I won’t be alone in feeling completely numb right now. I can’t even think where to begin explaining that one. There’s zero point talking tactics and team selection, the starting XI wasn’t vastly different from expectations, they just didn’t play with any real intent about them.

I hoped someone might pass a note around the changing room at half time, perhaps a snapshot of the table, wake them up a little, something to bring our situation into focus. They’d come out in the second half with some fire in the bellies then. Surely.

But no. Nothing. Listless. Inept.

Two shots on target plus a left footed effort from Ashley Young that struck woodwork in 90 minutes. Otherwise, Wayne Hennessey in the Wolves goal had next to nothing to do all game. At home. Against Wolves. Nine games left to secure Premiership football next season.

It. Beggars. Belief.

That’s all I’ve got on the game for now. A banner was unfurled in the Holte prior to kick off that expressed an end of patience and a desire to see the back of Gerard Houllier. The boos that rang out at the end of each half and chants of “you don’t know what you’re doing” when Gabby Agbonlahor and Robert Pires were brought on in place of Marc Albrighton and Nigel Reo-Coker just echoed that sentiment.

That will feature in every mass media match report, most blogs and forums. It’s the kind of drama and unfortunate set of events that every hack out there is going to feast on like a pack of hyenas. As if we weren’t creating enough non-footballing headlines.

The Aston Villa section of the internet is about to get all kinds of ugly. I’m going to pull the plug, assume the foetal position and sob gently looking at the table.

Eight games left – six if you discount the final two against Arsenal and Liverpool – still 10 points (at least) to be found. Taking precisely nothing from these past two games against Bolton and Wolves doesn’t inspire confidence that it can be done though.

Faith is the belief in something for which there is no evidence.

So I have faith. I have no choice, what else is there right now?

UTV