Villa away. What was the score? Lost 1-0 Wretched wasn't it? That is what I read anyway both in the papers at home and by fellow Addicks on the web. I drove back from Eastbourne to London Saturday afternoon with 5 Live on. They had the Wigan v Spuds game on and made only 3 visits to Villa Park for updates, a sign of how poor the game was.

Despite some unusual changes (surely there were more deserving cases for the drop than Murphy and Romm?), the team performance was wholly inadequate again. Four defeats on the spin, blimey is it April already?

No one will blame Curbishley for sticking with the 4-5-1 on Saturday but I have a big concern that it is having a wider impact on Darren Bent. Saturday he battled away up front on his own again and came the nearest to getting us an underserved goal.

The time must now have come to give him some company, whether it's Bothroyd, Lisbie (wash my mouth out with soapy water) or Ambrose. He showed in the U21's that he can excel when playing alongside someone, in that case Carthorse Cole.

Bent has been a precious commodity to us this season and an inspiring acquisition but before he forgets the art of scoring we need to re-ignite his season, and thus the rest of the team. Starting tomorrow.

There was plenty of typically pessimistic concern amonsgt fans that Curbishley had no plan B when we were beating teams at almost ease at the beginning of the season. Their concerns were spot on.

To play the 4-5-1 system well, an in-form Rommedahl and Murphy are essential to its craftmanship. But they didn't start on Saturday, yet still no plan B. Why not?

The midfield formation at Villa Park was insipid on paper, let alone in the skin. The time has come for a change of formation and fortune. It's also time to move HH back to left back. Our defence for me is where the tinkering needs to be made to personnel, not the midfield.

HH needs to revert to his more familiar position. Why does Curbishley insist on playing players out of position? We know why he did it back in August but the landscape has changed and he needs to act on it. Bring Perry's cool head back in alongside El Kak or preferably Sorondo, if fit.

November has been our own monthus horribilis but it could all end in smiles Wednesday night. It's a big game and it requires a big performance. Please let me wake up on Thursday morning and find out it's December and not April.

Reports from the unfortunates that were there: All Quiet; Addicks Diary; An Addick For Life; cafc.co.uk.  ¶ 13:09