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!
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