Aston Villa were comfortably beaten by Sheffield United earlier this month.
Stan Collymore has accused Aston Villa of lacking the fundamental building blocks that Sheffield United have.
Both clubs were promoted last season but sit at contrasting ends of the Premier League table fourth months into the new campaign – Villa in 18th and United in 5th.
It was Aston Villa, whose Championship budget already dwarfed that of Sheffield United, spent by far the most of the two clubs on summer reinforcements.
But Collymore, a lifelong Villa fan who also played for the Midlanders, is far from pleased with the results.
“Compare them to Sheffield United, who tick the first five musts of the Premier League – physically strong, organised, disciplined, have absolute self-belief and are keeping down the goals-against tally,” wrote Collymore in his Christmas Eve column for the Daily Mirror.
“Villa have played football, they thought let’s be technical, let’s be open, let’s be expansive.
“Villa look physically weak, mentally weak and scared of their own shadow because they haven’t got those fundamental building blocks that Sheffield United have.”
Aston Villa were comfortably beaten by Sheffield United earlier this month.
John Fleck scored both of the Blades’ goals, without reply, at Bramall Lane.
The two sides are scheduled to meet again at Villa Park at the end of February.
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