Come On Villa – FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT

It`s the final countdown! Cup Final matches coming up now we have Arsenal out of the way. What will the team do? Play like they did in the first half against the Gunners ie give up? Or wake up like they tried to do in the second half?

Our Fixtures for the Christmas and New Year period couldn`t be better for us in my opinion. We play the teams just above us, also in danger of the drop and so they become the football cliché six pointers.

Sink or swim? Well, no club has survived in the Premiership on the points that we are on at this stage of the season and I`m not sure I see the fight BUT I`ll not write us off until we`ve played some of these. Can our players stop the strolling and start the fighting?

We kick off our crucial Premiership status deciding run with Newcastle United (away) on Dec 19th. They`d love to stick one up us as obviously we did to them the season they went down. They have also rallied recently beating Liverpool 2-0 and yesterday ending Spurs impressive unbeaten run, bearing in mind Spurs beat us 3-1. Isn`t it about time our lot rallied?

Then West Ham, fair enough they aren`t in the dog fight, not by a long chalk, but they aren`t indestructible either. If you look at their results: Click Here Watford managed to beat them – look, sod off, I`m trying to be positive here so no good telling me Watford also beat us…. {sorry, I`m having an argument with the other voices in my head here} – and have a lot of draws which wouldn`t be a total disaster. We face them at home on Boxing day… give us some cheer Villa, do you know the last team we beat at home? Yup, West Ham.

If we`ve not got at least 4 points from those I might put up my white flag to be honest, it`s already at half mast anyway.

THEN… Norwich City away. We also face them Feb 6 at home but again, if we`ve not picked up decent points by then, it will be too late. If we have then it will be another massive game in the Houdini escape act. Norwich City results: Click Here. Up and down but they don`t whimper like we do. We have to rally and Garde has to fire this lot up now, no more time for ‘next week` these are all desperate games and we have to hit the hell out of teams and throw everything at it even if it is winning ugly.

Then, Jan 2 2016 3:00PM – Sunderland (a) – ugly win, flukey win, emphatic win, don`t care, just win. Their results: Click Here. They do wake up every now and then, they beat Stoke City and Crystal Palace recently, but they can also capitulate.

Then there is the FA Cup game v Wycombe Wanders – televised because, I assume, the tv smell a cup ‘shock` It could be all over in the league by then. Lets hope not.

Jan 12th sees a home game v Crystal Palace, 16th home to Leicester City, 23rd WBA away and on we go. Lets hope by then it is upward and onward. I fear it won`t be but I`m clutching on to the faith right now.

The very least these players can give us is 110% effort, they can look fired up, they can track back (are you listening Sanchez?) and they can shoot. Yes, confidence is low and fine, we might not help that as our nerves are battered and the booing etc seems to be only one miskick away, however, they soon get the positive fan response when they look interested and go for it.

I must admit, I don`t care how raw he might be, I`d be playing Traore now. He looks fired up, interested, capable of going on runs (he went on a lovely one yesterday v Arsenal and nearly got through, far more effort than Jack put in with his cameo appearance) and I`d also have Gil in, he`s not a world beater but he does whip in a good cross and he will have a shot. What is there to lose now to change things about a bit? Oh and unless there really is a good reason not to play Kozak who keeps scoring for the reserves, then why not try him? He is a scrappy fighting type who gets in the right positions for tap ins etc, that is exactly what we need. Rudy is off form and needs resting, he`ll be far more use next season if the worst happens and we do go down.

COME ON VILLA… FIGHT

Thoughts?

The relegation forum thread… (be warned, anger, discontent and more adult language in the forum!) See: Click Here