Since the abrupt departure of Martin O’Neill 5 days before the 2010 Premier League started, Aston Villa has been in a tentative state of transition. Caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald was handed the reins and hopes were high after a display of scintillating, fluent football in the 3-0 win against West Ham.

However, the wave of support was tempered by mediocre football in the 1-1 draw at Vienna and almost extinguished in the aftermath of a humiliating 6-0 thrashing by Newcastle United.

Actually, this is not the first time Aston Villa had their hide skinned. They capitulated to Liverpool 5-0 and Chelsea 6-0 last season but the defeats were palatable given the quality of the opponents. Against Newcastle United, a team just promoted from the Championships and which had earlier lost 3-0 to Manchester United, it is a disgrace.

To be sure, Newcastle’s cavalier attitude can be overwhelming when you underestimate and foolishly play into their strength. But for all their attacking prowess, it is accompanied often by a porous defense. Yet Aston Villa could not make much inroads on goal after an early penalty miss.

This abject performance has left Aston Villa fans pondering over the appointment of Kevin MacDonald as manager on a permanent basis. More disappointment was heaped on the Villains when they crashed out of Europe after losing 2-3 to Rapid Vienna (agg 3-4) in the second leg qualifier in mid-week.

Aston Villa started well, took the lead twice through Gabriel Agbonlahor and Emile Heskey, and had a penalty miss by captain Stiliyan Petrov. For a while, you thought Aston Villa had banished the nightmare of Newcastle’s 6-0 drubbing as they controlled the game but conceding silly goals saw their efforts came to nought.

The only consolation is that Martin O’Neill was also undone by the same opponent in the qualifying stages last year. They had a crucial penalty saved too and their defense was breached after 16 seconds at Vienna.

For the time being, MacDonald continues to take charge of first team affairs until the international break which means one more crucial game (Premier League clash with Everton) to decide his fate.

Kevin MacDonald vs Martin O’Neill

Against Newcastle United, Kevin MacDonald had admitted to getting the lineup wrong, saying: “Newcastle are a decent side with a lot of experience and took their chances well. Maybe I was a bit naive in my selection. I played two youngsters again and maybe two games in a week was too much for them.”

Naive selections aside, the fact that his charges continue their wayward manners after half time and his ineffective substitutions indicate that his dressing room prep talk and tactical nous require further refinement if he wants to be on par with his predecessor Martin O’Neill.

When Martin O’ Neill took over from David O’Leary, he succeeded in moving Aston Villa up the Premier League table from 15th position to 11th and then 6th spot for the next 3 seasons which ensured the club’s participation in European competition.

Though major titles still elude the club, O’Neill’s consistency is a remarkable legacy of his four year tenure, considering the competitive nature of the Premier League. Indeed, Kevin MacDonald has big shoes to fill but he can seek solace from some Aston Villa fans who viewed consistency as stagnation. You can’t please all the people all the time but are these fans being negative?

When you bring ROI (return on investment) into the picture, O’Neill achievements may have to be taken down a peg or two as he spent more than £83m in the transfer market over 4 seasons.

Of course, one can always point to football clubs with more generous transfer budgets which ended up as flops (Newcastle, Sunderland, Middlesbrough) or have yet to yield any trophies. For the record, Roberto Mancini busted £130m in this summer transfer window alone and it is unclear how much the new recruits can contribute to his campaign.

However, owner Randy Lerner is not a sugar daddy in the league of Roman Abramovich or the Middle East Sheikhs, so it is fairer to compare Aston Villa’s success to tightly run and well-managed clubs like Arsenal, Everton and Blackburn.

Some of Martin O’Neill’s purchases, namely Ashley Young, James Milner, Brad Friedel, and Carlos Cueller were justified but others bombed badly. Nicky Shorey, Marlon Harewood and Steve Sidwell were a waste of money.

On the other hand, David Moyes bought excellent players like Arteta, Yakubu, Saha, Cahill and Fellaini either on free transfers or relatively inexpensive prices after taking into account his disciplined sell-to-buy policy. Overall, David Moyes’s outlay net of transfers in the last 4 years was less than than Martin O’Neill, but Everton finished ahead of Aston Villa in 3 of those 4 years.

Clearly David Moyes did a better job at keeping his club’s finances healthy. Speaking of which, Arsene Wenger come up tops among the trio for maintaining Arsenal in top four by not splashing on big-name players and rely solely on polishing raw talents.

If the money has been better spent, either on a quality play-maker who can dictate the game against the top teams, or sturdy reinforcements to support the final stretch where the first XI tend to tire, O’Neill will have secured Champions League qualification for Aston Villa already.

The Villains did come close enough; for the last 2 seasons, the team had a strong advantage only to crumble near the finish line as tiredness and injuries took their toil. The collapse stood in stark contrast to Everton’s superb comeback from a woeful start and the latter nearly finished ahead yet again.

Martin O’Neill was helpless in preventing the team’s loss of momentum. Young, Milner and Agbonlahor scored only 16 goals in 14 games. Aston Villa couldn’t capitalize on its home ground advantage and instead showed better form in away matches by counterattacking with gusto.

Aston Villa’s thin squad has proven to be a handicap as the club pursues glory on multiple fronts. Last season, Villa did well in both the domestic cups and the strain becomes even more telling. Rotating a small and tired squad is difficult. Some players have to cope with more games while others are fielded out of position.

To fulfill the fans’ aspirations, I believe Martin O’Neill may have requested for another huge transfer budget this summer but Randy Lerner is not inclined to pump in more money.

It is clear that Martin O’Neill’s position became untenable with Lerner’s insistence on a sell-to buy policy and possible wage cut. Nearly 85% of Villa’s turnover are wages, that is rather high for a football club. Villa director General Charles Krulak had criticized O’Neill for not complying to the club’s need to reduce its wage bill and acting like he is “bigger than the club.”

There is nothing wrong with Randy Lerner’s desire for a sustainable business model. Europe has not emerged from the sovereign debts crisis and football clubs are not immune to austerity measures. It will be financial suicide for owners to drag football clubs further into debts.

However, there is something to be said about Aston Villa’s sell-to-buy policy. Instead of selling players surplus to requirements, it often targets the jewels in the crown, and with the recouped money, they buy other players and increase their hit and miss ratio.

Last season, Aston Villa sold former captain Gareth Barry and now James Milner (2010 Player of the Year) to Manchester City. In return for the highly prized Milner, Aston Villa received £26m which includes the £8m rated Stephen Ireland.

From a business perspective, it makes sense as the Villians more than doubled their investment from two years ago when they signed Milner from Newcastle United for £12m. But it could be shortsighted to see Aston Villa’s competitive edge eroded.

As a parting gift, Milner turned in a magnificent performance and scored the third goal against West Ham United. It is sad that a player who is leaving is more committed than some of his mates. The slackers will do well to pull up their socks soon…

Can Aston Villa recover from the loss of its two star players? When James Milner was brought in to fill the gap left by Gareth Barry, he proved his worth admirably. But is Stephen Ireland a good replacement? Well, I can only say a power shift happened when Manchester City bought over both players while dumping Richard Dunne and Stephen Ireland onto Aston Villa.

That is not to condemn Stephen Ireland as a terrible player. He is hardworking, eager to improve and has been solid, especially last season. But it is clear James Milner was a more important player for Aston Villa than Stephen Ireland was to Manchester City. Stephen Ireland almost went to Sunderland in 2008 and costing only 8million, I doubt Manchester City are suckers to do such a deal.

Is Kevin MacDonald the Right Choice?

Looking at the achievements and shortfalls of Martin O’Neill, Kevin MacDonald actually stand a good chance of getting the job. If Aston Villa want to tighten their belts and go the youth development route, MacDonald is the right man.

Having spent 15 years at Aston Villa as reserve team manager, MacDonald is no stranger to the terrain, staff and players. He is instrumental in developing the youngsters who broke into the first-team and is regarded as an excellent coach.

MacDonald may also enjoy the implicit backing of chairman Randy Lerner who has yet to contact any candidates pending the team’s performances and an interview where he is expected to express his footballing philosophy and desire to shoulder the responsibility.

While footballing results may not have gone his way, Kevin MacDonald have won admirers for trying his best in his unassuming manner and keeping his feet on the ground. Knowing the fickle nature of football fans, he is wary of their praises which could turn on a dime when the chips are down.

His lack of ego is also endearing. MacDonald prefers being the “invisible” man, just getting out on the pitch to coach while his players take the credit. However, the scrutiny on non-football aspects and pressure in the Premier League may just see him giving up the role.

I believe Kevin MacDonald, if he is up for the challenge, should be given more time in the Premier League (at least a full season) rather than just two matches. As he possesses an intimate knowledge of the youngsters, he may be able to strengthen the team without costly transfers by promoting players from the reserve squad into the senior team.

It is worth noting that Aston Villa had won the The Premier Reserve League South for the third year in a row. Villa has an impressive youth development program and there some serious talents eager and ready to cut their teeth in the Premier League. These lads are also winners for clinching the Reserve title consistently.

Martin O’Neill’s presence may inhibit their progress but with Kevin MacDonald in charge, we will see these youngsters sooner than later. There is also a good chance of him implementing Lerner’s sell-to-buy policy effectively by casting off players past their prime.

But of course, when you are talking about youth and trying to save money, the fans have to be patient and tolerant of failures. They must be realistic in their expectations that Kevin MacDonald cannot outperform Martin O’Neill in his first season and may even flirt with relegation.

Youth promises enthusiasm and pace, but also comes with it, unpredictability and inexperience. Will we see more 6-0 drubbings for MacDonald’s youth team? Yes, but this baptism of fire is necessary for the youngsters to gain experience and develop their skills. Alex Ferguson showed faith in his youth team comprising of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and David Beckham and was richly rewarded.

Current Squad and Youth Development

Kevin MacDonald’s main role will be to usher in an era of young, promising players into the first XI. It is a gamble but the alternative of having Martin O’Neill overpay for players of Premier League quality while those who can set the Champions League alight just wouldn’t come, is not attractive either.

Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor are the future of Aston Villa’s strike force. The latter’s pace, poaching instincts and good rapport with Young will yield the goals to keep Villa afloat. But injury is a concern as Agbonlahor missed most of pre-season with back and hamstring problems, and he may not last the entire season.

Having another experienced striker will ease those days when goals are in short supply. Unfortunately, John Carew is not the same player he was in Spain. He is still lethal with his header but his speed has slowed considerably and is injury prone. Worse still, now his penalty taking is suspect.

As for Emile Heskey, he has struggled to provide a real goal threat for many years. Moving out the deadweight will be good news for James Collins, Andreas Weimann and Nathan Delfouneso who were top scorers in the reserve league. It is unlikely though that Villa will see any 30-goals a season type of striker just yet.

In midfield, Aston Villa are also bustling with exciting young players. Marc Albrighton’s gave an impressive show against West Ham, where he set up two goals, and was instrumental in the other. He dares to run at fullbacks and deliver telling crosses. His rise to prominence on the wings has allowed Ashley Young to switch inside and the freedom to roam. Barry Bannan is another promising attacking midfielder who had the composure to score an away goal in the 1-1 draw at Rapid Vienna.

The midfield can improve further in terms of creating chances and not giving the opponent too much space as in the Newcastle match. More sophisticated teams will have tore the youngsters apart and handed them a double-digit whipping. It remains to be seen if Stephen Ireland can provide the creative link which Aston Villa crave.

Without a doubt, Aston Villa’s weakest link lie in their defense. Martin O’Neill wrestled with the problem and failed, leading to some embarrassing results. We have to accept that Richard Dunne is not John Terry (even after the sex scandal) and true to form, he committed several typical mistakes which led to Newcastle’s goals. Dunne may still be useful in the box but inadequate when tracking back.

Habib Beye, one of the more experienced defenders, was criminal in allowing Rapid Vienna to score two elementary goals. Curtis Davies is decent for a back-up but his wages is on the high side considering his contributions last season were limited by a shoulder injury. He could be a good candidate for wage adjustment or simply being sold. American defender Eric Lichaj is still too raw to meet the challenges of top flight football.

Kevin MacDonald will take a while to experiment with his defensive setup before hitting the jackpot, if ever. It can be difficult for youngsters to make their debuts when the defense is so shaky. In just two matches alone, we have seen too many defensive errors. If there is money available for spending, getting solid defensive cover should be MacDonald’s top priority.

Improving the Training Sessions

If Kevin MacDonald wants to go one up over Martin O’Neill, training is a good area to focus on. It is shocking to know that your opponent has you all figured out. John Terry revealed last season that Chelsea knew Aston Villa would tire in the last 30 mins and they were waiting for that. This is inexcusable for modern footballers.

The players are in a professional league and are expected to last 90 minutes, not to mention keeping their focus till the final whistle. Why are Aston Villa players so tired and lacking in stamina? Just imagine what will happen if they had a good run in Europa League, besides challenging for the Premier League and domestic cups.

It is no coincidence that Frank Lampard, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Wayne Rooney can feature in almost every game without tiring. Improving the training sessions is critical in improving the players’ fitness and preventing serious injuries.

Victory Against Everton Is Possible

A silver lining for Kevin MacDonald is that their visitors this weekend, Everton, have also made a poor start to the season. David Moyes is desperate to get his first win of the season under his belt.

The Toffees were beaten by Blackburn Rovers on the opening day and surprisingly held to a 1-1 draw with Wolves last weekend. There is no cause for alarm yet as Everton are slow starters and usually come back strongly in the second half of the competition.

Kevin MacDonald has a good chance to win as Everton’s record at Villa Park does not breed confidence. They have managed just one win at Villa in the Premier League, though they could have added another one if not for a late Phil Jagielka own goal last season. David Moyes will be hoping for better luck this time but I doubt they will be drowning in sorrow if they lost.

We may even see an entertaining goalfest based on previous encounters and if Aston Villa go all out (since their defense is in a shambles anyway), this trend should continue.

Assuming Kevin MacDonald is really down on his luck and Everton won, I believe he is the best candidate to lead Aston Villa. Deciding on MacDonald’s career based on the few disappointing results is unfair when he is trying to do something different and meaningful for the future of the club.

Any successful manager will have their humble and rough beginnings. O’Neill built the foundations of his coaching in non-league football before managing at the highest level. The same goes for Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger too.

Should Kevin MacDonald decide front-line management is not for him, one solution would be to bring in a figurehead to work alongside him, allowing him to concentrate on coaching while his partner deals with the media, player recruitment and negotiating contracts.

If that doesn’t pan out, Aston Villa have to start interviewing candidates for the managerial role. United States manager Bob Bradley faces competition from the likes of Gareth Southgate, Sven-Goran Eriksson and Martin Jol, though the American is the only one who has voiced out his desire to take over at Aston Villa.

Bradley has impressed in his time in charge of the USA, leading the team into the last 16 of this summer’s World Cup which included a 1-1 draw with England.

He has an advantage in that Aston Villa has an American owner (Randy Lerner) as well as several American players (Brad Friedel, Brad Guzan and Eric Lichaj). So anti-American hostility is unlikely to rear its ugly head, like in Old Trafford and Anfield. However, Bradley is considered a risky option having never managed outside of his home country.

It will be an interesting two weeks to see who Randy Lerner will appoint for Aston Villa. Stay tuned…

To Arsenal’s credit, they did not cower or surrender to Aston Villa despite being forced to the edge of the cliff. Eking a 1-1 draw, they stayed unbeaten at home and preserved their lead at the top of the Premier League, but only just, as Manchester United had closed the gap to one point with a 3-0 crushing of Fulham.

In the 27th minute, Aston Villa pulled ahead, courtesy of an own goal. Gabriel Agbonlahor raced down the left flank, capitalized on some hesitant defending (several precious seconds lost as the Gunners waited for an offside decision), and sliced the ball across the box. Philippe Senderos, inexplicably, turned the shot into his own net.

I don’t know what Senderos was thinking. Was he attempting a clearance, to pass the ball to keeper Alumnia, or his foot was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time? The fact that John Carew was lurking was no excuse for losing his composure.

Of late, uncharacteristic errors have crept into Arsenal’s game and cost them dearly. In the 2-2 draw to Birmingham last week, it was the same situation. Nevertheless, Senderos can be spared the brickbats as he recovered sufficiently to put in a steady performance for the rest of the match.

Arsenal responded positively after falling behind. They poured forward relentlessly and laid siege on Villa’s defense by bombarding Scott Carson with 16 shots. Villa survived the onslaught as Arsenal’s finishing left much to be desired. You can’t win if you don’t score, in this respect, the front line let the fans down terribly.

Unlike Manchester United’s wunderkid, Cristiano Ronaldo, who is still banging in the goals effortlessly, Cesc Fabregas has struggled to find the net after an injury early in the season. An impressive six goals in his first 11 league matches have now dried up to a pathetic one in the last 13.

For a player of his caliber, I actually expected more. If Alex Ferguson can throw down a challenge to Ronaldo to contribute 20 Premier League goals this season, I don’t see why Cesc Fabregas cannot aim to do likewise. This can help to lighten the team’s burden and also raise his stature to a world-class player. Pulling his weight in midfield as just another outstanding midfielder is not enough to distinguish himself at the major awards.

Emmanuel Adebayor, unstoppable several weeks ago, has also lost his killer touch. Zero goals in the last three matches, which coincided with Arsenal’s patchy form. Could it be his new haircut as he looks uncomfortable after sniping his corn rows? Theo Walcott did not extend his fine form after scoring a brace against Birmingham. Instead, he faded quickly into obscurity amidst the stubborn Villa defenders.

However, Arsenal’s efforts were rewarded four minutes into stoppage time with Bendtner’s close-range goal. Adebayor noddded a cross into his path and he swept it home with aplomb. The joy at Emirates Stadium was fantastic, as if they have won the title.

Certainly, it was a relief to Wenger that this volatile partnership is still effective, there were serious doubts if both players could stand being in the same team after the face-off in the 5-1 League Cup semi-final defeat to Tottenham.

I am sure this draw will be valuable to Arsenal as the title race enter its final stretch. Between now and the end of the season, if Arsenal and Manchester United win all their matches, a single point can make a world of difference. An undeniable fact is, destiny still lies in their own hands.

Wenger admits his team is going through a bad spell, saying, “We had a hangover from last week definitely. In the second-half we were a little bit better but lacked that spark. The reason we got a point today was the desire and the refusal to lose.”

Overall, I will say the performance was satisfactory, much of the pretty football was evident and they were able to create chances. If a full squad is available, I believe the tide will have turned in Arsenal’s favor much earlier.

Alumina was instrumental as he made several fine saves from Harewood and Young to keep Arsenal in the game. I was quite concerned that his stay in the haunted house has adverse effects, turns out the experience may have honed his reflexes and calmed his nerves in stressful matches.

To stop the slide, Wenger has to quickly imbue his forwards with confidence again, since he does not have much choices in dropping players. In this match, the bench is so thin, he can only turn to Bendtner to reverse the situation on the pitch. With ten matches left, Wenger may have to rush Robin van Persie back into action before it is too late. Tomas Rosicky’s return will also give Arsenal more options in midfield and attack.

Aston Villa was effective in adopting a counter-attack strategy by defending in numbers and then blazing down the flanks to exploit the gaps in Arsenal’s rearguard. They allowed Arsenal to achieve a 58% possession, happily passing the ball around, but when Villa made their forays, it was more threatening. Suffice to say, the best chances of the game fell to Villa. If AC Milan has spied on Arsenal in this match, they will know where to strike their opponent where it hurts.

Arsenal will rue the dominance and chances they wasted in the first leg of their Champions League encounter. Achieving a win at the San Siro will require an optimistic outlook, especially with the current slump in the strikers’ form. There is no room for profligacy when facing Italian teams, if you do not grab the couple of chances which come your way, the game is over.

It will be a massive confidence boost if Milan are eliminated and Arsenal may yet recover their momentum, but somehow, I am inclined to believe next season holds better promise.

I always believe only the sickest minds will attempt to harm a fellow professional footballer to the extent of crippling him forever. Accidents in contact sports like football are bound to happen and proposing “life bans” on aggressive tackles which go awry is extreme. But that is not saying we should condone the brutal conduct. In the words of Wenger, you only need to kill a person once and he is dead.

Among the top four, Arsenal are the hardest hit by the “Get in their face” strategy. Premier League teams have wised up when clashing with sleek opponents like the Gunners – the earlier you ruffled their feathers, the faster you gain an advantage and control the game. So it isn’t much of a surprise that the offense took place only three minutes into the match.

Is it mistimed or malicious? Well, to call it as we see it, that foot with studs up was nowhere near Eduardo’s ankle. It was over the ball and delivered purely to hurt and intimidate the opponent. As fate will have it, it yielded a tragedy.

For a long time, football in England possess a high tolerance for ruggedness and many dangerous tackles (without casualties) were waved play on. Entertainment takes priority over interruption of play, especially when a 1 to 1 situation with the goalkeeper is possible.

Nothing wrong with that since some negative teams prefer to break up the tempo by committing fouls so that they can take their time to reorganize and close gaps at the back. The trade off for fluency instead of a card-riddled game is that some illegal tackles go unpunished, under the pretext of physical approach.

It irks me to browse through certain articles which jumped to Taylor’s defense and celebrated Wenger’s retraction, it seems like Taylor is the one who is victimized. How can it be Eduardo’s fault for being too quick footed? Steve Bruce also added his two cents to the controversy by questioning if the tackle even warranted a yellow card. Well, if the referee has made a mistake there, then football is seriously not worth my time and effort.

To be fair to Taylor, many of the testimonies about his character and discipline record can stand up to scrutiny. By paying Eduardo a visit in hospital and sending his best wishes, he shows he has no malicious intent and is truly distraught by the whole incident. His concern was a simple act but yet, something which not every footballer will be willing to do.

Eduardo aside, Arsenal look extremely vulnerable. It doesn’t take a genius to see their title hopes are on a slippery slope. FA Cup elimination, followed by handing the advantage to AC Milan in the Champions League and managing only a 2-2 draw (thanks to a late penalty) at 10-man Birmingham City, the rewards from all the hard work are frittered away.

Manchester United completed Arsenal’s misery by reducing the gap to three points after thrashing Newcastle 5-1. It wasn’t much of a fight as the Magpies have not won since Kevin Keegan’s return last month and garnered just three points from the last 30 on offer.

Arsenal had looked on course for their fifth consecutive league victory when Theo Walcott scored his first league goals early in the second half to put the Gunners 2-1 ahead. However, James McFadden equalized for Birmingham in the 95th minute to spoil the party. He had earlier converted a beautiful free-kick in the 28th-minute after being bundled over by Mathieu Flamini.

When the penalty was awarded, Arsenal captain William Gallas could not contain his anger and kicked a hole in an advertising hoarding. Deserting his team, he slumped on the turf and appeared close to tears at the final whistle. Deplorable, I say. Where is the much vaunted character in the Gunners?

As a captain, he is supposed to lead by example and not crack under pressure or disappointment. The mistake by Clichy was awful and it is likely that Gallas frustration is directed at his own team mate. Well, it won’t stop Clichy from his goofs again.

In the darkest moment, the team expects a strong motivational character to rally them, but when they see their petulant captain wallowing in self-pity, how are they going to muster the never-say-die attitude?

Arsenal also have been too generous of late, missing about a dozen gilt edged chances in this match. Bendtner was conspicuously absent from the thick of action. Or did Adebayor ignored him on purpose and refuse to let him have a shot at glory? I hope not as this is not the time to let personal grudges get in the way of the team’s fortunes.

The return of Robin Van Persie is the best chance for Arsenal to rediscover their lethal form. He is back in training this week but fielding him without a full recovery may have dire consequences, similar to their downfall after rushing the half-fit Henry back for the PSV game last season. Arsene Wenger may have a reservoir of talent two years down the line but he is woefully short of ammunition this season.

The midfield is not in the best shape either. Diaby and Rosicky are injured with Eboue suspended. Gilberto or Denilson are the only viable candidates. The former will be a natural choice if not for an alarming drop in form this season. Denilson can help out in attack but he is likely to start on the bench after returning from a hamstring injury.

Facing Aston Villa in the sanctuary of Emirates Stadium could be the perfect way to regain lost ground but Martin O’Neil’s men are no pushovers, especially when European qualification is at stake. Villa are clinical from set-pieces and with Arsenal’s shaky defense, it is crucial that the pairing of Adebayor and Bendtner achieve a comfortable goal difference. Else, I suspect one of them could be offloaded at the close of the season.

While the Magpies remain in 12th position, they are only seven points ahead of Birmingham, who are third from bottom. Their next three fixtures against Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers and Liverpool are intimidating and it is likely Keegan’s first victory since his second stint as manager will be put on hold again. The messiah himself conceded that his team are embroiled in a relegation battle rather than gunning for European qualification.

Keegan said: “All the away games we’ve got left are difficult ones. We’ve got enough ability to stay in the Premier League, but I’m under no illusions, we’ve got to get to 40 points before we’re safe.”

Actually, things weren’t all that gloomy in the first half when Newcastle led through a Michael Owen header and they exhibited stronger build-up of the game. The betting books also favor Newcastle to triumph as they have notched more victories (15) against Aston Villa than any other team they have faced in the Premier League.

Unfortunately, Newcastle did not pick up where they left off in the second half. It was Aston Villa who turned the game on its head with a renewed vigor in attack and netted twice in the space of six minutes after the break.

Wilfred Bouma equalized in the 48th minute – his first goal in three years – as his shot took a wicked deflection which left the Newcastle defense and Shay Given wrong-footed. The magnificent John Carew then stole the show with a hat trick, beginning with a header from Ashley Young’s corner, three minutes later.

Despite an injury plagued season, Carew still retains a lethal touch, especially in the air, that made him one of the most feared strikers in Europe in his prime days. In the 72th minute, he made it 3-1 with another header and completed his hat trick from a penalty in the game’s final minute after Steven Carr handled the ball in the area.

Villa manager, Martin O’ Neil, marveled at the stunning fight back, saying: “It was a brilliant second half. The players’ response was just fantastic.”

Actually, there wasn’t much of a fight once the first goal went in. The wall of resistance, if ever there was one, crumbled and Kevin Keegan, in typical fashion, was clueless in preventing a bloodbath. We turn to his goals conceded so far, 3-3-4, and you will know how adept he is at making tactical changes to plug the holes in defense.

Several factors were at play for Villa’s revival, a complete reversal to their insipid first half display. It is easy to mistake them for England with all their skewed passes and inability to keep the ball. I feel the introduction of two substitutes, Craig Gardner and Marlon Harewood, was crucial. It provided strength and pace to the front line, which Carew capitalized on to penetrate the jittery Newcastle defense. Coupled with Villa’s effectiveness at set plays, a Newcastle victory was merely an illusion.

If Villa had been more active in the January transfer window, O’Neil will have more options to choose from, especially in times of crisis (losing two in a roll is a major crisis when they are challenging for a top four spot). I do not doubt the fact that O’Neil has revitalized the club in an efficient system but I am stymied by his perseverance in the bungling Stiliyan Petrov.

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that Petrov is the weakest link: he gave the ball away too cheaply. If O’Neil is worried about wasting the 7 million pounds transfer fee, he should weigh the disadvantages of fielding Petrov and the improvement in Villa’s game immediately after he was substituted.

With this result, Villa overtake Liverpool in fifth place in the Premier League standings. Indeed, this season, Villa harbor different aspirations to Newcastle as Champions League qualification is a realistic goal while their counterpart has nothing concrete to show, except to flex their financial muscles by getting rid of the previous manager and then embarking on a flurry of back room appointments.

Martin O’Neil was chivalrous in victory and offered support for Keegan, saying: “We live in a world of instant gratification and Kevin will be aware that this resurgence will not happen overnight, it will take some time. He wants to be judged after several months in the job.”

Sam Allardyce is a lucky man, getting a fat severance package and watching his successor sink deeper into the quicksand. All of a sudden, his stint in Newcastle is starting to look credible.

Still Kevin Keegan needs more time, possibly a full season, even in the worst case scenario that Newcastle demote to League One. Hopefully, Mike Ashley stick by his man and allow Keegan time and resources to rebuild the team the way he wants. Living in a world of instant gratification and expecting to see results overnight is bad for any club.

Without exception, the FA Cup Third Round saw several casualties. Everton FC was the latest club to suffer an ignominious elimination after losing 1-0 to third division Oldham Athletic. Three other Premier League teams, Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers, were also displaced by lower league opposition.

Havant & Waterlooville, a minor league club, advanced into the fourth round after snatching a late 1-1 draw at third division leaders Swansea. No doubt the press will have a field day if this minnow clears all obstacles and progress to the FA Cup Finals.

Fortunately, the Big Four are as yet unscathed – an outcome which can determine the glamor and viewership of the competition. FA Cup holders Chelsea scraped through with a 1-0 win against Queens Park Rangers at Stamford Bridge. The Blues struggled to stamp their authority and when QPR gift-wrapped three points for them with an own goal by their keeper Lee Camp, Avram Grant took it with aplomb.

His relief is understandable considering how badly Chelsea squad is decimated. The African Nations Cup deprived them of their effervescent Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba, his mate Salomon Kalou, Ghana’s Michael Essien and Nigeria’s John Obi Mikel.

Chelsea’s skipper John Terry heads the injury list with three broken bones and is now on crutches, while vice captain Frank Lampard, Florent Malouda, Claude Makelele and Andriy Shevchenko are also incapacitated. The absence of Cech and Cudicini has allowed third-choice keeper Henrique Hilario to feature in three consecutive games (conceding two goals) but he did enough to keep Chelsea in the running.

The impending swop for Nicolas Anelka, a rumor at this stage, is practically certain. Manchester City may throw a spanner into the works as manager Eriksson needs a free-scoring forward to boost their chances of qualifying for Champions League. Darius Vassel, Emile Mpenza and Rolando Bianchi don’t quite cut it.

Since both clubs have sugar daddies to finance the transfer, Anelka can sit back and let them battle it out. His agent will be laughing all the way to the bank, having secured the seventh astronomical signing-on fee for his representative.

As for Manchester United, last year’s runners-up, they had a 2-0 success at Aston Villa, thanks to goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and substitute Wayne Rooney in the last nine minutes. The other half of the Premier League Big Four, Arsenal and Liverpool, will see action later tonight, away to Burnley and Luton Town respectively, while struggling Newcastle United face a tough trip to Stoke City.

Everton’s loss is baffling considering their excellent form. They have suffered only two defeats in their last 17 games and both at the hands of Manchester United and Arsenal. However, Oldham claimed their scalp with a Gary McDonald’s 25-metre strike at the end of the first half. Everton fought back valiantly but was frustrated by a combination of bad luck and a stubborn Oldham defense. Their best chance came in the last minute but was denied by the post.

“To come to a Premier League ground against a team who are really flying at the moment was a great performance,” Oldham boss John Sheridan told Sky Sports. “I told the players to really enjoy the occasion, because things like this might not happen to them again. I was so pleased and proud of them.”

Coventry, also caused a major upset by winning 4-1 at Blackburn with two goals by Michael Mifsud and one each from Elliott Ward and Dele Adebola. Coventry, made a mockery of their precarious position (17th spot) in second division with this lop-sided result. The players went in hard to win the ball and paid little respect to Blackburn’s Premier League standing. Maltese striker Mifsud said: “Every one of us played with his heart and gave his best to ensure we got the result.”

Third division Huddersfield were also celebrating after a 2-1 home win over Birmingham, while Bolton, having rested Nicolas Anelka and most of the rest of their leading players, lost 1-0 at home to Sheffield United.

In other matches, Tottenham Hotspur, who beat Reading 6-4 last week, drew 2-2 with them at White Hart Lane. West Ham United and Manchester City drew 0-0 at Upton Park while Wigan Athletic won 3-0 away to Sunderland, whose performance left manager Roy Keane “ashamed.”

Keane is in a rut-hole at the moment. Sunderland have make it a habit of losing and the commitment to fight for every point is missing. The hairdryer treatment, if Keane has not already done so, is needed to jolt his defense from their slumber. Wigan, also missing a few key players, look slick standing beside them.

The FA Cup may not rank highly in Sunderland’s priority but being relegated will be a serious setback. Sunderland’s next three Premier League home games against Birmingham, Portsmouth and Wigan will be the right opportunity to get back to winning ways.

I will have more reports on the FA Cup later. Till tomorrow.

Ramos said: “If we cannot sort the problems out with the players we already have, then we will look outside for other players. We are paying dearly for defensive lapses. In the past few weeks, we have made it a habit of conceding goals from set-pieces and it is so hard to win matches letting in so many goals that way.”

The reason for Ramos outburst was two defensive errors which gifted Aston Villa a 2-1 victory. Tottenham looked especially vulnerable and panicky whenever Villa lined up to take corners or free-kicks. The front line is not faring any better as they struggled to break down Villa’s defense. Ramos frustration with his team is apparent when he used all three substitutes before the hour was up.

I don’t blame Ramos. It was a massive letdown after several impressive performances when he first came on board but towards the end of 2007, Tottenham resumed their ineptitude. Spurs have now let in seven goals during their last three Premiere League games.

The shambles of a defense Ramos is referring to will no doubt include Kevin Boateng who was particularly awful and by far, the weakest link. It doesn’t take a genius to see that if he continue in this manner, his future at Tottenham could come to a premature end.

Besides the leaky defense which needs plugging, Ramos is also busy fending off rumors that their talented striker Dimitar Berbatov would be sold in the January transfer window. Berbatov, who scored four goals in Tottenham’s 6-4 victory over Reading last Saturday, has been linked with prominent Premiere League clubs, including Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal since his transfer to Spurs in July 2006.

“Obviously Berbatov’s agent is looking to do his business and has been making comments,” Ramos was quoted as saying on BBC. Berbatov’s agent had said earlier in the week that the striker would leave Tottenham if a big club made an offer.

“But we are happy because we have the player on a contract and we plan to keep him. We want to improve and we want to go to a better level — he has to stay.”

Ramos however conceded that Berbatov, 26, could be sold if Tottenham receive an offer higher than the British record 30 million pounds fee that Chelsea paid AC Milan to sign Andriy Shevchenko in 2006.

Ramos said: “I think a club would have to break the British transfer record to sign Berbatov. At this moment Berbatov’s value is more than this price. It’s normal that the clubs would have to pay such an amount because there are very few players of his class. He’s the only great player who has not played in the Champions League that they could sign.”

Ramos would be able to strengthen Tottenham squad significantly if Berbatov fetched such a princely sum and it makes business sense since Berbatov moved to Tottenham for only 10.9 million pounds from Bayer Leverkusen. However, replacing a forward of his caliber will be extremely difficult and leave Ramos with a more taxing task of leading Tottenham to Europe.

Tottenham’s reputation as a club challenging for major honors had already suffered in the past with Michael Carrick’s transfer to Manchester United in 2006. If they do not make half-decent attempts to hold on to their prized treasure, nobody will take them seriously, and talents will think twice about coming to a club with little ambitions.

As for Aston Villa, it is hard to get the better of them these days. Under the guidance of Martin O’ Neill, Villa are a different proposition – compact, industrious and disciplined. The players know what is expected of them and implement the game plan effectively.

This tactic (maximise play on the touchline, entice Spurs to kick the ball out and then take advantage of free kicks and throw-ins awarded) worked beautifully to bring about Tottenham’s downfall. Not surprisingly, Villa’s two goals came from set-pieces. A header by Olof Mellberg and an identical effort by Martin Laursen from a free kick and corner respectively, sealed a victory for Villa.

Villa have now mastered set-pieces into an art and have scored more goals from dead-ball situations than any other team in the Premiere League. O’Neil said: Set-pieces are a part of the game. Big matches are decided by them. If we get one, we have players who can deliver a good ball into the area. They invite people to attack the ball.”

Villa were without their striker John Carew, again in the treatment room after several cameo appearances. In his absence, Luke Young was chosen to partner the pacy Gabriel Agbonlahor but he did himself no favors by contributing little. Young missed a gilt-edged chance to double his team’s lead and his four shots on target were barely threatening. Fortunately, O’Neil had his defenders to count on.

Martin Laursen was impressive and shackled Berbatov for the entire match. He was first to every challenge and he has spare time to pop up with a massive winner. O’Neil said: “Laursen was a colossus against Tottenham, but he has been all season, to be fair. He has got this great knack of scoring goals and is playing like a man possessed.”

Villa’s next match against Manchester United at home will be interesting. Recent history suggests that Man United will triumph as they have won the last 12 matches between the pair and have dumped Villa out of the FA Cup in the last six years.

However, Aston Villa are now on song, and having earned the respect of Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool at Villa Park, while Man United has lost a bit of firepower in their last couple of matches, there is every chance that Aston Villa will shatter that miserable record against United this weekend.

A quick summary in case you missed the action – eight goals, 3 dismissals, 2 penalties but no winners. Chelsea FC came out of this match in worse shape. At the current rate which the Blues are exhausting their best resources (they have already suffered casualties from a pyhrric victory against Everton), it is no surprise if Grant’s team is unrecognizable before the turn of the new year.

The dismissal of Ashley Cole and Ricardo Carvalho add on to the injury count of John Terry, Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda. This may force a pairing of Alex da Costa with Tal Ben Haim in central defense – a shaky partnership at best.

Aston Villa were full of attacking verve right from the start, they had after all inflicted a 2-0 defeat on a Chelsea team led by Jose Mourinho in September, thus they had no reason to accord Grant and his tattered team any respect. In the 14th minute, they took first bite of the cherry when Shaun Maloney scored, latching on to John Carew’s header from Agbonlahor’s cross.

The second Villa goal was gifted by Petr Cech, who have made alarming (and crucial) mistakes of late. Maloney, in the 44th minute, shot straight at Cech, it wasn’t exactly a scorcher and the latter got his hands behind the ball, but he failed to hold on to it and the ball trickled over the line. The expression on Cech’s face was priceless, a mixture of embarrassment and disbelief.

To concede such a goal will have been unthinkable in his heyday. It was the Czech’s second blunder in rapid succession following William Gallas’s winner for Arsenal 10 days ago. Grant should take the blame for rushing Cech into the fray right after the medical team cleared his fitness.

Chelsea squad were 2-0 down, but it was Villa who began to look jittery. Zat Knight made a clumsy challenge on Ballack which resulted in an early shower for him. Martin O’Neill said that he would consider an appeal as he believed that Ballack had fallen despite minimal contact. In retrospect, the sending off was more for the fact that Knight was the last defender than for malice or violence.

Phil Dowd, the referee, was barracked for giving the penalty but no matter, as Villa, despite their lead, had lost any realistic chance to cause an upset after they reshuffled the team to make up for the shortage. Andriy Shevchenko converted the penalty, firing the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of Scott Carson’s net, trimming Chelsea’s deficit to 2-1.

Villa were more spirited in the first half but it was Chelsea who took the match by the scruff of the neck in the second half. From 25 yards, Shevchenko proved the adage about class being permanent. By turning scorer cum playmaker, he rolled back the years of lethargy and began to justify a substantial portion of his transfer fee. His drive into the top corner gave Chelsea the equalizer after 50 minutes.

This was Shevchenko’s day and he was not done yet. In the 66th minute, the Ukrainian exhibited some beautiful skill as he held off Gareth Barry with a pirouette and then fed the perfect through-ball to Alex, who scored to put Chelsea in the lead at 3-2.

Chelsea fans erupted into wild cheers for Shevchenko and rarely have they been so upset to see him being substituted. If he had stayed on to score a hat-trick and show the same kind of desire to win for the rest of the games, Chelsea’s opponents should be worried as a poacher of his caliber never stays hungry for long.

Villa, however, had enough fight in them to give Chelsea a miserable time. Just when the Blues thought they had sewn up the match, a Villa leveler came through a crisp Martin Laursen volley from Young’s free-kick.

In the absence of Lampard (their omnipotent savior on many occasions), it was left to Ballack, just back from injury and in his first Premiere League match of the season, to show he is once again fit to lead his country and club. From a set-piece, he floated a shot past the left hand of Scott Carson in the 88th minute. “There’s no contact,” O’Neill lamented of the incident involving Laursen and Joe Cole for which Dowd awarded the free-kick.

The final minutes prove to be a heartache for Grant. Not only was an assured three points snatched from them, but they end up losing another senior player. Ashley Cole had to endure an instant one-game ban after he was shown the red card for conceding the penalty from which Villa leveled the match at 4-4. The timing couldn’t be worse as Chelsea’s defense is already stretched to the limit.

It had looked as if Cole had initially blocked Agbonlahor’s effort with head and shoulder, but the assistant referee immediately signaled for the offense which Gareth Barry duly converted from the spot.

Right now, Chelsea is almost like a toothless tiger, fierce but ultimately harmless, without Drobga. Nicolas Anelka is highly regarded as a viable backup (Manchester United has expressed interest too), and his disaffection with the Bolton Wanderers makes him a likely target to move in January.

It was four years since Chelsea have conceded four goals, with Petr Cech looking uninspiring and barely fit while Carlo Cudicini is out, it is likely another high profile goalkeeper could be coming in.

There is a beleaguered air about Grant as questions start popping up on his ability to steer Chelsea FC amid the tempest of injuries and red cards. He said exasperatedly: “I am waiting for the day I will have all my players.” No prizes then for guessing what is Grant’s wishes for the new year.