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Blog: Wins make all of the difference for Villa

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What a difference a few wins can make, as Aston Villa know well going into derby day at West Brom.

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After a winless streak left manager Paul Lambert on the verge of fan revolt, a series of wins have left Aston Villa in 11th place, writes blogger Matthew Turvey,

No, it isn't exactly a Champions League spot but, after toiling at the wrong end of the table for so long, it feels practically high-flying.

Villa aren't exactly safe - the Premier League is as tight as ever - but it's better to be closer to the middle of the table than the bottom.

After all, boss Gerard Houllier, in his single season at Villa, was seen as a success by some by virtue of his ninth-placed finish even if, before the Arsenal game, the club had teetered on the edge of relegation.

So, with that in mind, the differences between success and failure remain increasingly razor-thin.

One only need look at the change in fortunes of Alan Pardew at Newcastle United - on the cusp of the sack to a series of wins - to see just how changeable the game is on a week-to-week basis.

Lambert may well be seen as lacking the ability to improve by many fans, but the truth is that there's a large difference between wanting to play a certain way and getting actual success.

Looking at the league, Villa find themselves around Everton, currently managed by Roberto Martinez.

He's man courted by Villa owner Randy Lerner multiple times, showing that simply wanting to play better doesn't always have a reflection on success.

Likewise, there is no right way to play. For all the fans that laud the style of Barcelona's tika-taka, or Dortmund's gegenpressing, no tactic offers guaranteed success.

So, when Lambert gets lambasted for playing this way or that way, the truth is that style alone means very little, although fans will argue the manager has struggled to develop the success of his system either.

That Lambert gets slated for a style of football is nothing new.

Today's football fan - through a combination of TV coverage and the success of Football Manager - is increasingly able to know aspects of the game that may have been obfuscated previously.

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Speak to the average football hipster and terms like enganche and trequartista may well end up in the conversation.

Whilst knowing terms for players does mean an increased insight, it doesn't necessarily make the average person the equivalent of a person who holds a UEFA Pro Licence.

Against West Brom, Villa will likely play a scrappy game, offering less than per cent possession, with a less-than-pleasing style.

That said, in a derby game, anything can happen and, with no Shane Long to nick a few goals this time, maybe Villa can snatch a third win in a row.

That would leave fans less worried about going down and more focused on building on a platform. It's all to play for.

You can follow Matt Turvey's regular opinions at his own site, Aston Villa Life at http://www.astonvillalife.com, via the site's Twitter account @astonvillalife, or via his own Twitter account @mturvey_star.