Amazingly, the defeat last week at Leeds brought out quite a lot of frustration in many Villa fans, they seeming to think that all is wrong still at the club. All because we lost, and against one of the better managed clubs in the Championship, and, they say, because the team selection and the tactics used were strange. Well, so strange that (having put a good chance over the bar in the first half) Leeds did not get an attempt on target until past the hour mark. Unfortunately, that attempt also resulted in their opening goal, Villa’s ‘keeper seeming to be asleep on the job after an hour of mostly inaction.

Villa’s side of the story is that they, also, were restricted in attempts on goal, but they did seem to be more likely to score, particularly when Albert wonderfully tricked his way through to a one-in-one situation on their fine veteran keeper (Green), who diverted the attempt away from goal. Somehow the referee gave a goal-kick!

And even after Leeds had scored, I felt that Villa would come back to gain a point. But that was not to be, and the score-line at the end became exaggerated.

Well, Villa had to lose a game at some point, and my feeling is that they should not lose more than another two or three all season. If that proves to be the case then there’s every chance Villa will finish in the play-offs for the third promotion spot.

So, what’s next but an opportunity to clear our heads and put the fans into better spirits with the visit of Wigan.

Villa had never played Wigan in any league until 2004, and Wigan’s sojourn in the top tier lasted 8 years until they went down at the end of the 2012-13 season. Villa’s record against them in that time (of 16 matches) was Won: 5 Drawn: 6 Lost: 5, and never were they considered to be rank pushovers. In fact they did not get relegated with a whimper, having beaten Manchester City in the FA Cup Final that very same season. And even from the Championship they reached the semi-final of the FA Cup competition in 2014.

But this week finds Wigan in a relegation position in the Championship, and although they should still not be regarded as a pushover, they are clearly down in the bottom set for a reason. Villa have beaten all the teams around them (Rotherham, Blackburn and Cardiff) so, surely, this match should be a ‘cert’ – shouldn’t it?

My view is that if Villa fail to take advantage of Wigan’s plight and not put them to the sword it will be a lost opportunity to regain any spirit lost at Leeds. And I can’t imagine the likes of Codger not wanting to get back on the scoring trail. Besides, Jack will be starting in this game – won’t he?

To finish, I would like to state that I would agree that all is not yet perfect at Villa Park. How can it be so soon after six long years of poor management and the awful incompetence and malaise that was allowed to develop? But I do think a recovery is under way and there’s more chance of us being more cheerful at the end of the season. That in itself would be a heck of an achievement after our fears earlier in the season of further relegation.

Comments 31

  1. Another very good leader JL, and I fully concur with your assessment of the situation, and hopefully Villa will bounce back on Saturday and give the fans a real treat…!!!

    I certainly am looking forward to being there! Perhaps Sky cameras do not bring us much luck, butwe are the most televised team in the Champoinship.

  2. Maybe we all have to agree that Gabbygoalayear is a useless lump of sh**e, Wastewood is a useless tw*t aqnd Alan Hutton is just the worst Scottish export in years, and all will be well, with the Steamers making an immediate return, and grumpy umpah lumpers leaping on the bandwaggon, but I fear that things have gone too far, and that Villa on the mend, does not sit well with many..!!!

    Yes, Villa are still not great, Bruce is not a messiah, and Dr Tony is not the top Chinese God, but things are much better, much better than they have been in the last 5 years, and the future is bright!

    I just hope that all the effort that Matt T put into this site, and his own money does not shrivel up and die….let’s get back to the friendly and fiery banter that existed once upon a time…!!!

  3. John, thanks for the balanced article.
    Even though, the loss to Leeds was disappointing, l look forward
    To Beating Wigan.
    Even if Gabby contributes, and Villa gets promotion, he needs to go, too derisive.

  4. Trinity,

    The matter of Gabby is certainly a moot one.

    Maybe all the business of getting him back on track fitness and appearances-wise is to do with putting him in the shop window to make his exit easier … with Bruce (in the process) trying to extract from him what contribution he can extract like squeezing an orange! πŸ˜‰

    But because of our Africans being away in January, I can’t see Gabby leaving in that window. However, if we do get promotion this season then surely his days at VP *would* be finished.

    But though I can see your point about Gabby being “devisive”, I honestly do think that what happened is partly down to the climate generated at VP since MON left – but that Gabby being not the brightest of fellers has just made things worse.

  5. why do I think in the back of my mind wigan are a bogey team for us at vp?!

    Got to be 3 points if we want to challenge playoffs.

    Bruce said we have 1 players verbally agreed and 1 more today poss!

    1 will be a keeper.

  6. McClaren Manager of the month for November, always the kiss of death. I think we’ll be okay against Wigan tomorrow. If Jack starts they wont be able to handle him.
    Archie

  7. JL- the thought of putting gabby on the pitch to sell him gives me chills, means he’ll be here for years. like putting for sale on a rusty old banger and driving it around, better to hide it in the garage and take the bulb out πŸ˜‰

  8. How did we lose…..Leeds a shadow tonight….

    I do hope Bruce can find a winning formula tomorrow….we need to be pushing on…Hope Baker is fit…not happy to trust Elphick alongside Chester.

    Time to get Hepburn-Murphy on the bench too!

  9. Devisive is the right word, John.
    Will Grigg, Wigan’s #9 apparently is the main threat to Villa’s goal. It seems even Stevens between Villa and Wigan over the last 20 years or so. I think, though Villa can win 4-1. If Villa lose at home, it’ll be a very poor result regardless.

  10. Paul – I agree re Leeds – I watched the match this morning here in Thailand. I think that, had Gollini not been asleep as John states, they would not have taken 3 points away from us.
    The problem is we didn’t have a decent strike at goal throughout, those that were on target were weak.

    True Trinity, Gabby’s situation is divisive amongst our contributors; I do agree with the concept that Bruce is trying to get him fit for the loss of players during ACoN tournament.

    I’m hoping for a win against Wigan to restore the feel -good atmosphere around Villa Park again

  11. Hi Clive,

    I think Bruce got it wrong last week, if he was going to play Gestede, he should have started with Gabby, and gone all o9ut for an early goal, and we would have come away with the points.Bringing Gabby, Grealish and Ayew for the last 20 minutes was too late.

    I hope he sets up better today. off there in a moment. UTV…VTID

  12. Hey guys.

    The Leeds game was lost by Bruce. The starting line up was a joke. Bruce has done well but he got that wrong

    Today, better be no Kodjia out wide, no Rudy up top and no Westwood in midfield. Hutton needs to go to, play Bacuna RB

    Ayew, Jack, Kodjia and adomah front 4. Tshib needs to come in alongside Jedinak. McCormack back in the squad today

  13. Hello Frem nice to hear from you mate, I agree, Bruce should never of put Kodjia out left, if he was going to play Gestede then why not go 442 and put green out left? I think he had planned to play RMC and grealish and injuries prevented it.

  14. The BBC reporter described the performance as utterly awful…Dwight Gayle gets 3 more goals…that’s a team with a plan to get promoted, unlike this bunch of useless abject cr@p

  15. Agreed, JL. Doesn’t matter how they come.

    A scrappy affair from the sounds of it on the radio, Wigan had all 11 behind the ball at times, no shots on goal. Villa had 5 on target, 15 overall, and 9 blocked.

    Was nothing vintage about it, but the visitors were clearly there to frustrate Villa and scrape a point. Which they very nearly did. But Grealish came good, got the late winner.

    Villa 4 points off the playoff spots, 8 off the relegation zone. Extremely tight league.

  16. The excuses first . . . the wet pitch made it hard to play good football; Wigan played to stifle us and didn’t have a shot on target; the referee bottled giving Garbutt a second (100% nailed on) booking to avoid sending him off (referees in this division really aren’t very good)
    Now the reality check: we were very poor for most of the game. There was little creativity. There was little movement. Players weren’t making runs to open spaces and weren’t working hard enough to make themselves available for teammates to pass to.
    Struggling to think of players who stood out today.
    Jedinack did pretty well and showed passion throughout. Likewise Hutton, and if I had to nominate a man of the match then it’d be one of those two.
    The one bit of class of course Jack’s goal which was suuuuuch a relief.
    They say good teams win even when playing badly . .. . well I guess that makes us a good team! πŸ™‚

  17. Boooom a result that is most un villa like! These are the games we have to dig out. Lovely to see jack get it and what a goal! Don’t be fooled by Wigan. Hadn’t lost in last 5 away games. And only lost 1 in last 8 at vp! Banana skin avoided! Next 2 games away will tell me if we challenge play offs. Need 4 points

  18. Gutted no tish. Games at vp we play kodger up top and play ayew jack and Adomoh. 4231. Away we go 433 kodger wide. Interesting to see if Bruce sticks to it next 2 away games. With that 4 up top should be smashing teams?! Ayew needs to show his class constantly. Not doing enough so far

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