You could say Aston Villa have reached core meltdown this week. While, it’s not the first time they have been beaten at home by Liverpool, the eleven players might as well have planted a white flag in the centre circle before kick-off and driven off home in their flash cars (see player’s instagram pictures).
Early doors in the weekend’s home game against Liverpool, I commented to a friend on the difference of intensity in Leicester’s closing down of Arsenal players in the day’s earlier fixture compared to Villa’s lacklustre and casual zonal marking against Liverpool. The warning signs were there, throw in some Sunday League defending and the 6-0 was no surprise.
The players let themselves down, Garde let himself down (maybe get your team to press the opposition, if they have decent players like Liverpool do?) and Villa’s relegation was as good as rubber-stamped.
Liverpool had scored five when they visited Norwich, the difference though was Norwich scored four in reply and should have got something from the game.
Villa’s recent finding of some semblance of form against average teams has been too little, too late. Thus they needed to step up against the bigger teams. You only have to see what Sunderland did to Manchester United to see the level of what Villa needed to achieve on Sunday.
“Randy Lerner what a wanker, what a wanker”, rang out from the Holte End several times during the Liverpool game as the goals rattled in. The fans know who is ultimately responsible for the club’s downfall, but the Villa owner now sits in an ivory tower in America having relinquished responsibility to Hollis and Fox.
During the game, several Villa fans were thrown out with stewards declaring marshall law on any supporter using Tom Fox’s name in vain. The Villa CEO has employed personal security guards, as MOMS first reported at the AVST AGM (while he lays off other staff). This is a sad state of affairs and there was no surprise when an ex-Villa worker broke her silence on the toxic atmosphere at the club.
While as supporters we plan to get our club back, here’s five reasons to be cheerful as Aston Villa fans…
4. Blank Benteke
No goal for that Benteke chap. Everything else went wrong, even Kolo Toure scored his first Liverpool goal, but at least Big Ben didn’t have to go through the motions of a non-celebration.
The Belgium striker who is perhaps the last Villa player to earn real love from the support, got a good reception from the home supporters, who sang his song, when he came on as a substitute.
While Benteke isn’t having the greatest time at Liverpool at the moment, he must have thought to himself after the game, ‘Thank f**k I got out of there when i did”.
I always use to say Christian Benteke gave Villa a chance against any team, as Villa’s recent trips to Anfield and a certain FA Cup semi-final proved. He had the quality to make the difference and win games. Liverpool will surely learn to harness his power eventually.
Villa simply didn’t match the ambition of Benteke, nor did they build a decent team around him and take advantage of his talent. His only role for the conservative Villa board was as a ‘get out of relegation’ card.
If he was around in the O’Neill years when we missed a proper goalscorer and were just playing Gabby on his own up top, then Top 4 probably would have happened and he would have taken us on to greater things. Still, thanks Mr Benteke for saving our bacon while you were here.
so what is the plan you refer to? Its time to let us know
trevor fisher