Or to be more accurate, I don’t believe we stand a cat in hell’s chance of getting a point from this game.
I’m sorry, I really shouldn’t think like that, but it’s just how I see it.
Brighton will be well up for this, whereas we’ve already shown that the flip-flops are on and the suitcases are packed.
After all, if we couldn’t raise our game against a struggling Blackburn, why should we expect anything different against a far better team challenging for the league title?
Which worries me a bit, to be honest.
Okay, we don’t have anything to play for and depending how results go, we’ll finish somewhere between 11th and 14th, I think.
Given that there’s no financial incentive because there’s no extra money for position finished, you have to wonder what the point is.
But surely we should be playing purely for pride?
Any decent team always goes all out for the win, regardless of the opposition, doesn’t it?
So why did it seem the players really weren’t that bothered last week?
Steve Bruce has said that the players need to get their heads around what it means to play for Aston Villa and I personally think he’s on the right track with that comment.
Theoretically, we know we have very good players. They’ve proven that they can perform at their previous clubs. Yet it just hasn’t happened for us yet.
Indeed, I’m struggling to think of a single good performance from any of Bruce’s signings, maybe Sam Johnstone apart.
As I said, worrying, given we talking about six players, the goalie apart.
Hopefully it is just some mental thing and it can be sorted over the summer.
Hmm, I suspect that’s the optimist in me coming out again.
Squad-wise, we know Hutton has somehow broken two ribs, so he won’t be playing.
Mile Jedinak hasn’t got over his groin problem, so isn’t playing.
And Gabby went over on his ankle so he won’t be playing for the Villa ever again
Oops, Freudian slip there, apologies.
Add in Kodjia and that’s probably our best three players crocked (ignore Gabby).
Which begs the questions of a) where are the goals coming from? and b) who’s going to help the defence?
So I can’t see anything other than a defeat, although I hope I’m wrong.
Then again, I’d much rather Brighton won the title than Newcastle, as although I don’t have anything against the Barcodes, the constant, obsessive bitching and sniping about the Villa, from a certain Newcastle website has got right on my wick this season.
Whatever, may the best team win the league, but I suspect many of the Villa fans attending won’t be that bothered either way and it’ll just be carnival time.
In which case I hope the weather’s nice.
Brighton to win 2-0.
No surprise that spending needs to be curbed. The wage bill is already too high when you’ve got wasters like Richards picking up 40k plus a week with no intention of contributing to the squad.
As the effect of the parachute payments way off and the teams coming down get more inflated TV money, the task of promotion will grow ever harder.
We simply have to get next season right, unfortunately though I couldn’t have less confidence in the manager to execute the correct decisions as he is simply out of touch with the modern game and fixated by a ‘cautious at all costs’ approach which will lead to his and the clubs downfall.