Three points as Villa win for the 2,000th time in the League

It speaks volumes that 36 games into Gerrard's torturous tenure as Villa boss and we are already talking about three points, and not the performance, that matters.

Objectively speaking we remain in a mess, the performance - which is actually the only real barometer of progress - was as poor as has been seen at Villa Park in many a year.

That it was a collective mess underlines the concerns that Villa under Steven Gerrard have no direction - literally and metaphorically.

The game was strewn with errors, alarmingly very few were enforced.

Southampton of course were no better, in fact a shade worse, but they had a plan to close down, win free kicks and create a stage for James Ward Prowse. Happily he didn't take it.

Villa on the other hand were just out there hoping. Thankfully a 15 second spell in the first half was enough to win the game.

But make no mistake there aren't many sides that will put in as abject a performance as Southampton. The simple fact is that Villa got away with this one, we can't pretend this is progress.

Meanwhile, off the pitch, Gerrard continues to gaslight:

"A lot of success early on" four wins and five defeats.

"Maybe it’s a slower process, especially where we are, and maybe it’s going to take a little bit more time.” Seemingly Gerrard forgets he's been in charge and put Villa 'where we are'.

“I put that noise on Tyrone. The reason I did that and, when I inherited the boys when I did, there was a lot of noise around Tyrone Mings and I felt it was affecting his performances and his consistency.” Nothing more needs to be said here, the "I" says it all.

Despite the continuing easy ride afforded to "Stevie G" by his media pals, and the painting of the Villa support as ungrateful and the playing staff as substandard, Gerrard continues to make excuses for his own mistakes. That alone tells us he isn't in the mindset to improve himself or much more importantly, us.