In the Oxford dictionary, ‘bouncebackability’ is defined as follows:
noun
informal
- (especially in sport) the capacity to recover quickly from a setback.
“promotion-chasing sides need to show the requisite bouncebackability after defeat”
(oxfordictionaries.com)
Although I am stating the obvious here, the definition above applies to Aston Villa in its current situation.
Of course the good run was not going to last forever but the abrupt manner in which it came to an end makes it particularly frustrating.
The loss to Leeds United means it is crucial that we stop the bleeding as soon as possible.
This weekend’s game against Wigan Athletic, a team struggling in the league, will be a tough test as the vistors will want to capitalise on the hosts’ loss to Leeds. Despite that, this is a good opportunity to get back to winning ways and put last weekend down as an anomaly.
Advent is a time of the year when excitement gradually builds, culminating in a day of happiness and celebration.
Let’s hope this advent can be a microcosm for our season. If we can limit the bad results this advent to the Leeds United loss then the excitement that will build up around the club as we (hopefully) move up the league will be thrilling.
The match against Wigan Athletic is important for another reason: in recent months, the Villa boys have shown that they deserve to be in the top half of the table at the very least. If they were to lose to a team struggling at the bottom, their confidence would take another knock. We have shrugged off the feeling that those are the teams we need to be really grappling with and had got used to wins. However, looking at the table, the distance between us and them and their like isn’t as great as it could and should be.
To win against Wigan Athletic would be to prove that last weekend’s result was a mere blip and that success is what we need to get used to. To lose would be to threaten to start sliding back down among the teams we should be way ahead of.
