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!

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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!

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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.

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