Last week I had to work during the match and was following the “action” via the ESPN Scorecenter App on my iPhone. I was getting push alerts after every goal, card, substitution, and at the half and end of the match. I was excited to see N’Zogbia finally open his account and Villa take a lead. The longer the score stayed at 1-0 the more nervous I got. When I saw McLeish’s substitutions I shook my head and knew that they were going to try to hold onto their slender advantage. The equalizer was not suprising at all and neither was the result.
Before I read or heard anything about the match I tweeted the following:
https://twitter.com/#!/JChalifour/status/175989559501406208
https://twitter.com/#!/JChalifour/status/175989657866215427
When this assessment was confirmed all I could say was that this club is so predictable it is pathetic. This club has drawn 12 times, no other club in the league has drawn nine. I am starting to think that Alex McLeish sets out to draw every match. If a team actually did draw every match that might be enough to stay up. All a team would have to do is nick one win, draw the other 37 matches and bingo the club has hit the 40 point plateau. Most of these draws were not fighting draws like our results against Chelsea and Manchester United last year, they were reminiscent of the Blackburn game.
This season was always going to be a transitional season, but the ‘football’ we have been subjected to has been awful. Now with the team playing out the string all we can do is hope for the future. It is no secret that the team that walks through the tunnel next August at Villa Park will be decidedly different than it is now. As fans we are all waiting and hoping that the changes ahead will portend better things and that, “Proud History, Bright Future” is not just a prayer from supporters.
The change I think we are all hoping for is in the dugout. If there is anything resembling a positive it is that the board could almost appoint anybody and they will be welcomed with open arms. Last summer I cheekily suggested that Ian Holloway would be a better appointment than Alex McLeish. He of course is reviled for calling Aston Villa was a “Half-arsed club that used to be famous.” His comments sting even more now than they did then because few can argue with them now. If the Blackpool boss was appointed and brought free-flowing football back to Villa Park I think even he might be welcomed with open arms at this point.
I will be missing the Fulham match this weekend. I am moving into a new apartment on Saturday and won’t have television and internet set up until later in the day. I am not bothered about this at all. Villa have nothing to play for. Even if the kids play they will be stifled by this manager’s tactics and not shine. As a Yank I might be more concerned about Clint Dempsey maintaining his form heading into World Cup Qualifying. I am sure at some point I will take a break from unpacking to check the score. I have almost no expectation of a home win, another bore draw seeminly infinitely more likely.
It feels that this apathy is starting to effect the club at every level. This season cannot end soon enough. I just wish we had more reason to be optimistic for the future.
(I will be appearing on Cottage Talk on Friday previewing the Fulham match with Russ Goldman and Dan Crawford providing the claret and blue perspective. The show starts at 3:00 GMT/10:00 EST and I will be on approximately 3:30 GMT/10:30 EST)
The Author
