Villa’s pipe dream goes for a Burton..
Villa’s pipe dream goes for a Burton..
Villa’s unlikely dream of making it to the play-offs finally ended last Saturday. With both Wednesday and Fulham both winning, Villa’s draw at Burton increased Villa’s points deficit to eleven, with only fifteen to play for. Still mathematically possible but the chances took a huge leap towards vanishing-point. Things looked great for Villa on three minutes when King Kodjia opened the scoring but his early departure through injury ended Villa’s goal threat. This left Villa needing an immaculate defensive performance to secure the points. Unfortunately Villa didn’t quite manage it. On the hour Burton overloaded Villa’s notorious right flank, someone failed to track the overlapping player, and veteran Lloyd Dyer lashed home in spectacular style to bring joy to the Brewers’ faithful. On the day Burton deserved no less.
There was no begrudging Burton the points, it was a lesson in the perils of being dependent on very small margins, and once again proved how reliant Villa have become on Jonathan Kodjia’s goals. According to Steve ‘the boss’ Bruce, Scott Hogan is still feeling his way back into his game, after the shock of thinking he had done something very much more serious to his ankle, than turned out to be the case, but he still has great expectations for the lad. At only twenty-four it would seem his best years are yet to come.
Good news for Villa is that Kodjia has been training all week and will be available. With two games in three days over the holiday, Villa will definitely need to use their peripheral players to provide relief for some weary legs and cope with the inevitable strains and knocks. It seems unfortunate that Villa have a day less recovery time than the everyone else but I think this is more to do with the fact that Good Friday has traditionally never been a holiday for Birmingham industry, than a conspiracy to make things difficult for Villa. That is not to say that the frantic muddle which is the Easter programme isn’t completely idiotic. It handicaps smaller clubs with fewer resources and favours those with the most. But then, because it is considered to decide much of the season’s outcomes, they insist that everyone has to play on Monday afternoon, and won’t allow Villa to delay their game until Tuesday night. This is supposed to be about fairness, but then they have Villa kicking off fifteen minutes earlier than everyone else, which could still lead to the situation where two teams, already knowing the result of that game, play out their final minutes for mutual benefit, which EFL suits would claim they are trying to avoid. In a time when the gap between the rich and poor has become a gulf, it is a tradition which needs to be scrapped.
Villa’s two games looked like they might be deciders a few weeks ago but now look like a test of Villa spirit, now that there seems little to play for, except keeping their place at the top of the form table, where Paul Lambert’s Wolves are lying are second. The game at home to Reading will bring reminders of Villa’s away win at the Madejski which was our first away win for eighteen months and was the cause of much relief and celebration. Reading will be desperate to win this one because they need to create some all important momentum as they go into the play-offs. I wouldn’t put much store in their disaster at Norwich but they will be feeling the pressure. Villa will be fresh and at full strength for this one and it is a massive test for manager Stam’s steadying influence. Villa should be favourites and I think the fans will be tracking individual players to see if there is any sign that they have taken their foot off the gas. The Fulham game is difficult to call because Fulham seem so inconsistent and Villa will be more knackered. With home advantage, more recovery time and a little bit more tangible motivation, the fixture definitely favours the Cottagers. Our season may be all but over now but we need to continue to build the platform for next season.
We are the Lions, we are the chosen, we surely gonna shine now?
Keep the faith!
