I have to hand it to Alex McLeish - the man is fast becoming a tactical visionary. How else to explain the gift he has, the extraordinary ability to see the potential in the team formations he selects, the tactics he chooses to implement, and the players he picks to follow his instructions?

Against Manchester City on Sunday, not the first time this season, McLeish completely bamboozled me with his starting XI; I felt as if I was on the receiving end of the original Cruyff turn, expecting one thing and then falling victim to something totally different, something leftfield. And this was leftfield, alright. McLeish pulled something pretty special from his locker of strange, dark coaching methodology.

It was no secret that Stephen Warnock's place at left-back was under threat after a series of jittery performances - after all, he'd been dropped for the trip to Wolves recently.

McLeish had options, albeit primarily three relatively inexperienced options: young centre-back/left-back Nathan Baker, who played left-back on a handful of occasions last season; new signing Enda Stevens, the left-back signed from Shamrock Rovers and yet to make a first team appearance, and Eric Lichaj, a 23-year-old who played several times last season, and managed to get a bit of game time this season before picking up a hip injury.

Fit again, Lichaj is most comfortable at right-back, but started his career and centre-back, and has enough ability to switch across to the left. He played there for USA in the summer's Gold Cup. He played left-back for Villa reserves just last week.

McLeish plumped for Carlos Cuellar. Reliable and solid, Cuellar usually puts in a six out of ten performance wherever he's asked to play, though it's rarely in his preferred centre-back slot.

Curious selection. But nothing compared to McLeish's midfield. Eschewing two of the more positive individual contributions of recent weeks, he left both Stephen Ireland and Charles N'Zogbia on the bench, and brought in Marc Albrighton and Emile Heskey. No problem with Albrighton, though slightly surprised to see an immediate starting recall following injury. But Heskey, in right midfield... I'd like an hour of McLeish's time to explain that one.

I hate to round on one player, but we've been here before with Emile. He's a centre-forward, strong and unselfish, and that's where he should be played: at 33 years old, and in this Villa side, he's useful to have on the bench, an option to come on and provide support for Darren Bent, to break things up a bit in the final 20 minutes.

He's not a player for a right midfield role, just as he's not a player for the left midfield role he occupied so anonymously against Spurs towards the end of 2011. What Heskey was supposed to do on Sunday, I don't know. Get forward and provide supply to Keane and Bent? Track City's midfield runners? Provide cover for Alan Hutton? None of it made sense. If nothing else, playing him on the right meant relegating Albrighton to his weaker role on the left; a double negative.

"The game plan was excellent," insisted McLeish afterwards. I can't even begin to decipher what he meant. Only when Ireland and N'Zogbia were introduced did Villa make any significant contributions to the afternoon.

Still, it's easy to moan. I know that. Here, then, is something a wee bit more constructive - four different formations and line-ups that I, if asked a couple of hours before kick-off and with the knowledge of who was available and who wasn't (losing Ciaran Clark is a big blow, by the way), would have suggested:

1: 4-4-2 (version one)
Given

Hutton Cuellar Dunne Lichaj

Albrighton Gardner Petrov N'Zogbia

Keane Bent

A straight-forward, basic, 4-4-2 - nothing fancy but players in a recognised formation and comfortable in the roles they've been asked to play. Lichaj in for Warnock, Albrighton and N'Zogbia as orthodox wingers. The two could switch wings during the game if required.

2: 4-4-2 (version two)
Given

Hutton Cuellar Dunne Lichaj

Ireland Gardner Petrov N'Zogbia

Keane Bent

A slight variation in midfield, with Stephen Ireland coming into the equation in a right-sided role - not a touchline-hugging winger but pushed inside to support Gardner and Petrov, tasked to go in-out when getting forward to provide width.

3: 3-5-2 (version one)
Given

Cuellar Dunne Collins

Hutton Gardner Petrov Ireland Warnock

Keane Bent

A more radical (but not that radical) line-up, with three central defenders and two full-backs pushed up into a midfield five; Warnock comes back into the team to play as a left wing-back. Three central midfielders provides plenty of strength in an area where Man City tend to dominate.

4: 3-5-2 (version two)
Given

Cuellar Dunne Collins

Albrighton Gardner Petrov Ireland N'Zogbia

Keane Bent

An offensive variation on the 3-5-2, deploying two wingers and attack-minded players instead of full-backs in the wide midfield roles. Places more demands on Albrighton and N'Zogbia to get up and down and requiring a defensive nature to their game that is not always needed. The advantage is, that by using MA and CNZ instead of full-backs there, Villa will naturally impose themselves more on the opposition.