Villa will survive but the problems remain
Villa have won when it has mattered most under Paul Lambert. Sunday's visit of Norwich now falls into that category.
A relegation battle beckons for half of the Premier League as the claret and blues face another nervy run-in.
Just three wins in their last 17 games in all competitions – including FA Cup embarrassment to Sheffield United – tells its own story. The performances have been poor and the results worse and fans are not blind to any claims to the contrary.
With the foundations laid in 18 months under Paul Lambert, it is now where progress needs to be seen.
Villa are treading water as their performances belie the work which has gone on behind the scenes to try to revive the club. It takes time but there have been little short-term benefits.
Yet Villa will survive as they come to the crunch. It will be closer than they will like but, while they are unlikely to escape the drop battle completely, they will stay up.
It is hard to make a case for a side that has been so inconsistent, but they can produce on any given day. Lambert can rally his troops. Players at former clubs were willing to go through brick walls for him. While his skills handling Darren Bent and the rest of the 'Bomb Squad' are debatable there is no doubt that if you are on his side you will follow him.
He has the players, Gabby Agbonlahor, Christian Benteke, Fabian Delph, Ron Vlaar and Brad Guzan would walk into any team in Villa's situation. And now his players need to perform.
Ten points separate the bottom half with Villa sandwiched in the middle in 13th – five places higher than they were this time last season.
In February 2013 the claret and blues were in the bottom three and survived. Wins over West Ham, QPR, Sunderland and Reading came when desperately needed.
And victory on Sunday will prove the platform to avoid a late scramble, edge them over 30 points and put Villa three wins from safety.
The irony, though, would not be lost on Lambert should the Canaries win at Villa Park. The team he left in 2012 to move Villa forward could leap above the claret and blues and deliver a hammer blow to survival chances.
Norwich boss Chris Hughton is under more pressure than Lambert – with the club's chief executive David McNally admitting the Canaries were scouting new managers.
McNally and Lambert fell out spectacularly after the Scot's defection to Villa, so much so he skips over that relationship when talking about his past clubs.
It would be doubly sweet for Lambert should Villa win but defeat would see those fans on the fence turn.
Villa are a mid-table side, in a mid-table malaise but they will survive. In what state, time will tell.
