An away defeat and we just aren't used to that

I'm a little speechless for once.

The defeat last night has got me wondering just where to go with this.

Do I condemn Villa for a woeful first half at the City of Manchester Stadium?

Or are we all reading far too much into fatigue, or nerves, or both because after the break they were really rather good?

Perhaps too many people are exclaiming a bubble burst when the team has perhaps suffered just a reversal of some of the fortune that went their way at, for example, West Ham and Hull?

For sure the ghosts of Moscow are haunting the manager and will continue to do so until he wins a football match.

Next three matches? You won't need reminding it is against a Tottenham team who have finally found some form. Villa will have to score once just to get a point because you can guarantee Robbie Keane will score again against them.

Then Anfield and Old Trafford. Everton and West Ham then follow at home.

Arsenal have Blackburn, Newcastle, Man City and Wigan.

An eight point lead over Arsenal with a minute to go against Stoke City has become three within an instant.

The run of seven successive away wins - a club record and one of the best records in the history of the top flight as only Chelsea, twice, Arsenal and Tottenham have ever done better - has come to an end.

Curtis Davies was subbed at half-time in Manchester. He lasted 70 minutes against Chelsea. He appears to be at the cross-roads of his season.

Gabby Agbonlahor is struggling. Hardly a week goes by without some fan proclaiming him to be the most "over-rated" player in the league.

Ashley Young's first half at the City of Manchester Stadium is best forgotten. More histrionics after losing the ball on the edge of the City box, more treatment required from Alan Smith which miraculously solved his hobble. At least his second half was far more of what we have come to expect - taking on defenders and cutting inside and taking shots at goal.

Winning is a habit just as losing, or not winning is one.

Depressed yet?

Well, lets look at the flip side.

Dubai has come at a terrific time for some players. Some, admittedly, are family men and privately did not feel the need to catch another flight and stay in another hotel when their private lives have taken such a battering already over the last few weeks, with all the games and travelling.

But for others the chance of a bit of sunshine and a game of golf will help them re-wind after a hectic campaign.

Agbonlahor has played all but nine minutes of Villa's 28 league games this season. That's some statistic.

Carlos Cuellar had arguably his best game for the club last night - impressive both at right-back and in the middle after Davies' hasty retreat.

Brad Friedel was magnificent. What a save from Elano. The best, without doubt,since David James although they are quite different keepers both in terms of style (James oustanding in coming off his line, Friedel safer nearer his goalline) and personality.

Luke Young, in my book, is pushing Gareth Barry and Stiliyan Petriov all the way for Player of the Season. The trio of them rarely have a bad game.

Zat Knight is no longer the one defender looking out of place whom you could rely on making that one crucial error in a game.

Emile Heskey does so much unselfish work whilst John Carew is, without doubt, back to his form of last autumn at last which, at that time, made him Villa's most influential player.

Whether he stays for another season? The very fact he only signed a one year extension last summer always indicated that talks will take place on that very subject sometime soon.

It is too early to call either way, I'd say.

The club have in the last week come up trumps with two fine pieces of PR work.

The idea for "the feeding of the 300", the fans who travelled to Moscow, was welcome indeed, and I don't believe a hollow gesture either. Fair play to the manager and Randy Lerner for that one.

Then today's announcement that Acorns will be represented on the shirts for another season really is wonderful news. In fact, "wonderful" doesn't come close to how superb the gesture is.

And what good would £2 million do for Villa anyway? It would barely keep Marlon Harewood on the staff for another 12 months.

In conclusion, it's easy to get down when results aren't goign your way.

But why not take a leaf out of Jack Woodward's book.

The Villa TV commentator asked of Luke Young on camera after the defeat at Man City: "A draw against Stoke and a defeat at Man City hardly represents a slump. It almost shows how far you have come in that it does feel like that, in a way," he said.

No mention of Everton, CSKA Moscow at home, Chelsea at home or CSKA Moscow away then....

Villa are still fourth. Another three wins out of ten and they will be almost certain to be in the UEFA Cup as of right next season.

Victory against Spurs and the season will feel like it is motoring again.

And don't forget those last five games are against Bolton, Hull, Fulham, Middlebrough and Newcastle.

The season is still very much alive. It just feels right now as if it has gone to sleep.