Villa Park result shows the way forward (From Northwich Guardian)

Aston Villa 2 Stoke City 2

9:24pm Tuesday 3rd March 2009

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THE never say die spirit in this current Stoke City team never ceases to amaze me and they were at it again on Sunday.

Two goals down away to a team that has been going great guns this season, with only a couple of minutes of normal time left: many teams would have given up the ghost.

Certainly it’s hard to imagine many of the other teams in and around the relegation zone producing such a gutsy display.

For the second week in a row, the Potters responded to a setback by setting about their opponents and scoring twice in quick succession.

Not quite the two in two minutes they got against Portsmouth, but still impressive.

The quality of the opposition made this a more impressive turnaround than the one away to Newcastle earlier in the season, as well as the fact that we lost a second goal to a spectacular John Carew effort but still fought on.

The quality of the opposition made this a more impressive turnaround than the one away to Newcastle earlier in the season, as well as the fact that we lost a second goal to a spectacular John Carew effort but still fought on.

Ian Probert is amazed by the turnaround against Villa.

So it seems strange to offer any criticism of the management team that eventually ensured we got a great result.

But ask yourself this: how many times have you seen Stoke struggle in the first half of away games this season?

And another one follows: why?

Is it, as many of us suspect, that we go into these games so defensively that we actually encourage the opposition.

Do teams work out that we have no intention of trying to score unless we get a free kick or a corner? I think they do and we pay the price for it.

We cannot expect to beat the top teams on their own grounds, but if we can match the Villa, why don’t we go to our forthcoming away matches at Hull and West Brom looking for a win.

Not go gung-ho from the first minute. That would be suicidal.

But let’s put out a team that makes them worried from the first minute. That’s the way to ensure three points on the road, rather than having to come from behind and earn a point.