We dropped two home points again yesterday. This was not a point won it was two lost as was the case in our previous home game against Sunderland. To have drawn one of these games would have been bad enough but to have drawn both, without scoring or really looking like scoring let alone winning is unacceptable.

These are the sort of home games we need to win and we can take little comfort from the two draws that we managed. A six point return from these games would have widened the gap between the teams that currently occupy the relegation places and ourselves to nine points rather than the five points that now separate us. It would have provided us with some significant breathing space with games against the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea on the way that could bring us back into the pack near the foot of the table. But we were nowhere near good enough to get a home win and football is about winning games which is something that we have rarely done at Villa Park for way too long now.

Both Villa goals and entertainment are at a premium at Villa Park. This was another dull game that will do little to see the missing thousands return to Villa Park and it offered scant reward to those who did turn up to see what was a poor game that had a scoreless draw written all over it from early in the game.

We may have had the lion’s share of the possession but what use is that if there is no end product. Our opponents were content to see us play the ball around in our own half because that offered no threat to them. We had little by way of ideas or forward movement when the ball did approach their box and this was way too comfortable an afternoon for a team that were always going to be happy with a point but came nearest of the two sides to taking all three.

There is no sign of improvement or of any bright future and given how poor both teams were yesterday our manager was no doubt relieved that only one potential new manager was watching this game from the stands. Games are not won by defending alone and it will take another 16 draws to keep us up!

My player ratings from a game that did little to promise a happier New Year for us and during which Bolasie hit the bar with a very passable Ronny Rosenthal impression on 16 minutes are:

Brad Guzan – 6 – Had a quiet afternoon but did produce a fine save on 12 minutes to keep it all square.

Alan Hutton – 7 – Solid at the back and did what he could to try to get us moving forward. Alan forced a good save from Speroni on 14 minutes following some very good work by Cissokho.

Ron Vlaar – Replaced by Clark on 15 minutes due to injury. Not on long enough to gather a rating and as he made for the dressing room I guess I was not alone in questioning whether that would be the last time he did so wearing our shirt.

Jores Okore – 8 – MOTM – A solid, confident and commanding defensive performance.

Aly Cissokho – 7 – A good defensive performance as demonstrated when he took the ball from McArthur’s feet on 63 minutes as he was about to pull the trigger.

Leandro Bacuna - 6 – Leo hit some misplaced passes but he was not alone in that. He also hit a free kick from the edge of the box just over on 27 minutes and had another one pushed away by Speroni on 87 minutes.

Tom Cleverley – 5 – Started well enough but he did not maintain the level of performance we are still waiting for him to provide consistently for us. Had a shot from the edge of the box blocked on 53 minutes.

Carlos Sánchez – 7 – Another good solid performance particularly given what was happening or was not happening around him.

Gabby Agbonlahor – 4 – This game like far too many previous ones passed Gabby by without him making any sort of discernable impression upon it. He really should have had the legs to do more in this one as he for one has not had a busy festive period.

Andreas Weimann – 4 – Works hard but that is not always enough and he produced no threat whatsoever up front yesterday.

Christian Benteke – 5 – He is growing increasingly frustrated by his continued lack of service and it is becoming more obvious with each game. He needs to try to make things happen himself almost as much as we need to feed the one player who can win games week in and week out for us if he is given something approaching the sort of service he needs to be able to do this. Weimann pulled the ball back to him in the second minute and his first time shot was kept out at his near post by Speroni. That was as good as it got for both us and Christian. On 71 minutes he spurned a clear chance to win it for us after Sánchez had done well to pick him out but his shot flew well over the bar.

Substitutes:

Ciaran Clark – 7 - Replaced Ron on 15 minutes and gave another solid performance alongside Jores .

Jack Grealish – 5 - Replaced Cleverley on 64 minutes. It is expecting a lot of Jack to come on and try to rescue games from the bench with an hour or more already gone. He was unable to make the sort of impression he does more often than not when he came on yesterday.

Joe Cole – Replaced Andi on 83 minutes. A welcome return to the first team action and he along with Jack needs to start our next game. Joe did not get enough time to make a difference or gather a rating on this occasion.

Up the Villa and a Happier New Year to all readers!

John Lewis

Source: Player Match Ratings: A New Year but the same Villa!