*Food for Alpay’s thoughts as Charlton show true purpose*

With the exception of Joey Gudjonsson and, fleetingly, Mark Kinsella, Aston Villa’s battered players failed to acknowledge their fans after this defeat. Having been harangued with chants of “You’re not fit to wear the shirt”, they were probably too embarrassed to do the decent thing. It all made for a stark contrast with their opponents.

There is no club where the player-supporter bond is stronger than at Charlton and, whereas Villa’s sense of unity seems to be non-existent, the home side stride forward as one with an excited, unswerving belief. Unbeaten at home since September and with one defeat in 15 games, they are the Premiership’s form side.

There is a humility about Charlton, too, that Villa would do well to learn from. Kinsella, returning to the club where he played for six years before moving to Villa Park last summer, was given an impossibly warm welcome.

Again, Villa provided an unpleasant contrast. Alpay, who has failed to get a move from the club, played his first game since October after saying last week that he wanted a second chance. The Turk was booed by everybody present.

The vastly different make-ups of the clubs is not lost on Graham Taylor. He spoke as if swapping places with Alan Curbishley would make him the happiest person on earth. “There is a sense of purpose at Charlton and they have good continuity. Players, staff and board are singing off the same hymn sheet and that is always good,” the Villa manager said. “The bigger clubs tend not to do that. I have dealt with as many problems off the pitch this season as I have on the pitch.”

Alpay, whose sense of self-importance rocketed after being named in the World Cup team of the tournament last summer, was not far from his thoughts.

“I don’t want good players to leave the club at all. But if they do want to leave then I expect them to do it in a civilised manner. That’s where my big fall-out was because he has listened to too many people telling him the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid want him, and wasn’t going about it in the right way.”

There was something rather pleasing about the fact that all of Charlton’s goals came down Alpay’s flank. Scott Parker was the creator of the first two, first feeding Jason Euell who turned past a floundering Alan Wright to steer home, then leaving Alpay for dust with a surging run and precise feed that Jonatan Johansson finished off. The Finn then deflected Mathias Svensson’s header into the net from Claus Jensen’s corner, via Jlloyd Samuel’s boot.

“I’ve got a team which believes in itself and they work ever so hard for each other,” said Curbishley. “Whoever comes into the team picks up the baton and carries it on. People say we have no superstars but they’re all superstars because they’re all good players.”

Alpay would do well to take note.