Aston Villa lack craft at home as Wigan ride their luck

31 January 2009 18:35
So accustomed are we to managerial wiles that no one ever considers the theory that one might be telling the plain truth. [LNB]Yet this appeared to vindicate Martin O'Neill's contention, oft-repeated since his Aston Villa got among the established top four, that all of the Champions League participants, Arsenal included, are ''better than us''.[LNB]That Villa's lack of craft when obliged to force the pace at home remains a shortcoming was evident in this one-dimensional display.[LNB] For the fifth time in the League this season, they treated their fans to a scoreless draw and, while two of these have been against Manchester United and Liverpool, the pattern is reasonably conclusive: while Villa's Plan A renders them dangerous in the air, there is no Plan B worthy of the description.[LNB]True, a succession of lumped balls to centre-forwards - Villa finished with no fewer than three - did make enough chances to cause the woodwork to reverberate twice and require several goal-line clearances from a Wigan defence of the utmost obduracy.[LNB] ''I can't remember being under the cosh that much and getting away with it,'' admitted a relieved Steve Bruce, who did point out that his team had been shredded by injury and the transfer window.[LNB]Meanwhile O'Neill said: ''I'm proud of my players' relentless effort in the second half - on the day, it just wasn't to be.'' But more variety is necessary if Villa are to stay in serious contention for a place in Europe's leading competition next season. [LNB]Maybe we should not expect too much of them too soon; a glance at the table confirms that under O'Neill they have made steady progress, if not in terms of style or flexibility.[LNB]''We're a long way,'' he conceded, ''from being the finished article - we're not as cohesive as Manchester United. But we keep going and we have some exceptional players. I thought Gareth Barry was outstanding today.'' [LNB]If only there had been a couple more like him. For those who like their football with a dash of imagination, this was a case of dining off scraps. Villa's first-half approach seemed to be to work the ball to someone wide, ideally James Milner, who would whip in a cross and hope for the best. Wigan were slightly more elegant.[LNB] There was even a smart dummy - by Paul Scharner - which enabled Daniel de Ridder to test Brad Friedel, albeit not too severely, with a shot the goalkeeper saved with his legs. Friedel had to move more sharply to touch over a looping header from Maynor Figueroa.[LNB]Limp finishing meant Villa never threatened until the resumption, when their aerial bombardment was stepped up and Zat Knight, from a free-kick, sent a header bouncing against a post. O'Neill decide it was time for even more of the same.[LNB]He sent on the fit-again John Carew and soon there was a pinball scene in the Wigan goalmouth, where the valiant Figueroa nudged Agbonlahor's effort on to an upright.[LNB]A free-kick conceded when Michael Brown's vague pass back was handled by Chris Kirkland led to Scharner on the line thwarting Carew and then Luke Young and the frantic finale featured the most heroic block of all by Figueroa, who hurled himself in the path of a drive by Agbonlahor.[LNB]Afterwards a delighted Bruce announced that Antonio Valencia, his much-coveted right-sided midfielder, had rejected an opportunity to join Real Madrid in favour of staying at Wigan until the end of the season. Who, back in the non-League days at Springfield Park, would have believed it? [LNB]But the truth as Bruce understood it was that Real, whose presidency is clouded after the resignation of Ramon Calderon, could offer only a loan deal.[LNB] Valencia may have a variety of options when the time comes to reconsider. But Wigan look certain to be able to offer Premier League football again.[LNB]

Source: Telegraph