Mendez-Laing tears Villa apart with his double

WINGER Nathaniel MendezLaing has had more loans than Benefits Street, but Neil Warnock might just be the manager who cashes in on his talent.

The 25-year-old has been borrowed by five clubs and given away for free by two others, but his free spirit was something Villa never got close to getting to grips with.

Signed from Rochdale in the summer, two-goal MendezLaing was part of a Cardiff front trio that destroyed Villa to send the Bluebirds to the top of the Championship – and Steve Bruce into familiar despair.

His promotion favourites were torn to pieces and, if their John Terry-marshalled defence had conceded seven, it would have been a truer reflection.

Cardiff boss Warnock said: “Nathaniel has listened.

“I wouldn’t say that I have taken him under my belt, but he has had a bit of an up-anddown career and he did fall away a bit.

“But my old player Keith Hill got him back on line at Rochdale. I think he is enjoying it and he is certainly working hard.

“His team-mates accept him and I think we saw that in Junior Hoilett, too.

“It’s about knowing what you are good at and using it.”

Villa missed early chances, but once Mendez-Laing had headed Cardiff into the lead, Bruce’s side melted in a steamy atmosphere, expertly coaxed at full-time in a rare visit to his club by owner Vincent Tan. The powerful Kenneth Zohore – who unsettled a hesitant Terry throughout - set up his side’s second goal for Hoilett, before Mendez-Laing thundered home a third.

A grim-faced Bruce admitted: “That was on the edge of embarrassment. “It’s a rude awakening and we’ve had it very early again. It’s a wake-up call for everyone and Possession 35% 65% Shots On Target 12 1 Shots Off Target 2 4 Blocked Shots 1 5 Corners 4 7 Fouls Conceded 9 9 Offsides 0 1 Yellow Cards 0 1 Red Cards 0 0 was a very difficult afternoon. We have to do more. We are Aston Villa and one of the favourites in this division. Away from home, we have to get ready for more.

“It is one of the biggest defeats I’ve had in the Championship.

“I didn’t often get beaten that badly in the Premier League.

“We were wide open. We had two great chances at 2-0 and we didn’t take them.”

To add to Villa’s woes, they lost Ahmed Elmohamady with a facial injury that required stitches and will rule him out of Tuesday’s trip to Reading.