Sunday is without doubt a massive day for Aston Villa. We are in a perilous position and in need of a win, not only to lift the club away from the relegation area but also to lift the spirit of the club.
The draw at Everton proves that there is enough quality to keep us in this division. It is my own personal belief that there is enough quality for us to be somewhere between 6th and 9th. That is where we should be with this squad of players but we are not and the players have to accept that they must be prepared to fight and fight hard against the spectre of relegation.
The most important games of recent history
We have some very winnable games coming up. We must profit from these games because if we aren’t safe with 2 games to go then it really will be squeaky bum time as we face Liverpool and Arsenal to close our season.
The games we have before then should determine our fate. There isn’t a single game that we can’t win but the players have got to show more determination when we have leads than they have thus far this season. The amount of winning positions we have squandered is no co-incidence. The mentality has to improve. It really is down to players and the fans will play their part and give their all too but down at the Villa, the players have to give them something first.
So to the Newcastle game, I believe the players must bust a gut to get an early lead. An early lead immediately guarantees a positive atmosphere in the ground and this is key. There are a lot of disgruntled, nervous Villa fans at present and they need the team to get them off to a flyer. If we can get this early lead then I fancy our chances.
An early lead does not ensure victory however. The mental strength has to improve as well as basic defending. With Warnock out in the cold, it has given the back four greater stability getting Luke Young back in at left back. Houllier has tried Clark, Baker and Delph there and whilst Clark wasn’t too bad, the situation was nowhere near good enough.
Corners and set pieces have to improve. We have been susceptible to conceding from these situations all season and this has coincided with us not being a threat when attacking these situations too.
Positive strides forward
The good news is that all these negatives can be fixed. Houllier and his team should be able to address these basics and if he can, then we will see big improvements because we have the talent. Teams like Wolves, Wigan, West Ham and Small Heath don’t. They do not have the quality or squad depth that we have, they are just battlers that are well organised with the odd good player here and there. Our squad is littered with quality – Walker, Cuellar, Downing, Young, Makoun, Bent etc. If Houllier can improve the basics, we should fly up the table.
We have nearly a full squad to choose from on Sunday, whilst Newcastle do not. They look weak up front after losing Carroll and now Best is out. There will be no Nolan and that is a big loss for them. There is no reason why we can’t beat this lot.
So 3 points beckon. Are the Villa players man enough to take them?
The Author
