I think we showed too much respect to Villa yesterday and that cannot happen Tuesday.
Villa are an average side with an exceptional player (Grealish) a very good player (Mcginn) and a couple of good players (Abrahams and Mings who is in the form of his life) the rest are poor (we arent world beaters ourselves)
Credit to Villa, they had a freak run of form which will probably only happen once in a lifetime but they played two better sides the last two games - Leeds (who they got a lucky point with the give goal, which incidentally i didnt see them rushing to put the ball out when Dawson was down yesterday) and Norwich, and they took 1 point out of 6 (Yes they made changes for Norwich but they still lost) but it shows they really arent nothing special, their form without Grealish shows that.
We finished 4 points better than them, a place above them, we scored more goals than them and we took 4 points off them yet 2nd half yesterday we played like plucky underdogs.
I am not sure if the club have got caught up in the media wave of how great this Villa side is supposed to be and started to believe it but i am hoping yesterday was all part of a longer term game plan and that we do not approach the game in the same way tuesday.
First half we were professional, we scored, had a couple of breaks and by half time Villa had run out of ideas, they were going sideways and hitting long shots, their crowd were flat.
They were always going to have a bit of a surge start of the second half but even then nothing happened, the mistake we made was we just stuck everyone behind the ball, inviting pressure, this in turn gave them hope (because they were camped in our half) and the fans started to get behind them and a couple of subs and they were in front.
We have probably the best two attacking wing backs / full backs at this level in Gibbs and Holgate, we have one of the best players at this level - Phillips, and we have the best striker partnership at this level - Gayle and Jrod, as our goals for tally shows our strengths are our attacking so i cannot understand why 2nd half we didnt play to our strengths, let Villa worry about us.
Instead we hoofed the ball, inspired little confidence and just had Gayle chasing lost causes, the game began to bypass our midfield (unless we have Brunt on the ball he is a passenger, he isnt going to start chasing and breaking up play) we had Villa screwed at half time yet we handed them the initiative back by being too respectful and negative and now things are in their favour.
When Shan came in last season, i think he was credited with being the brains behind last seasons near miracle, he did a great job, however we were the worst side in the league so the cautious approach worked. This season we are one of the best sides in the league, with our attacking threat we should be taking the game to teams, yet away from home especially we are too negative, and at home we arent convincing.
Shan has been thrust into this role and probably doesnt want to be in there but the mindset has to change at the club for Tuesday, i worry based on the last 10 games it wont and we will think 'what if'.
We all take the mick out the villa for their arrogance but right now our team need a bit of that, let teams worry about us instead of the other way round.