As horrible as the Bolton loss was and this season has been, upon further reflection things have been that much worse. It is one thing for the club to be 15th in the league and clinging to a mere three points above the relegation zone. It is quite another for the club to be in this position in THIS league. The Premiership has been down across the board this season.
The Manchester clubs who have separated from the pack in the title race had abysmal European campaigns. Arsenal and Chelsea are both having poor seasons by their standards, while Tottenham have imploded, and Liverpool are having their worst season in a generation. Not that it was feasible financially or football wise, but it’s not unreasonable to think that if the Villa team of Martin O’Neil from two years ago was still together it could have finished third or forth in this league even with their tactical limitations and lack of depth. It’s not anybody’s fault that the club’s period of ascendancy coincided with a more difficult top of the table, but it is unfortunate. At least Newcastle has taken advantage of this situation to upset the hierarchy of the Premiership.
Speaking of Newcastle, some have suggested that if Villa were relegated in a similar manner it might expedite shedding of dead weight in the squad. After the shock, anger, and disgust of the Bolton game this notion is more palatable than could ever be imagined. Sure the club will lose massive amounts of money but that would be Randy Lerner’s problem and nobody else’s. While much of the anger has been deservedly directed at the manager, and to a lesser degree the board, the players deserve much of the blame as well. When thinking of the players who would be likely to leave in the event of relegation I wouldn’t be overly bothered to see any of them go.
Darren Bent, who the club have missed terribly, has always been a mercenary. Similarily, Charles N’Zogbia wouldn’t be missed given his poor season. Jean Makoun, Emile Heskey, Stephen Warnock, Carlos Cuellar, James Collins, and Richard Dunne all were at least somewhat likely to leave anyway. Steven Ireland has been one of Alex McLeish’s few success stories, but with his disposition and durability can’t fully be relied upon. At least he has been good enough to reestablish some value.
Even if Gabby left it would be bittersweet for me, but not as devastating as it would have been even a month ago. Whether it be injury, the tactics, or whatever, Gabby has been part of the problem. Reasonable observers weren’t expecting him to revert to his form from earlier in the season, but no goals from your best available striker for five months is not good enough in any way. I can’t fault his effort. From what I have seen he is all over the pitch without actually doing anything. Villa fans have been waiting for years for Gabby to put it together for an entire season and it is starting to look like it may never happen.
The worst thing that could come out of Villa being relegated would be if McLeish was retained. Would anybody put it past the board to keep the manager on the basis that he was able to bring Small Heath immediately up after relegating them? Assuming they are not that stupid and they actually sack a manager who relegated a club with the seventh-highest wage bill in the Premier League they would likely be forced to abandon their inane requirement of ‘Premier League” experience. Ideally the club would then hire a young, up-and-coming manager who can implement an actual long-term vision for the club. If that is too pie in the sky I’d settle for Billy Davies, Lee Clark, Gus Poyet, or Paul Ince just to name a few plausible candidates off the top of my head.
The fact that I could not be bothered if most of our senior players left and our manager was replaced by almost anyone is the most depressing of all. One of my favorite quotes is when Jerry Seinfeld said we as sports fans are essentially just rooting for laundry. When I say I want a new team it means I want to see several new faces in Aston Villa shirts next season to supplement the academy graduates and a new manager in the dugout. This is what is has come to and I for one am prepared for it.
If the club does stay up hopefully these things will happen anyway.
The Author
