Although probably not for much long, Aston Villa Football Club is in the Premier League, the top division in England. We clearly aren’t good enough for this league, as we haven’t beaten a Premier League team since encountering A.F.C. Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on the opening day of the season in August. It is now one hundred and ten days and sixteen games since our last win, which was against Championship side Birmingham City. Yesterday, a strong Aston Villa starting XI couldn’t even beat a League Two team.
Wycombe Wanderers are currently sixth in League Two, the lowest league before getting into Conference territory. They managed to hold us to a 1-1 draw, which means they get a trip to Villa Park to try their luck again. While it is the FA Cup and part of the competition’s appeal is its unpredictability, it remains embarrassing that we couldn’t even go to a League Two ground and keep a clean sheet.
Gareth Ainsworth, the Wycombe manager, praised the Villa fans who showed great respect and applauded his side off the pitch. That sportsmanship, at a time of crisis for our club, is to be commended.
However, not every fan behaved.
A video has emerged, which you have probably seen, in which some Villa fans are venting their frustrations by aggressively shouting abuse at the players and manager of their own team as they made their way onto the team bus. I understand that travelling some distance to see your team in shambles is irritating but there are better ways to express annoyance.
Micah Richards scored, played on after sustaining an injury and engaged disgruntled fans so perhaps we have in him a player who is going to start making a difference. I wouldn’t count on it. If the right back is the only player on the pitch who can score against a League Two team then, with all due respect to Wycombe Wanderers Football Club, what is going on further up the pitch?
It’s all well and good Richards telling fans that “we’ve got to stick together” but if we fail to beat Wycombe Wanderers in the replay, meaning we lose at home to a League Two team and fall at the first hurdle of the FA Cup, a competition we reached the final of only last season, we will have well and truly hit a new low in this shocking season.
I am not expecting a Cup run. In fact, I’m barely expecting another win this season. Nevertheless, the future definitely doesn’t look bright when we are being held to a 1-1 draw by the Chairboys.
As fans we are totally frustrated. the heart is being ripped out of our club by those at the top who have no passion or understanding of what Villa means to us fans. Whilst the foul language seen at recent away matches aimed at players and the manager cannot be seen to be acceptable, it’s the result of months and years of total frustration. I agree, where is the passion from our players? Where is the determination to fight and be proud to fight for this club? Where is the love and the pride? We fans cheer like lions week in week out and give our all our loyalty does not falter but enough is enough! If you don’t want to fight to keep us up then please leave and let someone else who wants to play for the villa and give their heart and soul come in and make us proud.