Massive week ahead

August 24, 2009 by Steve Orchard
Filed under: Aston Villa 

This is arguably the biggest week in MON’s management of Aston Villa to date. Players in, players out, three big matches ahead, all starting tonight against Liverpool.

Ordinarily, I’d leave the blog writing until after the game at Anfield but I think that we need to get our skates on as a football club as I truly think that this week could define our season. Dramatic? Yeah, maybe but let me explain.

If we lose at Anfield, possibly without Curtis Davies, who has a knock to his shoulder, the knives will be out again as people, quite rightly, will be asking questions about why we have only one fit central defender in the camp. Not including the very untried Clark. Lose, and that will be three straight losses and doom and gloom, despite the fact that Liverpool just happen to be regular Champions League latter stage attendees and should be expected to beat Villa on the home patch.

Then we welcome Rapid Vienna to Villa Park on Thursday. Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, Villa, a bit down from our early season start and this game might not be as easy as people are suggesting. It is more than feasible, with the squad we have available, that we go out of Europe at the first hurdle. The the knives will well and truly be out.

Next Sunday, we come up against Fulham. A team with a tactically astute Manager and someone who out thought us twice last season. They battered us at their place in what was a dire Villa performance. Again, they are likely to be tough opposition and will be happy to leave VP with a point. Again, the knives will be out as we head in to the next game, against the filth without a win to our name, out of the Europa Cup and looking very, very low.

Ok. This is the worst case scenario and could all be avoided. Grab something at Anfield, brush Rapid to one side on Thursday and beat Fulham, and, suddenly things are looking up. However, if it pans out like I have predicted above and fans will be questioning whether we need a change at the helm. From reading other websites, as I’m sure you’ll agree, there is already a tide change against MON’s running of the club, particularly in the transfer market.

I think that this is where the week gets even more interesting, sign the players we are currently being heavily linked with, Warnock, Collins, Dunne/Distin and Jenas and we might be able to offer slightly more resistance to the teams we face in the next week. However, we can’t play any other new players against Rapid, or tonight against Liverpool so will have to do our best with what we’ve got. Yes, we can shore up against Fulham, if, and let’s face it, it’s a massive IF, we bring in these players.

Warnock was left out of the Blackburn Rovers squad at the weekend with Big Sam stating that Warnock’s head isn’t right, due to a proposed transfer to VP. However, he also said that they want more money. GET ON WITH IT!!

Mon was at two or three games over the weekend, scouting opposition or looking at players? Who know’s? But, surely, he already knows who he wants. Again, GET ON WITH IT!!

We might well be in a queue to see who other clubs buy, Lescott going to Manchester City, for example, might free up Richard Dunne, leaving us with their cast offs, but it make a mockery of suggestions that MON wants “five players who can walk into a decent Premier League side”. Something he said a while ago. I know we shouldn’t hang on to his every word, but it’s difficult not to when people care about the club. I have to say, I’m not a MON basher and I want him to carry on with being our Manager, but O also believe that he brings some of the stick he gets on himself with the way he deals in the transfer market.

This week is massive. Let’s watch it unfold, hoping for points on the board, a place in the group stages of the Europa Cup, a few goals, a few new players and, most importantly, belief that we are capable of challenging.


Comments

5 Comments on Massive week ahead

  1. kieran on Mon, 24th Aug 2009 10:12

    2. You should work for sky mate with that type of talk,massive week my arse,if it goes tits up he has a chance to fix it the next week and the week after that and the week after that and the week after that and the week after that and the week after that and the week after that and the week after,Randy won`t sack him and he won`t walk so stop this.

  2. kieran c on Mon, 24th Aug 2009 10:28

    3. i agree this is a big week with our current squad it is possible to go into the blues game with no points at all and having to face a reved up team. I personaly am getting fed up with mon its become quite a joke how he handles the transfer market at no point at all this summer have i felt satisfied with his dealings carnt they come out and say we want him him and him and then get them five players now and thats what we need we wont have time now surely.

  3. lordmykonos on Mon, 24th Aug 2009 10:38

    4. I disagree with Kieran. This is a massive week. Of course, Kieran is right Randy won’t sack him and I like to think he won’t walk but by all accounts MON has promised things he has not delivered – namely players. The sale of Zat is really rather difficult to comprehend at present. I think our opening 2 performances of the campaign really show the defence is our main issue (of course we haven’t even scored a goal in 180 mins yet) but letting 3 in doesn’t help or we’d have received 2 points. We need players. It’s that simple. Then it comes down to MON to get the best out of the lads and start seeing performances on the pitch but without a shadow of doubt, with 9 days of the window remaining we have a lesser team to field than we did last term…albeit with some promising youngsters coming through.

    Sign Distin, Dunne, Taylor, Warnock – even ONE of them ASAP pleeeease!

    In hope.

  4. Kevin on Wed, 26th Aug 2009 16:14

    5. Amazing how one magical night in front of the Kop can change everyone’s opinions of the gaffer……

  5. Andy on Wed, 26th Aug 2009 18:50

    6. What’s all this “if we lose an Anfield BS!!!!!?” AV is going to have an amazing season! Sure, Wigan was an ugly mistake… what, you haven’t hooked up with your best friend’s sister and thought afterwards it was dumb? It’s a mulligan.

    I called it that we would destroy Liverpool! I bloody blogged about it and was hung out to dry! No Villains to back me up! But look who’s standing now, baby! Friedel’s a yank and a damn good one! God bless the yanks and God bless Aston Villa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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