That’s that then, our only realistic chance of winning a trophy has gone for another season. Our shot at glory stolen by Bolton reserves.

We dominated possession which is encouraging but the sheer cluelessness of our attackers and midfielders was shocking to see.

Shots on goal. Remember them? Two home games in a week and I can remember two. I remember last season several of my Blues fans moaning and moaning about McLeish always playing 4-5-1 at home despite tepid performance after tepid performance. And now we are doing the same.

This 4-5-1 lark is footballing hell. Just like the supposed attacking 3-5-2 system we played under Gregory which was in fact 5-3-2 and defensive as hell.

On Tuesday what was the point of having Delfounso on the pitch? He isn’t a winger, and he isn’t a midfielder, he is a striker, so play him as a striker, he hasn’t even mastered that role so how can he be expected to play anywhere else.

How many times was the ball idly chipped up in the air for Gabby but was easily cleared by Bolton, I’m thinking at least ten times. Why are the players doing that? Have they been told to do it?

I’m not pretending I have all the answers when it comes to football but surely if in doubt any manager should do two things. One is actually play the players in their right positions. Any one who has watched England down the years can tell you that. You dont hire a plumber and tell him to fix the wiring do you? And if not blessed with the world’s cleverest footballers put them in the formation that they all know how to play - 4-4-2.

A friend of mine who went to Everton said we were awful until forced to play 4-4-2 and then we scored, with Gabby scoring because he was in front of the goal and not standing by some flashing advertisement on the wing.

The Zog was getting a bit of grief on Saturday, which after just five games is a record for even Villa fans, but on Tuesday we witnessed one of the worst wing performances in a Villa shirt. As it transpires again for Villa fans, be careful what you wish for.

A bloated Nigel Callaghan playing beach football was more productive than anything Marc Albrighton did against Bolton.

I’m loathe to criticise local players, well if you can call Tamworth local to the Villa, but Albrighton had a shocker.

In his current form he couldn’t cross a picket line of midgets let alone cross a ball in to the danger area.

As in the Hereford game he had several gold plated opportunities to cross the ball into the danger area and mucked almost every one up.

And as well as not being able to hit a barn door he keeps on giving the ball away which against Premiership teams, and even their reserves, is always going to lead to trouble, so it was no surprise after giving away possession in his own half Bolton scored their first goal.

I really hope I am wrong, but his current form could be down to those two evils that always seem to afflict ‘Villa’s next big thing’ - no competition for places and a nice big contract.

Most managers get a honeymoon period, most clubs get a optimistic bounce with a managerial appointment but by getting in McLeish, who’d just taken a side down, Paul Faulkner and Randy made a rod for their own backs.

The Premiership is a rubbish league which most of the teams are just bit part players waiting for their day on the television to get humiliated by Man City or Man Utd.

Football is a tribal game us fans still pay through the teeth to see it but perhaps there has been a tipping point, I cant remember the last time Newcastle didn’t sell out against us.

The Villa are now in the position of not having a chance of getting into the top six which is not really the club’s fault as being solvent is pretty important.

But if that is not bad enough we are subjected to watch boring rubbish football, which is entirely the club’s fault.

See them empty seats, well get used to them.

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