As the dust settled on what was a hugely embarrassing night in Aston Villa's history, attention has turned to the future of their manager, Paul Lambert.
Having lost the first leg of the Capital One Cup semi-final 3-1 away to Bradford City, of League Two, Villa were expected to overcome the two goal deficit and show their superiority. They didn't. They lost 4-3 on aggregate and not even the 2-1 win on Tuesday could mask the deficiencies of a side lacking in confidence and leadership.
Even the staunchest of Villa supporters would have trouble denying that Phil Parkinson's Bradford are worthy finalists. En route to Wembley, they have knocked out three Premier League sides in Wigan Athletic, Arsenal and Villa; becoming the first fourth-tier side in over 50 years to reach the League Cup final. It is a feat that will take some beating.
Something that doesn't take a lot of beating is Villa, but what is surely most worrying for the fans of the Midlands club is the ineptitude of their performances and distinct lack of cohesion under Lambert.
Too many managers are dispensed before being given a chance to turn things around and, if his tenure at Norwich City is anything to go by, then Lambert should be given time. What he is trying to achieve at Villa is admirable and, in many respects, it mirrors what Brendan Rodgers is attempting at Liverpool, admittedly with varying levels of success. The key difference, which has been highlighted so frequently this season in regards to Villa, is the absence of experienced players.
Whilst the likes of Raheem Sterling, Suso, Andre Wisdom and Jonjo Shelvey are being given regular opportunities in the Liverpool first team, the level of success would undoubtedly be lower if they were not playing alongside experienced, senior players such as Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez and Martin Skrtel.
Despite being unfortunate with the likes of Richard Dunne and Stiliyan Petrov, absent through injury and long-term illness respectively, Lambert still has enough quality to choose from. It's merely a question of stubbornness. Many forget that he has Stephen Warnock and Alan Hutton available and, although they may divide opinion in terms of quality, they would certainly add some experience to the back four and starting eleven.
Then there is the curious case of Darren Bent, a player who has routinely found himself amongst the top scorers in the Premier League in recent seasons. It soon became apparent that Bent did not figure in Lambert's first team plans but whenever questioned about the situation, Lambert would gloss over any reports of a fall-out and be extremely vague when asked about his future at the club.
For seasoned observers, it had all the makings of a manager deciding that a player was surplus to requirements and waiting for the January transfer window to offload him. Thus far this has not happened, which is rather bizarre.
If Lambert was hoping to bolster his squad from the sale of Bent, then it makes the delayed action all the more peculiar. For a side so clearly struggling to be so reliant on the young Belgian striker, Christian Benteke, in his debut season in the Premier League shows a distinct lack of regard for Bent who, if not first choice striker, could surely help shoulder the responsibility of scoring the goals.
As it is, Bent has been restricted to the odd appearance in league and cup games, scoring the equaliser in Villa's recent 2-1 FA Cup victory against Ipswich Town. Still no bids have arrived.
This has led to an enormous amount of speculation about Lambert's future and, injuries aside, it's all of his own making. But if you are to believe what you hear, he is in defiant mood and "thriving" on the pressure.
This may sound like something he thinks the fans will want to hear but it also sounds like a man who is unwilling to change his approach; adamant that it will eventually work out. It is this attitude, when players such as Bent, Warnock and Hutton are at his disposal, that could eventually seal his fate.
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