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Charles N’Zogbia’s well taken opener was cancelled out by a rare Ashley Young free kick during a first half which threatened to boil over, Emile Heskey providing much of the heat, but the second half failed to live up to expectations. Neither side can feel aggrieved with an equal share of the spoils.
It was a strange game. Wigan started the livelier, better organised side. Villa’s early response mostly coming from an industrious Kyle Walker looking to exploit space down the right. Ironically, it would be a mistake from Walker, making a thrusting run infield, that would lead to Wigan’s goal.
It was a typically positive run from Walker, setting off diagonally from the right back position, but he was unfortunately robbed of possession rather cheaply. Wigan smartly exploited the gaps among a particularly gormless looking back line, working the ball to N’Zogbia who fired to the far post, Friedel little chance of making the save.
The lead wasn’t to last long though. Just seven minutes later, Ashley Young stood over a free kick a little more than 25 yards out. Despite the Wigan wall’s refusal to retreat the full ten yards, Young fired a low, curling shot which bounced awkwardly in front of Ali Al Habsi and evaded his dive to the far post.
I didn’t see what followed myself, but there were reports of a heated exchange between Young and Stiliyan Petrov following a debate over who would take the free kick in the first place. As I didn’t see it, I can’t comment and I wouldn’t normally mention something I didn’t see, but it hints at something that appeared to be bubbling under the surface throughout the game.
And it may have come frothing to the top via Emile Heskey who was booked for excessively protesting referee Michael Jones’ failure to award him a free kick after a series of physical tussles with the Wigan defense. Things got heated enough for Brad Friedel to trot up from goal in an attempt to calm the big man down.
Whatever it was that irked Heskey, he wasn’t going to let it lie and continued to berate Jones at every opportunity to the point that captain Petrov was asked to intervene, clearly leaving Heskey on his final warning with ten minutes of the half remaining.
Nevertheless, Villa bossed much of the remainder of the first half, producing some of the best football of the game, save for a series of Wigan corners during injury time which would surely have given us reason to expect an inevitable late goal from a set piece. Fortunately it never came.
Second half
There was no way Gary McAllister could send Heskey back out after the break and elected to bring Marc Albrighton on in his place, switching Stewart Downing to the left and Young in behind Darren Bent.
The initial signs were positive as Albrighton looked to provide a new threat on the right, but Wigan responded well, they managed to hold possession and negated the new danger by focusing their efforts on the opposite flank with some slick passing.
Downing was forced to show his defensive abilities, but also provided what little goal threat Villa had during the second period, Darren Bent really struggling to get himself into the game. Unfortunately, with Downing on the left, the goal chances he carved out relied on his weaker right foot and didn’t trouble the Wigan goal keeper.
Bent latched onto a golden opportunity late on, the sort of chance you’d back the striker to finish if it were his only chance of the game, with only Al Habsi to beat. The Omani goalkeeper was quickly off his line and did well to force Bent to blink first, snuffing out what was probably the best opportunity of the game.
And the match just limped to the finish line from there. A bit disappointing really. A point wasn’t an unfair result and might prove invaluable to Wigan. For us, well we’re still not quite safe, much depends on the other games this weekend though.
With only Arsenal and Liverpool left, there’s little reason to expect any more points if we continue to play the way we have in the last couple of games. 42 points should be enough, but we’re not mathematically certain of survival yet.
It’s a frustrating end to what appeared to be a mini-revival just a few weeks ago. Much like this game, it promised to deliver several times, but in the end just whimpered out. Once again, for all the talk of making amends for the last disappointment, the actions didn’t match the words on the pitch.
This season just can’t be over soon enough.
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11 Comments to “Aston Villa 1 Wigan 1: Spicy opening, but fizzled out after the break”
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Heskey, what an idiot.
The less said, the better there.
I thought we worked hard, but Damm, we look so average and create next to nothing.
Still never mind, some would have us believe we’re playing better football (not aimed at you Dan).
What rot!
Big pile… Appaulling show.
so glad my stream died at half time, saved me getting more frustrated by Villa
Not sure that, (though a dreadful performance), it deserves the stick that some are giving it. Did people really expect us to be in a European spot?
After all, the manager has had no time and now looks to be on his way, but please god if he does go, let him take MaCallister with him.
Lets just get this season over and start new!
Given our players Rsam, I thought we’d be thereabouts, although I predicted 12th at the start of the season. That was purely because I knew how we always get let down though and I truly thought that’d be a worst case scenario.
I never for one minute thought we would be this bad.
And let’s face it, we are.
I keep having thoughts about Dalglish at Pool and Hodgson at WBA when people suggest “GH hasn’t had time” and all that rubbish, but whatever, I think it’s academic now.
i wouldn’t argue houllier hasn’t had time, but he hasn’t been playing with an even deck. he’s made plenty of mistakes, definitely, but there are no shortage of mitigating factors.
thing is, the situation at liverpool was ready made for dalglish. much loved player and former manager, was already inside the club, all the other issues they’d been struggling with were resolved, the only way was up.
hodgson at the baggies? well, firstly, with all due respect to everyone involved, that’s his level. apart from style, it’s a good fit. secondly, what was really broken there? kicking di matteo to the curb, at the time, didn’t make much sense.
on the other hand, blackburn inexplicably dropped fat sam and how’s that working out for them? we’ll see.
i’ve been avoiding the whole discussion on houllier’s future for one major reason; if he doesn’t continue as manager, but stays at the club in some role, there would be a logic that suggests mcallister would step into his shoes.
*shudder*
but no use being concerned about it yet, we’ll get a decent idea what’s likely to happen next month. until then, there’s still plenty more things to be bothered about.
No doubt we could do this debate all night Dan
But to condense it, I just expect a good manager to come in and improve things, even if it’s only slightly.
And I’m talking about league position, as that’s all that matters.
The rest is secondary in the short term.
Pool and WBA are where now, compared to when their new managers came in?
Yes, there are mitigating factors, I agree, but it quite simply cannot be just down to those, imo.
A decent manager assesses what he’s got to work with and strives to make it work to it’s best of it’s abilities, simple. This, he failed to do.
By all means change as and when it suits you and the company.
But I’ve never seen a successful manager in any form of life do any good by alienating his workers.
I’ll stand by what I said when he was appointed.
He wasn’t what we needed.
heh, yes, we could debate it forever, it’s a broad subject, but there really isn’t much i’d disagree vehemently on.
make no mistake, i’m no houllier apologist, i just don’t think he’s had a fair rub of the green. but, yes, he’s also made life more difficult for himself than he ought to have. no argument there.
then again, looking at it pragmatically, i don’t know how much of the negative things we’ve endured this season were completely necessary for the long term greater good.
i’m just very cautious about drawing comparisons with other clubs, particularly with liverpool and west brom.
tbh, i think you could have parachuted houllier into anfield, had he not already been in B6, and he’d have achieved something similar to “king kenny”, such was the appetite for change.
change from what? oh, roy hodgson. that’s kinda ironic really, isn’t it?
perhaps that is testament to the view of there being the right kind of man for the job and houllier just isn’t it for aston villa.
my fear, based on what i’ve observed over the last six months or so, is that what will probably constitute the right sort of manager from the vocal minority of fans’ perspective, and some of the players we have at the club right now, isn’t conducive with long term sustainable success.
and that’s been a depressing realisation for me.
I don’t think that Gmac will be Villa manager Dan.
I’ve not seen a single person who has a good word to say about him and his record is abysmal.
The board must know the fans opinions on that one.
I must say, that was a shocking appointment, even though it would seem he was third choice.
I wonder who was to blame for that one?
I forgot, the rumours (if you believe them) are that it’s actually GMac who has caused all the trouble, whereas Houllier tends to just walk away.
Hardly effective management imo