Stoke lead limping Aston Villa a merry dance - Match analysis

The ex-Villa striker scored one and made one as he waltzed through to net the winner on a day his wife Abbey Clancy took the Strictly Come Dancing crown.

Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Stoke, a third loss on the bounce, leaves Villa searching for that perfect score.

And in a week when Birmingham library was coloured claret and blue, the question remains if everyone is still on the same page. A year on from that 8-0 thumping at Chelsea doubts remain over how much Villa have progressed.

• See more pictures from Villa's loss to Stoke here

Seven of the team from Stamford Bridge started on Saturday and with 11 of the 18-man squad involved last December it is not as different as some would have you believe.

They are more worldly wise, the defence is immeasurably better, but there are more than just lingering worries over their overall development.

Paul Lambert will argue his team is still growing, his long-term plan in its infancy, but after just 11 league wins this calendar year he needs more evidence.

Villa are a point better off than at this stage last year but they have failed to build on the momentum gained from last season's barnstorming finish.

Mathematically that is progress but there needs to be discernible proof in performances the team is moving forward.

That is absent with several results masking turgid displays and Saturday's showing was little better.

They have dug wins out with sheer grit and determination but the real quality has been lacking all season.

And Lambert's desire to create a siege mentality is having a detrimental effect on the fans with some now struggling to stay with the manager's message.

Supporters need to see the same passion the players do but Lambert prefers to keep his emotions behind closed doors, even after a third straight loss.

But there must be balance. Sympathy comes from the knowledge Lambert is trying to rebuild the squad from the ground up and that is a mammoth task.

It is because of that he will be granted time. That is not something football managers are afforded but Lambert holds the support of chairman Randy Lerner and his job is in little serious danger.

Perhaps it is a phase Villa need to go through in order to become the finished product. In Lambert's words they have stripped it back and started again.

But they face the real prospect of treading water in the Premier League and that is something fans will not accept. Fans would accept the long-term vision if there were signs of short term gain. Even the absence of Christian Benteke matters little with the striker on a 10- game barren streak.

Benteke was called a pussycat by Jamie Redknapp last week – a comment mistranslated by in Belgium for a more altogether offensive rebuke.

Home games with Crystal Palace on Boxing Day and Swansea on Saturday must yield positive results or Lambert will have another uncomfortable start to the year.

It will never be as bad as the previous festive spell where 15 goals were shipped, but the gap to the bottom three could be down to three points come Thursday after defeat at The Britannia.

Villa were the better side in the first half but failed to seriously test Asmir Begovic and therein lay their biggest failing. They can argue, though, that Marc Wilson should have walked for clipping Andi Weimann as he raced through.

But referee Craig Pawson called it right with the ball running away from the sprawling Austrian.

The best chances eventually fell to Stoke and after Brad Guzan turned Geoff Cameron's cross over, Nathan Baker denied Crouch with a fine block.

Charlie Adam was thrown on at the break and took just six minutes to make the desired impact, scoring after giving Baker the slip from Crouch's knockdown.

A game so dire barely deserved a goal but it at least it sparked it into life and Villa levelled on 66 minutes.

Guzan's long clearance was not dealt with by Wilson and when Erik Pieters nodded back to Begovic he only succeeded in gifting Kozak the equaliser.

Just four minutes later though Villa suffered their own defensive nightmare when Guzan and Herd missed Cameron's cross and Crouch bundled in the winner.

He then hit the post with a neat flick as Stoke looked to kill the game but while Begovic turned Kozak's volley over, Villa couldn't recover.

Nick Mashiter