By Chris Budd
With Aston Villa needing a swift festival miracle, lets sneak in a quick Christmas list for Santa…if Villa survive this season, then I’m going back to believing in the big guy in the red outfit with the white beard. UTV
Dear Santa
This year has been hard. In fact the last few have been pretty lean, as Villa supporter we have been Scrooged time and time again. There is one shining light of the Christmas period this time round though, at least Ron Vlaar will be having his annual Christmas off on some other club’s dime!
I wanted to first of all thank you for the new manager you delivered that was on my Christmas list last year. Tim Sherwood worked wonders for four months or so, but then his batteries ran out. I couldn’t find any new batteries for him in the summer, so he died a swift death.
Was he a January sales bargain bucket purchase? I hope you got him cheap Santa. He did look good value initially, but I guess you have to pay for quality, if you want a decent long-term manager.
Also Santa, thanks for delivering the cup run I asked for last Christmas. How silly of me not to go the full hog and ask for a cup win. Oh well, don;t worry, I won’t push my luck to ask for one this season.
There are actually more pressing concerns on my Christmas list this year due to the fact this season hasn’t been one of peace and goodwill (unless you count the offerings of Villa’s back four).
Since I’ve been an especially good boy this year, so I hope you will give the list your due attention.
Santa, this year please can I have:
VILLA CHRISTMAS LIST
- A new owner (preferably one with oil billions and not a 2nd rate American sports franchise or an ex mafia conman or a money launderer)
- Entertainment? (Yes I know this year I’m being especially demanding)
- A first rate goalkeeper who can kick/catch/shout/command/not wear a gum shield like a pussy.
- A goal scorer – ideally one I can sing a really good funny song about when he scores EVERY WEEK – or at least every other week!
- A genuine midfield general, a leader, someone who can drive us forward in matches – A Brummie Steven Gerrard or Michael Essien if you like.
- A clean sheet? Anytime soon?? Any chance?
- 3 points? Again anytime over the Christmas period would be really good
- At least 17th place in the table come May? Please note I will trade off a another day at Wembley to still be a Premier League team after the last trip in May.
- Lower ticket prices for home and away games (’empty seats my lord’ is becoming boring)
- Please provide our old friend Charles N’Zogbia with a work ethic, as he doesn’t need another silly outfit or holiday! I’ll let you provide that to other players at your own choosing
- Speaking of N’Zogbia…can you find a new club for him? Maybe a new club for Gabby too?
- Kieran Richardson a gap year in Thailand – ANYTHING to get rid of him!
- Tactical awareness? I don’t even know if you can wrap that up or put a bow on it – give it a go Santa, you’re good at this sorta stuff.
- Oh and finally, if I could be allowed to stand up and sing at home games and maybe fly a flag or two that would be great too, without being branded a yob or a menace to society
- Falling short of anything else, can you just kidnap Messi for Villa (although I’m sure Remi would leave him on the bench)
PS – As a socking filler, can you give Adama Traore the gift of a few minutes in the Villa first team over Christmas
Yours as always and praying for a festive miracle
Chris Budd & MOMS
Follow Chris on Twitter – @BUDD_music
Follow MOMS on Twitter – @oldmansaid
A heart, backbone and pair of balls for the squad wouldn’t go amiss…..
Oil billionaire? Seen the price lately, they are all millionaires now. Would settle for a local businessman who’s done good and supported Villa their whole life, oh and shows up once and a while to see how things are going. Ayew deserves a song already his ratio is getting on for 1 for 2. Guzan has his moments but I think is shown worse than he is by the back four. Also can you add to the list a manager that can add, ten wins will only give us 36 points, 40 is the generally recognized safety limit. Finally, I understand why Gil, Grealish, Traore aren’t getting the minutes, they don’t work for the ball when out of possession. More worrying is the rumor Gardner might be off in Jan. Yet another Villa youth team product that could leave and will end up in a team higher up the league. Pretty sure that Villa could have been in the same position this season by not buying anyone and just playing the U21’s in the 1st team.
* haha I can’t add either. 10 wins will give us 37 points, which is still short of the generally accepted 40pt safety limit.
Garde also said 10 wins, but I think we’ll need a few draws as well, as you’ll probably need 40+ points this season to survive