United departed happily with a point and equally importantly a clean bill of health

United departed happily with a point and, equally importantly, a clean bill of health. Villa deserved Julian Joachim's equaliser for their subsequent brio even if the goal was fortuitous, the ball looping over Schmeichel after hitting Denis Irwin's shin.Villa finished stronger and were thus left ruing a missed opportunity. On another day, not with half an eye on Wednesday's European tie with Bayern Munich, they might have responded by pushing their full-backs on.It would have made for a more attractive game though, after Paul Scholes' well-taken goal for United, from Cole's fine cross, the match improved immensely. On Saturday, with the wing-backs pushed on, it gave Villa a numerical supremacy in midfield that United only rectified by bringing on Nicky Butt for Andy Cole.

We're not as creative or free-scoring." Since defences win championships, though, Villa may stay with the present system - especially if Thompson, Taylor and Hendrie can increase their goal threat.It is certainly the shape likely to be seen at Chelsea on Wednesday and probably at home to Arsenal on Sunday, though Merson will be doing his utmost to be fit for that game. They had more pressure than United, but did not create that much. Hendrie and Ian Taylor got in each others' way after one flowing first-half move, Ugo Ehiogu went close with two headers from corners, and there were several pots from the edge of the box but Peter Schmeichel was rarely tested in open play.Gregory had admitted beforehand: "I've always known that playing a two- man midfield with Paul [Merson] behind the strikers was a risk, but while three men in the middle makes us rock solid we lose something offensively. The midfield did a great job going forward and getting back." One of those midfielders, Alan Thompson, who impressed on his recall, added hopefully: "I think playing three in midfield is where we are best and we should see more of that system."Whether Villa made enough chances is debatable. On Saturday Gregory and Harrison, to general approval from the players, reverted to 3-5-2, and Villa looked much more secure."It was important today to be solid," added Southgate, "but we didn't create any less, which was pleasing. Then Dion Dublin arrived and they switched to playing three up front, with Paul Merson playing off the front pair.Though they scored as many goals (11) in the next four games as they had in the first 10, they conceded nine.

They had begun the season playing a compact 3-5-2 and, in their first 10 games, conceded just three goals. You have to play in these games to gain that experience and it will do us the world of good, we came through it well."Villa were also much more secure at the back than in recent matches. Instead they produced a vibrant response which deserved the resulting 1-1 draw, even if it did take a deflected goal to secure the point."It was an important game for us, particularly the young lads," said Gareth Southgate, the Aston Villa captain "United are used to playing these games and we aren't Every match they play the opposition are really fired up. Lee Hendrie confessed he had been "so excited I couldn't sleep last night" and even Dwight Yorke was accorded a generous greeting before the game - and was less abused than David Beckham during it.Thus, when United when ahead after 46 minutes, one could have forgiven Villa for thinking the game was up. United's visit represented the biggest test of their three-month reign as Premiership leaders and there was evidence that Harrison's well-known qualities as a joker, and less publicised expertise as a defensive coach, had both been in use last week. From the man on the Tannoy, who sounded in awe of United's reputation at half-time, to the players, who had not even scored against them for three years, it was clear that respect was the order of the day. It was if to say: "You may have 19 internationals, but you don't have an assistant manager." It was appropriate enough because, while Manchester United had been wrestling with the disruption caused by Kidd's departure, Aston Villa had clearly been reaping the value of a good No 2.

No sooner had Alex Ferguson finished deflecting questions about the loss of Brian Kidd than Gregory rubbed it in by sending his own No 2, Steve Harrison, to represent him in the press conference. IT WAS surely just coincidence but, given John Gregory's unorthodox management style, it could have been a cheeky bit of one-upmanship. which disappeared when he gave his first post-match interview, replaced again by the camel coat.Now, which is it to be? Is he a Martin O'Neill, who feels obliged to wear not just training kit but football boots, too, whenever he steps near the field of play, or a Roy Hodgson, champion of the Italian designer school of management? He really must make up his mind.... By the end of the match, however, when the cameras caught him in clenched-fisted triumph as if he had been there all his life, he had curiously acquired a tracksuit top ... He certainly seemed confused when he made his Ewood Park bow on Saturday. Having first appeared with a club scarf draped around the shoulders of a sober suit as Jack Walker introduced him to Rovers fans before kick- off, by the time he had taken his seat in the directors' box he had revealed a very nice camel hair coat.He was still wearing it when he joined Tony Parkes on the touchline in the second half, cutting quite a natty figure, as it happens.

BRIAN KIDD gets down to business in earnest today - and the first thing the new Blackburn Rovers manager must decide is what sort of boss he wants to look like during the 90 minutes of screaming that constitutes the average manager's match day. Meanwhile, the News of the World reckons Arsenal have a bigger target at Anfield, namely Robbie Fowler, who is stalling on a new contract and may be prised away for pounds 6m. The Mail on Sunday predicts that Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier could tempt Coventry's unsettled defender Jean-Claude Wallemme to stay in England despite problems settling. Houllier reportedly thinks the 31-year-old former Lens captain could be a short-term answer to Liverpool's defensive problems.While the Express says Manchester United have been knocked back in their bid to sign Ajax goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, both the People and Mail agree a fresh move for Lens midfielder Marc Vivien Foe is in the offing, especially - the People says - because Blackburn manager Brian Kidd wants him too.The People says Leicester could make a pounds 2.5m bid for striker Arnar Gunnlaugsson after the Icelandic international expressed his discontent with Bolton's pay offer.The Mail says that Gerry Francis's QPR revival - they have won five of their last seven matches - could be undermined by enforced sales after the club's bankers asked for a pounds 6m overdraft to be reduced to pounds 2.5m by 1 January.. According to the People, Arsenal see Liverpool's Rob Jones as a replacement for ageing Lee Dixon and are ready to swoop with a cut-price pounds 250,000 offer for the 27-year-old full-back, whose contract expires in the summer.