9pts away from...

[pauliewalnuts]

Lets not forget that in between Wolves and QPR we also have the cup game at Arsenal, which will also effect the team's confidence one way or the other, dependent on result. 

To be honest, unless we got an absolute panning, I don't think that'd be too negative if we lost it.

Despite having a fantastic record there, most people will be expecting us to lose. I think if anything, the cup match will maybe give them a break from the pressures of the league.

Anyway, we're going to win, so it won't be a problem.

And when we do we'll be going into QPR with great confidence.

And lose 1 nil to a set piece.

Scored by Luke Young.

[not3bad]

It is certainly a contrast of mood though supporting at home as to going away. At VP I'm cold sober and usually sit back, arms crossed, waiting to be entertained. I'll maybe jump up for a corner or something. But I'm extremely cynical at best and absolutely certain of defeat !

Away though I'm generally a little bit boozed up, more than likely standing, singing my head off and proper up for it.

Free booze at the next Villa home match!  You know it makes sense! :-)

[glasses]

I've said all season that we'll finish in the 9th, 10th & 11th bracket.
I feel our home form has to improve, though. Having said that, I also feel that out home support must improve. I'm not tarring everyone with the same brush, but, the home support turn too quickly. The away team must know that they only have to pressure us and the supporters turn against the team.The away support is fantastic. My mate, a Wolves fan, said that when Warnock made a great tackle on Kighty in front of the Villa fans you literaly saw his confidence swell up.
If we could transfer that away support to home fixtures I'm convinced it would have a possitive effect on the players.
I would love to hear the crowd get behind the team if/when we go a goal down.

I think this point has been missed, and I too feel the same Nigel. The first misplaced pass by one of the players in any home game I have been to this season has been met with audible groans and a 'here we go again' attitude from our fans. We do get on the players backs very quickly. The game isn't finished after 10 minutes, and Im sure it gets to the players.

[hipkiss92]

Stick Arsenal out the cup sunday, draw the winner of Stevenage-Notts County at home then beat QPR on Wednesday and the next 3 months start to pan out quite well I think.

[maidstonevillain]

Our support is no different to anyone else's, really. There's certainly not a team in the country who doesn't have the home / away support contrast, either.

I think the days of the home support lifting the team before the team give them something to get excited about are long gone, a consequence of expensive tickets changing the way people act at matches. So, I wouldn't expect that to happen, unfortunately.

If the team show a bit of belief and have a go, though, the crowd will get behind them. The Arsenal match was a good example. Despite losing, it was the only home game in a decent sequence where we didn't get booed off, the reason being we had a go, and the crowd responded to it. There was hardly any moaning that night. In fact, I can't speak for others, but I left the ground exhilarated, despite losing.

I am looking right now at one of a set of black and white postcards on my wall of fans in flares and with long hair and scarves hanging from their wrists queueing to get into the Holte End prior to a match. Remember those days? I used to worry that getting to the ground at 1pm might be too late for the big really big ones such as Man Utd...

Remember them well. Except that Man Utd was not a big game in those days.

[ktvillan]

I don't think we're consistent enough to make up the 9 points to the top 6, and hopefully not consistently bad enough to get dragged down amongst the dead men.  We had some fortune agaisnt Wolves with Frimpong's injury and Henry being mental, but you could counter that with the bad luck against Albion which most likely cost us at least a point, possibly all 3.  We look a mid-table team and that's probably where we'll finish, about 11th-12th, maybe a little higher.

[richard moore]

Our support is no different to anyone else's, really. There's certainly not a team in the country who doesn't have the home / away support contrast, either.

I think the days of the home support lifting the team before the team give them something to get excited about are long gone, a consequence of expensive tickets changing the way people act at matches. So, I wouldn't expect that to happen, unfortunately.

If the team show a bit of belief and have a go, though, the crowd will get behind them. The Arsenal match was a good example. Despite losing, it was the only home game in a decent sequence where we didn't get booed off, the reason being we had a go, and the crowd responded to it. There was hardly any moaning that night. In fact, I can't speak for others, but I left the ground exhilarated, despite losing.

I am looking right now at one of a set of black and white postcards on my wall of fans in flares and with long hair and scarves hanging from their wrists queueing to get into the Holte End prior to a match. Remember those days? I used to worry that getting to the ground at 1pm might be too late for the big really big ones such as Man Utd...

Remember them well. Except that Man Utd was not a big game in those days.

I think you are being a bit harsh there Maidstone. When we first came back up with them, they were big big matches as were our games with them in the 2nd Divsion and before that the League Cup. They had a great attacking team everyone wanted to see - Hill, Macari, McIlroy, Pearson, Coppell to name but a few

[Concrete John]

I don't think we're consistent enough to make up the 9 points to the top 6, and hopefully not consistently bad enough to get dragged down amongst the dead men.  We had some fortune agaisnt Wolves with Frimpong's injury and Henry being mental, but you could counter that with the bad luck against Albion which most likely cost us at least a point, possibly all 3.  We look a mid-table team and that's probably where we'll finish, about 11th-12th, maybe a little higher.

Well, we haven't been all season, which does not preclude the possibility of us becoming so from now until May.

Cutting out the daft defensive errors would be a good start!

[SoccerHQ]

I just don't see us getting dragged into the relegation battle, we've hovered around mid table all season and expect that to continue. We had a good win on Saturday achieved with our best player so far going off sick and the current form player snd most significant summer signing both injured - I don't think many others outside the top 7 could do that. We've also got a number of very promising youngsters giving us additional options.

Inconsitency will probably prevent us pushing on much higher so my guess is 9th and a repeat of last season.

Yeah same for me.

That said looking at our next 7 games and this is a great opportunity for McLeish to win a few friends.

QPR, Man. City, Bolton and Fulham at home and Newcastle, Wigan and Blackburn away, I'm expecting 4 wins and two draws from those which should see us comfortably in the top half with 9 games to go.

[hawkeye]

We have not won 2 league games in a row, and i think that would be all we would need to settle us down, There was a decent feeling before the Swansea game and all it took was Warnock to gift them a goal and the atmosphere turned.

[willywombat]

Our support is no different to anyone else's, really. There's certainly not a team in the country who doesn't have the home / away support contrast, either.

I think the days of the home support lifting the team before the team give them something to get excited about are long gone, a consequence of expensive tickets changing the way people act at matches. So, I wouldn't expect that to happen, unfortunately.

If the team show a bit of belief and have a go, though, the crowd will get behind them. The Arsenal match was a good example. Despite losing, it was the only home game in a decent sequence where we didn't get booed off, the reason being we had a go, and the crowd responded to it. There was hardly any moaning that night. In fact, I can't speak for others, but I left the ground exhilarated, despite losing.

I am looking right now at one of a set of black and white postcards on my wall of fans in flares and with long hair and scarves hanging from their wrists queueing to get into the Holte End prior to a match. Remember those days? I used to worry that getting to the ground at 1pm might be too late for the big really big ones such as Man Utd...

Remember them well. Except that Man Utd was not a big game in those days.

Man Utd at VP was always a big game as far as I remember

[James]

I just don't see us getting dragged into the relegation battle, we've hovered around mid table all season and expect that to continue. We had a good win on Saturday achieved with our best player so far going off sick and the current form player snd most significant summer signing both injured - I don't think many others outside the top 7 could do that. We've also got a number of very promising youngsters giving us additional options.

Inconsitency will probably prevent us pushing on much higher so my guess is 9th and a repeat of last season.

Yeah same for me.

That said looking at our next 7 games and this is a great opportunity for McLeish to win a few friends.

QPR, Man. City, Bolton and Fulham at home and Newcastle, Wigan and Blackburn away, I'm expecting 4 wins and two draws from those which should see us comfortably in the top half with 9 games to go.

The eternal optomist!  Can I have your glass please?

[ktvillan]

I don't think we're consistent enough to make up the 9 points to the top 6, and hopefully not consistently bad enough to get dragged down amongst the dead men.  We had some fortune agaisnt Wolves with Frimpong's injury and Henry being mental, but you could counter that with the bad luck against Albion which most likely cost us at least a point, possibly all 3.  We look a mid-table team and that's probably where we'll finish, about 11th-12th, maybe a little higher.

Well, we haven't been all season, which does not preclude the possibility of us becoming so from now until May.

Cutting out the daft defensive errors would be a good start!

Well if we can sign a decent centre back and two full backs who can boast at least a brain cell between them in the window, that might happen.  But there'd still be the problem of creating enough chances at home.

[Fuse]

Saturday was a huge day in terms of the league table. If we hadn;t won we really would have been in the middle of it. As we did win it has now put a gap in place that means we would have to have the mother of all run of defeats to become involved ina relagation battle this season.

I think Big Eck is starting to show the signs he could do well for usl. The team is blooding more and more of the youngsters and I am quite encouraged that he has not avoided making big decisions both in games and in choosing the team.

I actually like Big Eck. Am I allowed to say that?!

[Concrete John]

I don't think we're consistent enough to make up the 9 points to the top 6, and hopefully not consistently bad enough to get dragged down amongst the dead men.  We had some fortune agaisnt Wolves with Frimpong's injury and Henry being mental, but you could counter that with the bad luck against Albion which most likely cost us at least a point, possibly all 3.  We look a mid-table team and that's probably where we'll finish, about 11th-12th, maybe a little higher.

Well, we haven't been all season, which does not preclude the possibility of us becoming so from now until May.

Cutting out the daft defensive errors would be a good start!

Well if we can sign a decent centre back and two full backs who can boast at least a brain cell between them in the window, that might happen.  But there'd still be the problem of creating enough chances at home.

I'd settle for a CB who can organise the defence this window, which should then hopefully see the defensive side of the fullbacks improve.

Then come the summer we cna look at it again, with one eye on the development of Stevens and Lichaj.