How safe are we?

[NeilH]

We will not go down this season; I am convinced of it. Despite our ability to stink the league out week upon week, we still have enough quality in Gabby and Bent to ensure that we bob along around the bottom. Having said all that, I look at the following season with far more trepidation. The much-vaunted kids are simply not cutting it and look like Championship players at best (Delph an example of Curtis mark two and more money pissed away by MON). If, as expected, we ship out the high earning under-performing players in the summer then we will be left with an extremely weak squad and a manager with unprecedented unpopularity levels. It’s a poisonous mix which if not addressed will see us drop out without a whimper and to the delight of pretty much every neutral fan there is.

[Walmley_Villa]

Go down, we are after Europe according to the CEO!

[nick harper]

Given that McLeish has basically thrown the towel in against the top teams, that's 12 defeats anticipated already. He is therefore gambling on 40 points from the remaining 26 games - or, as we are now, 21 points from 14 games.

You would hope there is enough in the side to do that but he'll need most of those points by the end of March.

Utterly depressing the way we have to think now.

[PaulWinch again]

We probably will survive, but at the moment this is like a slow and very painful death. It seems to be utterly hopeless at the moment.

[Irish villain]

I can see us panic buying in January to stave off relegation but I don't trust McLeish to spend the money. We're going to be in a vicious circle of firefighting and changing the manager to preserve our Premiership status, rather than building a club and an ethos. It's painful watching

That's what you get when the people at the top have not got a clue what they are at.

[Simba]

It is going to be very close IMHO. Getting on for half a season gone and no obvious team evolving, second bottom of the shots on/ total shots stats, porous defence, no creativity in midfield and an apparently dis-interested and/or confused 'bunch' of players. And it appears to be getting worse with no tactical nous or player motivation from our esteemed manager. I am very concerned that he will retreat even more into his naturally defensive comfort zone. That will give even the obvious relegation candidates the confidence to come at us. There is not a team in this division who won't think that they can turn us over atm.

I personally do NOT think we are 'too good to go down' and am very concerned.

[Simon Ward]

There are at least three sides worse than us and we have already beaten them all  this season!

[ozzjim]

There are at least three sides worse than us and we have already beaten them all  this season!

wigan are battling.  Blackburn and Bolton look doomed. 18th is possible for sure.

[Concrete John]

W're got 19 points from 16 games, having played 4 of the top 6.  If we completely write these games off, which seems to be the trend from within the club, that means we've got 19 points from 12 'winnable' games.  So that extrapolated out to 26 games (normal 38 less the twelve home and away against the top 6) is 41 points and that should put is save this season.

Depressing, isn't it.

[Chris Smith]

The club has structured itself as a mid table team and that's where we'll finish. We're much better than the really bad sides and much worse than the really good sides.

[LeeB]

The club has structured itself as a mid table team and that's where we'll finish. We're much better than the really bad sides and much worse than the really good sides.

I hope you're right Chris, I really do.

[Dave Cooper please]

Has anyone used the phrase 'sleepwalking into oblivion' yet?

Calm down ladies eh!

[PaulWinch again]

I think I could handle being a midtable team if we weren't so utterly horrible to watch and actually gave it a go against teams above 8th in the league.

[darren woolley]

Although we are poor at this this present time I like others think there are three worse teams than us in the league we need something to change but I think it sadly wont.

[not3bad]

I think we're good to finish 13th - 15th.  However if Mcleish does not improve things/leave (one of the two) then I think it will get harder for Villa to maintain their PL status.