Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
Thankful for small mercies
Wednesday 6th January 2010, 7:48AM GMT.
I could have spent Tuesday battling through ice, snow and very likely a plague of frogs to watch the Villa at Blackburn, writes Villa’s Sporting Star columnist Dave Woodhall.
Instead I sat in front of the fire idly debating how Stoke could get a game on when their city was one of the worst-affected in England.
Don’t get me wrong; I don’t blame Blackburn for calling the game off. Conditions in Lancashire were treacherous and sometimes, stuck in the middle of a large conurbation, we tend to forget just how different life can be in a small town surrounded by moorland. I didn’t fancy the trip in the circumstances so I was glad it was off. Well done to all concerned for making the decision early enough to prevent anyone from travelling north.
We did, of course, play Blackburn a few days ago. The FA Cup third round game was a routine victory in the end, although Villa struggled at times. I doubt that win will have any bearing on the semi-final, though.
For a start, the teams will be entirely different. We put out a much-changed side, Rovers were fielding a virtual reserve team. That’s the reality of what used to be the most magical afternoon of the season.
A crowd of just over 25,000, more than 10,000 less than we’d have got for a league game in similar circumstances, shows how low the competition has fallen in the eyes of the public.
Villa’s reward is a fourth round tie against Brighton, struggling in League One yet likely to attract a much bigger gate than Blackburn did. They’ll certainly bring a lot more of their supporters. Maybe the magic of the cup hasn’t entirely vanished.
On Saturday we’re at Wigan, weather permitting. Another grim northern town, another set of opponents who will be difficult to break down. Wigan were easily the better side in their opening day 2-0 victory at Villa Park but the fortunes of the two sides have altered a lot since then.
A bit of revenge is called for, followed by another assault on the Ice Fortress that is Ewood Park.
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I think the decision to call off the Blackburn game was the correct one and I applaud it, but Stokes decision to go ahead I think was to say the least, irrisponsable.
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