Southampton vs Aston Villa: Referendum Day for Deano?

The reporting and rumors have been varied, from Dean’s safe to he’ll be gone if Villa lose tonight. We’ve seen the departures of John Terry and Richard O’Kelly blamed. We’ve heard (repeatedly) that Smith doesn’t know how to win without Grealish. That Villa have no identity. We’ve perhaps more to the point heard about the inadequacies of Villa’s midfield, the formations employed, or the players selected. Why we brought in Danny Ings instead of a midfield destroyer.

Regardless of what’s been said and whoever might be right or wrong, it feels like a very big moment.

Chelsea 5–4 Villa (pens): Far From Ugly.

In the end, an excellent performance and Villa were perhaps unlucky not to win in regular time. For all the changes, absences, and youth, the team seemed to know what they were doing, and the mentality was really good. I expected more timidity and hesitation. It wasn’t there, or if it was, not for long. The set-up looks good.