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Note: The comments below were originally a series of posts I made on X during and after the Brighton match. I’ve cleaned them up and expanded them slightly for The Villa Blogger, but the views expressed are exactly how I felt as the game unfolded. As the first half unfolded, it became obvious that Villa were struggling badly. The players needed to calm down. Yes, it was becoming a bit of a ****-show, but losing discipline was only going to make things worse. We looked lightweight going forward, and at one stage I was already thinking about changes. I hate saying this, but being down six significant players who started in the Europa League final and expecting Villa to play the same football is asking a lot of anyone. I saw some fans making comparisons with our 5-1 defeat against Newcastle in the opening game of the 2023 season. For me, that’s a false comparison. Villa actually played some brilliant football in that Newcastle match. Even in that defeat, you could see where we were heading as a team and a club. The first forty-five minutes against Brighton felt completely different. This wasn’t Villa trying to play football and coming up short. This was Villa looking like a team that is down six significant football players. The management also have to take some of the blame for this. We looked awful. I also saw some supporters on X suggesting Emery might walk away. Personally, I don’t think he will. If anything, I think he’s got something to prove. But if he did walk, after the wholesale sale of so many players, that really would be the ultimate kick in the you know whats. As the second half went on, I found myself relieved that we hadn’t conceded more goals. Maybe Brighton eased up a little. Maybe they didn’t. Either way, Villa looked more composed after Gomes left the pitch. It wasn’t much, but it was at least something for supporters to cling on to going forward. And as for Emery not shaking hands with members of the Brighton coaching staff after the match, I honestly couldn’t care less. Show me a good loser, and I’ll show you a loser. The most revealing part of the day actually came after the final whistle. I listened carefully to Emery’s interview with Sky Sports. What struck me was his frustration with the Ollie Watkins situation and revealed that he has been dealing with issues like this for some time now. That was probably the most interesting thing he said all day. It left me wondering whether what we’re seeing isn’t really a Villa problem at all. Maybe it’s a player problem. Maybe it’s about Villa players reaching a certain level, attracting interest from clubs they perceive to be bigger, and then deciding they want the next move. If that’s true, Emery has had far more to deal with behind the scenes than many of us realised. One thing is certain: This Aston Villa side is a work in progress, and after what we saw at Brighton, there is a lot of work still to do. UTV