da pixbet： Aston Villa were one of three relegated teams that went down from last season’s Premier League and many expected them to flourish.
da winzada777： Under their new manager, Roberto Di Matteo, Villa were supposed to really kick on and bring back the good times to their supporters, who, it’s safe to say, have had it pretty rough over the past few years.
Close shaves with relegation and the selling of their best players has very much been a recurring theme under the leadership of Randy Lerner, and it’s safe to say Villa fans had had enough.
Fast-forward a couple of months and now we’re well into the new Championship campaign, and it seems like the Midlanders are still somewhat struggling. Seven draws from their opening 10 games has really stunted their progress – they currently sit in a lowly 17th place.
Despite spending close to £60m, the goals really haven’t been flowing and the likes of Jonathan Kodjia and Ross McCormack haven’t hit the ground running as expected. With a huge away game at fellow strugglers Preston North End very much on the horizon, the fortunes at Villa Park need to turn very soon indeed.
And after a stuttering start, Villa have become at risk of becoming just another Premier League side to become trapped in the tough old vortex that is the Championship. The likes of Fulham, bitter rivals Birmingham, Sheffield Wednesday and Wolves are all recently-fallen Premier League sides seriously struggling to escape the second division.
And with the likes of Norwich and Newcastle having come down from the top-flight, too, the Championship is arguably stronger than it has ever been before. With so many former elite teams – and the likes of Bristol City who, with new financial backing, are making serious waves – it’s going to be a real slog for Villa to escape.
Di Matteo was investing quite late towards the start of the season and some supporters feel that the squad hasn’t quite come together yet. And of course, it’s always going to take time for new players to settle in and get used to those playing around them, but unfortunately for Villa time is of the essence.
If they’re going to kick-start a promotion push, it has to be soon. A 1-1 draw away at Barnsley was another so-so result and Di Matteo’s side need to start converting some of these draws into wins. On paper, they’ve got the squad to do it but now they have to dig deep and perform.
Otherwise, their rivals will race ahead and they’ll just be another former Premier League side resigned to the second division. It’s a tough old slog.