Express & Star

Blog: Mid-table about right as Villa continue rebuild

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Aston Villa go into the game this evening with a view to do the double over Arsenal, a feat that seems like almost paradoxical given the club's season overall, writes Villa blogger Matt Turvey.

Which isn't to say that Villa have been poor, but rather that beating Arsenal twice would seems some achievement for a club that has lingered around the middle of the table for much of the season.

Of course, worried fans will be quick to point out that Villa are still just five points from the relegation zone, but in a season filled with unexpected results, five points away from the bottom three is far better than being in the midst of the dropzone.

Getting back to the game, it may well be a lucky night for the home team. Yes, home form has been poor for Villa, but Arsenal go into the team carrying a slew of injuries - numbers which actually make Villa's squad look comparatively healthy.

Sad as it is to say though, the absence of one man - Ron Vlaar - may make the game a step too much. Whilst I'm reticent to call Villa a one man team, there is a sharp correlation between results when the club's Dutch captain has played and when he has not illustrating, more than ever, the need for experience.

However, despite Paul Lambert's proclamations regarding a number 10, as well as points in press conferences that hint at an attempt to acquire more experienced individuals to augment Villa's squad, nothing has happened yet.

Yes, Villa fans have been kept entertained by recent rumours, but there has been little more than those rumours being peddled - there has been no substance behind things.

Which, if I'm honest, is almost an apt way of describing the overall campaign as a Villa fan. Yes, the club are perched in mid-table as we speak, but between poor quality football, a poor home record and a season filled with injuries, Villa have been almost paper thin, and over reliant on key individuals who have, sadly, been injured or out of form for much of the time.

Looking at it another way, perhaps Lambert is working comparative miracles given the barriers thrown in his way in playing and financial terms, but I imagine most fans won't see it that way. In a world where success is desired immediately, Lambert's popularity seems to be stuttering amongst fans who think the club deserves better.

The big question, though, has to be this - Do Villa really deserve anything more than they are achieving at present? Here's one fan who thinks mid-table is about right for a club in the midst of a total rebuild.