If Harold Wilson were alive and watching professional football today, he would surely observe that a week is a long time in park politics. For the Parks in question, Villa and St James', last week was a long seven days indeed.
On Saturday, after a hectic few days that included Stan Collymore checking into a clinic and Juninho appearing uncertain whether to swap Madrid for Birmingham, Aston Villa delivered one of the least convincing performances from supposed title contenders in many a season.
The previous weekend they had been ushered out of the FA Cup by second division Fulham. Here, in becoming the first team in the top six to lose to Newcastle United this season, they passed up the chance to go back to the top of the Premiership.
Newcastle, in the news themselves last week with the return of Kevin Keegan to Tyneside for a benefit match coinciding with alleged disharmony between Ruud Gullit and Alan Shearer, played as well as anyone could remember, but this felt like a defining defeat for Villa.
Only three Saturdays before, Chelsea had come to Tyneside, weathered a first-half battering and strolled away with victory pocketed. Chelsea had shown determination in defence, danger on the break and had surmounted the loss of Pierluigi Casiraghi, Tore Andre Flo and Gustavo Poyet.
In contrast, Villa's defence was run ragged by Shearer; and, Paul Merson's splendid goal apart, he and Julian Joachim were isolated in attack. John Gregory's most telling comment concerned the depth of his squad: "We had YTS boys on the bench today."
The manager added, "We could have done with Stan," a fact illustrated when Alan Wright slung in a high cross after 35 minutes and saw Joachim, 5ft 6in, competing with Steve Howey, 6 ft 2 in. Everyone knows that it should have been Collymore challenging for that ball and the nature of his temporary exile is beginning to have a debilitating effect on the club.
"We had a press conference the other day," said Gregory wearily, "and I talked about Stan for about an hour and then Juninho for about 40 minutes."
Understandably he wanted to change the subject, but he was forced to confirm that Collymore will be in the clinic until Friday and that the Juninho deal "is still bubbling under". Gregory hopes for an update today or tomorrow.
The sideshow is distracting and it will be some achievement if Villa's reaction to this defeat is equal to the seven-match unbeaten run they put together after their last, at Chelsea on December 9th. Gullit spelled out the scale of the task facing Villa now. "The pressure on them is enormous because it is so new to them to be in a title challenge. Can they cope?"
Gullit also said a difference between Villa and Chelsea is that the Londoners are getting results when playing badly. He mentioned "resilience" in this context. That, of course, is a quality he himself will require as he fights to establish control at St James' Park.
Success dissipates dissension and after witnessing the cold shoulders between Gullit and Shearer before the Bradford City game it was remarkable to see the huge smiles exchanged between them at the end of this match. Gullit had waited for Shearer, the last Newcastle player to come off, and said of him: "I think he's the best striker there is."
Shearer had offered evidence for that statement with a stirring personal display. He scored his first Premiership goal since September with a forceful fourth-minute header - a cynic might say it was the first decent cross he has had since September - and supplied the pass from which Stephen Glass teed up Temuri Ketsbaia 25 minutes later.
Afterwards Shearer was chirpy, said he wanted Villa to win the league and that he would have a couple of days off as he is suspended for the team's next game, against Leeds. What the rest of the week holds for Messrs Shearer, Gullit and Gregory, who knows?
Newcastle: Given, Barton, Howey, Dabizas, Domi, Hamann, Solano (Brady 81), Speed, Glass, Ketsbaia (Andersson 62), Shearer. Subs Not Used: Harper, Pearce, Hughes. Booked: Ketsbaia. Goals: Shearer 4, Ketsbaia 27.
Aston Villa: Oakes, Watson (Vassell 83), Southgate, Ehiogu (Grayson 38), Barry, Wright, Scimeca, Hendrie, Taylor, Joachim, Merson. Subs Not Used: Rachel, Hughes, Lee. Booked: Hendrie, Merson. Goals: Merson 61. Att: 36,766.
Referee: R Harris (Oxford).
