The Engine's Still Revving!

Before the Fulham match, the BBC sports page on that match stated:

For Villa fans it must be just like that scene from The Great Escape film. Steve McQueen is nearly there. The Swiss Alps are just across the barbed-wire fence. The motorbike is revved. Jump it this time! Get there!

And we are still trying to get over the fence, engine racing like crazy!

It was, of course, a disappointing result having yet again had chances to put the match beyond doubt, with the own goal boy missing a glorious opportunity towards the end.

I feel that the loss of those 2 points could be crucial, certainly as Sunderland have found some life under their new manager. Villa's last matches are:

Apr 22 A Man Utd
Apr 29 H Sunderland
May 4 A Norwich C
May 11 H Chelsea
May 19 A Wigan A

So, it's important that the team do not get a bad result at OT (meaning a thrashing) and are able to raise themsleves to get at least a point out of Sunderland.

Given a draw against Sunderland will, in my opinion, still leave 2 wins to be obtained in the last 3 games. It's not easy - plenty of nailbiting yet.

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Are we safe? Of course! (says he, nervously)

Three wins in four matches and a genuine capability of maintaining superiority over bottom-half of the league teams have sewn the basis of Villa's recovery since January. That Liverpool out-muscled and out-thought Villa in the second half last week was more of a reflection of the fact that they have a couple of old heads that knew how to get the better of the Villa. That is Villa's current downfall in not having any player in the team of both sufficient experience and level of ability to guide the rest. Stan (Petrov), you have been missed in that department.

As a wise writer in the Daily Mirror put it after the Stoke match:

As a Villans fan, you must feel as though you are in on the start of something, that you are party to a worthy new project ­ one that might stutter in its embryonic stage, one that might never reach satisfactory fruition, but one that has a certain nobility in its concept and one that will intrigue and entertain as it unfolds.

A couple of wins may well be sufficient to ensure safety, and in these remaining matches, surely we can see 6 points being gained out of Fulham and Sunderland - and in the latter match 3 points could be decisive as Sunderland are currently below the Villa.

Apr 13 H Fulham
Apr 22 A Man Utd
Apr 29 H Sunderland
May 4 A Norwich C
May 12 H Chelsea
May 19 A Wigan A

To have safety sorted before the visit to Norwich - and certainly before Wigan - would be very pleasing.

I believe safety is within reach. But that will not stop the fingernails being kept very short until the matter is sorted!
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Two Fine Comebacks. But not safe - yet.

As Dave Beaston rightly says on his VillaFan blog: "Since that amazing second half performance against Newcastle, Aston Villa have pushed on as a team. The young lads such as Westwood, Lowton, Benteke & Weimann have improved with every game."

He goes on: "But, massive credit has to go to Brad Guzan. The American was re-signed by Lambert in the summer & has been nothing short of breathtaking so far in this campaign. I will go on record by saying this, if it wasn’t for Guzan’s amazing performances this season, we surely would be going down. Brad has to be fans player of the season for sure." Perhaps also the player's player?

Dave further says: "The players have improved because of one person, Paul Lambert. He went in with a vision, which has seen the old guard hardly see any playing time at all. A risky view to some, but to others it was the right choice. Players such as Bent, Ireland & Given (just to name a few) should be looked upon by these young lads for guidance & leadership. Instead, their lacklustre performances have just frustrated Lambert & the fans."

Dave, I applaud you for these comments. I totally endorse them. There have been quite a few who have moaned about Lambert, but I have always felt that he has a strong mind and knows what he wants. That he left those experienced players out had to have a reason behind it, and that reason has to do with the words 'commitment' and 'compatibility' (to fit in with Lambert's playing style).

But the situation is not yet sorted. Wigan are still picking up points, and if they win their game in hand then it is Villa that will go back into the bottom 3. Villa have to get 3 wins and a draw from their last 8 games in my opinion.

We seem to have a decent keeper, an OK midfield (needing Delph i.m.o.) and a decent attack. Most of the others are there to lull the opposition into the notion that they have a chance!

Survival is do-able. But it's going to be a nervous ride.

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