More wonderful support from the local rag follows:

THIS was Villa’s night of self-torture, fifty minutes of whipping followed by hours of recrimination.

Their apologists might say they lost this match to two brief periods in which Chelsea scorched their backsides.

The realists would reply that Villa were so unbelievably fault-riddled the defeat might have been by half-a-dozen.

If this lot amounted to the Collected Works of Ron Atkinson - and only Nigel Spink and Stephen Froggatt of the 14 were not acquired in the past 15 months - then last night nearly all of them could have been shredded.

In generous mood you might say that this was just one of those nightmares we all endure at one time or another - like the day the car fails to start.

Well, Villa’s car first hiccuped in the 40th minute and had fallen to pieces within another 18.

Chelsea did not so much beat as crush them in those spells either side of half-time.

Every screw, it seemed, worked loose at the first cough when Mal Donaghy swung a high pass which Andy Townsend teed up for Robert Fleck to score his first goal since being signed for £2.1 million from Norwich.

That sum rang a horn among Villa fans waiting to know whether Dean Saunders is to join their club, but on this display there was a good deal more missing than a mobile striker - a mobile defence to begin with, not to mention a bit of heart in midfield.

In the opening half-hour of superiority, Villa moved the ball with relative comfort. After Kevin Richardson had scored with a rocketing half-volley, the air of self-satisfaction was tangible.

Relaxed discipline can only have one result and Villa suffered it.

It needed a desperate Spink save to prevent Fleck adding a second goal within two minutes of his first but the delay in Chelsea taking the lead was about as long as chairman Doug needs to ring up the bank manager and ask for another £150.000 to seal the Saunders deal.

Again the defence failed to cut out a pass to the edge of the six-yard area and Fleck's jab to Eddie Newton was comfortably put wide of Spink.

Atkinson's half-time demands for patience had no takers. Villa remained in spasm and Dennis Wise did no more than anyone expected when he added a third after 57 minutes after Garry Parker's error had wrongfooted his team-mates.

Suspicion has been lurking for a time that Barrett, quick and athletic, is no born right-back and the way that Townsend and Wise were allowed room to create confusion was some corroboration.

Spink made a splendid double save in the 64th minute but with a collapse of major proportions seemingly imminent, Villa at last made a show of responding, Froggatt shooting wide, and Richardson bringing a diving save from Dave Beasant.

With Cyrille Regis visibly hampered by a heel injury and Froggatt requiring a rest, Atkinson has important decisions to make before Saturday.

Saunders would solve one problem but there are others, unless last night's display was just something to get out of the system.