This is a game that’s best not dealt on. Lambert said it himself after the game, Villa deserved nothing. Of course, Everton were one of the top five teams last season, but that hasn’t stopped other teams taking points off them this season.
Without the injured Delph it was always going to be difficult for Villa to find the spark to turn this game into a real contest.
While Everton ran out comfortable 3-0 winners, at the same time Southampton managed to score twice the amount of goals in one game than Villa have scored in eight. If you don’t score, you don’t win and there’s only one half of the table you end up in. Villa at the moment are alarmingly toothless.
It’s not panic stations yet, but the next four games will provide a better window see what we should expect in the forthcoming months. In the meantime, here’s five reasons to be cheerful as Aston Villa fans…
1. Ron’s Return
Ron Vlaar is back from the injury wilderness. It might not have influenced the result against Everton much, but with Senderos injured, Okore AWOL and Baker leaving the match injured, Villa’s centre-back berths look far from solid now. Image going into the QPR game with only Clark as the solitary fit centre-back against QPR.
2. Leakier Than Villa
Speaking of QPR, Villa’s next game is against the only team who have managed to rack up a worse goal difference than Villa’s. With Villa’s on -8, QPR is the only team in minus double figures.
QPR were the instigators of their own demise in their recent 3-2 home defeat to Liverpool. Two own goals including one from agent Dunne (obviously getting his eye in for the Villa game) suggest they are a team that don’t cope well under pressure. The question remains though, can Villa create enough to make QPR panic?
3. Hutton Grit
Despite being part of a defence that was guilty of switching off on occasions at Goodison, Alan Hutton at least showed grit and a willingness to get forward to give Villa some attacking menace. More support down the right-flank by Villa’s forward players would certainly help the effectiveness of Hutton’s marauding runs. At least there’s something to work with, considering how listless Villa’s attack has been in recent weeks.
4. In and Out
While Senderos and Delph’s injuries are far from ideal, at least the return of Benteke and Vlaar has timed to cover up the weakening of the first ix. Okore is supposedly fit too, but his absence from the Villa set-up continues to leave Villans scratching their heads.
Grealish signing on for four more years has also given fans a short-term lift, but the real benefits seem likely to come in the long-term, as Lambert hasn’t completely settled on him yet as a match day squad member, despite the lack of dimension Richardson brings to the Villa forward threat.
5. In it to Win it
MOMS made the finalists of the Footballing Blog Awards – the only Villa representative. We only entered at the last minute, so thanks to all those who have voted so far. Now comes the hard part…winning it! The voting started from scratch again this week, so if you haven’t voted this week, please do so again. The deadline for votes is November 7th.
Every vote will count for the public vote, so if you’ve enjoyed MOMS over the years, please do vote using the methods below.
VOTE
To give us a chance of gaining glory in the name of Aston Villa, we need your votes to beat the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Bradford City (remember them?!) blogs. Below are all the ways you can vote. Your time in doing so is much appreciated. UTV
How to Vote Via Twitter
If you have a Twitter account, copy and paste the following into a Tweet and post it:
I am voting in @TheFBAs for @oldmansaid as the Best #established Football Blog
Alternatively, click on the following link to vote instantly via Twitter: Vote MOMS
To vote for us via the FBA website or Facebook…and click on My Old Man Said in the ‘Established’ category.
Click here to visit the Football Blogging Awards site page
Click here to vote via Facebook
At last Mr Lambert has not praised the team when it was a poor villa performance. Everton seem pleased with their performance when it was poor to.
My worry is two of our better players seem reticent to sign a new contract which has and always has been a reflection on Mr Lerner,he was at Everton to see the match and must have realised why villa supporters neither like or trust him.
agree with hutton,,
injuries come at the wrong time,, but we are where we are,, i like richardson and i think he can be ok center mid, and as with cleverly they need games, but we need goals and we created little although weinman should have scored and bentekes goal another day may have stood
and cissoko had a poor game all round,,
i feel there are no goals in this team,, cant see cleverly or westwood delph and richardson in the goals
players with goals in them,,, bacuna, cole, weinmann
and play grealish and agbong on the wings and use there pace/dribbleing
crosses in general this season have been poor as have set peices,, but this will change as bentekes form returns
i still think there is a good side in there, but its clear they have lost a bit of confidence
The season starts at QPR. With VLaar and Benteke back, a point is the minimum. And goals.
I hope not to see Grealish starting until we are comfortably mid table. At 19 years and one month he has two more years before he reaches his adult fighting weight.
Okore, Cole and the other signings in mid summer are the priority to start
Trevor FIsher