Close but no cigar again. One lapse in concentration away from a valuable point against Manchester City. One point from the last couple of games would have been a good boost for morale, but now we’re coming to the time where it’s all about points and not hard luck stories.
1 – Randy’s getting his wish
It was announced last week that Villa had lost £17.7 million over the last year, and though that’s a heavy amount it makes for better reading than the £80 million the club had haemorrhaged the year before.
By all accounts, Randy is getting his wish, but what’s next? There will be more heavy wages taken off the bill at the end of the season with Bent, Ireland, Dunne, and Given likely to be shown the door regardless of whether we stay up or not. In typical fashion, the head honcho has remained quiet, but as Sam Cooke sang; “A change is gonna come” and I wouldn’t be surprised, if we did stay up, to see that we’re up for sale. Either that or some major rebuilding work will be done. I’d be happy with both, to be honest.
2 – Don’t play a high line if you can’t regulate yourself
Poor old Ciaran Clark, he’s having a torrid season. The goal against City was his fault, undeniably, but what’s sadder is that there is now a sense that he’s not going to become the player we’d all hoped that he could.
Of course, as with most of the younger members of the squad, it’s hard to judge properly. We’re not in a position for a youngster new to the Premier League to truly showcase what they can do, and it’s not their fault that they’ve been put in that position – that’s the manager’s call. If he can keep his head up then he can come back stronger. Experience is the most brutal of teachers, but you learn, my God you do learn.
3 – The Anti-Mike Dean appreciation society
Another game another penalty not given. However, I’m willing to forgive him that as the replay does show that he couldn’t have seen the incident clearly, but what really got me steamed was the needless booking of Fabian Delph at the end of the game for a rather innocuous handball.
It wasn’t intentional, it was a bad bounce and we’re all being punished for it as Delph will now miss the next two games after picking up his tenth caution of the season. I thought I hated Phil Dowd, but this guy…
4 – The next two games give the phrase ‘must win’ a while new meaning
These are our cup finals, six points here would put us in a much healthier position and losing them is just unthinkable.
5 – 999 bottles of beer on the wall
Our next goal will be the 1,000th we’ve scored in the Premier League. It’s a shame we couldn’t chalk it up during our 800th game, but we can all hope that when it does come, it’ll come in the 19th minute against Reading.
Steven Green is one of the hosts of AVFC Review podcast and writer for Shoot Magazine. Follow him on Twitter – here
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