Looking forward

Third Generation Villan has submitted the following. Cheers, TGV.

So we were beaten by a much better team on the day, I accept that but was disappointed with the performance and I think that will be most fans view even though we all hoped for a famous victory.

But rather than dwell on today’s disappointment I thought I would try to give an assessment of where we are and what to look forward to.

Its five years in August since MON left us, and Randy Lerner changed his investment strategy in an attempt to get back some of his outlay during the MON years. This period of under investment in the team has shown in the quality of the team and our form and league positions since then, as they say the table does not lie after a 38 game season you are where you deserve to be.
Now it does not matter if you blame MON or Lerner or anyone else over the last 5 years the quality of the team has declined steadily until the last few months of Lamberts time, Villa were the poorest in the premiership on nearly all fronts and we were certain to go down, and when we changed to Tim Sherwood we got the bounce or lift nearly all clubs get with a new manager and managed to stay up by the skin of our teeth, as I think the bounce had worn off after the west ham game and the players thought they were safe, and luckily we were.

So we come to a cup final against one of the premier league’s top teams with the same squad as under Lambert and with the bounce gone, the result was I suspect what we all feared may be the case but all hoped would not happen and we could pull off a shock win.

Now I am not having a go at Tim Sherwood, after all he did keep us up and I think he has earned the chance to build his own side over the coming season and then we can all decide if he is a good manager or not. And seeing some of the comments coming out tonight about changing the mentality of the players and a clear out during the summer etc. gives me some optimism for the season ahead. But time will tell.

But I think we have more reasons to optimistic now, then at any time over the last 5 years.

We are told we are close to being sold and hopefully will get better investment in the team

We are still in the Premier league, and with the money from the new TV deal should be able to cement our place there over the next few years.

We have a manager who likes to play attacking football, what most of us want (to be entertained) and will take the cup competitions seriously.

And has said already he has to rebuild the team and the way we play and the mentality of the players

Which all together means we will have lots to talk about over the next few months, a transfer window where we will probably be more active this year in and out.

if we agree or not with Tim Sherwood’s deals, if we like the new owners, the amount of investment etc.

So I think most of us will be optimistic, excited and hopeful about the future, and put todays result behind us. And hopefully look back in a few years’ time and say today was the end of the wilderness years for the villa