right?

In each season since 2015, I have not detected much difference in the overall strategy in the thinking at Villa Park. That is, apart from Steve Bruce's time at VP, when he tried to apply a sense of experience that comes from many years of team management. Not that Bruce was perfect! He was most definitely not, but it was he that brought McGinn and Abraham to Villa Park and did other things that made good strategic sense. Before and after Bruce, however, the Villa have seemed to go for 'science' as the solution to Villa's needs, and hence we saw the intake of many players from around Europe (and Africa) who had no idea about Premier League football. Just what kind of 'science' was this? Although this season did not end nearly so badly when compared to 2015-16, the overall plan did not inspire confidence. In me at least.

As a Villa fan has commented recently on a blog:

Burnley, a ... club with zero fans... and a brand of football that would put a sloth to sleep, a club with pretty much no financial backing and have Villa rejects like Westwood, Bardsley and Lowton who were deemed not good enough over 5 years ago, and ... a club [that] gets [into the] Top 10 most seasons in arguably the hardest league in World Football. We should be ashamed of ourselves as a club.

Burnley, Palace, Brighton, Southampton, Sheff Utd, Bournemouth and Watford who imo are small clubs who are nowhere near the status of Villa in regards of squad [and] financial backing cruise the Premiership this season, it angers me in how badly this mismanagement has cost us this season.

Perhaps that fan was happier after yesterday's result, but I doubt that he would have changed his overall view too much.

A further worry has been the reliance of Jack Grealish to make the big difference. For me, a greater maturity only seemed to flower in the last four games, but against teams that allowed him to play - much more than the likes of Chelsea and Man U. For much of the season he seems to have spent more time on the deck rather than playing.

Well, perhaps the 3-months delay in re-activating the season worked for Villa. A fine article in the Daily Mail on Saturday talked of how much effort went into "late-night debriefs, video coaching by Zoom and barbecues". And by this process creating a bond and trust amongst the players to ensure they were all focused on one method and one attitude over the remaining 10 games. But it almost all came to nought, simply because strikers got nervous in front of goal. 

Yes, Villa have had some considerable setbacks during the season - injuries and peculiar VAR decisions have played their part, including that Man U penalty decision - but to have that Sheffield United 'goal' go by without further scrutiny was a tremendous piece of luck for Villa. As, indeed, was Antonio's squirmed shot early in the match yesterday.

Well. We go again - they say - within a few weeks. Jack may well be with us still when that happens, but we need a lot more than we can see in the squad right now if the next season is to be better. If a reported £135m was spent last year to purchase what we saw, how much more do the owners have to pay out for the coming season?  

There's little time for Smith to mould them into a better unit.

"Villa always make it difficult". Andy Townsend, July 26, 2020.

UTV!

Villa Move Up Yet Another Place!

These are both heady and palpitating times!

Up one place on Sunday because Bournemouth's goal difference sank, and two days later up a further place because of a merited win against a team we've not beaten at Villa Park for 22 years.

Football always surprises, but this one is almost a shock to the system. Although our team is not yet clear of relegation, we have hope for the first time since the League Cup final of stabilising our position in the Premier League.

A quite astonishing match, with not only Mings playing mind games with his opponent before helping the ball on for a cracking goal by Trez, but being able to stop the Pea-shooters (the erstwhile Gunners!) from getting a shot on target. Er, except a goalpost intervention that became closer to a goal when our keeper fumbled! 

In fact, did I see Villa move up a gear when Guilbert came on? He was only on the pitch for two minutes when Villa scored. Perhaps he was the unintentional surprise tactic to upset them.

It was a match where Villa seemed to play the same kind of strategy as Arsenal did over Man City in the Cup semi-final a few days ago. Villa defended well and kept their shape throughout, and broke out well at times. But - again - one or two excellent chances went begging, meaning that we were hanging on by our fingernails for longer than is healthy.

However, the much-changed Arsenal side seemed to indicate that the Gunners either thought a win would be easy, or they were more concerned about the upcoming Cup Final. Or both. However it was, it's now all down to Villa. A win at the Hammers on Sunday prevents relegation with reasonable certainty, but any other result depends on what the other relegation contenders do. For example, if Watford draw then we have to also get a draw as the minimum in order to stay up.

What is for sure: we must aim not to lose on Sunday!

This is not good for the heart ... after 70 years of watching too many seasons go by like this, I am getting worn out!

UTV!

Villa Move Up A Place!

Agatha Christie could not have written a better plot!

Bournemouth were losing 1-0 into added time (and should have been 2-0 down). Then Bournemouth thought they had scored in the fourth extra minute, but it was disallowed. Then Southampton scored again in the 8th extra minute to help Villa move up a place as we have scored more than Bournemouth!

So, as I see it, it's just (just!) a matter of us getting above Watford (4 or more points to their 0) - or we just getting 3 points and they conceding a lot against their 2 remaining opponents.

Bournemouth seem to be effectively down no matter what they do in their last match.


West Ham and Brighton are effectively safe.

This in the knowledge that in  the 1963/64 season Liverpool won Division 1, Leeds won Division 2 and Coventry won Division 3.  

... While Villa finished fourth from the bottom. (I was kindly reminded about this by a very alert Villa fan.)

It doesn't help my heart condition. I'm suing Villa!

UTV!

Stuck In the Goodison Toffee

There were times in this match when I saw Villa's midfield coordination working pretty well, and the team as a whole kept a not very impressive Everton at bay. Until, that is, those last few minutes when the Villa attackers' wastefulness in front of goal was punished. The defence had become weary and let them through the gate. It so reminded me of Villa's last game against the Albion in 1959, when they scored late to cause Villa to go down.

Jack's wanting that extra half-minute before shooting, a  further Samatta header over the bar, a Trezeguet mis-control and El Ghazi's astonishing lob over the bar when it needed more of a push to go into the net, were the pick of Villa's wasted opportunities.

But, again, it's a defender that has to score from a cute Conor free-kick to give Villa a much-needed lead. Mind you, Davis seemed to connect with the ball with a diving header before Konsa popped up, to cause the keeper to dive the wrong way. So that Davis effort was very useful.

What's the matter with Samatta? When he first arrived I thought he looked sharp and good, but since the re-start he's looked not very confident in front of goal. A pity. Davis, for me, looks the more useful player, but he still can't score either.

So, we go into the last two matches still with a chance for survival. But can we beat Arsenal? And can we then beat the Hammers? It is possible, but for as long as we waste our chances then there's doubt.

The old saying "what a load of wasters" comes to mind. Villa could have saved themselves by now with the chances available, but now we have two very big cup finals coming up.

Still, while there's life there's hope!

UTV!

How The Palace Was Shattered

On Sunday at 4:20 p.m., or thereabouts UK-time, the pulses of many Villa fans slowed down to a more healthy rate following a league win for the first time after 10 previous matches. During that time, only 2 draws had been obtained, and only 5 goals scored. Of those 5 goals, only one had been scored by a forward - and that had been 10 games before this one.

Villa's opponents in this latest match, Crystal Palace, had the temerity to field two ex-Villa players. Did Mr. Hodgson think they would be extra-fired-up against the Villa? But - worse - they are a club that decided to ditch the old Villa colours some 50-plus years ago. So, looking for their first points in five matches, the Palace came to Villa, thinking no doubt that our old club would lie down and concede them their wish. Thankfully - after all - this proved not to be the weak Villa side that gave up the ghost in 2015-16. This time they made a match of it.

The gaffer, talking of Villa's recent run of defeats, simply said that the recent matches were mostly against top-6 sides. Did he say this as though to say "We'll win this one!"? True, most of our recent matches were too much for this embryonic Villa squad, though we did have some chances against those teams and should have taken some of them. But, for me, against the likes of Zaha, the Palace were not to be thought of as push-overs.

And then we had a player injured before kick-off, and then another within minutes of the kick-off. Both the full-backs in fact. But, luckily, the two subs were probably just what we needed for this match, though Taylor had done a pretty good job.

But Villa's luck didn't look too good when Palace nudged the ball into the net after only seven minutes, only for it to be VAR-ed and declared a no goal. Phew. But I was pleased by the decision - not for the handball that they decided it was - but because Mr. Reina had bounced off one of our old players, Ayew, and was lying on the ground as the ball entered the net.

Ref., you should know by now that no goal is allowed if our keeper is lying on the ground! Says I! 😏

But it was Mr. Trezeguet who lit up the afternoon for me. Two good goals, and it should have been three from him. Yes, Jack probed here and probed there, but does he hack it any more than in the last match? No. Not for me. And as for the penalty cry, when he went into a booth to think about whether he would fall over or not, was too much! If he thought that was a trick worth trying then I'm the proverbial Chinaman! Perhaps I am!

Doubtless that reading through my nonsense you will be thinking I've had a tot or two after that result. No, but the result - by itself - did put a bit more life into me. Until, that is, the Bournemouth result ... Bournemouth had taken two points from their last nine games, so they were 'doing a Villa'. I expected them to be the second team soon to know they are down.

But, near two-thirds of the match gone, and Leicester winning 1-0, this was the commentary:

What a shambles! Kasper Schmeichel hits a goal kick into the back of his own player, Wilfred Ndidi. Callum Wilson picks up the ball and Ndidi and Schmeichel combine to bring him down.

The penalty was converted and it was 1-1.

Then:

Almost straight from kick-off Solanke is played in down the left of the area, he hits a low shot which Kasper Schmeichel should hold on to really but it squirms over the line.

Leicester was losing! 1-2. And then, straight away, they had a player sent off.

Bournemouth won 4-1 due to Leicester's suicide tactics. The third goal a massive deflection and the fourth another Leicester give-away.

It remains for Villa to now do some more catching up. As I see it, they have to get at least 7 points from their three remaining matches to stand a chance. Let's see what happens - though I watch without too much expectation.

But, who knows, after Trez scoring two versus Palace then maybe McGinn will want to score a hat-trick on Thursday! And will Jack decide to up his game?

UTV!

Relegation Itself Is A Big Enough Penalty, Surely!

So, so, sad. It's bad enough when you know fortune is not going your way by the thickness of a goal-post, but then to be immediately penalised so harshly at the other end would knock some of the stuffing out of the toughest competitors.

If this - and if that. In the first 25 minutes, Villa could well have been at least 2-0 up if their good chances had been taken - two of which stemmed from good retrieval by the forwards from over-cocky Man U defenders. Further, in that period Man U had produced nothing of note to worry the Villa defence unduly.

And then that awful penalty decision. In ordinary life it would almost warrant arrest for theft. What with three good goals being denied Villa by VAR in the early part of the season, this one just about took the biscuit.

But Villa, let's face it, have only themselves to blame for what has transpired during the season. Apart from some dubious summer signings, the worst decision - in my opinion - was the decision to model the team around Jack Grealish. I am so sorry to say this but though he shines in the Championship, in this unrelenting company he does not hack it for me. As captain and to miss two good chances (not even on target) in the last two games, and at important points in the game, does not reflect well on him. That is apart from the fact that he does not impose himself enough on the play to warrant being captain. A captain is supposed to set the example - not just prettiness of feet.

Harsh words perhaps, but this has proved to be a weak Villa team built around a false premise as I see it. Villa have needed more steel all season and the two so-called 'stars' - Grealish and Mings - have let the side down too much.

Having seen the disastrous season of 1966-67 (though it was a spirited fight until the last few games), the re-building of the club and the aftermath through the old Division 3 days, followed by the tremendous rise to top-notch over 10 years, the fact that Villa have progressively gone down the pan over the last 20 years is extremely concerning. The Lerner years were disastrous years of false dreams in my view. Now another period of false dreams. I really wonder where Villa can go from here.

Well, Villa are not quite down yet. But as the side cannot seem to score - only defenders have scored in the past half-dozen matches - hope has nearly completely drained from my heart. If you can't score you can't win. 

And, with football looking more like automated nonsense as the months go by, I doubt that the sport can be called a sport anymore. 

But the Villa tradition - as it once was - kept me going before. Now, I cannot see it returning.

Heartening - But Liverpool Were Heartless

I doubt that anyone really thought that our lot would get anything from Anfield, but the fact that the score remained goal-less after 70 minutes started to pump hope into my drained heart.

The team selection and format was 'as you were' in the earlier part of the season, and did look more balanced in my opinion. In fact, Villa held up very well and in my view should have done better with the limited chances they had. But, of course, the absence of three of 'Pool's 'big guns' - resting on the bench - was noticeable and, sure enough, when they came on the tide shifted.

But that didn't deter Villa, glad to say, and Grealish - in happier days - would surely have put away the great chance he had, although the 'keeper saved well, to be sure.

Both teams had similar amounts of goal chances, but Villa - as usual these days - lacked the confidence to strike well.

One noticeable thing was that McGinn was beginning to look more like his old self and lasted the full 90 minutes. I can only hope that he comes back to all-cylinders-firing for the rest of the season. Trezeguet, though, lacks confidence, and El Ghazi could do with a touch of extra pep as well.

The good thing is that there's still 5 games and a possible 15 points to go! And let's remember that even Wellington got worried that Nap was going to win until Blucher arrived!

Just one win in the next two matches could change things around completely: that's how close it is really. A win would surely bring back some much-needed confidence, in players and fans alike.

UTV!

Slipping ... and Dropping

Based on how the attack was at least getting shots in - and on target - in the first match back against the Blades, I felt that we were in a good state and would recover and avoid relegation. Particularly as our defence looked as though its leaks had been plugged.

The reality now appears to be different. We can see now that the Blades have fallen off from their previous, spirited, form, and it now looks more and more that we missed a great opportunity to take full points from them.

They say that "football is a confidence game". Confidence in the Villa players now looks to be at a low ebb: we look to be quite unconfident in the last third. Trezeguet has had two reasonable chances in the last two matches when his shooting seemed to have the hallmarks of a blown confidence, and when players like Grealish start over-hitting passes then it seems to reveal a loss of nerve - of confidence. Conor is another.

With McGinn looking like a shadow of his former self, it doesn't look at all good.

When I think back two years and remember how we blew a rampant Wolves off the park in a 4-0 win, I really wonder what has happened since. Memories like the pummelling of Sunderland 6-2 around six years ago, when we thought those were the dark days, leave me really wondering what has since happened.

I mention those two particular games not for the fact of substantial wins, but because in those games Villa stood up with gusto and were ready to be counted. The spirit was there. These days I get the feeling that the coach is almost telling the players which blade of grass on which to walk.

Discipline and order are good things, but it also needs confidence and inspiration to translate the organisation and effort into a win.

How - in a so-called breakaway - can you slow down to such a degree that you end up playing backward passes? This has happened around three or four times of late.

We are going backwards for sure, and I so hate to say that. Only by some incredible lift of confidence do we still stand a chance of avoiding the drop. I do not like to contemplate what would come after that, especially after such a recent and painful three years down under.

Meanwhile, Steve Bruce remains a Premiership manager.

UTV. ???

Jack Has To Go! - Hasn't He?

Well ... a predictable result, I suppose. But just as in the corresponding fixture at their patch, we took a surprising, and somewhat bundled-in, lead.

Their passing was way above our class it has to be said, but on reflection, I also think they are a physical side, and never let Jack get anywhere near constructing anything of note - except the time he took to set up Luiz to make an accurate and exploited centre for our goal. Fouling seems to be the way of stopping the only dangerous playmaker in our side at this level, and they gamble on the ref not doing anything about it 'til the game is near-finished. One yellow card for their misdemeanours against Jack is nowhere near fair - but that's football, it seems.

This brings me to an unfortunate conclusion - that whether Villa is relegated or not, that Villa should sell Jack and take what they can for him. I don't like to say that, but to have arguably our most dangerous player perpetually on the ground does not win a team any points. More often than not he seems to be a liability as far as points are concerned. The only way we can keep him and use him effectively (i.m.o.) is if we acquire a couple of other players who are at least of equal ability.

But let's turn away from that unwelcome topic and look at some other players. Davis did what he normally does, and Samatta also. But what, oh what, is the point of playing one striker so far from his colleagues? There's no-one nearby, usually, for the striker's strength to be translated into an attack. Certainly, against the likes of Chelsea that was mostly the case. We really should have made more effort to take the game to them - we lost anyway.

And there's Conor. Against a top side, I'm afraid he doesn't look very good. He runs and he tries, but what else? The very early utterly wasted free-kick made me feel this was not going to be his day, and I was waiting for him to go off at half-time.

Well, I've not yet lost hope of staying up - but we have to get something from the Magpies and Wolves games if we stand any real chance of staying up.

So, it's still UTV from me!

Villa's Blades Better Than Theirs!

Well ... It's back! It was almost hard to believe, but footie is back - just at the time when cricket, tennis and golf are usually getting into full swing.

The downside of last night's match, of course, was that we did not get the win to take us out of the bottom 3. And it could be a rich opportunity missed as I really thought that Villa should have had a win last night - they were certainly more worthy of a win than the Blades.

And yet the Blades were denied a real goal! An absolutely bizarre moment, it has to be said, as Villa's keeper was effectively bundled over the line by his own team-mate! But the technical stuff didn't pick it up and Villa were left with half a match to take what should have been a deserved win.

So much for technology, but it did work in Villa's favour! And - who knows - triggered a run of good fortune for Villa.

It was also bizarre that the man whose burly frame caused Villa's keeper to go back over his line was Keinan Davis, starting a Premiership match for the first time. How I love this player - possessing strength and no little skill he looked just the man to be Villa's main striker. But out of several chances he had to get the ball in the net (some very well saved), the only one he succeeded with was the effort that pushed his own keeper over the line! The last chance he had before being substituted was as a result of coming in just too late to prod the ball into the net.

As for anything else, well the effort was there and the back line looked ever so more solid in its latest guise. We'll see whether it works against the better teams that are queuing up to face Villa, but it was a much better-looking effort at the back and the Blades had so little chance to get any effort on goal.

What was so frustrating was that the Blades' keeper seemed always to be in the right place at the right time (shades of Sam Hardy I thought!), and but for him, Villa would surely have won well. There was no real fault to be seen in any of Villa's players really, except for a certain rustiness - particularly in McGinn, who I had expected to show more punch. Conor - amazingly - stayed on the pitch for the whole match and didn't do at all badly - particularly with his corner-kicks, most of which got to a Villa player. Jack did his usual stuff and seemed to have more freedom to play his game in the second half.

Villa, notably, had developed new tactics during their enforced break, sending in plenty of accurate over-the-defence long passes that may well have brought success before the break.

Well - we go again at VP on Sunday. But let's hope that Villa have been able to use this first match advantage over nearly everyone to good use. It might just have got Villa into a better state of preparedness. We hope!

UTV!