This is the season...

[QuintonVilla]

8 points from the 6 games since New Year. Won 2, Drawn 2 lost 2. That's reasonable form that would normally give you a more than decent chance if you kept it up.

Unfortunately it would only get us to 32/33 points. We would need to suddenly pull a run of form together that we haven't seen in 5 years to stand a chance. Those botched games against Norwich and Sunderland are looking ever more expensive.

Agreed. It is a decent run by our standards and for a team battling relegation, but as you say we need a spectacular run not a decent one. We need to somehow win 4 or 5 from the next 6, not 2, and draws are no good to us.

Also I don't think most Villa fans and pundits etc will start think 'hang on a minute, they could get out of this' until we beat someone decent. We beat Palace who have taken 1 point in 2016 and Norwich who have lost 6 on the trot. Liverpool are no great shakes but a win against them would make more people take notice and maybe start to believe.

[olaftab]

draws are no good to us.
 until we beat someone decent.

Draws are Ok as long as we don't draw all of them. Decent or not they are all worth 3 points no more no less.

[QuintonVilla]

draws are no good to us.
 until we beat someone decent.

Draws are Ok as long as we don't draw all of them. Decent or not they are all worth 3 points no more no less.

Fair enough, but where a draw at say Old Trafford would usually be a good result, this season it might not be enough. We're probably going to have to win 2 or 3 'surprise' games at least to have any chance.

[VillaAlways]

I notice teams around us are wanting us to win so other teams can be dragged into it as they think we are a complete lost cause I remember thinking that about Leicester last season when they were about 7 points behind us and then they leapfrogged us.  The main thing is we are improving, if only we had bought a striker in the window I just don't think we've got enough.

[Gregorys Boy]

Watford at home was when I expected we'd be relegated, Sunderland away was when I accepted we'd be relegated.

Nothing will change for me after today. I think we need to be no more than 3 points from safety with 3 games to go before I'll think any differently. I refuse to do it to myself.

Good on you.  That way if by some chance the mircle does happen it will be a nice surprise for you!

[olaftab]

Relegation confirmation match is still Saturday 2 April at home to Scumsea.

[Marlon From Bearwood]

Relegation confirmation match is still Saturday 2 April at home to Scumsea.

There's still 6 games left after that so we'd have to be more than 18 points from safety for it to be confirmed that day.

[olaftab]

Yes that's based on current points. Of course that date will move as we gather more points.

[Ad@m]

draws are no good to us.
 until we beat someone decent.

Draws are Ok as long as we don't draw all of them. Decent or not they are all worth 3 points no more no less.

Fair enough, but where a draw at say Old Trafford would usually be a good result, this season it might not be enough. We're probably going to have to win 2 or 3 'surprise' games at least to have any chance.

Leicester did it last season without any surprise wins.

At this stage they were 1 point better off than us and in their next five games they picked up two points (losing to Arsenal, Man City and Spurs).  But from the start of April they won 7 of their last 9 games, beating West Ham, Baggies, Swansea, Burnley, Newcastle, Southampton & QPR.  The two they didn't win were a defeat to Chelsea and a draw at Sunderland.

What it does show though is how important wins are.  From early Feb onwards Leicester won 50% of their games and draw three of the others.  The question is, does this Villa team have that in them?

[four fornicholl]

draws are no good to us.
 until we beat someone decent.

Draws are Ok as long as we don't draw all of them. Decent or not they are all worth 3 points no more no less.

Fair enough, but where a draw at say Old Trafford would usually be a good result, this season it might not be enough. We're probably going to have to win 2 or 3 'surprise' games at least to have any chance.

Leicester did it last season without any surprise wins.

At this stage they were 1 point better off than us and in their next five games they picked up two points (losing to Arsenal, Man City and Spurs).  But from the start of April they won 7 of their last 9 games, beating West Ham, Baggies, Swansea, Burnley, Newcastle, Southampton & QPR.  The two they didn't win were a defeat to Chelsea and a draw at Sunderland.

What it does show though is how important wins are.  From early Feb onwards Leicester won 50% of their games and draw three of the others.  The question is, does this Villa team have that in them?

no , because we haven't got no goalscorers

[Legion]

If we 'haven't got no goalscorers', that will be brilliant. Onwards and upwards.

[Villa in Denmark]

If we 'haven't got no goalscorers', that will be brilliant. Onwards and upwards.

This is true.  Even the one "no goalscorer" we'd got hopped out of that pile on Saturday.

[Ads]

Vardy scored five last season, would it be beyond a Gabby of Saturdays effort and determination to replicate that?

With Traore back in March, would a front three of him, Gabby and Ayew give us a lot of pace and an ability to go direct?

Leicester made three signings last January,  two of which were duds, with only the dirty Huth making a contribution. We appear to have found a way to stabilise the back four, maybe that's is the platform that we need to get the wheels of momentum turning.

[chrisf]

Vardy scored five last season, would it be beyond a Gabby of Saturdays effort and determination to replicate that?

With Traore back in March, would a front three of him, Gabby and Ayew give us a lot of pace and an ability to go direct?

Leicester made three signings last January,  two of which were duds, with only the dirty Huth making a contribution. We appear to have found a way to stabilise the back four, maybe that's is the platform that we need to get the wheels of momentum turning.

It's the hope that kills you.

[Ads]

It's the shortness of breath that takes us all. Better dress accordingly.

Good to hear Traore is two weeks away.