Is Dean Deliberately Winding Us Up?!

Well, it happened without Grealish more or less as I thought it would - for 75 minutes. Villa looked completely uninspired apart from some early drive by McGinn and a couple of surges from Sanson. Then fresh legs came on belonging to players who wanted to impress. All three did that and at the same time woke up a couple of the players around them.

After Villa presented Fulham with a giveaway goal that's best not talked about, Traore actually put Villa's first shot on goal after 75 minutes and it was perhaps that moment that reminded Villa that shooting was required to score. Substitute Trez looked all fired up with 2 goals from 4 attempts and Ollie got a goal after a long drought, putting away a gimme following sumptuous work by Traore, which was about only the third worthwhile thing he did all match.

But for me the best goal was that constructed by Davis, who shrugged away a defender as though he was not there and provided a sublime chance for Trez. Does this not show that Davis would be excellent support for Ollie, if given the chance? I've always admired Davis's strength and pace and with more time on the pitch he might just get his confidence back.

Mind you, the equalising goal - set up by Mings to make up for his earlier gaff - was not bad either. Thank goodness Trez was on the pitch today - he seemed to be itching to score his first goals of the season, and looked hugely more lively than El Ghazi.

However, though today's dismal first 75 minutes was bad enough, the fact that Jack again did not play must give us a huge reason for concern. Are the years of exposing his legs to punishment finally catching up with him? To me it sounds all the world like a stress problem, and if that is the case then it might bring about an unwelcome and very premature end to his career. I would be the first in hoping that is not the case, but I have long thought the club should have been more careful about protection for his legs.

Well, let's look on the bright side and hope that Jack is being kept back as the not-so-secret weapon to play Liverpool next match.

UTV!