Players at fault for Kevin MacDonald
Friday 27th August 2010, 9:30AM BST.
Kevin MacDonald has vowed the players must accept responsibility for Villa’s disastrous European exit after labelling the defeat ‘more painful than Newcastle.’
Despite having led 1-0 and 2-1 on the night as well as missing a penalty, the claret and blues crashed out of the Europa League to Rapid Vienna at the play-off stage for a second successive season.
Two goals in three minutes from the Austrians late on at Villa Park handed them a 3-2 win on the night and a 4-3 aggregate victory.
Despite resting four senior players, MacDonald named an experienced side and insisted it was individual mistakes which cost them.
He said: “It was very disappointing. I thought we were in total control at 1-0. We gave away a silly equaliser, miss a penalty but then get in front again.
“I expect a team with so many top players to have kept the lead for a bit longer.
“We gave a silly third goal away as well so three individual mistakes. You can’t legislate for individual mistakes from international players.
“It was disappointing but the group score goals as a group and they will accept the responsibility for the mistakes as a group as well.”
The result came hot on the heels of Sunday’s humiliating 6-0 thrashing by Newcastle.
But MacDonald insisted last night’s defeat was even harder to stomach.
He said: “It does feel worse than Sunday at the moment.
“Europe is big for this club.”
UK Sport
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