Aston Villa can respond to Champions League injustice in either of two ways

Villa issued a public statement in the aftermath of the Manchester United debacle but it's the rest of their response that really matters

One of football’s hidden challenges is knowing when and how to move on from defeat and focus on the future.

Aston Villa issued a club statement after Sunday’s loss against Manchester United, a result that cost them a place in the Champions League next season. It was futile but measured, stopping short of the libellous paranoia that certain other clubs have embraced.

“With such high stakes surrounding today’s fixture, the club believe a more experienced referee should have been appointed. Of the 10 referees to officiate across the Premier League today, [Thomas] Bramall was the 2nd least experienced,” read the statement.

“The decision to disallow Morgan Rogers’ goal, which would have given the club a 1-0 lead with 17 minutes remaining in the match, was a major contributing factor to the club not qualifying for the Champions League.

“As per the standards that have been established over the course of the season, a decision to whistle early is clearly inconsistent with current refereeing guidelines. VAR exists to ensure that these types of situations receive the scrutiny they deserve. Unfortunately, the technology was not allowed to serve its purpose.”

Regardless of the pointlessness of making a statement at all, it was clearly felt that the club should officially address the matter. Nothing will happen but at least Villa didn’t make some ridiculous direct accusation about Bramall and his integrity.