Stoke manager, Tony Waddington accepted responsibility for the depressing stalemate against Aston Villa on Saturday.

His side’s negative lineup descended on Villa Park like a blanket of fog and, given Villa’s inept attempts to find a way through it, the 0-0 scoreline was all the game deserved.

Waddington has done more than most managers in the last few years to foster attacking soccer but he admitted after the game:

“It was not pleasant to watch and it was not very pleasant for me to have to do it.

“But I went into the match with Alan Hudson, lan Moores, Terry Conroy and Jackie Marsh injured and at half time had to bring off Geoff Salmons. who has ‘flu.

“I am proud of the reputation we have built up as an attacking side but in these circumstances what am I supposed to do’”

Villa manager Ron Saunders was not so despondent however.

“Remember this was only the third time we have been able to field an unchanged side for two successive games. I reckon we are only a couple of players short of having a good first team pool now.”

Villa needed an early goal to draw Stoke out of their defensive shell and that they didn’t get one was due to brilliant saves by Peter Shilton from Andy Gray and Frank Carrodus.

But as the game wore on they lost patience and threw far too many long crosses into the Stoke goalmouth where Dennis Smith and Alan Bloor were seldom seriously troubled.

When Villa did try to build constructively they played like a team of strangers with a misplaced pass or lack of control at the decisive moment repeatedly frustrating their attacks.

On the credit side Carrodus was the game’s busiest and most inventive forward while Andy Gray earned himself quite a compliment with his usual display of dash and endeavour.

It came from Dennis Smith. one of football’s hard men, who said: “He’s quite a handful this lad. He gets off the ground well and lets you know he’s around. Give him a couple of seasons and he’ll be a great player.”