It`s difficult to sum up just how I feel about that defeat. We started the first half pretty well, but it`s fair to say that Chris Herd`s sending off completely changed the game. I think those who saw the incident will realise that it wasn`t a sending off, and that the linesman got completely the wrong end of the stick. I genuinely didn`t think that things would go as wrong as they did as half time was approaching, but we were undone at set pieces again, and it just isn`t acceptable.
The one thing that I was really happy about today, in the first half at least, was the attitude of the players. Tackles were being crunched in left, right and centre, and I think that was a really pleasing thing to see because for a long time now Villa have been accused of being ‘soft touches` or of having a ‘soft centre`, but I genuinely do believe that the fight we showed in the first half proves that we aren`t.
Of course, the only problem with that is things can always be construed as going slightly overboard, as has been suggested with Alan Hutton`s tackle on Shane Long. In the full speed, live action, to me it did look like a slightly meaty challenge, but ultimately one that got the ball first. Doubtless that Roy Hodgson and everyone else associated with West Brom will have a different viewpoint, but I`m really not sure that it was as bad as Long made it out to be.
I think the only other positive that we can take out of today is the atmosphere that we, as fans, created to try and help the team on in the first half. It`s definitely the best atmosphere that I`ve heard and been a part of at Villa Park this season, and I know that I`ve been a little critical of attendances this season, I just really hope that it can carry on the further we get into the season. After all, if things only get worse from here on in, the team will need us!
The first big chance of the game fell to our predatory (but not here!) England international striker Darren Bent. Wee Scotsman Barry Bannan mis-cued a shot and it fell fairly kindly to Bent, but it was blasted over the bar. This was followed up by Bannan volleying narrowly over the bar as the claret and blue representatives of the west Midlands opened the exchanges as the far superior side.
Then came a period of play that really seemed to fire everyone up. Alan Hutton launched into his crunching tackle and apparently Shane Long couldn`t continue, but not before pushing Hutton over as the ball went out for a throw in and generally annoying him enough so that he felt that he had to kick him again to see him off completely.
Minutes later, an almighty cock up between Steven Reid and dirty bluenose (ex or otherwise) Ben Foster allowed Gabby the chance to score but he ended up being felled by the on loan stopper. Up stepped Darren Bent to calmly dispatch the penalty and in the process secure me a few extra Dream Team points. I might even Tweet him to say thank you.
Of course, we all know the next major incident that followed that, and there were two big problems with it. Firstly, it wasn`t a penalty, and second of all, even if it was worthy of being a penalty, he shouldn`t actually have given it because of the way the play developed. What twatbag did today was the equivalent to this scenario: If the opposition got a corner, and then Villa cleared it and launched a counter, but back in our penalty area Given got wound up and pushed an opposition striker onto the floor, is it a penalty? No, it`s an off-the-ball incident that any other ref would deal with when play stopped.
Anyway, the penalty was missed, to much joy, but it didn`t last long, as the man the Holte End christened ‘Gypo`, who happened to be at the centre of the penalty scandal, ended up getting his curly-locked nut onto the ball and into Villa`s net.
In the second half, Villa really didn`t look like doing anything at all, even when the substitutions were made and Albrighton and Heskey were brought on, and with the way Albion started the second half it should really have been no surprise that they ended up scoring a second, as another corner ended in disaster and Scharner blasted a finish past Given. Some even thought that Albion had scored a third, but it ended up being disallowed for offside.
So, Albion secured their first win at Villa Park for God knows how long, and I really don`t know where we can go from here. I would have said that Sunderland next week looks like a game where we could write a few wrongs, but after the defensive performances of the last few games I`m now not so sure. Even Norwich looks a bit trickier now. Still, I`m not going to bore you with trying and failing to predict the future, let`s just wait and see what happens, and hope that it doesn`t get too bad.
Player Ratings
Shay Given 7
Couldn’t be blamed for the goals, made a few good saves.
Alan Hutton 6
Did decently enough, I liked his attitude today.
Stephen Warnock 6
Did well, and I considered him for man of the match.
Richard Dunne 5
Looked really immobile today. Worrying.
James Collins 6
Ditto Dunne, but slightly less exaggerated.
Stan Petrov 5
A few too many loose passes today for my liking.
Chris Herd 6
Looked like our best player, but getting sent off cost him a higher rating.
Charles N’Zogbia 4
Didn’t notice he was playing. Something needs to be done with him, and quickly.
Barry Bannan 6
Retains some credibility, looked lively.
Gabby Agbonlahor 5
Wouldn’t have noticed him either if it wasn’t for his green boots.
Darren Bent 6
Got a goal and should have scored again. Doesn’t contribute much outside the box but we know that by now.
Carlos Cuellar 6
Great to see him back, didn’t really do anything wrong.
Emile Heskey 5
Just stood around adding a bit of strength to things.
Created a few opening but all his crosses were poor.
