Slippy, Sloppy and Sluggish

This is one defeat too many as Villa fans are constantly offered a tantalising view of something good, but then see it fall apart.

I thought that by the look of the players in the Villa's squad at the start of the season that we would surely finish in the top-8, albeit the way the season started it was clear that some 'playing-in' was needed to get the players to gel. But Smith could not galvanise our lot. 

Now, however, it seems to be all too clear that any team above us is impossible to beat. After three straight defeats against such teams and Spurs and Liverpool next to come, I really wonder where we will be in the table in a month's time.

Today, wearing what appeared to be the wrong boots in the slipping and sliding, we barely seemed to be capable of creating anything, and with players like Watkins (in particular) and Bailey available to do the shooting, they need creativity. Little Courtihho was pushed out of the game quite a bit and I have to say (as things are) I feel that Buendia offers more over the span of an entire match.

Though I can see much of what Gerrard alludes to, and am aware of the clear goals that the club has set, I am now firmly of the belief that he has tried to push this squad too much too soon. Replacing Targett so quickly was over the top in my opinion, as the first case in point. Matt had shown before that he can play really well and I really feel that the chief coach was too impatient with him. And now Digne seems to be showing a sign of proneness to injury.

Bringing Courtinho in was a brilliant idea, and his presence has worked against the lesser opposition. But today he looked devoid of real ideas apart from his one shot on target which was very well saved. He may well show up better once the quality of the side is up to, say, the Liverpool level. Until then, my opinion is that we should have kept to the same players that we had after the summer signings. I feel that group, properly managed, would have finished in the top-8, or at least looked more likely to achieve it.  

I feel that Sanson and Bailey should have previously been given more backing, too, and though their performances today were not brilliant, it may well mostly be because they have not been playing enough.

It could be that what Gerrard has been doing with the players has been too intensive. They look more like machines against the better teams, perhaps worrying that they might be disobeying clause 235 sub-para 2, and all the other gubbins that Gerrard tells us they've been loaded with.

Dear old Joe Mercer in his autobiography said that he did not believe in too much coaching. And, remembering his early days at Villa when he was putting together something quite good (but let down by his board) I still think he was right. He achieved great things at Man City and even had a temporary period as England manager during which time the national team played some wonderful stuff - as it did under Ron Greenwood too if my memory serves me right. 

Football is surely more of an instinctive game, and the Wolves attackers today showed some of that. I'd like to see more of it at VP.

However, I'm still a long-suffering Villa supporter and always will be!

UTV!