*Richards extends misery for Villa*

These are worrying times for Aston Villa and especially John Gregory. This defeat by a team they comfortably beat twice last season increased to six matches their run without a win, as well as the strain on their manager. ‘You don’t know what you’re doing,’ the Villa fans sang at Gregory, who must be feeling the heavy hand of his chairman Doug Ellis on his collar.

Dean Richards’s headed goal seven minutes from time was enough for Southampton to take maximum advantage of a Villa side who started averagely then petered out. It is certainly poor return for Ellis, who has handed Gregory £25 million to spend and sees the big clubs of the Premiership disappearing into the distance and home attendances falling.

Yesterday Gregory recalled £10 million worth of talent in an attempt to halt the disturbing run. Steve Stone replaced the £6m man George Boateng on the right wing while Paul Merson claimed a place in the centre of midfield, playing alongside Gareth Barry, more normally a defender but pressed into service there in the absence through injury of Ian Taylor and Lee Hendrie.

Stone, in his first start of the season, was immediately in the action, with the enthusiasm of a man who had a point to prove, and his penetrative cross was met by Alan Thompson, who headed over the bar. When Barry forced Paul Jones into a save with a low drive soon afterwards, it seemed as if memories of last season, when they scored seven times in taking all six points against Southampton, might be warming Villa against a chill wind.

Instead, their more recent lack of confidence began to surface. Thompson did go close, curling a well-aimed free-kick from the right against the Saints’ crossbar, but it was a rare moment of accuracy. Dion Dublin’s sloppy shot over the bar from 18 yards was more typical of their first-half display, which failed to utilise properly the talents of Merson and Benito Carbone by getting the ball to them in dangerous areas.

Saints, though, are a far better side than last season, as a more productive start testifies. In Hassan Kachloul and Marian Pahars they have two bright and creative players who give them more scoring capacity, even if their defensive vulnerability is still there. Saints can even afford to leave Matthew Le Tissier on the substitutes’ bench.

Indeed, after their hesitant start Southampton began to create the better chances. Kachloul tested David James with a long-range shot and as they sensed Villa’s self-doubt, began to stride forward with more confidence. Having robbed Mark Delaney, Kachloul sent in a cross which Pahars laid to Mark Hughes, who shot wastefully over the top.

In addition, Stuart Ripley had a fierce shot blocked after mistakes by Gareth Southgate and James had presented him with the chance. James then almost let slip a long-range attempt from Patrick Colleter. It was the home side who were the more grateful for the half-time whistle. Though Southampton did create the first chance of the second half, James diving low to save Richards’s header from the lively Ripley’s corner, a regrouped Villa gradually fashioned some reasonable chances.

From Carbone’s cross, Dublin sent a volley over the bar and then repaid the compliment, crossing for the Italian to meet at the near post. This time the shot went wide. Merson then sent in a teasing cross but the wasteful Dublin glanced it well wide.

Further evidence of finishing lacking conviction came after a penetrating run from Merson ended with him laying the ball to Carbone, whose shot was at the centre of goal, enabling Jones to turn the ball over the bar.

Then, inexplicably, to the chants and jeers of the Villa fans, Gregory pulled off the creative Merson. Soon afterwards came punishment for the decision. Kachloul’s corner on the left was flicked on by Matthew Oakley and Richards headed home at the far post.

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*The Guardian*
Monday, 8 November 1999

*Gregory feels the chill as Saints blow adds to the wind of change at Villa*

When Southampton win away it tends not to register too much any longer on the Steve Froggatt scale - football’s newest device for measuring the shock factor. In recent times they have conquered Wimbledon and Coventry, clubs in no danger of self-delusion.

Aston Villa are not in that lower bracket just yet but their demise is alarming and, if John Gregory did not possess the most immaculately tailored hair, he would surely have been pulling it out by now.

This time last year Gregory’s team were lauding it over everybody while Southampton could not find an escape route from the bottom. Now Villa’s stock is low enough for Dave Jones to revert to a two-man attack, confident the home side would be vulnerable.

On a cold afternoon this savage wind of change exacerbated the chill factor inside one of the game’s most imposing cathedrals. A ground that on Saturday held only 26,000 reverberated with their disgust at half-time, when Paul Merson was taken off in the second half and again at the end of the match.

Gregory has spent heavily on the likes of Merson, Steve Stone and George Boateng but has used them only fitfully, although Stone has had injuries. Steve Watson, another £4m man, stayed on the bench and Dion Dublin, who cost more, is a shadow of himself. So much spending with so little return does not usually sit well with the chairman Doug Ellis.

“He was not happy when Villa were 15th two years ago, he was not happy when we slipped out of the top three last season and lost out on qualification for both Champions League and the Uefa cup,” said Gregory. “We had a little bit of a fall-out a couple of months ago but that was sorted out over a cup of tea and he has been very supportive.”

Gregory refuses to criticise the barrackers. “They pay to come in and are allowed to boo. We have had it before.”

Southampton had more fluency and, even though Alan Thompson rattled the cross bar and Paul Jones made some fine saves, it was the visitors who deserved to grab the winner, a late Dean Richards header after a Hassan Kachloul corner.