By the end, the only real cause for consternation for Tim Sherwood was that someone from Aston Villa’s camp had apparently leaked the team to their arch-rivals. Gary Rowett, Birmingham’s manager, explained afterwards that he had received “a little tip-off” that had influenced the impressive way they began this derby. It was after Sherwood changed his side at half-time that the team from the Championship could not cope and it was no coincidence that was when the talented Jack Grealish entered the field.
Sherwood said afterwards it was always his tactic to take Birmingham by surprise at half-time by removing Joleon Lescott, a central defender, and bringing on Grealish to orchestrate play, rather than operating with the unrefined, direct style of the first half. That drew a withering response from Rowett bearing in mind the voluble dissent that could be heard from Villa’s crowd in that period. “I’ve heard Tim say he did it purposely,” Rowett said. “I’m not so sure the tactic of being booed off at half-time would be a good one. They changed out of desperation because they had to.”
It was a spiky way to end the night but, ultimately, Sherwood would be entitled to think he got it right. Sherwood’s acceptance that changes were necessary was certainly fundamental to the victory, bearing in mind Grealish’s impact.
Jordan Ayew was brought on at the same time for the injured Gabriel Agbonlahor and he, too, was instrumental in Villa’s improvement. Rudy Gestede headed in the decisive goal and the tie ended in raucous celebrations for the home crowd, in stark contrast to the loud boos that followed the Villa players off the pitch at half-time.
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