Before I got to know Frem, I had this very specific image of him in my head: Tweek from South Park. (Reference here.) I genuinely and lovingly  mean that in the nicest possible way. It’s just that, in my head, Frem’s posts screamed “I just had six shots of espresso dropped into four cans of Red Bull, a cup of sugar, fifty-six Pixy Stix, and an ample dusting of crack-cocaine, and here’s the thing about WINGERS!”  He fascinated me from the start. And, truly, I raise my brow at anyone who isn’t utterly intrigued by Frem. Going into this, my biggest question was this: What makes Frem tick?

The answer? Completely obvious: Aston Villa.

Frem was born into an Aston Villa-loving family, right down to his grandmother, and football has been a major part of his life. “I have indeed always been a Villa fan,” Frem explained. “My mum took me to my first Villa game when I was just four.” Now, when he plays, he takes on the role of centre-back. Football is ingrained in Frem, and he’s always quite happy to discuss all aspects of the game. When we spoke of relegation, Frem said how he “[N]ever experienced [Villa] relegation, thankfully. I can only imagine what it’s like. I’ve seen grown men cry from other teams when they were relegated. It’s amazing what football can do.”  We went on to discuss my personal reaction to Pep Guardiola leaving Barcelona, which left me in tears for days. Frem astutely commented: “People from the outside must think,  ‘Sad so-and-so’s, they’re crying over a footy team.’”

I don’t want to fully pull back the curtain to reveal the intricacies of Frem to everyone; it isn’t my place to do so. What I can say, however, is that he is kind, compassionate, and not at all the overly-hyperactive young man that we have come to know  and embrace. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to find such a calm, cool, and collected conversationalist.

• Looking back at this past season, where did you feel most anxious about relegation? Did you actually believe that we were going to be relegated?

I felt most anxious during the end of December and all through January, where it was utter hell supporting Villa. We were humiliated by Chelsea, Spurs, and relegation rivals Wigan, who played us of the park in our own back yard. In those 3 games, we conceded 15 without reply. Things could only get better heading into a new year, couldn’t they?

During January, we threw away leads against Swansea and West Brom; they both snatched late equalizers which was sickening, and two other relegation rivals in Southampton and Newcastle also came to our back yard and beat us.

It wasn’t just the in the League we were were falling apart, but in the Cup as well, with not being able to get past Bradford over 2 legs and also losing to Millwall. So yes, by the time January finished, I did think we would go down – but, thankfully, we slowly turned things around.

• As far as transfer rumors are concerned: which, if any, do you think is a legitimate threat to Villa? And which can be a good move for us?

Well a host of top clubs will want Benteke, but I think Spurs and Arsenal will be the main attraction. We will do well to keep him – that’s for sure, as well as Wiemann and Lowton, who Arsenal also apparently are interested in. Signings for us – I don’t think we need too many. I hope some of our Next Gen step up – and Gardner. We definitely need a left back and CB, and maybe another striker like Benteke who’s powerful. Jozy Altidore has had a good season.

• If you got a chance to draft three players to Villa from anywhere, who would you choose?

It would have to be Messi, Scholes (who has just retired, but I’d still have him), and Van Persie.

• In your opinion, where is there the most room for improvement? Conversely, what are we doing correctly?

Room for improvement has to be our defensive side of the game, but I’m not sure what Lambert will do about it. Norwich couldn’t defend either. We have to score 2 or 3 goals to stand a chance of winning a game. It was shocking all season, right down to the last day against Wigan. Our defense – and midfield as well – let our strike force down big time this season after we threw away so many leads. What are doing well: attacking. We have goals in our front 3 and if we can keep them this summer, improve it it even more and defend better next season, I don’t think we will struggle.

• Because you’re a lifelong Villa fan, can you speak a bit about your feelings regarding our managers over the years? Are we finally in a comfortable place with Paul Lambert?

Well, Martin O’Neill should have delivered Champions League to this club, but he bought Heskey in January when we were flying, and the rest is history. The guy wasted so much money that we’re still feeling the effects of it today.

Houllier was a strange appointment, and the first time our board had to appoint a new manager. He had been out of the Prem a long time, and it had changed big time since he was last at Liverpool. We went from counter attacking football from MON, to possession football to Gérard Houllier. He had some good players to work and Bent was bought in January who’s goals saved us but it was a disaster in general until the last two games of the season where we looked very good, but that was actually under Gary McAllister.

Then came a very dark day for this club: Alex McLeish. It was bad enough that he even, for a split second, entered Randy Learner and Paul Faulkner’s head as a possible candidate for the job, but for them to actually speak to him and then appoint him should have been a criminal offense. Yes, we hated him because he managed the scum, but he also finished 3rd in a two team league in Scotland; he got the scum relegated twice (well, that was actually a good thing) and his style of play was as bad as anything I had ever seen. He was happy to lose a game 1 or 2 nill. He played defenders all over the place; and, once, we witnessed Hutton and Heskey playing as wingers. No more needs to be said. He sucked the life out of everyone at Villa.

Paul Lambert: Steamer’s idol. Only time will tell if he’s the right man. but I think he might just be. He gave everyone a chance in the first part of the season; a lot of them didn’t take it – but after January, we found a settled side and it kept us up. He needs to improve as a manger, but I think he will, and I like his young, unknown signings (apart from Bennett). He’s got a lot of work to this summer, that’s for sure.

• Do you think Villa’s kit is too confusingly similar to West Ham’s? If so, which club should make the change?

It is very similar, yes. I don’t know weather I like Macron kits yet or not. The away shirt is different, that’s for sure; they’re certainly more detailed than Nike Kits. I’m looking forward to seeing what our next away kit will be like. I will give them one more season, so I’d say West Ham to get rid of them.

• Honestly: do I have a shot with Nathan Baker?

Show him your Gravatar pictures and you certainly will. If you want to show him a bit more, then that’s up to you.

• Lastly: what’s the thing about Wingers, anyway?

It’s just my opinion, but they make the game a lot simpler for me: no fancy stuff; just get straight to the point – which, in football, is the goal. I’ve been a huge admirer of Sir Alex Ferguson’s time at Manchester United, and I was a huge admirer of Harry Redknapp’s at Spurs last season – both mainly played with two out-and-out wingers, and a great balance through out the whole side.

Look at Bale for example; he’s so quick and powerful. It doesn’t matter if you’re the best full-back in the world, you aren’t going to stop him. Somewhere in this world, there will be another player or two similar to him with his raw pace that could also be unplayable.

It was a pleasure getting to know Frem. He is an integral part of our community, and his insight is much appreciated. I’ll leave you all with something that Frem said to me that I’ll tuck into my memory for when I actually make the trek to the UK: “Your love for Villa will increase when you come to see a live game or two. A packed Villa Park on a night match is special; away games even better. I was lucky enough to go to the Norwich game where Gabby scored right in front of us, both times. You start hugging people you have never seen before but we are all one big family, really.”

Do I have regrets? Nope!
Would I have regrets had we been relegated? Nope!
Do I still have a crush on Nathan Baker, irrespective of his own goals? YUP!

I have received a lot more than bargained for after becoming a Villan: in AVL, I’ve found a family of fellow football fans – all of you – who are always willing to discuss the game; and, more often than not, everything but the game. We’ve had discussions about psychiatry, tattoos, cooking, and whether or not I’m actually male, or a Turvey-created robot, or both. (I’ll let you make up your own minds.)

If not for AVL, I wouldn’t have met Jason, who I can’t even imagine going one day without talking to. I wouldn’t know the wonder of Frem, the wisdom of Steamer, or the “I can’t even reply to this without digging myself into a hole” feeling that comes with a Churchill comment. There wouldn’t be Paul Pears to back me up, the clique of people gunning to rip Nathan Baker’s shirt off of him so I could have it, or the overwhelming sense of family pride that I carry around with me all the time.

Football happened in the midst of these daily family gatherings. I can’t sit here and write about how we’ve changed as a team from last season, because I don’t have that insight. My firsthand knowledge is limited to these past three months – and what a ride it’s been! I had convinced myself from the moment I became a Villa fan that we were not going to be relegated; thankfully, women’s intuition panned out quite nicely, and we avoided the drop without having to go into the last match with the doom-and-gloom feeling.

So maybe we didn’t finish in the top half of the table, but what matters is that we’re coming back next season. Undoubtedly, I believe that we will come back a stronger and more cohesive team. Although Paul Lambert has taken plenty of criticism, he did manage to ensure that we kept above the drop. As the players continue to become comfortable with each other, I believe that the team will stand united in a new-found strength under Lambert.

There were highs and lows this season, as expected. The stand-alone moment for me, though, was Matty Lowton’s gorgeous goal that, at least for a few moments, made me forget about Leo Messi. I felt a swell of pride in my heart, and still maintain that the moment is a sign of things to come. We are going to be okay – no, we are going to be better than okay; this is Aston Villa, and we are going into next season prepared – and proud.

My eternal gratitude to everyone here for taking the journey with me. I love you more than words can articulate.

As negative as the mood was surrounding the club while Alex McLeish was in charge, I never thought we’d go down. This season, I’ll admit there were brief moments where I wasn’t sure. I didn’t really think it would happen, but neither was I comfortable writing “when Villa stay up.” Partly because I would not want to be single-handedly responsible for the consequences if I’d come out and tempted fate by saying things like that.

Lacking the courage of my convictions? You could read it that way. But for me it had more to do with the fact we were looking at an unknown quantity when it came to our own young, and as-yet untested squad squarely facing a true relegation dogfight.

Simply put: Was there enough fight in the dog? Turns out there was.

And in the end, what that meant was that a big gamble paid off. Paul Lambert took Lerner’s budget-minded remit to heart, took big risks, and managed to remake the side on the fly without sending us down.

Now, of course, that doesn’t sound like it smacks of ambition. But this season was never about immediate ambitions. It was about trying to get things fixed, both on the books and the pitch. That’s not easy to do.

And while it’s true Villa remain a work in progress on both fronts, the upside is that we are finally an actual work in progress.

We have a manager who believes in playing attractive, attacking football. We have a manager who’s getting the team to hold onto the ball. We have a manager that obviously believes in youth (even if it’s not all from our academy). We have a manager that believes in hard work and commitment.

Moreover, Paul Lambert apparently has a decent eye for a player and understands value. He hasn’t been able to just throw money at problems, but one doesn’t suspect he would’ve even if he’d had more to work with.

Lambert rather ambitiously and audaciously went out over the summer and spread his money all over the pitch, bringing in Christian Benteke, Ron Vlaar, Matt Lowton, Ashley Westwood, Karim El Ahmadi, Joe Bennett and Jordan Bowery. He re-signed Brad Guzan. He threw down a challenge to Darren Bent. He exiled Alan Hutton and Stephen Warnock from the off.

Of the existing squad, he gave chances not only to Bent, but also Stephen Ireland, Charles N’Zogbia, Shay Given, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Andreas Weimann, Fabian Delph, Ciaran Clark, Nathan Baker, Barry Bannan, Chris Herd, and Brett Holman. Eric Lichaj and Enda Stevens also got looks, but more out of necessity than anything else.

Everyone got a look. It took a while, but everyone got enough time on the pitch to make their case (besides Warnock and Hutton). We know how it all shook out. It took nerve. Maybe a bit of arrogance. But I think it paid off. Villa got remade on the fly.

I’d have liked CNZ and Ireland to have made themselves indispensable. They didn’t. Given I wasn’t bothered with, and Guzan has been excellent. Benteke did more than Bent ever could for the team. I think Gabby and Andi both benefited immensely from his presence.

KEA didn’t keep his place. Bowery never had one to lose. Bennett, many will say, should’ve lost his.

But finding anchors at both ends of the pitch in Benteke and Guzan, and bringing in a number of reasonably priced unknowns meant that Lambert’s return was more than decent. Five out of eight ain’t bad, especially when you’re bargain hunting. KEA and Bowery can stay on the books without hurting the bottom line, if need be. They can also be moved on rather easily. Same with Bennett. Dawkins? Who cares. He cost nothing. Yacouba Sylla might turn out to be another decent find.

For me, Lambert got the big decisions right, the biggest of which was sitting Darren Bent, closely followed by sitting Given and replacing him with Guzan. It set the tone for the team, allowed Benteke to emerge, and made us a much more balanced and threatening side. There were some odd substitutions, to be sure. The defense obviously remains shaky.

The side improved and came together when it mattered most, however. They showed heart and fight. They entertained us. They even battered someone. They looked like they cared.

Now, of course, the bar is raised. Narrowly escaping relegation isn’t going to be good enough next season. But I don’t think we’ll be in that position.

This was an experiment I found fascinating. This is a team I actually liked. This was a team I had fun watching as it pulled itself out of the mire. Even if I did need medication a time or two. This was a team I was actually proud of. They weren’t world-beaters, no. Certainly far from perfect. But it felt like a team.

This is also a manager I like. He did what he was going to do, and he was willing to live or die on his choices.

I know we’ve endured innumerable false dawns. But this time I think the sun might actually be rising to meet us as we round the corner. If nothing else, Villa are no longer on the path of seemingly inevitable decline. But I do believe we’re looking at more than that.

Right, Steamer—let me have it. I’m off for some brisket and chocolate cake.

Initial signs sound good with Benteke’s agent stating that a new contract will secure Villa’s number 20 for the near future. How long that future is depends highly on what goes on next year.

After all, there is a short term logic to say that paying Benteke twice his wage (currently a reported £25k) makes sense. No fan in their right mind would want to suggest that losing Villa’s Belgian forward was a step forward, but what of the longer term?

As we all know, Villa are somewhat constrained by wages, and with Randy Lerner’s plan to keep the wage budget under control, £50 may well secure Benteke for a while, but not forever. Why? It is pretty evident that off the back of this season’s performances alone, Villa’s number 20 will have suitors. With teams competing in the Champions League happily able to pay £100k a week for a predatory striker with the goal haul Benteke has managed over the season, why in his right mind would he stay at Villa?

One answer could be loyalty, and it would be refreshing to see if such a plan pans out. Given the lack of loyalty in today’s modern game, a player staying for an amount that is far less than we all know he could earn now is something of a surprise, a shock even, though as stated before, it can’t go on forever.

Should Benteke score a similar amount next season he will, in all likelihood, prove that he isn’t a one season wonder. If he does, and I see no reason why he shouldn’t, then other teams will likely want to pay money to get him, as well as the wages to match.

Come that point, the decision at Villa becomes one of paying out to keep hold of Benteke in a few years time, or a cheaper option hoping to find the next Benteke for £7m if only to keep him for a few seasons before selling him on at a profit.

Many fans will point to the fact that Lerner’s past attitude towards money illustrates that Benteke would be sold in a few years if he demands £100k come the end of 2013/14 – a figure many would argue he is worth already.

How do fans feel about this though? Is it hard to realise that Villa are, at present at least, no longer picking top players from other clubs, instead feeding the top teams with their best talent?

Or is there a feeling that keeping Benteke for two or so seasons is better than nothing? Given the ability he has demonstrated to date, there’s a strong argument to say having a player of his ability is a blessing, and one that would mean a windfall of money if he is sold.

Then the question is can it be invested again with any regularity or guarantee. The answer is that we will have to wait and see, but whilst the possibility of buying cheap players and selling them expensive is a great plan in theory, the reality is unearthing a Benteke a season is quite an ask, and any owner expecting such should ask how realistic their plans really are.

So what do you think?

- Wigan’s fate was confirmed on Tuesday evening as, just days after their remarkable FA Cup Final triumph over Manchester City, they were beaten 4-1 at the Emirates by Arsenal and relegated to the Championship.

- Wigan look to have unearthed a real gem in Callum McManaman but may struggle to hold on to him after a string of impressive performances. The youngster has quickly become Wigan’s most accurate shooter, with a on-target rate of 76.9% from 13 attempts according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.

- Shaun Maloney is another who may well find himself plying his trade in new pastures next season, with a number of Premier League clubs interested in taking him off the Wigan books. The Scottish international ranks third in the Wigan squad this season for attacking contributions (assist, cross, dribble, on target shot) with 104, at an average rate of one every 29.3 minutes. Maloney is 11/4 with 888sport.com to get himself on the score sheet this weekend.

- Whether he could have helped stave off relegation is unlikely but Wigan have certainly missed the defensive influence of Maynor Figueroa in the final few games of the season. The Honduran international still leads the Lactic squad for defensive contributions (blocks, clearances, interceptions, successful tackles) with 295 for the campaign.

- Despite Christian Benteke’s well-taken goal, Aston Villa were not able to spring a surprise result as Chelsea fought back to claim a 1-2 win through two Frank Lampard goals.

- Matthew Lowton will have been desperately disappointed to have missed out on the England squad for the upcoming friendlies due to injury but should he continue his form into next season then another national call-up can’t be far away. Lowton is one of only two players to have made more than 100 tackles to have a success rate of more than 70% (75.2%), the other being Nathaniel Clyne.

- His captain Ron Vlaar is the only member of the Villa squad able to surpass him in the tackle stakes so far this season, ‘Concrete Ron’ currently sitting on 81.9% according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. He also leads the Villa squad for clearances with 63.

- Any summary of Villa’s season would not be complete without discussing the mammoth contribution made to their cause by Christian Benteke. The Belgian striker is part of a select group of players to have had more than 100 shots (105)(Suarez, Bale, Ba, Tevez, Van Persie, Defoe, Michu, Cazorla) has managed to carve out one of those chances on average less than once every 30 minutes (28.7). Paul Lambert will be going all out to ensure Villa do not lose out on his services come next season.

As I’ll be previewing the Wigan game tomorrow morning, I wanted to talk about something else today that is linked in a fashion. How it is linked will become evident as I explain.

Some of you will be aware of a group of Aston Villa fans who walked to Norwich last season in order to raise money for Harry Moseley’s charity “Help Harry Help Other”. This season, they are walking to Wigan (or should I say have already started walking to Wigan) in order to raise money for Harry’s charity.

Those who know me long term will know that I was fortunate enough to know Harry whilst he was still with us and have supported his cause heavily, and have been delighted now that the club themselves have offered visibility of what is the legacy of an amazingly inspiring young man.

For those that don’t know the story of Harry, he was an inspirational and comedic young chap who fought a battle against brain cancer until he passes away on the 8th October 2011. To say he was one of the most selfless people I have ever met is underselling him – Harry was Birmingham’s own little angel.

Getting back to the cause, I wanted to give people a chance to donate some money either to the Walk2Wigan project (led by Villa fan John Hanks) as well as put a link up for fans to be able to buy a bracelet to help raise money for cancer research – I wear my claret & blue bracelet every day to work as it reminds me of how much an inspiration young Harry was, and of the funny conversations we used to have.

For more information on donating to the Walk2Wigan, you can click the following link – Justgiving.com/Walk2Wigan

To order a bracelet to show your support to the cause, you can do so by clicking the following link and making a minimum donation of £2 – http://www.hhho.org.uk/bracelets.aspx

Holte Enders In The Sky Page

Following on from memories of a young lad Aston Villa Life cared about, I will be looking to add information for our new HEITS page regarding our lost loved ones who supported our beloved club.

If you have details regarding a loved one or friend you would like included on our memorial page, please send me a message via the Contact option in the menu including a short bio and the date/year of the birth & death.

I hope to see friends and family of those you have lost included on the page as Aston Villa Life believes strongly that we should remember those who stood by us through the years supporting our club.

Till then, wishing you a good weekend, and look for the Aston Villa Life match preview of our final game of the season tomorrow.

Full credit to them for staying in the league as long as they did. Their relegation from the Premier League was inevitable. That they went down with the FA Cup, a competition our fair club hasn’t won since before my mother was born, should be more than consolation. Loudmouth Dave Whelan admitted as much, while the overrated Roberto Martinez was left devastated that the Latics were going down. The eloquent Martinez will likely not only leave Wigan, but leave Wigan for a better job because his teams play good football and he looks the part of a top manager on the touchline. Anybody who watched ESPN’s coverage of the last World Cup in the US realizes that Martinez’s real gift is in the broadcast booth, even in his second language.

I quipped on Twitter after Benteke was sent off if that meant Darren Bent would start against Wigan. As soon as safety was secured after Wigan lost to Arsenal Bent had these comments. While he most certainly didn’t waste any time in starting to engineer his Aston Villa exit, it is hard to take issue with anything he said. I think the manager is confident enough to not let those comments influence his team selection. I also think Jordan Bowery was more likely to get the start all along.

With an extra 900 or so Villians getting tickets, hopefully the Wigan game will be a festive atmosphere. I’d also like to see the team score some goals with Benteke not on the pitch. It is a shame we won’t get to see him go for his 20th league goal. With little else to play for there’s no harm in watching a football match with an eye on an individual milestone. That we won’t is his own fault.

I am sure come Monday we will all be sad that the season is over. Instead of getting ready for the next match we will all be on edge hoping Benteke does sign a new contract. The club will also be linked with all kinds of players since there will be some money to spend. The club’s preseason plans haven’t been announced either. My instinct is that if the manager has his way the team will stay close to home, but if the business people at the club have their say the club will go on another overseas tour of some sort.

There is also international football. Gabby Agbonlahor was overlooked by England manager Roy Hodgeson in favor of Andy Carroll, Danny Welbeck, Daniel Sturridge, Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain, and Theo Wolcott. Just as well that Gabby doesn’t risk injury playing for a tactically backward manager who wouldn’t have a clue how to use him anyway, and seemingly only picks players owned by the top clubs and Liverpool who used to be a top club. Brad Guzan will be in the dugout in favor of longtime US #1 Tim Howard after Jurgen Klinsmann basically said there was nothing Guzan could do to earn the job. If that sounds like what Alex McLeish said last year, watch the US, they look like a McLeish side.

That is all in the future. At least we can relax as we watch our club this Sunday. The last two years have had enough angst to last twenty.

However, there will be few of us who actually would have enjoyed a last minute rumble with our whole season pinned on one result. Why? Well this season you have seen our (early) response to pressure and/or conceding goals and, at times, it has been far from stable.

With all that said, things have gotten better. Whilst our form hasn’t been so amazingly good to take us into the upper echelons of the table, it has at least got us from the bottom three into a (relatively) safer position. Whether all this will be as acceptable next season is highly doubtful though.

So, after all is said and done, at least in terms of survival, what have we learned? Is the expectation that Villa will kick on up the table a realistic one or one driven more by hope and a yearning to not be back in the mire.

In order to understand the trend of the club over the course of this season as a whole, we should really look at some of the key games and how they made an influence on the season, and how those trends can affect the realistic view for the club next time around.

Make no doubt about it, this season has been something of a mixed bag – few could argue anything different given the comparative differences between losing 8-0 at Chelsea and hammering Sunderland 6-1. Whilst the results are in some ways reflective of the comparative qualities of teams we have played, there have been points where we have done better/worse than we may have anticipated.

In that sense, Christmas 2012 may well have been one of the worst periods for us as fans. Not only did our goal difference take a 15 goal battering without reply over just three games, but the psychological effect on us – the paying public – was severe. Perhaps when the Mayans were discussing the end of the world, they were actually talking about Villa. That or they were just talking nonsense.

We could go into the individual games where we had led the scoring only to draw or worse (see Everton away, Swansea away, Manchester United home etc), but at least the trend of play has shown improvement – just as the Christmas period was frustrating and depressing, our ability to hit form at the right time later in the season has been impressive and heartening.

In the interest of balance though, we shouldn’t be getting carried away with things. Sure, there are many positives to be seen in Villa’s first season under Paul Lambert – the signings of Brad Guzan and Christian Benteke being two of the major ones – but Villa at the wrong end of the table isn’t a great thing.

Of course, Villa’s issues are long term, drawn from issues that had arisen months and years before Lambert was taking the reigns at the club. Between overinflated wages blamed on Martin O’Neill, to overinflated wages paid to Darren Bent post-O’Neill, to a lack of high level stability in direction and ethos, Villa have lurched from one issue to another.

Far be it for me to be on a downer just days after we secured our survival in the Premier League, but things do need to be addressed in terms of what has gone wrong – survival isn’t meant to be a way of just forgetting how we got here in the first place.

Many things are likely to change over the course of the close season at Villa Park with player exits likely having a significant impact on the wage structure. Richard Dunne and Stiliyan Petrov will see their contracts expire, Jean II Makoun will make a return to Ligue 1, whilst the prospective sales of Darren Bent and Stephen Ireland may release much needed funds to help rebuild the team.

Understandably, fans are anxious because the new Villa era – the one governed more by Lambert’s planning than that of the organisation – focuses more on cheaper, younger, more team-focused players than a historic view of individuals, Bent being a prime example.

Despite that change though, Villa fans should have things to be positive about. The fact that Christian Benteke took to the Premier League delivering a return of goals Bent would have been proud of, and at less than a quarter of the former Sunderland man’s wage, was a welcome relief. The emergency of Andreas Weimann as a regular feature of the first team was great to see. Gabby Agbonlahor’s maturity of play and fit into what was once deemed an awkward role for Villa’s number 11 has been great.

The above sounds heavily focused on attack, and that would be partly right – after all, Villa’s best advances (Brad Guzan aside) have been in the attacking areas. Comparatively speaking, much ire has been thrown around regarding the opposite side of the pitch in defence.

Perhaps those wanting rid of Villa’s former defensively-minded manager Alex McLeish may have wanted more defending than has been displayed under Lambert at Villa Park, though the reality of football dictates that the more you focus on one area of the pitch, the less you focus on others, especially when your team is only just coalescing.

We all know that Joe Bennett has fallen foul of criticism, some of which I personally feel has been harsh, but Villa’s defensive record has been something of an issue though those with more knowledge of Lambert pre-Villa will know that a high goals against figure is nothing new.

Maybe the past few seasons have been lurching extremes, and that such changes have been what have made us so seasick – going from one style to another in such short space of time has left Villa regularly a team without identity, and one that has been restricted by financially dictations.

Some fans will argue that the club’s arrival at the current position is rather more luck than judgement, a point hard to argue in the face of shifting sands at Villa Park over the course of the past three seasons at least. In the eyes of those with a critical view of the Villa management hierarchy, the argument will be that even a monkey can pick out the right answer some of the time, and that Villa’s appointment of Lambert has been little more than luck following their somewhat disappointing previous hires, what between men who had health issue and others who were reviled.

Looking at the latter part of the season, progress is being made, albeit iteratively. Few should be expecting huge revolutions at Villa Park in terms of progress, though it is hard to have a true idea so early on given that a successful summer recruitment drive (and associated sale of unneeded players) could prove transformational for the team depending on what happens there.

It may well be the case that the iteration process for the next few seasons operates at a slower rate than expected if Randy Lerner maintains a strong grasp on the Villa Park transfer kitty, potentially playing a risk if reticence to spend creates another season of fan tumult. Factor into this the legal challenges to the financial fair play regulations and yet more owners could stand ahead of Villa’s quiet chairman in terms of money to spend.

Which, in short, will mean that the building process may not be one finished in a single season. In fact, I would be highly amazed if it was. Whilst a request for patience may feel like deja vu all over again, there has to be some restraint when it comes to how Villa are going to move forwards.

All that matters is that progress is made, even if it is slower than expected. Villa’s future, and fans’ collective happiness, will be pinned on if the trajectory is up or downward. For the sake of our collective hearts, I hope is continues upwards, even if it isn’t as fast as some would like.

If I had to write up a post-match review, it would look something like this: asdfghjkl; THANK YOU ARSENAL. SAFE. TEARS. JOY. UP THE VILLA!

So I’ll leave the blubbering for another day.

We want to hear from you! What do you think have been our highs and lows this season? Favorite moments, least-favorite? Despair, joy, anxiety… tell us everything.

Party post… go!

Matt said it far more astutely than I could ever:

There are, as expected, multiple permutations of what can happen, though Tuesday night will be critical for Aston Villa despite the team not playing that night – we may well be Arsenal fans for the night hoping Wigan get beaten and relegated.

Mathematically, we are not safe – yet. But we can be. Ideally, Arsenal will win the match against Wigan, keeping them at 35 points. Let’s say that’s the outcome. At 35 points, Wigan will then go on to face us on 19 May. Even if we don’t take the three away from them, we’d still be five points ahead. Again, with hope, Tottenham will trample Sunderland the same day we take Wigan, and we’re safe and can finally breathe a sigh of relief while our stomachs de-knot.

It seems that there’s a bit of affection for Sunderland – and that’s fine – and there may be some affection for Wigan – and that’s fine, too – but all of us here are first and foremost Villa fans, and it’s Villa who we want to stay away from the drop. Can we do it?

I am going to turn this leader over to all of you, today, fellow temporary Arsenal fans.

Fire away!

However, Tuesday night could provide something for both ourselves and Sunderland with a loss putting Wigan Athletic through the trap door, mere days after clinching the FA Cup. Should Wigan draw, they can reach Sunderland but not us. Win, and we are in the firing line.

The reality is that Sunderland will be more worried about the Arsenal-Wigan game than we will. If Wigan get anything at all from Arsenal, Sunderland could be relegated by losing against Tottenham if we fail to beat them at the DW Stadium.

There are, as expected, multiple permutations of what can happen, though Tuesday night will be critical for Aston Villa despite the team not playing that night – we may well be Arsenal fans for the night hoping Wigan get beaten and relegated.

What is for certain is that only three teams can now go down with already relegated Reading and Queens Park Rangers – ourselves, Sunderland, and Wigan. Wigan have the most ground to make up but have two games to do so, with ourselves and Sunderland surviving based on one game.

So can we feel confident of survival right now, as we speak on Monday morning? The honest answer is no. Mathematically we are still capable of being relegated and, until the spectre is finally exorcised from our reality, we have to fight for our lives to stay in the league.

Probability may well dictate that Sunderland will go down even if we are beaten by Wigan, though that will only happen if Arsenal also get beaten by the Latics, a far from certain possibility. With all that in mind, betting odds will put Villa’s survival as the most likely of the three clubs in danger.

What we do know is that football is far from straight forward. If it was, Wigan wouldn’t have made the FA Cup final, never mind won it. Do Robert Martinez’s men have yet more luck to keep them up, or is the rumoured plan to move Wigan’s affable Spaniard to Everton enough to keep Wigan’s focus from yet another great escape?

Few can doubt that Wigan have provided some amazing moments in the chronology of relegation battles over the period of Martinez’s tenure at the club, though few Villans or Mackems will be lauding such a contribution to Premier League history if it costs either set of fans’ place in the top flight.

Speaking personally, I hope it is Wigan that go down. Whilst some of our fans still hold umbrage with Sunderland because of their former management via Martin O’Neill, I bear no grudge to their club or fans. Wigan, on the other hand, have, until this weekend at least, done little to prove why their team has been lauded for their style-without-substance approach with eternal relegation battles proving that playing nice doesn’t win you any awards, nor keep you safe from any dangers either.

Of course, people could say the same of our own club this season, but we can’t go down, can we?

Jason grew up playing football (usually as a forward); and, unlike a lot of American youth, he actively decided to remain engrossed in the game. I picked his brain about this great club of ours. As always, in speaking to another Villan, it was insightful to get his perspective; whereas I am easily distracted by, say, the sight of his super epic beard, Jason will laugh, call me “ridiculous” and then delve into the game.

• You’re from Chicago, which, like New York, is fairly saturated with football-influence. How is football perceived where you are? Do you know other Villa fans?

I know only a couple Villa fans, and friends I have converted to Villa fans. The reasoning is probably global marketing for the club. They probably don’t have much of a presence as, say, Manchester United or Arsenal, for example. I think their main focus is England and the close proximity of the island. I think if the club starts consistently winning trophies, that could change.

And football in the States just isn’t as huge as it is worldwide, but living in a big city does help. I often see people wearing football jerseys of the teams – or countries – they support, and I’m satisfied that there’s a strong following for the game [in Chicago].

• I think it’s kind of easy to love Villa, and I haven’t yet met a football fan who has said anything particularly negative – despite their personal club preference. Even a Wigan fan I recently spoke to had nothing bad to say about us. Would you agree that we’re just kind of lovable?

I think we definitely have a charm to us, that’s for sure!

• How long have you been a Villa fan, and what drew you to the club?

I’ve been a Villa fan since 2008 and what drew me to the club was the players, initially. Friedel, Agbonlahor, Barry, Milner, Young, and Carew, were all the team at the time and they were very exciting to watch! Being from the States, I was happy to see we had an American keeper; but, what made that team tick was Martin O’Neill and his coaching style. He had this team in synch and they were playing at a very high level. And, ultimately, I came to find out that this team had one of the best academies in England. That was the icing on the cake. I mean, to be able to bring players through your young system the way they did was unbelievable.

• MON has taken his fair share of criticism from Villa fans; and, so has current manager, Paul Lambert. How would you compare the two?

Well, MON took the team to great heights, though he lacked proper bench players. He often over-used his regulars and also paid high prices for players who sat on the bench. This, ultimately and unfortunately, was his self-destruction. Lambert is a different breed and relies on quality scouting from lower leagues and foreign options. He did wonders at Norwich City and was prized way for his efforts. As for criticizing the man, that is a bit premature in my book. He wasn’t ad a full season yet and had many new players who needed – and still need – some time to gel. But this guy is a scouting genius! Snagging amazing talent from the lower leagues and grabbing an absolute gem in Benteke has made the future of this club extremely bright! It’s only a matter of time before he really puts his stamp on this club and compete for trophies. So, essentially, there is no comparison; very different styles and approaches to the game.

• You mentioned Christian Benteke. Speculation about whether or not he would leave Villa at the end of this season feels like it’s gone on forever, so clearly Villans deem him indispensable. But, who are a few players – if any – you think we could do without come next season?

I, for one, believe [Benteke] is staying, and the reason being is that he is loyal and humble, which most players are not. Lambert scouted him and gave him the chance that no other club did. That was significant because he will now restore the faith by staying with the team. That is how I feel, and what better of player to build around as well!

As for players I could see going, I would say Delph or Bannan. They both have quality to them but I just don’t feel it’s enough to hold the midfield together. We need players who can gel better and can make plays by themselves and I just don’t see enough out of them. Not to mention the injuries to Delph in the past. That has been a downer for such a highly touted prospect. Also Bannan is pint-sized and now strong enough. With that said, we will be looking for an immediate replacement in that area in the summer, along with another younger, but experienced, CB.

• What would you attribute to our roller coaster season thus far?

I would again go back to having a lot of new players coming in and still trying to gel as a team. It takes a bit of time for that to develop, as we all know, but this team is headed in the right direction! You have these eager young players willing to do anything to win and it’s only a matter of time for this group.

• So, do you think I have a shot with Nathan Baker?

Umm, I plead the fifth on this one.

• Not cool. Any final thoughts on the end of the season? Are we going to stay above the drop?

I believe we will be staying, and that’s exactly where we belong. We’ve had a turbulent first season with Lambert, but the man has a vision. He had brought in amazing young talent and will continue to build around quality players. He is doing something really special at Villa; and, like I said, it’s only a matter of time before everything falls into place.

I want to thank Jason, again, for taking the time to chat with me about life, the Villa, and everything else; and, for truly being an all-around lovely person with a lot of enthusiasm for our wonderful club. A very warm welcome to AVL, Jason, and we do hope to see you stick around.

That’s Jason on the drums, being crazy talented with aforementioned epic beard.

…But wait, there’s more!
As the end of the season approaches, and a bit beyond, I’d like to keep dialogues going with you all here at AVL for a series of “Super Villan” talks; so, I ask that you let me share my soapbox with you – I try not to take up much room – and engage in a series of questions about the Villa, football itself, and other semi-appropriate content. I may be approaching some of you directly through your AVL accounts, but if any Villan here is interested*, please send an e-mail my way: kristina@astonvillalife.com

*If you live in New York City, there’s a two-drink minimum at a bar of my choosing in order to participate.

- Agbonlahor’s second came from a perfectly weighted through ball from Ashley Westwood.

- Aston Villa’s season has been defined by the emergence of a promising generation of young players, not least Joe Bennett who was one of three players to make five clearances in the last round of games, the highest in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.

- Young defenders such as Bennett and Matt Lowton have benefited from the experience of Ron Vlaar this season. Vlaar has the cleanest tackling record in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, attempting 59 tackles and committing just 6 fouls, a rate of one every 9.83 tackles, and with a tackles won percentage of 81.4%.

- Behind Villa’s defensive line Bradley Guzan will be welcoming the close season, as he has been the busiest goalkeeper in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index making 217 saves to date. Last season’s busiest goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey made 223 saves, and Guzan looks on course to beat that total.

- Chelsea missed out on the chance to cement their Champions League spot by conceding a late equaliser against Spurs which saw two of the three teams fighting for the two remaining Champions League places share the points. Oscar and Ramires were on target for Chelsea in that game.

- Despite Chelsea’s point in that game being vital to their Champions League spot, their pass completion of 73.1% was actually the lowest they’ve managed at Stamford Bridge this season.

- Demba Ba has continued to struggle to hit the same goal scoring form for Chelsea. He had 13 Premier League goals for Newcastle upon joining Chelsea, but has scored just two since. That’s despite him being the fourth most prolific shooter in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index averaging a shot every 22 minutes and 42 seconds this season.

- Eden Hazard has been among Chelsea’s star performers in his first season at Stamford Bridge. He is ranked second in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index for dribbles completed with 54 this season, just one behind Luis Suarez who tops the rankings with 55, and 8 ahead of the third placed player Adel Taarabt with 46.

- Juan Mata has been equally impressive, contributing an incredible 18 assists this season, 1 in 4 of Chelsea’s goals, while Hazard has contributed 14 assists. Mata is 15/8 to score at any time this weekend with 888sport.com.

That a club who has had the same manager for 27 years, replaced that manager with a man who had been at his previous club for 12 makes sense. When one thinks of the big, European-class manager types that Manchester United could attract: Hiddink, Van Gaal, Capello, Mourhino, Ancellott, etc., none of those men are they type to stay at one club for a long period and build a lasting foundation.

On a smaller scale this is what Villa needs to build it they are to regain their spot in the top half of the table consistently and compete for trophies and European qualification again. James Nursey alludes to this in his weekly Villa column. What has set the club back as much as anything in recent years has been instability. Instability in the manager’s office, and instability within the team.

Paul Lambert came in, shipped out a couple of players, and brought in some more. It took him the better part of the season to sift through what he had. Remember the 3-5-2? It was not until the last third of the season that the team started to look settled. The attacking three have gotten better every week that they have played together. Fabian Delph has played the best, and most consistent football of his career and has played very well with Ashley Westwood. The key in Villa’s resurgence has been the play of those two. Even during the Martin O’Neill years, the Villa midfield was frequently overrun. Those two keeping the ball and getting the ball back when it has been lost is massive.

This summer the club would be in great shape for next season if all of the key players who have helped Villa crawl out of the basement came back with new contracts. The manager will undoubtedly make some moves, and the players who do report to preseason training will have new competition for their spots. The core of Villa’s renaissance should be back for next season.

Players will always come and go. If Chistian Benteke or any of our players were to leave, the club is at least now in a position where they could use the funds to buy another striker as opposed to making wholesale changes to the entire team. Managers come and go as well. Nursey in his column asks rhetorically how many better jobs there are in England than Villa when things are going well. Martin O’Neill should know the answer to that question better than anyone else. I don’t anticipate our manager going anywhere any time soon. If or when he does he will at least leave the club should be in a better situation than he found it. Who was the last Aston Villa manager who could say that? Graham Taylor after his first stint? Maybe Big Ron, but Dr. Venglos wasn’t exactly a difficult act to follow.

The past few seasons have been trying. At one point or another almost all Villa fans were ready to give up on the season. With the situation stabilized, now the club should be able to move forward.

As we approach the last home game of the season, it would seem that Aston Villa are going to survive. Despite many of us having our hearts in our mouths for large parts of this campaign, it looks like we are going to stay up.

Now I appreciate that staying up isn’t the loftiest of ambitions for a football club, especially one that has a European cup win under their belt, even if it was back in the early 1980s.

With all that said, there’s a strong argument that this season – frustrating as it may well have been at times – was a necessary step, a move forwards that had to be done sooner or later.

After all, when we look back at some of the major issues at the club, most of them financially based, something had to give. Whether your view of the situation lays the blame at former managers, the owner, or any other person involved in decision making at the club, the fact remains that for at least a few seasons the club have had massive issues, and ones that wouldn’t go away overnight.

So, with that in mind, it strikes me as less than surprising that this season has been somewhat flat. As a fan, I know it has been very difficult to see the club at the wrong end of the table again though, if we’re honest, the majority of the support were glad to see anyone other than Alex McLeish in charge this time around.

Sure, Paul Lambert isn’t perfect and, sure, there are fans who don’t necessarily think he is the best fit for the club. However, when we look at the context of the club and the issues we have faced this season, survival may well be nothing short of a miracle.

I know that sounds ridiculous, that simply surviving has turned into an achievement just a few short years after we finished in 6th place under Martin O’Neill.

The reality is what it is though and few can doubt that the purchases Lambert has made have, on the whole, been good for the club. We can take apart individuals and criticise them for their work ethic, talent, or any other attribute that we think lacking, but that wouldn’t be a fair deal for one major reason – the ethos that Lambert is building this club on.

For Lambert, the team is the key part of success. Some can argue that Lambert is hardly well placed to qualify his time at Villa as successful but, as with many matters related to football, it is all subjective – after all, Villa haven’t exactly been competing at the right end of the table in the past two seasons.

The key difference, for me at least, is that this season there is a strong team focus. Some of this has come from the natural desire of younger players keen to prove their worthiness at this level – Christian Benteke being a key example – but the overarching team ethos has been central to Villa’s recent revival.

Whether one wants to attribute the recent form Villa have had over the last ten games as the result of luck, planning, or sheer desperation, the fact remains that the club have hit form at just the right time. Wigan Athletic, forever seen as the Houdini act of the Premier League, appear to be faltering though they are not the only ones close to the edge.

Villa themselves are not mathematically safe as we speak, but they are closer to survival than Newcastle United, a team that many Villa fans looked jealously at during January as they bought up key players that could have played a role at Villa Park.

One thing this swing of fortune does illustrate, especially when analysed in the context of Queens Park Rangers’ season, is that money alone wins nothing. Sure, if you’re Manchester City and you can buy the very best players on the planet, you’re going to get it right more than wrong. At the other end of the table though, spending isn’t always the solution.

If it was, QPR wouldn’t already have been relegated and Newcastle wouldn’t be sitting close to dropping down with them. Conversely, we would be rock bottom if monetary spend in January counted for anything. As it happens, it isn’t the case.

Should Villa survive this year, I think it will be a massive achievement because most of the overpaid players brought in by O’Neill will be finally off the books, though the post-O’Neill era spending in Darren Bent and Stephen Ireland still weigh heavily on the Villa coffers.

Survive and Villa can build on a new platform. It may not be Manchester City level players with a title tilt next season but it should, in theory at least, be a lot more solid than this time around. It’s been a rocky ride this season for sure, but we look like we’re going to make it – fingers crossed for a point at the weekend to make survival a certainty.

Being a relatively young Villan at 20 years of age, I can’t honestly say I have too many memories of sustained periods of universal positivity amongst the Villa faithful, probably a fair reflection of some of the even less positive results and performances both on and off the pitch that we have, at times, been subjected to.

In our defence, apart from the first season under David O’Leary and Martin O’Neill’s four year stint at Villa Park, both of which can be categorically labelled false dawns, we have not, on the whole, had a great deal to be truly excited about given the nagging concern that our club has simply not been showing just how good it can be. This sense of frustration at the club’s consistent underachievement has, I believe, contributed to outbursts such as the boos and the protests, for which we as fans have drawn criticism, O’Leary’s infamous use of the ‘f’ word being one example that particularly sticks in the mind.

But this season, despite the club falling even further towards relegation, there has been a distinctly different feeling about Aston Villa. While Lambert and the team have, at times, faced criticism, there seems to be something about this manager and his group of players that has captured the imagination of many Villa fans and inspired support that has, on the whole, been very positive.

When compared with other managers we’ve suffered recently, Paul Lambert’s approach has been thoroughly refreshing, with his attacking spirit, honesty, directness and hard work finally appearing to reflect on the team in the second half of the season so much so that, quite shockingly after last season, it feels as though Aston Villa fans actually like Aston Villa again. Furthermore, the fact that our squad is so full of young players, whether picked from lower divisions, abroad or the youth academy means that there is once more a feeling that the fans’ support is both needed and appreciated.  This mutual appreciation between fans, players and management is something that has been missing from the club for too long and I for one am glad to have it back as the club attempts to change its fortunes.

Whatever the reason, the bond between the fans, the players and the management this season seems to be at its strongest since O’Neill’s departure, and with the players showing the form that will hopefully keep us in the Premier League, long may it continue.

First order of business? Avoid another pasting by Chelsea. Norwich and Newcastle are one and two goals worse, respectively, and just two points behind. Nothing says Newcastle won’t beat QPR, and we can’t count on the Baggies beating Norwich. Because Wigan.

Beyond that, god only knows. While I wanted Sunderland to lose, I have to tip my hat to them, much as it pains me, for showing spirit while down to 10 and finding a point. Stoke? Well, Stoke. I forced myself to watch a game for which I ought to have been compensated, and got served up with every reason why Stoke ought to be closer to the bottom. It was galling. We’ve been on a good run. The least a dire team like Stoke could do is lend their betters a hand.

But that’s football for you. They couldn’t even manage to help themselves much, although they may just have done enough.

On the upside, the battle for the third and fourth Champions League spots remains tight, which is obviously a good thing when we’re banking on teams around us to lose games that we would expect to lose. Unfortunately, Chelsea are one of those sides. But we’re catching them at as good a time as we can, all things considered.

So. Enough of the other teams. Let’s get to Villa.

I have to confess, I could barely watch the Norwich game. With only two to play afterward, we could comfort ourselves all we liked about it not being a mathematical necessity. But it certainly was. I’d be ill if we were sitting on 37 or even 38 points right now. And you could tell it was a must-win for both teams by the quality of the game.

For their part, Villa looked as though the side had collectively lost their touch at the same time. Nothing would stick. Norwich had something to do with that with their pressing, and Villa just couldn’t seem to settle down. Passes were short, long, behind, ahead. They bounced inconveniently off leaden feet.

Fortunately, it was Gabby to the rescue, conjuring up two moments of individual brilliance that saved the day. While the biggest knock I’ve laid on Gabby is that he can’t finish when he has time to think, he had time to think twice—and finished well both times. In reading the comments since the match, it’s good to see that the majority understand what Gabby brings. He may not be world class, but he bleeds claret and blue, and he won’t give up. Somewhere, somehow, he reached down to that place where heroes find their courage.

In reading the consensus that not so long ago Villa wouldn’t have recovered from the penalty, I have to agree. We all knew that at 1-0 up, it was far, far from over. Clean sheets just don’t seem to be on the cards. And while Joe Bennett can’t feel aggrieved at the call, and indeed will count himself lucky not to have been sent off, I can’t help but wonder why Chelsea were denied a penalty for what looked to be an almost identical foul in almost the exact same spot. United may be the champions, but the game would seem to need more even-handed officiating.

But…It didn’t matter. Villa, and Gabby found a way. Three points are three points, we got them, and they were vital. And, as happened the week before, Villa managed to claw themselves further from danger while pulling another team down into it. Winning is a habit, so the cliché goes, and it seems that Villa are starting to get the feeling that they can get a result, that they know there are goals in the side, somewhere, somehow.

For all that, sickeningly, it seems that, as of the moment, the safety line could be as ridiculously high as 45 points, and Villa are obviously still five points away. One sincerely hopes that when Tuesday is done, the mark has been reduced to 42.

Not saying everyone is going to get maximum points. They won’t, obviously. The real mark might be 40, or 41. But Wigan have nine to play for, and they’re the ones sitting on 35. They lose, and the most they can get is 41. Everyone else below us could, theoretically, end up on 44. So, you take nothing for granted.

Villa have character, though. They’ve shown it. If, in accordance with form, we get nothing from Chelsea, I don’t expect us to get nothing at Wigan. But I don’t want it to come down to that, even if a Survival Sunday escape would be an event cathartic enough to justify watching the sun rise while being sick under the neighbor’s car.

So, come on you Swans. Any of four teams below you could (theoretically) finish on 44. You’ve got 43. You’re not safe yet. Play for a top-half finish—play to ensure survival and two weeks of relaxation. Beat Wigan and you’re home free.

Do that, and I promise I’ll never root for you again. Until next year. Maybe. Oh, and I agree with Frem: We won’t get Shaw.

After we handed Sunderland a 6-1 ass kicking on Monday, we went into the Norwich game both unchanged – in terms of line-up – but certainly not unhinged; at least, not right away. There were a sea of yellow shirts at Carrow Road, but they did nothing to shake the charged-up Villa as the teams kicked off. While we jumped into this match on a very high note from our most recent win, it is difficult, with such a young team, to maintain consistency.

The early-on corner kicks for Norwich were nicely thwarted by Villa – especially Brad “I got this” Guzan. Furthermore, a free kick in the twenty-third minute by Snodgrass, thankfully, produced nothing for the Canaries.

Matty Lowton was replaced Eric Lichaj after only 27  minutes due to a right-thigh injury, and it was around this time that we saw a very weary-looking Christian Benteke.

We saw Nathan Baker take his regular beating, which included Holt’s cleat to Baker’s groin. As always with Baker, he gets knocked down, but he gets up again; you’re never gonna keep him down. (Hey, think I might have a song in the works, here…)

In the 34th minute, Norwich’s Snodgrass took a free kick against Villa for Bennett’s absurd blunder. Thankfully, the wall did its job, and then Guzan was able to block the second effort.

In the first half, Villa just couldn’t seem to get in the rhythm that was needed to drag down the stronger-looking Norwich. Both teams were fairly level, though Norwich had the upper hand in terms of opportunities to score. The combination of Hoolahan and Holt, in particular, were problematic for the Villa.

At the end of the first half, Villa began to pick up and showed more strength; the start of the second, however, looked very much like the start of the first – until, in the 54th minute, when our Gabby Agbonlahor rattled the Canaries by producing a beautiful and much-needed strike. The Villans’ roars took over Carrow Road, giving an additional boost to the boys in claret and blue.

Villa almost secured another goal by way of Andi Weimann around the 60th minute, though perhaps it would have gone in if he’d used his head as opposed to his foot. Regardless, Villa showed more drive and spirit following Gabby’s goal.

At the 66th minute, Benteke’s temper got the best of him, and Villa was handed its third yellow card of the match, following Bennett and Delph.

All Villa hearts collectively sunk into their stomachs when Norwich rightfully got a penalty shot due to Bennett’s infuriating screw-up; Holt agonizingly equalized, and Villa’s roars were silenced. Really, can’t we just make Bennett go away?

With only 70 seconds remaining at Carrow Road: BOOM! Gabby Agbonlahor once again filled every lion-heart with pride; thanks to Gabby, Villa secured a win against Norwich, nullified Bennett’s nonsense, and took us to the sweet, sweet 40 point mark!

It’s a good day to be a Villan.

- Ryan Bennett did his best to prevent that result, making 18 interceptions against Stoke, the joint highest in the last round of games.

- Bennett has now made 36 interceptions this season, part of 65 defensive contributions overall across tackles won, interceptions, blocks and clearances. Those stats are impressive considering Bennett has played just 862 minutes this season, averaging a defensive intervention every 13 minutes and 16 seconds.

- Norwich has worked tirelessly in the tackle this season, and are one of three teams in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index to have two players who have attempted 100 or more tackles this season. Both Robert Snodgrass (123 attempted, 56% won) and Bradley Johnson (112 attempted 52.6% won) feature. You can get 7/4 with 888sport.com that Norwich will prevent Villa from scoring this weekend.

- Aston Villa climbed out of the relegation zone in stunning fashion on Monday night with a 6-1 victory over Sunderland on Monday night.

- Christian Benteke boosted his growing reputation with a quick fire hat trick, while Ron Vlaar, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Andreas Weimann added to the tally.

- Those goals took Benteke’s tally for the season to 18, fourth in the race for Premier League top scorer. Benteke’s goals have come at a rate of one every 5.67 shots, and one every 158 minutes 43 seconds. Of the Premier League’s top five goal scorers only Robin van Persie has a more efficient shots per goal ratio with 4.88 shots per goal.

- Benteke also has the best shots on target percentage of the league’s top ten goalscorers, getting 69.8% of his 102 shots so far this season on target.

- Agbonlahor’s goal was his seventh of the season, though the striker has been shying away from shooting in order to support Benteke and the team defensively. Agbonlahor has had just 32 shots at goal this season, though he has converted when it counts, averaging a goal every 4.57 shots, better than Robin van Persie’s rate of a goal every 4.88 shots. Agbonlahor is an industry best price of 11/4 with 888sport.com to score at any time.

If that result does not make you salivate for next season, when this team can start with a clean slate, you either don’t have a pulse, or you’re Frem! All kidding aside, the table does not tell the story of how good this team is right now. The table does not lie; Villa are 16th because they deserve to be 16th, but that is over the course of the entire season. At this very instant, this team is far better than the 16th best team in England. It is unfortunate we will all have to wait another three months to watch the team prove it.

All indications are that none of the team’s key players will leave. While it’s foolhardy to believe the press, when multiple outlets report that the club plans on keeping and is optimistic about keeping both Christian Benteke and Andreas Weimann, one has to think and hope there’s fire underneath all the smoke. The way those two and Gabby have learned to play together is the story of the last third of the season. The idea of seeing them play together like this for 30 or so league games is almost enough to make me wish the upcoming summer away.

Not being able to see the game as it was in the middle of my workday, the first thing I did when I saw the final score was text Matt and ask him what the atmosphere was like at Villa Park. I could only imagine what it was like. In my mind the stands were shaking with all the noise and excitement. It has been to long since Villa Park has been like that. It should’ve been like that against Bradford, but that’s water under the bridge.

In contrast, around a year ago at this time the stadium was rocking, but for all the wrong reasons. A year ago, a struggling Villa side playing dire, unwatchable football was barely hanging on to its league place. A win against fellow stragglers, Bolton, would have almost assured safety. The crowd then was closer to a Roman mob than modern football supporters as they sang, “F— off McLeish, the Villa is ours!”

What we all wanted was change. Without assigning blame, it was plain to see that what was going on was not working and was not acceptable. One year later, changes have been made and the Villa is still ours.