Three games have now passed, and Aston Villa actually appear to be heading further backwards than they already were. Tuesday saw them sink to 23rd in the Championship after three matches after losing away to Reading 2-1. Here are three thoughts from the match:
Fans on a tirade
Steve Bruce, the supporters, and the players will be very disappointed by the start to this season, and Bruce has confirmed as much with his response to chants that “he’d be sacked in the morning.”
Every mistake was amplified as the supporters keyed on it, and it is potentially going to seriously hamper the club at this point. While quick moves for change sake rarely work out, it is time for the club to decide just what to do in order to make this right and help the club carry on in a better manner.
Villa dominated by Reading
In terms of possession, Aston Villa were utterly embarrassed by the home side. The side that made the promotion playoffs last season and made a great fist of it controlled the ball for 68.4% of the time.
This is simply not acceptable for any side that are serious about making it out of the Championship and into the Premier League. Imagine how well, or poorly, they would do in the top flight if they can’t hang on to the ball any better than that. Stats don’t always tell the story, but this is one that speaks volumes and must be changed immediately.
Defensive lapses continue
Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse defensively, they do. Even at this level of football, mistakes are punished in a big way. And once again, an experienced defender with Premier League experience was caught.
Ritchie De Laet was at fault this time, coming forward to win the ball only to not connect at all, allowing Reading to go down and get their opening goal. Eventually it would turn into a Glenn Whelan own goal, but it had all begun up around midfield and was completely preventable.
