Apologies for not writing about the game. It’s just been hectic after my hols.
Many of us were wary about the Luton game and rightly so because it was just the sort of game we could have lost.
The thinking was justified in my opinion, because how many times over the decades have we faced teams that we’d be expected to demolish, only to slip up? Stevenage and Milwall immediately spring to my mind and if I thought about it more, I could probably rattle off loads. Indeed, we lost at home recently against Everton, who are rubbish, but I accept there may be specific reasons for that.
I prefer not to think about those results.
But it’s just been the Villa way for so long, hasn’t it? Just when we think we’re on the verge of getting somewhere, so some stupid result comes along and kicks you in the gut.
And it’s this constant disappointment that has now led me to minimise expectations and just not be in a position where I’m banking on results. I think I’m still half expecting something to go wrong now.
But I read a Birmingham Mail article this morning, where the headline said something about us being the real deal and it got me thinking.
It’s true isn’t it?
While the way we play means we’re always prone to being hit on the counter (and even lowly Luton created a couple of such chances) meaning we might lose the odd games, we look so frightening in attack and have proven that we can score in spades, with goals coming from anywhere.
From memory, we are the third highest points winners in this calendar year.
I heard in the commentary yesterday that we are on a record home win run since Tony Barton’s days, which is pretty much 40 years.
And we’re joint top scorers this season.
Our next six games are very interesting.
We have, on paper three easier games in Forest away, Fulham at home and then Bournemouth.
Of course, none of these should be deemed as easy, but if we can do similar to what we did against Luton, you’d expect good things.
But then, those games are interspersed by Spurs away, Man City at home and Arsenal at home.
None of those should be deemed as easy, but by the same token, none of those sides look anywhere near invincible at the moment, so you never know.
Not that I’m getting anywhere near complacent.
But it seems to me we should have a genuine idea of where we really are after those game.
We have pretty good records against a couple of those teams, but we’ve had predictably bad results against the usual suspects too.
But let’s say we win those you’d expect and maybe nick a few points off the others. Then we’re suddenly up to the 14th of December, just a couple of weeks away from the winter window with hopefully some very welcome reinforcements to come in. We should hopefully have Moreno and Ramsey back too.
The point is we could be in a very good position with a bit of a fair wind.
I’ve omitted the Conference games, which could prove to be a massive drain on the lads’ energy levels, because I’m concentrating on the Premier league.
But is the giant actually awake?
Could this be the season where we really achieve what we believe our club is long overdue?
Whisper it quietly, but I think with this manager, it just may be.
UTV!
