Aston Villa left-back Neil Taylor proved that he is not a man that Dean Smith can depend on anymore after he was embarrassed by former club Swansea in the Villains' 3-0 FA Cup defeat to the Swans.

What's the word, then?

The Wales international has started 12 of the club's 26 Championship games this season, which shows that he is not really the Midlands-based side go-to guy at left-back anymore as Smith opts to play James Bree and Alan Hutton in the full-back positions.

However, when Swansea travelled to Villa Park in the FA Cup third round, the 29-year-old was humiliated. All three of Graham Potters' side's goal came down Taylor's side, proving that he is an undoubted weak link in their lineup and a man who is exiting his prime years as a footballer.

In quite obvious fashion, Taylor was in absolute no mans land for every single one of the Welsh side's goals - what is perhaps even worse is that he wasn't even in position when you watch the strikes back, as others had to cover for his positional ineptitude.

His downfall is nothing new for Villa fans to absorb, as they have seen a similar downfall in 34-year-old Glenn Whelan's career, with the Irishman getting more and more sloppy as he gets older - hence the reason why he has made just nine league starts this season.

A sad decline

Taylor's visibly poor showing will have been sad viewing for Villa fans, who have previously seen the Welshman perform admirably in claret and blue having started 27 league games under Steve Bruce last season as the club made the play-off final.

Additionally, with the aforementioned Bree, who is just 21-years-old, beginning to break into the side, and with the ever reliable Hutton on the opposing flank, Taylor's time at Villa Park looks to be dwindling into oblivion as he unfortunately suffers the same fate as teammate Whelan.