Aston Villa Fan View: Going from bad to worse

The 7-game unbeaten run of Steve Bruce’s early tenure seems a distant memory. I started to get excited about the rest of the season, the push for a playoff spot and even automatic promotion! But it shows how strange the Championship is, 9 games later, including 5 defeats, Villa are 10 points off the playoff spots and are playing like they simply don’t care. Whilst the football wasn’t pretty, Villa were turning draws into wins and momentum was being built. The media, pundits and players started to believe that promotion was simply going to happen. However, following the 1-0 away defeat to Wolves at the weekend, Bruce seemed completely perplexed as to why his team is underperforming so badly at such a crucial point of the season. Villa haven’t scored in the last three games, the team lacks energy and creativity, and it was all to see on Saturday that Wolves simply wanted to win more than Villa.

Wolves played football. Villa played kick and (sometimes) rush. Wolves were first to the ball, moved into space, had runners trying to get behind the Villa defence. Villa were the opposite. Lethargic, slow, no ideas and worst of all no shots on target in 90mins. Pitiful. Villa have spent big money on the likes of Mile Jedinak, Aaron Tshibola, Albert Adomah, Tommy Elphick and Ross McCormack, but seem short changed right now. Their confidence is shot, and Bruce has a whole host of problems with only two weeks of the January transfer window left.

No Kodjia, no party

Aston Villa owner, Dr Tony Xia had stated that they had planned for the departure of Jonathan Kodjia and Jordan Ayew to AFCON, so fans relaxed. What they didn’t know at the time was the plan was Gabby ‘1 goal in 1 year’ Agbonlahor was leading the line. In Agbonlahor’s 10 appearances this season, hes had three, yes three shots on target. Villa could have played all night against Wolves, and wouldn’t have scored. Ross McCormack has been a huge disappointed, and hasn’t stepped up whilst Kodjia and Ayew are away. Kodjia’s Villa goals simply papered over the huge cracks in the team. We all knew the main tactic was ‘give it to Kodjia’, but didn’t want to address it. It’s now the main talking point.

Bruce has to take a huge chunk of the blame on this one. His vanity project to turn Agbonlahor’s career around has failed, but still won’t admit to himself. Gabby looks way off the pace, and Bruce needs to sign another striker, after he stupidly sold Gestede so early on in the window. Planning, eh?

Mid January – no arrivals

Keith Wyness, the CEO stated on Twitter several times in December that Villa were ready for the transfer window. Whilst I appreciate its not as easy as buying players on Football Manager, its now mid January and we have signed the third choice Man Utd goalkeeper on loan for the rest of the season. Villa are in such a bad place right now, they have to pay over the odds to secure some players. Two midfielders would be a start

Back to back home games

Villa are undefeated at home this season, so back to back home games against Preston and Bristol City should be relief to the players. But without Kodjia and Ayew to dig the team out of holes, are there any guarantees? If Villa don’t sign several new players by Saturday, I would predict another defeat, it really is that grim at the moment.

Xia, Wyness and Bruce have a matter of weeks to sort this mess out.