BBC Sport: Paul Merson helped Aston Villa shrug off the disappointment of their Worthington Cup semi-final defeat by cracking two stunning goals to help destroy bottom club Watford.

BSAD: So this is where the lessons that the Premiership has to teach us get really tough. Remorselessly, the country’s best sides force defeat down our throats, and we are seemingly powerless. There is nowhere to hide. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger…but, much as we know that it’s not going to kill us, it certainly doesn’t feel like it’s making us stronger either. Any sign of flagging confidence, anything other than a full fuel tank (our squad included four players – Allan Smart, Peter Kennedy, Clint Easton, Nordin Wooter – returning from lengthy injuries), any mistakes. They all get punished at this level. On Saturday, we were not bad, and we got trampled on regardless.

BSAD:So I felt like the slippery slope to defeat started at kick off rather than half time. Although we were competing with a somewhat disinterested Villa side, their star players rather subdued, the dire quality of the game seemed to be more a reflection of their lack of motivation rather than our toughness. They settled for forcing endless right-wing corners, doing the same back-post routine with each, just to show us how easy they felt we’d be to beat. Our width was customarily non-existent, neither Easton or Cox looking at all suited to their role. Nothing was actually happening of note, but it still felt like we were slipping behind more and more.