Saturday brings a return for Villa to cup football with an away match against League 2 side Bristol Rovers. Rovers will be hoping to get under the skin of a Villa team via a fairytale story of giant-killing. Villa, on the other hand, have a tightrope to walk to get through their latest challenge.

Under Alex McLeish, Villa have stuttered for the course of most of the season. Barring a few highlights, the 2011/2012 season has seen more negatives than positives which has, understandably, cultivated a difficult environment for both the manager and his players.

McLeish faces a dilemma that may provide the straw that breaks the camel’s back for Villa fans – does he field a strong team against Bristol Rovers, or does he use the fixture as a chance to give several first team members a rest, as well as offering more game time for those on the fringes of the first team squad.

Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don’t

Speaking as a Villa fan, and after the debacle of both Houllier’s team vs Manchester City, as well as memories of traipsing to Russia under O’Neill just to see a surrender, I want the cup to be taken seriously. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the need to rest certain players given the priority of the Premier League for the club, but I also see that failing to beat a League 2 team will be far too much easy ammunition to give to those on McLeish’s back. Thus, I believe that McLeish needs to field a strong team, even if half of that rationality is to save his own skin.

After all, nothing less than a win will do for Aston Villa. Far from being handed a clash against a top Premier League team, Bristol Rovers, a team languishing in the lower reaches of the country’s bottom tier of the Football League, will provide a different kind of challenge. To that end, Rovers are a banana skin, much like when Villa play a newly promoted team in the league.

Bristol Rovers will have both home advantage and a freedom from expectation. For the team from Avon, any result is acceptable. Whilst Rovers fans will undoubtedly prefer not to be hammered, losing to a club three leagues above you is far from something to ashamed of. Do anything better than lose, and Rovers will take the plaudits, and McLeish will take the fall. Sometimes the pressure of managing a big team can mean winning isn’t just the preferred option, it’s the only acceptable one.

Should McLeish do the unthinkable and lose the game, assuming at least that he plays a strong team, then even the most balanced of supporters will be saying it’s not good enough. After all, if you can’t beat a team of Rovers quality, regardless of the one-off nature of a cup clash, fears really could creep in as to whether Villa could beat the teams they need to in order to achieve a mid-table finish this year.

Getting The Job Done

So for Villa to ensure that Saturday night is alright for Villa (and not for fighting), McLeish will invariably have to push regularly used players back into the fray. Although it may not be an exciting choice, I would be far from surprised if Emile Heskey is in the team given his physical nature and size. Playing Rovers will invariably mean that Villa have to do more than pass the ball on the ground, as Rovers will maximise the ability to move the ball by keeping off a less than perfect surface. So don’t be overly surprised if balls get hoofed, especially if the pitch has suffered with recent weather.

With regard to the team selections, Darren Bent may well feature if McLeish wants to use the game as an opportunity to instill confidence into a team that has had mixed fortunes this season. Whilst the striker has had injuries in recent times, the necessity for McLeish to provide some glimmer of hope via a cup run to increasingly disillusioned fans may mean his hand is forced. Likewise, I would be surprised if Agbonlahor is given a rest, even though one could argue he deserves one.

So Rovers away could be a defining point for Villa’s season, but only if things go wrong. If Villa win, McLeish won’t take plaudits for the performance, and arguably rightly so. After all, beating a team that is far less experienced and has less quality than you isn’t cause for excitement, nor should it be greeted with massive praise from fans, largely because League 2 clubs should, for the most part, be easily defeated by a Premier League team.

However, should McLeish lose, pressure will build, and rightly so. As we’ve seen in recent straw polls on internet site, many feel McLeish isn’t the right man for the job, and failing to beat a League 2 team may provide the impetus to push the remaining fans towards his sacking. Whilst one game may not define whether a manager is good enough, the combination of some poor tactics, and a potential loss to a lesser club will invariably mean excuses are impossible.

So Alex, the bottom line is you need to win and, ideally, win comfortably. Anything less, and the Villa Park atmosphere may well become a cauldron for Villa’s next home match, but with the anger focused on the home manager, not the opposition.

It’s time to start a resurgence Alex, otherwise this could be your last chance saloon.

Leave a Reply