Embarrassed and deflated but Aston Villa are safe, despite a 6-1 beating at Southampton on Saturday afternoon. Tim Sherwood has transformed Villa over the past few months, but today was an embarrassment for him and the club. Sherwood described it as an ‘awakening’ and it sure was given the FA Cup final is only two weeks away.
The class shown by the Saints, could not be denied but Villa did themselves no favours. After 13 minutes Saido Mane started a majestic hat trick. Mane side-footed home after Given’s initial save. A minute later Villa capitulated, and Mane had his second when Long intercepted a poor Vlaar back-pass, with Mane side-footing into an empty net. History was made two minutes later, when Mane took his third, putting the Saints into an unassailable lead.
By this stage Villa fans must of been thinking of the long journey back up to the Midlands. It took Southampton only 10 minutes to score a fourth with Villa’s old nemesis, Shane Long finishing from just inside the penalty area. When Sherwood thought it could not get any worse it did. A fifth, 12 minutes later. Long scoring his second with arguably one of the greatest goals to be seen this season. Shay Given was given (excuse the pun) no chance of saving it. It was already curtains by this point, making Villa fans very nervous for the second half and the last 135 minutes of their team’s season. Benteke eased half-time slightly, with a bullet header on the stroke of half time. Every player seemed of coasted through the first 44 minutes totally unaware that they were 5-0 down.
The second half proved more fruitful, so to speak. With the defence fairing much better, still conceded again though, with Mane terrorising further, setting up Pelle for a simple sixth. The result will be a massive concern for Tim Sherwood, but his side are now safe after, Hull lost to Spurs in the three ‘o’ clock fixture.
Overall, it leaves Tim Sherwood questioning his tactics and the way some Villa players conducted themselves. But many are not complaining given the turnaround Sherwood has brought. An FA Cup final awaits and a sold out final game of the season to Burnley next Sunday.
