I’ve already grumbled about a lack of last minute urgency in the Newcastle game in the dying minutes to try and win the game, because a point was never going to be a reason to be cheerful as an Aston Villa fan. We need wins and we need them now. After a week of false narratives off the pitch in terms of what Villa HQ has said about the quality of the squad and the state of the club, Villa need to break their 16-game winless streak or the false hope of survival will fast become completely unrealistic.
I sincerely hope the elusive wins can come in the Christmas fixtures, because if they don’t, the straws to clutch for this column will get thinner and thinner.
In the meantime, here’s five other straws to be cheerful as Aston Villa fans…
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FIVE REASONS…
2. GUZAN IMPROVEMENT
Credit where it’s due, Brad Guzan had one of his better games for Villa this season in what were very difficult conditions at St James Park with the torrential rain. A couple of his saves were top draw and prevented another away loss.
It was one of Aston Villa’s major failings in the summer, not to bring in a decent keeper to either be number one or give Guzan serious competition. Rémi Garde may do something about it in January, but in the meantime, Guzan will need to be at the peak of his powers and brush away his form of the past year to really help the Villa Christmas cause.
Guzan’s long-term future at the club will potentially also be decided in the forthcoming weeks too, so there will be no place to hide for the USA international. One more howler could kill both his and Villa’s future in this league.
