Many Reasons Not To Cry Wolf!

It is closing in on 2 years since we last set eyes on Paul Lambert at Villa Park, but here we are about to face him and his latest charges, the Wolves. And he looks more relaxed in his new surroundings, I have to say.

It appears to me that Lambert's new project is a more long term issue, and where Wolves are in the table (at Lambert's usual position of 16th or thereabouts), and nothing in their recent league results that should cause Villa much alarm (they lost their last home game, against QPR), Villa really must think positively and get the win.

But of course, this is a 'derby' match and pride is at stake. Added to that, Wolves won on the week-end in the FA Cup at Premier League Stoke, so we should expect them to show some confidence in this upcoming match. Counteracting that is the fact that Wolves' away form has been quite good this season, while their home form (6 defeats, 3 wins, 3 draws) is not at all good. But neither is Villa's away form! Those considerations, plus the fact that Villa are light in the strike department and not so strong in midfield, seems to point to a draw as the outcome.

The frustration would be that extracting just one point from Wolves is not enough if Villa are to make real headway to the play-offs. Such a result may come to prove that Villa's project in the Championship is a two term affair after all, particularly as we need to get a bit more than 2 points a match in the remainder of the season to get to the play-offs. 

However, as Villa fans we have learnt not to expect much having known every frustration during the course of the last 20 years, and perhaps - just perhaps - we are now at the point where we need to mark time in anticipation that all will come together for a big launch next season.

Even so, not to win at Wolves would be disappointing and a slight dent in our aspirations. And we surely do not relish the thought of any sign of contentment from their manager if they manage to take anything from this match!

vs Spurs (in the FA Cup)

People will probably think there’s only going to be one team in this contest, but they thought that, too, in 1971, when Villa were still in the old Third Division!

Inevitably, I suppose, the thoughts of the older ones will drift back to that big occasion at Wembley in 1971 – 45 years ago – when Villa took on one of the very much better Spurs sides in the League Cup Final.

For around three-quarters of the match it looked far more likely that Villa would carry the day, and if the score could have been worked out on chances missed Villa would have won about 2-0 at that point in the game. Then Freddie Turnbull, Villa’s local lad at centre-half, lost concentration and allowed the skilful Martin Chivers into the game. We were one down. A few minutes later a similar situation. 0-2.

No matter said Villa’s magnificent fans as they had enjoyed a wonderful time seeing their favourites keep Spurs pegged back for so long, and when the final whistle went those fans cheered and cheered for many minutes. It made the neutrals wonder who had won.

Well, if we lose tomorrow, let’s go down fighting as we did back then!

Capital Opportunities To Make Headway?

A warm New Year's greeting to all prior to the first game of 2017, a year in which we hope to see Villa return to the top-flight! And there's every chance we can reach the play-offs: I do not see it being that difficult to achieve that part. The biggest challenge in my view will be to beat the other teams in the play-offs. But let's take it one step at a time.

Well, right now we have another War-nock game to face, and we probably remember the clattering that Jack got just a few weeks ago in the corresponding fixture at Villa Park, a 3-1 win for Villa. On their patch it will be more difficult despite Cardiff's lowly league position: Cardiff have won 45%, drawn 20% and lost 35% of their last 20 home games, but in their last 20 home games against teams positioned in the top half of the table, it would seem that Cardiff have won 9, drawn 8 and lost 3 of these matches. 

So this match is no pushover, especially as pretty well every team in the Championship other than Newcastle sees a match against Villa as their Cup Final opportunity, and Villa are not aided by the fact that Kodjia may not be available for this match. But as he will be away for the best part of a month anyway we might as well get used to the fact that we have to do without him for now. And he without us as he lies in wait to grab his tenth goal of the season for Villa. 

While Kodjia and Ayew are away, and with Gestede apparently on his way out, I would hazard a guess that we'll see McCormack and Gabby as being the main hopes as strikers with RHM on the bench, though we well know that Gabby's ability to score has been pretty well absent this past couple of years. But Mac might at last come awake to put a few in the net, following his lively half-match display against Leeds. In these upcoming matches I would hope he will be better aided and abetted by Jack, who will have more responsibility placed on his shoulders to make up for the absentees. And in Adomah, Bacuna and Amavi dare I hope that our forwards might get some decent wing service? I really love Adomah's play: he is not the world's best, but he has offered a degree of trickiness and tenacity that has been long missing on Villa's flanks, and has translated that good work into assists for his team-mates. And, going forward, Amavi often offers thrust as well. In fact, due to his defensive weaknesses, I feel he'd provide the drive we've lacked in midfield or (perhaps better) specifically the left-wing slot! The question is, who would you then put at left-back!

This is certainly not going to be an easy month, with the next league match being played at a slightly resurgent Wolves, but followed by home games against PNE and Bristol City, both of whom beat us on their pitch. If we can get 7 points from those 3 matches with the players we have currently available, I'd think we'll be doing well.

But first things first as we now face matches in the Welsh and English capital cities. Firstly we have the match at Cardiff, followed by a chance to remind ourselves about Premier League life when we visit Spurs this coming week-end in the FA Cup. Well, it's just a chance for a day out in London, isn't it? We surely don't expect to beat Spurs ... do we?!