Black Cats all but end Villa’s Champions League dream.

Walking out of Villa Park last night I felt frustrated and let down. Just like Saturday against Wolves two points were dropped on home soil, and to be honest, if it wasn’t for the FA Cup, I would say our season was over now.

The players didn’t look at their best for the second game running, weather that’s down to tiredness or lack of motivation, for me either way it boils down to Martin O’Neill.

If it was tiredness, then he needs to rotate certain players, and then if he doesn’t feel that players are good enough to come in, then again that’s his own fault as it’s pretty much his own squad so he should have brought better.

Villa dominated play for much of the game without really causing a threat and looking like scoring.

However, Sunderland shocked the home fans when they took the lead after twenty-two minutes. Kieran Richardson created the goal with a perfectly weighted ball which allowed Frazier Campbell to beat the offside trap then go on to beat Brad Friedel in the Villa goal.

It didn’t take long for Villa to bring things back on level terms with possibly the move of the match, and the sort of play we have became used to as Villa fans.

James Milner broke with the ball, and then picked out the run of Ashley Young on the wing, which then in turn sent a beautiful low skidding ball across the box for Norwegian John Carew to pass it past Scottish goalkeeper Craig Gordon.

After Saturday I didn’t go into this game expecting a lot to be honest, but deep down hoping that the boys would pull together and get something but it was never to be. I lost a lot of respect for Steve Bruce and his players after they time wasted from the half time whistle as if they were winning and needed the win to stay in the league.

Chelsea is up next and Villa will need to book up their ideas if they are to get anything out of that game.