Saints Versus Villans

This latest showing was surely virtually a replay of the Arsenal match! In that match at the Emirates we almost came in at half-time only 0-1 down, but for that penalty. At St. Mary's it was 0-1 down at h-t, but, again, it could have been 0-2 or even 0-3. Such was the pathetic display shown in the first 30 minutes by a team led by virtually £100m worth of 'talent'.

I do feel so sorry for NSWE, the all-encompassing (forgive the pun!) partnership that almost seems too good to be true. They have stumped up wherever they have been told it was needed, but only to be let down by - I am very sorry to say - average management.

Villa' second half - as at Arsenal - was so much better, but that £100m attack was just not good enough to breach a determined and wily Saints' defence. And they had Ward-Prowse.

And the matter about Ward-Prowse is key, because the fact that Villa chased after him so hard is proof that the Villa recognises that their midfield is so short of real power. And it is. I have for so long been pointing this out. Namkamba nor Luiz are power-houses, and McGinn has his limitations, though he does give his all.

How is a £100m attack going to flourish without adequate supply? Added to which Beundia seems not to be in his best playing position.

Sanson, we probably thought, was going to provide the much-needed power to push Villa forward, but - like a lot of other Villa buys - seems to get afflicted by an injury virus, not only by sickness.

So, Dean may have some form of excuse in that he has not been able to get a powerhouse to push his team forward, but does that excuse these lame first-half performances? In fact, I was struggling to understand how Dean included El Ghazi, as he surely should have received his marching orders before half-time and did nothing else first-half. Then, like a number of other players, he suddenly woke up after the break.

Martinez - without whom we surely would have lost more decisively - said in midweek that the Villa lads had coalesced after last week's shambles and were determined to beat the Saints. But this latest first half proved to be another shambles. At least Dean seems to have given them a suitable shelling at half-time. The Villa probably deserved a draw in the end, but poor shooting prevented that.

As to Villa's defence, Mings played as well as he could but clearly missed his usually reliable sidekick Konsa. The backs did reasonably well, and although Targett is not showing up so well this season, I don't think he should be 'targetted' (sorry!) for so much blame. As for Martinez, well, he's probably the most agile and stunning Villa keeper I have seen since Nigel Sims was at his best 60+ years ago, though Bosnich had his moments.

So, there was I waiting for Philogen-Bidace to come on and create mayhem down the Saints' flank, but no. And that fact alone - the reluctance to bring on young talent with spark when spark is what's needed - helps me to further conclude that Smithy is not up to the job. Smithy will do well as a manager at lower-level clubs, or as assistant coach to other Premier League clubs, but when English managers like Graham Potter and Sean Dyche (and dear old Sam Allardyce) can squeeze the nectar out of a rock, Smithy seems to be much too easy-going.

And his team selection ideas do not seem to measure up to the need of the day. Nor does it seem that players like Mings and Sanson have been too impressed; I get the impression that there is a touch of agitation in the camp. OK, it is a manager's task to sort that out, but why inflict such unneeded trouble on yourself, Dean? There's no Jack Grealish, now, to get you out of this hole that you have dug.

Five defeats on the trot and now two weeks to let the worry fester. Can the Villa beat next-up Graham Potter's Seagulls? A draw perhaps.

UTV!