Usually when in the mire and under pressure, the Villa players pull something out of the bag to keep us hoping. Hoping enough that maybe we will be okay, but after the 2-0 loss to Hull. It’s a struggle to see where that hope is going to come from.
The game started promisingly for Villa, somewhat of a new brand of possession based football was employed again – something we have seen for the past few months with a stronger midfield (on paper) and Carles Gil having the technical ability to beat a player and move the ball in a positive direction. Although, old problems seemed to come back and haunt us. In the 22nd minute Hull Keeper Alan McGregor pumped the ball forward from a goal kick in true traditional fashion in an attempt to test the resolve of Jores Okore and Ciaran Clark. The lack of confidence in the two was apparent; only Okore left his position to attack the ball. Hull’s deadline day signing Dame N’Doye took the ball and played in Jelavic who scored, only for a lucky deflection off Clark. Riding luck has never been a strong point of Aston Villa’s game in recent years and it seems like that tradition is going to carry on as the season progresses, unfortunately for the Villa faithful.
Time went on in the first half without incident. We created very little during the game, especially in the first half where one of the best chances we had was from a 30 yard free kick that Ashley Westwood took, where he opted to shoot on goal and test Alan McGregor, but to no avail unfortunately for Villa. Half time saw the inclusion of Benteke from the bench after another ineffectual performance from Weimann, but that did nothing for the Claret and Blues in the second half. The best chance coming deep into injury time with Benteke forcing a superb save out of Alan McGregor. But before that it was too late, Dame N’Doye got the winner at the second time of asking, after forcing a weak hand from Brad Guzan and putting away the parry late into the second half.
The game against Hull has sparked outrage from Villa fans, with the Birmingham Mail declaring today that they want Paul Lambert sacked, and ex-players like Andy Grey saying Paul Lambert is taking the team down to the championship. In Lambert’s defence, he’s had all this pressure before – but with such a better team than in previous years, and after having 3 seasons to build his team, it seems like it’s all too much of a bitter pill to swallow. Good things are happening at B6 with the extension of Delph’s contract, the revamp orchestrated by new Chief Executive, Tom Fox – but where it matters isn’t going right and it needs rectifying, immediately.





