Positive Signs But Same Old Woes

Once again I have mixed emotions after a Villa game and it's really starting to get on my wick! We've got it in the locker to play good stuff and dominate teams, we showed that at times today. Why then do we go ultra defensive as soon as we take the lead? We did it under O'Neill aswell but not quite to this extent. Mcleish is the only man responsible, and only he can fix it.

There were clear positives to take from today, the obvious one being scoring twice away from home. Stan's one in a million's are turning into one in ten's, N'Zogbia started to look like justifying his price tag (not totally yet) and Chris Herd did everything I thought he could do. We had moments where we dominated possession and we created a few good chances. Much better away from home.

But once again we are talking about dropped points. I know that both Sunderland goals could potentially have been avoided if the ref had given decisions our way but that doesn't excuse poor defending. The first goal was decent but easily avoidable and the second was just unforgiveable. The smallest player on the pitch with a free header from close range when we are just a couple of minutes from 3 valuable points.

If we cut out the stupid defensive errors and get Heskey out the side I think we have the makings of a solid
mid-table side. Unfortunately I think that's the best we can hope for but I for one would be happy with that. There have been whispers of relegation recently so I would be very pleased to cement our place in the Premier League.

Sunderland: PREVIEW

Another match day and once again I feel as though we need at least a point from the game.  Results have not been going our way recently for one reason or another, and it's about time we added to our points tally.

Sunderland are a vulnerable side at the moment.  They enjoyed a good victory over Bolton last week but I feel that if we can get at them early on and maybe take an early lead, we should be able to control the game.  We should be looking to start like we did against West Brom and hope that the ref doesn't ruin the game again.

Despite the loss of Bannan, we will go into the game with a strong looking squad.  Herd's suspension written off, Hutton fit and so is Jermaine Jenas who could make his debut finally.  Lets just hope he doesn't pick up another knock in the next 24 hours!  I expect Mcleish to look to try and steady the ship with a solid point, even though this is a very winnable game, so I expect the following line up:

                     Given

Hutton  Collins  Dunne  Warnock

              Petrov  Delph

  N'Zogbia  Ireland  Agbonlahor

                     Bent

I don't think Jenas will start but I expect him to play some part in the game.  I would love to see Herd keep his place but I can't see it happening and the same applies to Cuellar.  He's so reliable but managers always seem to want him as back up which is very unfair to him.

Why Herd Must Start Against Sunderland

Now that Herd is availible after his rescinded red card, it is clear to me that it is vital that he starts for us.  Especially now that Bannan is out of the equation we are low on midfielders, and the ones we do have availible are mediocre at best.

Herd gives us something that nobody else in our midfield does, and that's fight.  He gets right in the faces of the opposition and gets stuck in.  When was the last time we saw Petrov do that?

Away from home is where it is most noticeable.  We let our opponents hav the ball in the middle of the park, give them all the time in the world to pick out a pass and don't pressure them at all.  And then when we get the ball we get put under pressure straight away, we panic, then we lose possession.  This has become a recurring theme away from home, and sometimes at Villa Park aswell.

Herd can gie us that fight in the middle of the park which can win us possession and force errors from the opposition.  It seems like teams don't really worry when we come to visit them because we let them play their own game and don't dictate anything.  This needs to change and I think the way to change it is to play Chris Herd.

Hutton Doubtful For Sunderland (Thank God!)

Another good bit of news coming out of Villa today is that Alan Hutton is still a major doubt after a facial wound that forced him off against West Brom.  I'm not going to lie to you, I think he's a liability and we're better off without him.  I know I said i wanted to give him games to give him a chance but to be honest, he looks like he's getting worse! He could have seriously injured Shane Long last week and I think it's better for evryone if he doesn't play.  It also gives King Carlos a chance to show what he can do at right back (a much better job than Hutton for sure).

Herd Red Card Rescinded

A bit of better news coming out of Villa this week is the news that Chris Herd's shambolick red card against the Baggies has been rescinded so he will now be availible for the trip to Sunderland.  We were all expecting this outcome as I think the only people who think that it was a red card are Roy Hodgson and a few delusional Baggies fans.  I hope it hasn't affected the lad, he could have a future at Villa from what I've seen so far.

Bannan Suspended By Villa

Bad news coming out of Villa that Barry Bannan has been suspended pending an internal investigation over recent allegations of drink driving.  Bannan was arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning along with former Villa striker James Collins (Junior) and will not be availible for the trip to Sunderland.  This can only be seen as bad news as he is our only creative midfielder so chances should be even fewer and farther between compared to usual.  Lets just hope we can get this sorted out a.s.a.p.