At the start of the game, I saw the same predictable statements from several Villa fans – Heskey playing in the team was pointless, that such an inclusion should have McLeish sacked for even thinking of such a tactical change after the Arsenal game.

Fast forwards a half and many were singing a different tune. “The Heskey Experiment”, if one can daub it that, had worked out pretty well. In fact, for many Villa fans, the fact that Heskey was being taken off was seen as a loss to the team.

As a long term Villa fan, I obviously know all about the talent and limitations of Emile Heskey. Nobody will sit here and suggest he is a prolific scorer, in fact most managers call him a team contributor more than a goalscorer. Ask Fabio Capello – it’s certainly what he thinks, and he is arguably one of the top managers in world football.

Sure, Emile isn’t a silky skilled football in the vein of Lionel Messi, but he does what he does well – he holds up the ball. Against a team like Stoke, whose height is a major strength of their tactic, there needs to be a counter-tactic. Some will argue that the antidote to Stoke’s often downplayed style is to out pass them and use flair.

However, things are rarely that simple. Many teams see Stoke as a difficult place to come, and whilst recent iterations of Pulis’ Stoke teams may not win points for style, they have done what is needed of them.

Villa, on the other hand, have often found themselves not doing what is needed. When you talk about football, getting the basics done first is what is important. Winning is the priority, flair is the icing on that cake. So whilst we may deride Pulis for his manner of managing Stoke City, at least he does what is expected of him.

Getting back to the game, it played out much like many might have suggested. For Villa, it was a case of dealing with Stoke at the Britannia. Arguably, based on performances at the ground in recent years, a draw could be seen as progress. Not a win, of course, but certainly not a loss.

I do, however, expect the largely predictable retorts of Villa’s draw specialist statistic. That Villa didn’t do enough to win, that they were lucky that Gabby managed to get the ball cleared from the Villa goal line. That there was, given the lack of three points, something to draw criticism from, regardless of the fact that many Villa managers have come away from the Britannia without any points in recent times, as Villa have not beaten Stoke at the Britannia since their promotion 4 years ago.

The Team Is Key

Looking at the team, there was a lot of commitment across the pitch today. In one period, Villa must have passed the ball 20-30 times consecutively, only for it to fall down when a typically sloppy long ball crept in. For me at least, I think that it’s become more and more evident that James Collins is the weak link in the central partnership that Villa currently adopt, and the necessity for Richard Dunne to cover several lapses illustrated this perfectly.

Of the recent additions to the team, Clark had, in my opinion, a fairly balanced game. He was adopting a defensive position well but lacked the final product when it came to linking up play. If there was to be any dismissal of any part of his game, it was lazy passing. However, this is by no means one man’s issue, and will need to continue to be worked on.

Villa are, to all intents and purposes, slowly working things out. As a fan, it can feel painfully slow, especially when results go against the team, and Villa see themselves dropping points. However, in a season marked by middle of the road standards, Villa’s position in and around the middle is about right. It’s not pleasing or anything to shout about, sure, but it’s about what we can expect from the current team, investment, and tactic. Progress takes time, and it often isn’t fun in the interim.

Had Villa continually been playing the long ball against Stoke, I would maybe agree with those that suggested McLeish was still persisting like a broken record with hoofing the ball. The difference nowadays is that many players are shunning the fear, starting to play the ball, and move around properly. It’s early days in the grand scheme of things, but it is getting there.

Sometimes Heskey is needed out of necessity to counteract other team threats. Sometimes he isn’t what is needed at all.

Whatever your opinion on Villa you will, like me, know that we are not that good a team to be able to just impose our way of playing on the opposition. Sometimes physical factors come into play, especially in a quasi-derby situation. Barry Bannan, for example, may well be a talented footballer, but against significantly larger bodies and a different style of football, I imagine he would have been largely anonymous, whilst being physically dominated.

Clark was, in my opinion, the right player to partner Petrov in midfield. The rest of the team (largely) picked itself.

I may sound like a politician making promises with my next statement, but I think it’s going to improve. Trust me, and give it some time. It may not work out, as obviously I can’t predict the future, but the signs are there.

Some predicted zero points for Villa over Christmas so, for those people at least, look at this as an extra bonus. Sure, it may not have been the present you wanted, but it’s Christmas. It’s not always about what you get, but the thought behind it that counts.

Villa should, arguably, see a point as a fair reward for their efforts. The question now is how Villa will play in the face of a more technically capable team in the form of Chelsea away. The future, as they say, is there to be written.

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