Aston Villa 1, Tottenham 2: Bill Howell's big match verdict
Mar 16 2009 by Bill Howell, Birmingham Mail
And there is little doubt that the club have hit a brick wall. And a big one at that.
So big in fact that it’s blocking out the sunshine that enveloped the club during their 13-game unbeaten run – their longest in the top flight since before the Great War.
Villa have now taken only 22 points from 15 home league matches, winning only two of their last 10.
They were loudly booed at the end against Spurs almost as audibly as they were after that late collapse to Stoke.
Having your best season in 19 years means very little indeed to some restless natives right now.
Sitting in fifth place in the Premier League seems hollow.
What about ending a decade of non-qualification for Europe without the InterToto?
You might as well whistle in the wind if you think that means anything more than a trifling consolation to hard-nosed claret and blue-ites.
Ah, that Stoke City collapse.... eight points clear of Arsenal became six in a Glenn Whelan boot. That became three in a day and is now none.
Anfield and Old Trafford await. Then a potential fifth-place decider against a buoyant Everton side who do not know how to lose.
Villa have been written off before, and as recently when they had lost to both Newcastle and Middlesbrough and went to Arsenal seemingly to get their backsides kicked.
Perhaps there is hope?
Potentially there is, although it will probably need a shift back to the 4-5-1 counter-attacking style that gleaned so many points up to Saturday February 7 at Blackburn – a club record seventh straight away win.
How long ago all those victories now feel.
Harry Redknapp’s first visit since the notorious 50 pence incident of last October went without a hitch.
Redknapp had criticised Villa supporters as “filth” after being the subject of verbal abuse in Portsmouth’s 3-1 win at Villa in December 2007.
This time around Villa supporters were more concerned in loudly cheering the decision by Martin O’Neill to take off Gabby Agbonlahor near the end.
