A lack of composure. Injuries and suspensions. Naivety in the season of nativity.

Just when you think the ghost of Villa past has been banished, it returns to rear its head once more.

The seasonal metaphors shall end here.

There is much to unpick after what can only be described as a collapse at Old Trafford. Villa went in at halftime sitting proud with a 2-0 lead, and our hosts looked utterly beleaguered.

It will remain a mystery, with United being heckled by the home support and their manager clinging to his tenure, why we didn’t finish the job. It was as though a switch was flicked and we stopped playing. Conscious or unconscious, it opened the door to a total turnaround in the match.

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Villa had crafted the goals with relative ease in truth. A McGinn free-kick from the right floated into the net as the defence and keeper became preoccupied with Leon Bailey wandering in an offside position.

John McGinn goal | #AVFC pic.twitter.com/dKlyCkVdKP— Villa Underground (@avfc_vilr) December 26, 2023

Shortly after, a dangerous header back inside the box from Lenglet was coolly flicked home by Leander Leander Dendoncker. There could only be one winner, surely"

Leander Dendoncker goal | #AVFC pic.twitter.com/MIaKaWaHW4— Villa Underground (@avfc_vilr) December 26, 2023

There had been warning signs, with United repeatedly testing our high line with mixed success. The strategy was deployed with g...