Albion are perhaps a bit bigger than "small"!

Well done Villa! Beating the Albion twice within just a few days of course gives us a lot of satisfaction. In addition, not only has the relegation worry reduced a tad, but we have also obtained an entry into the FA Cup semi-final, five years since we last got to that stage. The caution must be that history shows that we have been to this point before, in 1959: Villa then got to the semi-final but also got relegated, thanks to a last match 1-1 draw at the Hawthorns; a reminder that the Albion has been meaningfully involved before in our history.

The Albion fans could say that the 1959 incident was pay-back time for their club’s exit in the 1957 semis at the hands of the Villa, and also for the 1956 relegation issue when Villa beat a comfortably-placed Albion 3-0 to enable Villa to stay up on an improbable mathematical factor of .01 of a goal.

But there is a deep history involving Villa and the Albion that has existed since around 1880 time, when the Albion seriously threatened to usurp Villa as the top dogs of the Midlands. In the mid-1880s Albion indeed looked as though they would march ahead of the Villa. When the two clubs came together in the FA Cup Final of 1887, Albion had already appeared in the final of that great trophy the previous year (1886), but lost, and now they thought their experience would put paid to Villa’s challenge. Albion had even pre-planned their celebration route for their imagined Cup triumph, but the Villa had other ideas. It was Villa – not Albion – that became the Midlands’ first Cup winners by winning 2-0 at The Oval. But Albion did not lie down: at their third attempt in successive years, Albion won the Cup the next year (1888).

Twice more, the Villa and the Albion would fight it out in the FA Cup Final. In 1892 Albion got a lot of satisfaction by blowing Villa aside 3-0, thanks mainly to a bumpy pitch and Villa’s keeper getting his sights wrongly adjusted. And then Villa won again in 1895. But though Villa and Albion have never met again in a Cup Final, there have been battles fought out in other rounds of both the FA and League Cup over the years, and those have been very seriously contested affairs: the 1957 semi being the most memorable, I would say.

In the 1950s right through to the 1980s, I remember Albion as having some great sides. Any club that has boasted the likes of Bobby Robson, Brian Robson, Ronnie Allen, Jeff Astle, Tony Brown, Cyrille Regis, Laurie Cunningham and other great names in their ranks must have been a club with something great to offer. And Jimmy Dugdale, of course, gained winner’s medals with both Albion (1954) and Villa (1957). In fact, when I was a youngster I always thought of the Albion as Villa’s real local rivals – the Small Heath club never meant much to me after their abortive attempt to win the Cup in 1956, even though later on I did admire Jimmy Bloomfield and Trevor Francis.

So, after extolling the great history of the Albion I come to the climax of this piece: our new manager has described the Albion as a “small club”.

Now, it’s likely we would have a measure of agreement with him on that matter, but is it a statement that has to be publicly uttered by a Villa official? I rather suspect that his pronouncement may have pressed one or two wrong buttons amongst the Albion fans, so that Villa also twice gaining the upper hand over the past week may have helped generate their outrage. I would certainly not say that Tim Sherwood was the cause of their fans’ fiendish pranks, but I do think that a tone of more respect for their club would have helped to keep the heat down a little.

We certainly seem to have a new manager with plenty of fire in his belly – and that is welcome – but let’s not totally eradicate the wonderful competition with the Albion that Villa have enjoyed for over 130 years. The relationship of the two clubs has been greatly tested on some occasions, but it has mostly been a well-fought kind of relationship. I would like it to be kept that way if possible.

Anyhow, for Villa the way forward must now be onward and upward!

UTV!

Mid-season Managerial Changes Usually Work Well at VP...

The arrival of a new manager brings with it, of course, a fresh perspective that rather depends on the personality and reputation of the person appointed.

The entrance of Tim Sherwood caused a variety of reaction, some clamouring that he is not experienced enough, others that he’s going to wind up the players the wrong way and others exclaimed relief that we now have a manager who has an attacking philosophy behind his strategy and will put behind us the tedium – nay, stress – we have felt over the past 4 years or so. Well, we shall soon see: no matter what his style, the primary hope is that Villa avoid relegation.

In the fact that Sherwood has come in after the midway point of the season, I thought it might be interesting to see how Villa have faired before when a new manager has come in mid-term or later.

1950, December – George Martin. The Villa had, amazingly, been without a manager for 17 months and had been supervised directly by the board, the method used before the club’s first permanent managerial appointment, in 1934. Martin came in when Villa were 18th of 22 (2 for relegation in those days) and gradually got the wheels moving again with an end-of-season unbeaten run of 9 games, starting with a win at Wolves in Billy Wright’s heyday, and finishing with the demolition of Stoke, 6-2. Villa’s next season (1951-52) proved to be Vila’s best season in the 32 years between the War and 1976-77 with young stars Danny Blanchflower, Tommy Thompson and Johnny Dixon showing their flair. Martin walked out in August, 1953 after realising he was not getting the support he wanted from the board.

1958, December – Joe Mercer. A generally popular appointment, Mercer started as being an affable man but left in 1964 with broken health. He could not prevent relegation in his first (half) season, but Villa enjoyed a magnificent run to the FA Cup semi-final where they were unluckily beaten by Villa’s old legend Billy Walker and his Nottingham Forest side. From 1959 to 1962, Mercer appeared to be taking Villa to better places, but then the board’s lack of financial help, and some bad luck, caused a decline.

1968, December – Tommy Docherty. The new regime came in with a clean broom: the cobwebs of many years of neglect were swept away in magnificent style and hope reinforced by Docherty’s appointment. He saved Villa from relegation from the old Division 2 but then tried to achieve too much too quickly, resulting in his departure a little over a year after he started.

1970, January – Vic Crowe. Villa’s old skipper was not able to stop Villa’s relegation from Division 2, but quietly re-built the squad and by 1974 had built the nucleus of a side and a youth policy that would hold Villa in good stead for another 5 years. Unfortunately Crowe was not able to get the best out of those players, and with Villa seemingly stuck in Division 2, Ron Saunders was brought in with marvellous results.

1982, February – Tony Barton. The club’s former assistant manager took over after Ron Saunders walked out of Villa Park and seamlessly took Villa forward to win the European Cup the same year. Unfortunately for Barton, Doug Ellis took over as chairman the same year and Villa’s opportunities for further success were cut back. Barton stood his ground, however, but was forced to leave in 1984.

1994, late November – Brian Little. Little took over from the former popular manager Ron Atkinson who had generally raised Villa’s profile over the previous 3 years. By this December, however, Villa were in 20th position out of 22. Little was able to bring about a recovery and took Villa through a couple of promising seasons.

1998, February – John Gregory. Brian Little voluntarily departed even though (at 15th place) Villa were not greatly in trouble, and with the same squad Little’s former assistant Gregory motivated the side to only two defeats for the rest of the season. Villa finished 7th.

2002, February – Graham Taylor. John Gregory, tired of disagreements with Doug Ellis, unexpectedly walked out when Villa were in a comfortable position in the league table. Graham Taylor took over for a second sojourn at Villa Park but also became discontented and vacated his post in the summer of 2003.

The omens for a mid-season incoming manager are generally good. Apart from the years 1958 and 1970, a mid-season change of appointment has been successful.

The appointment of Billy McNeil in September 1986 enhanced a disastrous season, however, and I am grateful his arrival does not qualify as a "mid-season" appointment.

A few timely words...

A few words at half-time, a lift in Villa's play in the second-half, and you could suddenly see the holes in Lambert's strategy. It was clear that Lambert had been given too much rope and too much time - a fresh and inspirational spark was needed, and in Tim Sherwood perhaps we may have it.

Sherwood comes with something of a reputation in several areas, but I would like to concentrate on the one that sounds really positive - that he can bring the best out of players. I hear that Adebayor was transformed at Spurs under Sherwood and that Sherwood was also key in bringing through the Spurs' latest shining light - Kane.

There are at least two Villa players that could do with guidance from Sherwood in my view. One is clearly Benteke, the big player who was our goal-blazer but who has become a shadow of his former self.

The other is Jack Grealish. People have been raving about him and wanting him to be played, but each time he has appeared he has disappointed me. He looks as though he has talent but needs guidance to make the best of that skill, and play with more maturity. Sherwood can do that. Maybe he can also get Gary Gardner back from Forest and re-generate him as well.

The next few games are going to be extremely challenging to get Villa back into scoring and winning ways, but Sherwood's style is a naturally attacking one (I remember him well as a player) and if anyone can save Villa's blushes, he can. A few minutes' talk at half-time yesterday proved that he can turn matters around. 

UTV