*Merson deepens Watford’s gloom*

This was supposed to be Graham Taylor’s day. Nearly 10 years after his last official visit, the Watford manager returned to the club where he spent three successful seasons, and his arrival was greeted rapturously by both sets of fans. But Paul Merson’s display, capped by two goals that ranged from the sublime to the even better, stole the show and it was he who was afforded the greater ovation when he was substituted late in the game.

Merson, Villa’s stand-in captain in the absence through injury of Gareth Southgate, provided the pick of first-half performances. Watford deployed five men in midfield, the intention clearly being to take control of the that area. They failed, however, the intelligent running of Merson and Steve Stone providing the greatest threat from either side and a glimpse of the wonders to come. But neither goalkeeper was seriously troubled before half-time.

Watford made two changes at the start of the second half, but it was Villa who made the rapid improvement, scoring after less than two minutes. A quick throw - which Watford thought should have been theirs - sent Benito Carbone scampering down the left and his deep cross was met on the volley by Stone, who struck home his first Premiership goal for the club.

Watford have not made a habit of recovering from such setbacks this season, and their afternoon was to get much, much worse. In the 57th minute, Merson collected the ball on the halfway line and advanced unchallenged towards the right-hand corner of Watford’s penalty area before delicately chipping the stranded Chris Day from 30 yards.

Just two minutes later, Villa, on a high of new-found confidence, switched the ball from right to left before finding Merson, who controlled the ball on his chest before turning to volley in from seven yards. Richard Walker’s first goal for the club, scored in the 81st minute, did little to divert the attention from Merson, the only star of this afternoon.

After the game, Villa’s assistant manager, Steve Harrison, was fulsome in his praise for his stand-in captain. ‘Merson’s performance today, the quality and skill of his two goals, was nothing short of sublime,’ he said.

Watford, meanwhile, are ‘in the shit’, to quote Taylor. ‘I’m a firm believer that things go round in circles,’ he said. ‘The good times come to an end and the bad times come to an end.’ These are bad times indeed, and Taylor will be hoping that the upturn comes sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, it is likely to come in the Nationwide League.

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*The Guardian*
Monday, 7 February 2000

*Merson the fat controller derails Taylor*

Football looks different from here in the heartland. Graham Taylor is a genius, Paul Merson should be in the England team and Benito Carbone is a highly motivated and disciplined young man. Whatever your perspective, however, Villa and their manager John Gregory remain an enigma.

Which Villa are we to believe in, the crabbed and fearful bunch that nicked a 1-0 win at Chester City in September, or the team that knocked Leeds out of the FA Cup and, in 12 explosive minutes in the second half on Saturday, scored three stunning goals?

The home fans were sincere in their greeting for Taylor, who enjoyed a successful spell here 10 years ago, but they reserved their warmest approbation for Merson, who was substituted to a standing ovation in the 83rd minute after scoring two of the goals, one of them sublime, the other merely brilliant.

“Merson’s finishing killed us off, didn’t it?” Taylor said. “There’s very few players can do what he did.”

Merson scored his first with a running chip from 20 yards over Chris Day into the far top corner in the 57th minute. Two minutes later he controlled an Alan Wright cross on his chest and volleyed it just inside the far post with his back to goal.

“It shows how far I’ve come in three or four months,” he said. “It shows how much confidence I’ve gained.”

Taylor gave him the first of his 21 international caps eight years ago and Merson seemed pained at the way he had repaid the former England manager. “It’s a shame because I’ve got so much respect for the man,” he said. “He stuck by me, gave me my chance and put me in all the squads. Shame it has to be against Watford.”

Such ironies abound in football and it seems they have a natural home at Villa. This is the team who slumped to 15th in the Premiership in December, then lost their only reliable striker. They are now up to eighth and are in the FA Cup quarter-finals, with only one defeat in their past 13 games.

Gregory is still concerned about his side’s finishing - the Argentine striker Gustavo Bartelt has just been signed on loan for the rest of the season - but the forward formation forced on him by Dion Dublin’s injury seems to serve the side well enough.

The team’s resurgence has also forced many to reassess Gregory’s ability, not least in the transfer market. George Boateng, the Dutch-Ghanaian midfielder bought for a lunatic £4.25m, is now the anchor of the midfield after an unhappy spell out on the right flank. Steve Stone, the damaged goods for which Gregory paid £5.5m, has recovered fitness and confidence and enjoyed a rare and encouraging full game on Saturday, highlighted by a wonderful volleyed goal. And, though £6.75m still seems a lot to have paid for an overweight 31-year-old engine which has been off the rails a few times, Merson is the man once more.