Top 10 Photos: Aston Villa 2-3 Rapid Vienna

Ollie Irish

27th, August 2010

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Aston Villa's Ashley Young and Rapid Vienna's Markus Katzer (right) battle for the ball

AFTER an impressive but misleading win against West Ham at Villa Park on the first day of the season, all of the wheels seem to have come off at once for poor Kevin MacDonald. First Villa take a 6-0 battering at St James’ Park, then bogey team Rapid Vienna knock them out of Europe for the second season running. Villa controlled the first half but lost their way and practically invited Rapid to make a comeback, which the Austrians duly did, with a little help from the unconvincing Brad Guzan. Stiliyan Petrov’s tame penalty (not to mention Emile Heskey’s scuffed follow-up shot) was the turning point.

Time now for Randy Lerner to hire a big-name manager? Yeah, I think so – K-Mac has done a decent job in trying cicrumstances, and he’s done it with dignity and good grace, but he’s probably not the man to take Villa forwards, although for now, sideways would suffice.