On April 9th, it seems that Aston Villa Football Club will most likely be relegated after being one of only a few teams to have been in the top flight of English football since the Premier League era began. It is an achievement that we have all looked at with pride. However, on Saturday, my birthday, Villa will more than likely be relegated. Even though we may survive for one more week, I’d rather relegation be confirmed on Saturday for the sake of the fans, the new board and the new manager.
Aston Villa will be relegated if beaten by AFC Bournemouth at Villa Park and if seventeenth-placed Norwich City win or draw the game against Crystal Palace. The Villans will get a stay of execution if they beat the Cherries and the Canaries do not get a single point from their game. This is very unlikely as the Cherries need the points to propel themselves up the table and shake off any lingering thoughts of relegation. Norwich City’s win against Newcastle United last weekend would have lifted everyone at the club and the odds are against a troubled Crystal Palace side.
When we lost the game against West Ham United, when Jordan Ayew was sent off, I think most Villa fans accepted that our time in the Premier League is running out. Since then, we have lost nearly all the old board, a manager and have seen a senior player’s behaviour investigated so preparations for the fight to get back to the top flight are in full swing. The chairman, Steve Hollis, has already appointed a new board that includes football men so that ideas and decisions are being considered by experienced men and not just being implemented by one person in contrast to the old board, where it appears that Tom Fox was the only real decision maker. This can only help the club to move forward. Whether they know how to get a club promoted from the Championship remains to be seen but I don’t think we could have wanted a better way of starting our fight back to the top flight.
That ‘R’ is one thing I never honestly thought I would see next to Aston Villa’s name but being relegated with five or six games to go is perhaps more merciful than a final day decider. Once the inevitable is confirmed, we can at least concentrate on getting back up next season, whilst teams like Norwich City, Newcastle United and Sunderland wait nervously. On top of this, when the board appoints our new manager it can at least work with him on identifying the targets he wants and allow him to assess the current squad. Preparation is vital: we cannot become a team like Bolton Wanderers and should instead look to teams like Southampton, Leciester City and even Watford, teams that have all fallen from the top division and have worked their way back to look stronger than ever before. Every club is different but the Villa board members need to make the right decisions at the right time. The most important thing is to get the right man in charge of the squad because, at the end of the day, it is the results on the pitch that determine the fate of a football club.
Every day, new names are added to the not-so-short list of potential managers. The front runners still seem to be Moyes and Pearson. If he wants the job, Moyes should be appointed but we could do worse than appoint Pearson. Most expect news on the new manager once relegation is confirmed. Whoever it is, he must know that he will be fighting in a very competitive league next season and, given how badly the current squad has performed, wholesale changes are needed. The new board needs to act quickly and decisively to truly win the support of a disgruntled fan base.
