As Villa fans you've got to be really, really worried about where your team is going after a display like that. I mean, we weren't even very good, raising our game only in fits and starts. But even so, we could and should have made it more emphatic. As we all know relegation doesn't happen in January but in May, and I expect lots to change between now and then. For a start there is always a club that just goes into freefall (my money is on West Ham), and there is always a club that puts together an unlikely run to get out of trouble (granted that's usually us). So which way is it going to go for Villa? You going to risk sacking Lambert and hoping that a new face can pull you out the mire? Or will it be the return of all the old hands that saves you? Investment in January (when has that ever worked?)? What needs to change for Villa to stay up?
No chance, they are a massive club remember, at least thats what they told us when Bent joined. At least he will get his confidence back knocking in goals in the Championship.
I've been on some Villa forums today - they're taking it particularly bad that it was Wigan that beat them. That would be the Wigan they couldn't beat at home for eight years bar one, and the Wigan who finished five points ahead of them last time out, and the Wigan who were the best team in the PL for the last quarter of last season. Yesterday's team - even though we didn't perform that well - is close to being the team that put in those performances, with Kone for Moses (not an improvement yet but getting there), and Ramis (becoming a Wigan legend). Villa won't be the last we surprise.
Lambert has to go for there to be any chance of Villa staying up. To think their fans hounded McLeish out of the club. Now look at the state of them
I always said after McLeish went, we need alot of experience to come in just to settle the ship. If you look back to the start of the season i was unsure on Lambert's signings and thought alot were a risk. Bent wont get goals in this team, him and Benteke dont gel together for starters, and he is lazy for another, plus we wont play him because if he plays again then Sunderland get another £8m. People still say we havnt replaced Young or Downing, Young & Downing are history, that was time ago now, Albrighton & N'Zogbia are more than capable of running at fullbacks and delivering service, but Lambert dont like using wingers for some reason, he likes his central mids. To be fair its no real disgrace to lose to sides like Chelsea & Spurs, both are good sides chasing the Champions League places, those defeats were on the back of a run of undefeated games, but to lose 0-3 to Wigan at home rings my alarm, a team that struggle to stay up every season says it all IMO...