The Longest Week
It’s not easy to simply forget about that horrendous result at the weekend and move on, especially as a fresh wave of headlines roll in this Monday, but that’s pretty much what we have to do. Conceding 7 goals for the first time in 46 years during a season in which we were able to boast the meanest defence in the league is clearly a complete aberration, there’s no credible argument to the contrary. That doesn’t make it feel any better though.
The game against Bolton next Saturday just can’t come soon enough. However, looking at past results at the Reebok doesn’t fill me with optimism I’m afraid. Martin O’Neill has taken his Villa side there three times, but has yet to come away with the three points we so vitally need right now. It was three score draws if you’re interested.
Obviously we haven’t been there under these current circumstances and I think it’s fairly obvious that the Chelsea result could effect the next performance in one of two polar opposite ways. The closest I can find in recent history was the October 2007 1-1 draw on the back of losing 4-1 at Villa Park to Man Utd.
Once again, I seem to recall the harbingers of doom being out in full effect, Stiliyan Petrov being the focus of much ire, but then promptly disappearing under their rocks when we went on a four game winning streak, scoring 11 and conceding just 1 along the way, albeit against Derby, Birmingham, Boro and Blackburn.
Taking The Shine Off
As I say, time to look forward, but one final quick point I want to make having just pulled some statistics together for March. Amazingly, despite the horrific 7-1 beating, March 2010 still delivered Martin O’Neill’s best performance for the month, which may serve to illustrate just how bad it has been in the past!
| Martin O’Neill’s Aston Villa Record In March | ||||||||||
| Plyd | Won | Drawn | Lost | Pts | Pts/Gm | GF | GA | GF/Gm | GA/Gm | |
| 2006/07 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0.67 | 1 | 2 | 0.33 | 0.67 |
| 2007/08 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0.40 | 2 | 9 | 0.40 | 1.80 |
| 2008/09 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0.25 | 3 | 11 | 0.75 | 2.75 |
| 2009/10 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1.20 | 6 | 11 | 1.20 | 2.20 |
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Hey when you look at it like that, we’ve done all right this March.
Ok, I’m clutching at straws
mmm, yeah, that’s probably stretching it a bit. but it was an improvement on past years, that is clear.
we conceded the same number of goals this season in march over 5 games as during the 4 games last march and 7 of them came in one game!!
i probably talk about it too much, but i can’t forget this exact day in ‘08 when we’d just lost 4-0 at Old Trafford and were played off the pitch, although one of the few positives, ironically, was NRC at RB.
people were going crazy online. it was all MON’s fault, the players were tired, he didn’t know what he was doing, he didn’t bring anyone in during january, etc, etc.
and then bolton came to VP, 4-0. 6-0 at pride park and then 5-1 at home to blouse. finished the month 2-2 against everton and looked fresh as ever.
in fact, i’ll recap this in more detail for tomorrow’s blog i think. if i’m feeling cruel, maybe i’ll flesh it out with some of the things the armchair McExperts were saying at the time!
Anyone catch the john Terry interview?
He said that they knew that Villa would tire after an hour so they sat back and waited for it!
i haven’t, but i’ve seen it referenced here and there.
not exactly rocket science though and very easy to say afterward. all teams tire, fitness is always a factor in any game.
that said, i seem to remember putting something together recently about how we’re going at it too hard during the first half.
we used to very much be a team that did our playing in the second half.. then again, the classy fans started booing at half time. just saying.
The best of the worst month of March
Glad that’s over!