Torn – Short Sharp Shock Needed For Villa?

Torn, not the song by Natt Inbrulia but the match in the Intertoto Cup.

Aston Villa will undertake European football once again this evening with the emphasis on winning a two-leg tie against Odense BK hardly Inter Milan or Barcelona is it? Part of wants the team to go out and rip BK apart stick 6 goals past them and qualify tonight making the match at Villa Park next week a formality, bit of an Intertoto party but part of me wants the team to struggle.

Don’t get me wrong I never ever want to see Villa lose a match I’m just afraid that if we do wallop BK it will send a message out that alls well and the team needs nothing more than a tweak before the start of the season. Personally if going out of the Intertoto and ultimately falling at the first hurdle shocks the club and manager into immediate action I wonder if it may just be worth it.

Currently we do not have a team capable of achieving what we did last season in the Premiership when we were fighting on one front the league, how will qualification for the UEFA Improve our chances of bettering last seasons 6th place or for that matter qualifying for the Champions League, lets face it that’s where Aston Villa and the supporters want to be. What a season playing Europe’s elite teams even if it’s only the group stages and then the UEFA Cup.

I have no doubts the manager and chairman are working hard in the transfer market trying to bring in players its just the urgency that seems to be lacking, after last season competing without a recognised right back for the entire campaign I would have though that position would have been filled by now with two players (one as cover) as a matter of urgency, here we are first meaningful game hours away and nothing.

The game at Lincoln City I know was a friendly; Villa should have been out of sight by halftime but after the break enough said.

Playing a mishmash of what was available to see if anything worked proved the answer was NO. If that never sent a shiver down the managers spine then nothing will, if you have any doubts read Randy_Stands match report. As this season approaches you can stick European football where the sun don’t shine if it means in the bigger picture we take a massive step backward, it cant be just me that thinks we are going to have another roller coaster season if things continue as they are.

I look around the other clubs who finished around us and apart from Happy Harry at Pompey no one seems to be setting the transfer market alight but that’s little comfort after losing players hand over fist for the last two years whilst only bringing in one recognised midfielder. Just on the keeper front we will be playing tonight with Taylor we have who if he gets injured? I honestly have no idea.

As for the result tonight I have to say I’m torn into wanting Villa to progress into the UEFA and the need for the management of the club to receive a short sharp shock on the field of play. Then I suppose this is what supporting Aston Villa is all about.