Sloppy Villa go from cabbages to turnips

ASTON VILLA were such a mixed bag here that anyone throwing their hat into the ring to be their next boss might well be having second thoughts.

After potting Steve Bruce in midweek, on this showing Thierry Henry would do well to stay put in Belgium and Dwight Yorke should ask for his CV back.

For the first 25 minutes Villa were magnificent and deservedly in front thanks to Tammy Abraham’s goal.

But once Shane Ferguson levelled for the Lions the visitors faded and Jack Grealish went from the game’s most eye-catching performer to its most frustrated.

Tom Elliott’s goal, early in the second half, turned out to be a deserved winner for a Millwall team that had tasted victory just once previously in league action.

Before the next two weeks are up, Kevin MacDonald, in his third spell as Villa’s caretaker, fully expects the club to find a replacement for Bruce, whose tenure was ended by Tuesday’s draw with Preston that began with a cabbage lobbed at his head.

“Everyone seems to say this club is in crisis but that is not the case,” the Scot said. “This club is getting on a good standing once again, with some good people.

“The chief executive is obviously working hard to bring in the right person.”

Millwall’s aggressive start initially cost them.

Elliott was lucky not to have been sent off for clattering Neil Taylor and when Shaun Williams fouled Grealish, Abraham was on the end of Conor Hourihane’s free-kick to open the scoring with a volley.

Villa camped in the Millwall half until Ferguson showed great determination to get to Jake Cooper’s header to register his first goal in 14 months, off makeshift centre-back Alan Hutton.

Elliott’s goal was pure Millwall – lashing home in a crowded box after some frantic head tennis. The home fans loved it and so did boss Neil Harris.

“The players deserved that,” he said. “They have had horrendous luck.”