Well there you go, another dire game, another awful result to put 2010 to bed. The anti-Houllier voices now reaching full crescendo; maybe they’ll get their wish and we can look forward to our 4th manager in a matter of months. That’s generally worked out well for clubs that have tried it in the past.

I hate to single him out, but Eric Lichaj had a shocking opening eight minutes – nothing seemed to work for him – capped with a gift wrapped penalty to Man City, adjudged to have brought Mario Balotelli down. Probably the right decision, but one of those that many referees wouldn’t blow up for. 1-0.

Five minutes later, Joleon Lescott headed to the far post largely unchallenged and Barry Bannan’s headed clearance on the line was adjudged to be nothing of the sort by the linesman. Superhuman eyesight apparently, no hesitation. All of the ball crossed all of the line in his opinion. 2-0.

Balotelli got his 2nd with simple tap in on 27 minutes, probably from an offside position, but Lichaj won’t want to see the replay again. 3-0.

No changes at half time, back out with a bit more spirit and determination. Unfortunately, Marc Albrighton, who was due to be substituted – Fabian Delph and Nathan Delfouneso ready to come on – tripped Adam Johnson in the box and Balotelli was presented with the opportunity to grab a hat-trick from the spot. He stutter stepped Friedel onto the wrong foot once again. 4-0.

Delph and Delfouneso came on immediately after, Albrighton and Bannan making way. Little changed, no one particularly interested in a dead rubber with 35 minutes left on the clock. Pires came on Reo-Coker for the last five minutes, but it limped out to the final whistle with hunched shoulders wherever you looked among the Villa side.

Utterly destroyed, confidence at an all time low.

And now we look ahead to starting 2011 at Stamford Bridge, the venue of our most humiliating loss in recent memory and arguably when it all began to unravel for us – you’ll recall the MON quit rumours emerged shortly after that result.

Many, many fans are vociferously opposed to giving Houllier the opportunity to utilize his first transfer window now, others see as much risk – if not, more – in handing over the team to someone new just in time to splash some cash.

It’s a tricky one for Randy Lerner. He’s among a small group of people who know the full extent of the mess Houllier inherited and can have a true feel for how well or badly he’s done in the last few months with what he’s had to deal with.

My personal feeling is that bringing in someone new will more than likely send us into a death spiral unless we get the right manager, but why would that be any more likely now than it was three months ago? Sticking with Houllier might well lead to the same fate. Stick or twist?

I hate to look at things in such a defeatist way; but we’re halfway to the perceived safety of 40 points and halfway through the season with Wigan to play twice. Stick or twist? I’m inclined to stick myself, but then I don’t know if I’m holding 17 or 14.

Randy does though and he’s no mug.

Aston Villa Starting XI: Friedel, Lichaj, Cuellar, Collins, Warnock, Albrighton, Reo-Coker, Petrov, Bannan, Downing, Agbonlahor. Subs: Guzan, Clark, Hogg, Delph, Delfouneso, Pires, Herd.

Man City Starting XI: Hart, Richards, Zabaleta, Lescott, Kompany, de Jong, Vieira, Yaya Toure, Johnson, Silva, Balotelli. Subs: Given, Boateng, Brdige, Barry, Milner, Tevez, Silva.