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    Wednesday
    Jan232013

    Where next for Aston Villa?

    Since the day Martin O'Neill left Villa Park for the last time, Aston Villa have been somewhat spiralling towards the lower echelons of the Premier League. Gone are the days of contending for a place in the Champions League, with ambitions to remain in the top flight of English football the order of the day at present.

    The Villains have been in free-fall since O'Neill departed in 2010, with Gerard Houllier an Alex McLeish unable to replicate the exploits of the Northern Irishman. Now under Paul Lambert, many had tipped the club to rebuild, before challenging for a place in Europe over the next 18 to 24 months.

    However, the Capital One Cup defeat to Bradford City on Tuesday night was hardly the confidence boost Lambert's side needed. The Bantems put on a resolute display over the two legs to secure a 4-3 win over Villa and with it, a place in Wembley, becoming the first fourth tier side to book their place in a major domestic final in 51 years.

    With Villa, however, the contrast of emotions are poles apart. Languishing one point above the relegation zone and looking low on confidence, Lambert has a real struggle on his hands to keep his side in the Premiership. After last season's debacle under McLeish, it pains me to say it, but maybe relegation to the Championship may be the best thing for the club, in the long run that is.  

    Reader Comments (2)

    At last someone agrees with me that maybe going down a division isn't such a bad thing. I can't see any light at the end of the tunnel for the Villians with year upon year of scrapping to stay in the Premiership.

    I have a friend who is a Middlesborough supporter who says that Villa are going through the mirror of what Middlesborough did a few seasons back and after the initial hurt, resentment, anger and every other emotion available he now says that it is nice to feel competitive and go into every game feeling upbeat, Something I haven't felt for quite a while.

    I have been advised that its a graveyard and hard to get out and all the usual comments but also heard its exciting and competitive which for a Team at the bottom of the premiership this is not something we are accustomed to even when O'Neill was in charge we new we weren't gonna make it any higher in our heart of hearts.

    we will go down,,,,, to much change too soon, to many poor players who have let the side down and bad luck and retirements and injuries have just been too much to cope with,,

    when you look at ireland, hutton warnock dunne petrov given nzog and bents contibutions what ever the reason,,,, its just a poor return on so much cost

    and the likes of heskey sidwell reocoker cuellar routelage and so many many more means we wasted sooooo much money

    the manager is restricted with what dross we have available,,,,, he is not responsible for much of the squad but he is responsible for his own buys and putting a coherant team out,,,, to this he is failing and the window is almost over yet no players in
    with a few good players in we could survive to fight another fight,,, sadly it looks like we are doomed and we will go down with tactics and players as they are at the mo,,,
    and no i dont want to go down,,,,, yes it can be a blip for some clubs like newcastle and the hammers who came back stronger,,,, but for every newcastle theres a coventry or middlesboro or leeds and i really dont want that
    i just fear, feel, and forsee very very dark times ahead,,,
    and yes he should be sacked,,,, not because i dislike him or i can see what he is trying to do,,, i just feel theclub needs a change and a kick up the arse rather than the utter gloom he has brought upon us
    it wont happen though, no players will come in of any note,,,,, and we will go down,,

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