> **Villa draw at Everton with Dave Woodhall pondering.**
**It’s probably compulsory for all reporters when Villa play Everton to mention that it’s the most-played English top-flight fixture. There can’t have been many of those games that were less interesting than this one. There was a nod to the future in that it was the first played at Everton’s shiny new ground, and while it was the first time up there that almost all the away supporters had an unobstructed view, it was ironic that there was so little to see.**
Villa’s line-up showed that the injury crisis has started earlier this season, although Unai’s usual reluctance to put new signings straight into the team meant that at least we had a bench with some depth and, on paper at least, the chance to bring a fresh impetus as the match wore on. Everton had three former Villa players in the team, one of who is the most on-form in the league so there was a natural bit of apprehension at the start as we began the brave new post-transfer world.
Unfortunately, it was a lot like the old world. Villa were ponderous, hesitant and error-prone. They could have gone a goal down in the opening minutes but Everton missed a gilt-edged chance, which became the story of the afternoon. Emiliano Martinez was back on top form, which was just as well as more than once in the first half he had to make top-quality saves.
Nil-nil at half-time, and Villa were a lot happier about that than the home side, who only had themselves to blame for not scoring. Up until this season you could have relied on Unai to do something at half-time, and we did get a substitution as Youri Tielemans went off injured to be replaced by Evann Guessand but this was due to yet another injury and made no real difference.
The second half continued in much the same vein. Villa passed sideways and backwards, Everton passed forward and ran. We cried out for someone with a spark of inspiration, with a player on the other side looking like the type we should have been interested in during the summer – and yes, I do know that the baggage he’d have inevitably brought with him would have made the move difficult.
Harvey Elliott came on for Emiliano Buendia shortly after the Argentinian, who otherwise played well, had been booked and looked decent without ever seeming to be able to drag the rest of the team above mediocrity. Danyell Malen made both a late appearance and little impression. A point was the most Villa deserved and they couldn’t really have argued if they hadn’t even got that.
At least it was a clean sheet, which is pretty much all that can be taken from the game. Ollie Watkins and in particular Morgan Rogers were again out of form but the most worrying aspect of the game is Unai’s continued hesitance to do anything different. We’ve seen many managers who’ve reacted to things going against them by doubling down on what’s brought success in the past. It happened to Ron Saunders at the end of his career, as well as to Graham Taylor during his second period in charge and Martin O’Neill. Football is changing faster than ever and you have to evolve or die.
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