This performance or should I say lack of it was simply not good enough. We were as bad yesterday as we had been good twice at Villa Park against the same opponents last season. This game meant something to us but it seemed to pass our players by unnoticed. We carried too many passengers yesterday and you really cannot afford to not have everyone up for it in games like these.    

Albion got their revenge all too easily yesterday. They clearly wanted it much more than we did and bossed the game from start to finish playing the sort of football that we expect from a Tony Pulis team. They were uncompromising but effective and could not be described as being pretty to watch. Their winner which could not have been described as having come against the run of play came from a striker who wanted away from the club but that did not stop the Baggies celebrating it.

We did not impose ourselves early. In the continued absence of Gueye we lost the midfield almost without a fight. We also posed no sort of threat up front without the pace of Traore and with Gabby unsurprisingly looking like a fish out of water in attempting to lead the line. We did get a little better in the second half but it would have been hard to have become any worse and we did not improve enough to ever really look like pulling this one out of the fire. The referee made two decisions that went against us on 64 and 71 minutes that might have given us something from this lack lustre performance but that was never going to happen was it?

 The team have the opportunity to make some sort of amends on Tuesday night. But a performance that is anything like the one that they produced yesterday could even against such limited opponents produce the unthinkable and unpalatable that evening. Make sure it does not happen!    

 My player ratings from a sorry game that has left us still without a league win at Villa Park and occupying the same lowly league position that we finished last season in are:

Brad Guzan – 7 – A much better display and Brad did much to keep our deficit down to a single goal. Made a good reaction save to keep out a Rondon header in the second minute and was grateful Berahino was unable to get a firmer touch when gathering his 19^th minute effort. Did well to push a Fletcher shot past the post on 31 minutes but was left on his knees when Berahino deflected a Morrison shot past him 8 minutes later for their winner. Brad made a save at the second attempt from Rondon on the hour mark and held a far post Rondon header on 83 minutes.                           

Alan Hutton – 6 – Solid enough at the back but although he got plenty of the ball when moving forward he was not able to do as much with it as he would have wanted. Alan was possibly unlucky not to have gained a penalty when Berahino appeared to handle his 64^th minute cross just inside rather than outside the area.                             

Michah Richards – 6 – Found the back of the net with a header from a Lescott ball into the box but with the ball on its way to him the referee blew his whistle rather than played the advantage on 71 minutes.    

Joleon Lescott – 6 – Looks like he can form a solid partnership with our captain when they have had the time to work on it as did Clark and Okore last season.                                 

Jordan Amavi – 6 – Needed to produce a stronger challenge on Dawson in the build up to their winner. Made a nice run into the box on 52 minutes prior to a Sánchez shot from the edge of the box being easily held by Myhill.                          

Carles Gil – 6 – Looked decent enough when he had the ball at his feet. Had an effort on goal deflected after Gabby had had pulled the ball back to him inside of the box on 26 minutes.            

Ashley Westwood - 4 – Flashed a shot wide of the post on 24 minutes but made little positive impression yesterday. He can and needs to do so much better than this.                                        

Jack Grealish – 5 – He was not at his best yesterday and came up against a side who allowed him little to no room to play in. He will learn from games like this. Jack did not make the sort of impact we and I am sure he has become accustomed to making which was disappointing given he is a local lad and so was fully aware of the importance of this game to us. He will have much better days such as on Tuesday night I trust.                  

Carlos Sánchez – 7 – MOTM – Carlos is a rare player who can hold his head high after this game. He was very solid and tidied up very well when in defensive positions. Sadly he did not have enough support alongside him to turn the tide in midfield but this was a very encouraging display from him.      

Scott Sinclair – 4 – We could have done with one of his goals yesterday but his contribution had been minimal before his half time substitution.      

Gabriel Agbonlahor – 4 – Gabby was never going to win balls in the air against Albion’s towering defenders but that did not stop us putting ball after ball to him in the air particularly in the first half. He surprisingly did win one or two, occasionally looked interested by chasing after the ball and did produce a 69^th minute cross that Myhill gathered at the second attempt. But this was not a derby day for him to remember and he caused very little concern to the defenders he came up against. If selected on Tuesday he will need to show a lot more if he is to retain a starting place albeit the queue to replace him is a short one.                

Substitutes:

Rudy Gestede – 4 - Replaced Sinclair at half time but failed to provide the spark we were looking for up front. Was unchallenged when he connected with a Bacuna cross on 91 minutes but his header sailed harmlessly over the bar.    

Leandro Bacuna – Replaced Gil on 76 minutes and was not on long enough to merit a rating.   

Jordan Veretout - Replaced Sánchez on 82 minutes. Jordan was not given long enough on the field to earn a rating. 

Up the Villa!

John Lewis