Aston Villa 0 - 1 Leeds United

	Lee Bowyer challenges Villa prodigy Thomas Hitzlsperger on Saturday (ShaunBotterill/Allsport)

At this precise moment, though, one of football's dark philosophies must surely be playing on his mind: starkly, the time-honoured advice that you never, ever go back.

Defying a cliche of the game, he returned to managerial responsibility at Aston Villa for the second time on February 9, maybe under arm-twisting coercion from the boardroom yet still promising a welcome era of excitement and populist football.

Since which time, in a couple of months of increasing despair and precious few points, he has won one game in 10 and lost six others. Statistics, you would feel, to examine the nerve of the bravest in the business.

Now is not quite the moment, admittedly, to anticipate the ferocious insults that unjustifiably besieged Taylor during his England regime, but equally these are days of chilling concern.

Time will be granted to him in the closing campaign of this Premiership season when the fans' murmurs of protest remain muffled. Patience will not be so plentiful come August.

Taylor's strategy is already well-defined, shaped around the challenge of shifting Villa's old guard and, in the meantime, finding the cranium of Peter Crouch as often as possible.

The newly-arrived striker of skyscraper proportions and deceptive touch was troublesome to Leeds all afternoon but it was the more familiar goal-mouth skills of Mark Viduka which defied Villa's second-half revival and Crouch's considerable individual effort.

The hefty Australian should already have placed Leeds in a position of supremacy when he secured victory with his 29th-minute goal. Moments earlier, he had found himself in front of an open goal but somehow managed to divert a 10-yard opportunity past the far post.

Viduka does not make such errors too often and he made amends when the next chance was granted. Villa skipper Steve Staunton surrendered possession and immediately David Batty seized the moment. The interplay was swift, with Robbie Keane shuttling the ball towards Viduka.

This was the moment for the class and technique of an individual to command the stage. With a Johan Cruyff-style turn, Viduka left Mark Delaney in a heap before toe-poking the ball into the far corner of Peter Enckelman's net.

Manager Taylor understood exactly what he had to do, too. He shifted Villa's formation, matching Leeds in midfield with four men instead of three, and United's domination was suddenly in question.

Villa had been out-muscled by rivals equipped with far more energy and enterprise, but in the final 10 minutes of mounting frustration for Taylor, they might have scored at least four times if it had not been for the heroics of England goalkeeper Nigel Martyn.

Villa substitute Steve Stone was deceived by the bounce when he seemed about to score, while Jlloyd Samuel's fierce drive brought a superb save from Martyn.

Germany's Under-21 midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger also went close, while raiding defender Delaney saw his shot diverted beyond the post after a ricochet off a team-mate. Taylor must have been wondering if he had made the right move back in February.