The bubble in the claret and blue half of Birmingham finally looks to have burst and it should be no surprise to some fickle fans, whose despicable attitude is only making matters worse....
17 Mar 2009 15:15:59
Hyperbolic calls for crisis are all too often vocalised by the press in this country in an attempt to fuel and escalate newspaper/magazine sales and/or internet hits.
Hyperbolic calls for crisis are all too often vocalised by the press in this country in an attempt to fuel and escalate newspaper/magazine sales and/or internet hits.
What if Arsenal had a comfortable top four position but started to struggle for form? Would the club be in dire straits if their own fans turned on their home-grown or academy-produced players? What if they squandered leads? What would the headlines read if they failed to record maximum points for a six week period and ended up losing a lead over their fifth-placed rivals that could potentially have been eight points but was cut-sharp to zero with an inferior goal difference and, in so doing, started flirting precariously with a UEFA Cup finish as opposed to a lucrative Champions League spot?
Would the back-page pandemonium that would inevitably ensue have been warranted?
The Gunners, though, are safe - for now. The aforementioned drama has instead been inflicted on Aston Villa but, considering the Villans' ambitions at the season's genesis, their fall from the top four has not been granted as many column inches as it would have should the same fate have awaited a supposed Premier League heavyweight.
The Midlands outfit are rapidly in decline and the run of games that is ahead of them gives no sign of a easy fix. An on-song and giant-slaying Liverpool are their opposition at Anfield on Sunday (from where they have not returned to Birmingham with a win in seven years), then a return to the north west is on the cards the following week as Martin O'Neill's men are due to take on Manchester United at Old Trafford (a ground that has not witnessed a Villa win for over a quarter of century), followed by a hosting of Everton the next weekend in a game that could effectively decide who finishes fifth - with fourth already starting to look a lost cause.
Considering the Claret club's recent plight, it would not be hard to fathom a nine-point loss over the next three fixtures, especially when the Aston Villa support is, for the moment, hyper-critical of every misplaced pass and disappointing move.
Where is the much-needed squad depth that clubs challenging on multiple fronts require as they go into the business end of the season? O'Neill has used just 19 men all season but the club are only left to compete for a lofty league finish after a fringe team was knocked out of the UEFA Cup. In addition, the Villans suffered early exits in the domestic cups. Arsenal, on the other hand, have used nearly half as many men just as captains, and are attempting a European and FA Cup assault, to boot.
Player fatigue should not even be used as a factor for the demise of Villa. It was when O'Neill - taking heed of the actions of his late mentor Brian Clough - treated his side to a brief sojourn on foreign soil. Clough, while at Nottingham Forest, treated his world-beaters to Mallorca vacations, O'Neill opted to jet his Champions League qualification hopefuls to Dubai. Not for intense training sessions, but to soak up the sun... to split a few beers... and to return to Blighty fully prepped and suitably recharged enough to ward off any tiredness going into the crucial business end of the season.
Prior to their break, they had capitulated at home to Stoke. After holding a healthy lead for a lion's share of the game, Villa allowed the Potters to leave with a point due to late goals from Ryan Shawcross and Glenn Whelan. A 2-0 loss away to Manchester City followed. Then Dubai. Then, on their return, they lost 2-1 to Tottenham Hotspur.
The willingness to devalue the UEFA Cup by fielding a reserve XI has not been vindicated.
Some commentators attribute experience as paramount to sustaining either a title challenge or, in Villa's case, a threat to the monopolisation of the top four. In the 2003-04 season Villa, under David O'Leary, finished sixth, yet only Gareth Barry remains as a notable first-team player from that season.
Hull City, after such an impressive start to their rookie season in the top flight, fell away in just as dramatic fashion, declining even further with an embarrassing on-pitch half-time dressing down. Elsewhere in Europe, Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga were hot conversation points due to their great start in the race for the title, but now find themselves in fifth place having occupied first only a matter of months ago. Decline seems, cruelly, an inescapable avenue for teams who haven't been there and haven't done it all before.
Now it's Villa's turn.
Securing a place in next season's Europa League is not something to mock and, with a generous investor in Randy Lerner financially backing the club, then there is, of course, room for much-needed squad bolstering during the summer, allowing Villa - and O'Neill - to be adequately prepared for a sustained march on a top four finish this time next year.
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