WHETHER awarding the temporary captaincy to Dean Saunders was a vote of confidence or a pick-me-up at a time of personal goal scarcity, we can only guess.

The arm-band changed nothing at Villa Park, though, Saunders was available as Christmas cards. He could be found everywhere, chasing, committed, passionate in his desire to score so eager, indeed, that he made seven genuine goal attempts of Villa's 19.

Both are very high aggregates and if the implication is that the team moved with something like the fluency and rhythm of last season, then that is plausible of certain parts if inaccurate as a whole.

It would be grossly unfair to punish the officer for the alleged crimes of his men. But Acting Captain Saunders must take a fair share of the responsibility for Villa's failure so far to make the impression many expected.

Saunders is practically worth his place for his skills around the penalty area but not quite, for if he is scoring only at the rate of one goal in four and a half games, then two other players have to score far more frequently to justify his inclusion.

That has not happened and there no suggestion so far that someone else will join Dalian Atkinson to compile enough goals to ensure Villa win a place In Europe.

Atkinson's reluctance to replace Saunders - six goals in 26 starts - with Guy Whittingham two in nine is understandable in the light of the potential of the Welshman's partnership with Dalian Atkinson.

The use of all three in the same team has been a clear failure, and so the time must be near when the manager gives Whlttingham an extended run, for the former Portsmouth striker looked the sharpest finisher on the field during his 45-minute second half appearance on Saturday.

Manager Atkinson said he was mystified by Villa's declining home record.

"It's a puzzle to me. We don't seem to have a phobia about playing here at least not until today," he said.

A goal a game average, the worst in the top eight is the glib answer.

Saunders has scored two of those, one a penalty and the other in the first game of the season.

Of just as much concern, however, is the quality of defending.

Wimbledon have improved significantly as a footballing side there was no room for deterioration, anyway.

And on a day of slight eccentricity, the fact that they gave away only four free-kicks, the first coming after 37 minutes, was most encouraging.

They beat Mark Bosnich after only two minutes but, fortunately for Paul McGrath's self-esteem, Peter Fear's tap-in shot from possibly the most embarrassing back pass of the centre-back's career was ruled out for offside.

McGrath and Shaun Teale were hectored by John Fashanu, arms straight as a guardsman's, and Vinny Jones in the air and Dean Holdsworth on the ground.

Finally, they were beaten, as is the way of the world, by a 78th minute Holdsworth header as first Jones and then Don's leading scorer eluded a packed defence.