False Dawn?
As Aston Villa fans we’ve known it’s been dull and dire stuff at Villa Park in recent years, in terms of both performances and results. I’d hoped after my last two visits to Villa Park at the end of 2014, to see the Manchester United and Leicester City games, that the trend was being bucked and that 2015 would bring fresh hope. Personally, I’d enjoyed both games; there had been plenty of incident, the crowd sparked into life and even the results were decent.
It didn’t last long though…
Luckily, the holiday period gave me an excuse to miss the three back-to-back games at Villa Park, that saw out 2014 and heralded in 2015. Two 0-0 draws and a 1-0 cup win, with the winner coming against the Championship strugglers Blackpool with two minutes to go. To call these three performances uninspiring is an understatement. Sales for Half-Season tickets can’t have been too hot as a result.
Another Lambert Record
It seems though now the current Villa team are getting a reputation for boredom from neutrals as well. Four Four Two magazine ran an article online this week with the headline: ‘Why this Aston Villa team is the most boring in Premier League history?’
In Premier League history? Ouch.
After working out there has been a shocking season average of just 1.65 goals per Villa game (less now with today’s 1-0 Leicester result), the magazine decided to see if there had been a team who managed less since the Premier League was formed in 1992.
Most Boring Premier League Team?
Guess what? Paul Lambert has ANOTHER unwelcome record to add to his collection of failure.
Villa currently have the lowest goals-per-game average since the Premier League’s inception in 1992.
According to Four Four Two magazine, Villa’s closest competition is the Leeds United team of 1996/97, whose games had 1.74 goals per game. It’s hard to find another team to come close to serving up such snooze fests.
Firing Blanks
Villa’s 11 goals in 21 league games is shocking. As the FFT article points out, West Ham have even scored three more goals from just headers (14) than Villa have altogether.
The worst ever scoring record over a full Premier League season was Derby in the 2007/8 season with just 20. With Lambert’s knack for collecting Villa records, scoring less than Derby could be a possibility, if things don’t pick up. Make no mistake, if they score around that 20 mark the club will be finally relegated from the Premier League.
With tough matches against Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea to come in the next three fixtures, the illusion of safety in 13th place will fade sharply. Villa are only three points off relegation, as it stands.
We’re in trouble, but it’s also very boring.
UTV
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