3 points

[saunders_heroes]

I think we'll be safe with a minimum 37 points but that's not the point. No Villa team should ever be happy with just surviving in the PL. Show a bit of pride in the club, Lerner and open your bloody wallet in the summer!

Wow. Lerner really has struggled with that hasn't he over the years.

He's certainly struggled the last 4 years. Perhaps he might provide the wages so we can sign some premier league standard players this  summer.

[eamonn]

He will when Lambert chooses something other than the young/hungry lads that he loves (and you hate) to buy.

[SoccerHQ]

In fairness I'm with SH on this one.

It's dismal we're having yet another season where it's still uncertain whether we'll even scrape past 40 points which worryingly seems to be the benchmark nowadays for us.

After Chelsea we should've been pushing on to finish top 10 and try to get as close as 50 points as possible, t give us belief that next season with a couple of astute signings we can then kick on and get 50 + points which usually puts you in the top 8.

[ozzjim]

I think we'll be safe with a minimum 37 points but that's not the point. No Villa team should ever be happy with just surviving in the PL. Show a bit of pride in the club, Lerner and open your bloody wallet in the summer!

Wow. Lerner really has struggled with that hasn't he over the years.

He's certainly struggled the last 4 years. Perhaps he might provide the wages so we can sign some premier league standard players this  summer.

He has not though has he really. Look at how much he has put in compared to most in the last 4 years. Including huge wages nowhere near the pitch. We need 3-4 quality players this summer for sure, but that is much more down to Lambert than Lerner.

[rob_bridge]

I have no problem with the money Lerner has put up - what it has been spent on over the last 7 years has been the problem.

Regardless 40 points or thereabouts is a very poor return.

I have stated before we have become the Coventry and Southampton of 90's, consistently struggling and ripe to be a 'giant' killing recipient act in the cups. That said if e.g. if we lost to Blackburn or MK Dons next season in the Cup(s) I honestly don't think any person could refer to it as a 'shock' anymore.

[SoccerHQ]

I have no problem with the money Lerner has put up - what it has been spent on over the last 7 years has been the problem.

Regardless 40 points or thereabouts is a very poor return.

I have stated before we have become the Coventry and Southampton of 90's, consistently struggling and ripe to be a 'giant' killing recipient act in the cups. That said if e.g. if we lost to Blackburn or MK Dons next season in the Cup(s) I honestly don't think any person could refer to it as a 'shock' anymore.

We're pretty much what Wigan were under Martinez.

A team of some attacking players who are good to watch on their day and can turn over a top side but are also capable of being hammered 3-4 times a season but usually do enough to just about stay up.

Just not good enough.

Is it really too much to ask us to have a comfortable season free of relegation trouble like Newcastle and Southampton have had, Newcastle have hardly signed anyone in the last year aswell.

[eastie]

Newcastle fans seem very irate with their season even though they have had a huge improvement from last year- I'd be very happy to have had that sort of season .

[SoccerHQ]

Newcastle fans seem very irate with their season even though they have had a huge improvement from last year- I'd be very happy to have had that sort of season .

Me too. In fairness we've had similar results to them against the top teams but they've been far more consistant against the bottom half as have Southampton hence why both have 10 + more points on the board.

Cabaye was massive for them though, look at their win ratio when he was there and didn't play and they've been pretty poor since he left so interested to see who they get in to replace him in the summer.

[not3bad]

Think the Newcastle fans are pissed off that their best players get sold from under them whenever they start to make a bit of progress.  I thinik we all know that feeling!

[Ad@m]

Is it really too much to ask us to have a comfortable season free of relegation trouble like Newcastle and Southampton have had, Newcastle have hardly signed anyone in the last year aswell.

Newcastle finished below us last year and Southampton only finished above us on goal difference.

I'm not going to start holding them two up as model examples for us to aspire to.

[rob_bridge]

Is it really too much to ask us to have a comfortable season free of relegation trouble like Newcastle and Southampton have had, Newcastle have hardly signed anyone in the last year aswell.

Newcastle finished below us last year and Southampton only finished above us on goal difference.

I'm not going to start holding them two up as model examples for us to aspire to.

They have both improved quite a bit, we have improved a litte

[Richard E]

Newcastle fans seem very irate with their season even though they have had a huge improvement from last year- I'd be very happy to have had that sort of season .

Newcastle fans are always moaning about something. They are borderline Scouse in that respect. They seem to think they should be challenging for the League Title every season even though there isn't any colour footage of them winning anything. 

[Ad@m]

Is it really too much to ask us to have a comfortable season free of relegation trouble like Newcastle and Southampton have had, Newcastle have hardly signed anyone in the last year aswell.

Newcastle finished below us last year and Southampton only finished above us on goal difference.

I'm not going to start holding them two up as model examples for us to aspire to.

They have both improved quite a bit, we have improved a litte

They both had great starts to the season and have tailed off dramatically since.  For both teams, their form since Christmas has been no better than ours.  Is it that they have improved quite a bit or is it something else - like Cabaye's ridiculous form in Newcastle's case?

[ClaretAndBlueBlood]

Newcastle fans seem very irate with their season even though they have had a huge improvement from last year- I'd be very happy to have had that sort of season .

Newcastle fans are always moaning about something. They are borderline Scouse in that respect. They seem to think they should be challenging for the League Title every season even though there isn't any colour footage of them winning anything. 

if they won something next season it would still be in black and white :-)

[Ad@m]

Is it really too much to ask us to have a comfortable season free of relegation trouble like Newcastle and Southampton have had, Newcastle have hardly signed anyone in the last year aswell.

Newcastle finished below us last year and Southampton only finished above us on goal difference.

I'm not going to start holding them two up as model examples for us to aspire to.

They have both improved quite a bit, we have improved a litte

They both had great starts to the season and have tailed off dramatically since.  For both teams, their form since Christmas has been no better than ours.  Is it that they have improved quite a bit or is it something else - like Cabaye's ridiculous form in Newcastle's case?

I've just checked actually - Newcastle were running at 1.7 points per game up to 19 matches and have been running at 1.2 since (ie after Cabaye left) which is less than us. 

Southampton's points per game has actually gone up since the turn of the year but that's partly because they've only played 3 of the teams above them in the league (getting 1 point out of a possible 9).

I don't think either of them are that much more progressed than us.