Every game is a learning curve for Villa fans this season, but was the QPR result a case of glass half-empty or half-full? What we learnt this week after three games in a week…
With Steven Green
1 – Bent over backwards.
Before the Reading game, as I’m sure you know, rumours of Darren Bent storming out of the ground were rife. This caused one hell of a stir on Twitter before we all found out that it just wasn’t true. He hadn’t even gone Christmas shopping, he was sat in the stands looking grumpy, but there supporting his teammates.
His role as an unused sub against QPR caused further speculation to his future, and in all honesty I feel bad for him. He’d have been ineffective against Rangers, as the forwards were too isolated, so he was damned if he did, and damned if he didn’t.
Whatever your feelings toward the man, the constant speculation is distracting from what’s actually happening on the pitch. No one player is bigger than the club, and strikers will come and go as they have done before him. If he goes then fair play, best wishes to him, if he stays, great, let’s get behind him.
2 – Edgy youth.
Although it bodes well for the future, the one main problem with having such a young squad is the indecisiveness and susceptibility to pressure. The result against Reading could have, and perhaps should have, been a lot bigger if it weren’t for a few wrong choices when going forward.
The inability to adequately deal with pressure could be a problem because it will mean that we don’t pick up as many points as possible against the teams around us, especially at home, which should be our fortress.
3 – An ugly win is better than losing beautifully
To ground out a tough result against another side fighting for their lives after coming off the back of a physically draining game against Arsenal two days prior is a really good thing. The Reading result suggests the team has guts.
A win is a win.
4 – Holman’s Howitzers
He finally got one, and it was bloody glorious. A Hitzlesperger-esqe strike has been coming since day one and he’s had more than enough chances. It’s still hard to know exactly what Holman does other than close players down like a whippet on heat, but it’s certainly comforting to know that he has a long-range strike like that in his locker.
5 – Look on the Brightside
We’re now undefeated in three games, that equals our best run of a horribly dismal 2012. Villa are still on course to get the seven points that many of us had projected out of these three vital games against the team’s around them, a win against Stoke will set us up very nicely for the festive run. UTV
What else did we learn? Let us know in the comments below – you can also sign in with facebook and twitter accounts. UTV
Steven Green, one of the hosts of the AVFC Review podcast and writer for Shoot Magazine and a fellow Real Oviedo shareholder. Also check out his band @echolakeband
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