Drop fears mean it’s not a merry Christmas for trio
R-E-L-E-G-A-T-I-O-N is a word hovering over three of our clubs at Christmas – Aston Villa in the Premier League, Birmingham City in the Championship and rugby big shots Wasps in the Premiership.
Hopefully the clubs will improve in the second half of the football season, while Wasps are only six matches in but all three will have to pull their socks up in terms of results.
I heard one bookmaker on the radio state that all three clubs in the relegation zone – now including Villa after their weekend defeat to Southampton – are being offered as odds-on to go down.
Watford, under new manager Nigel Pearson, pulled off a real shock on Sunday beating Manchester United 2-0 but they are still well adrift of fourth-bottom Southampton, whose 3-1 win at Villa Park means they swap places with Villa with a three-point gap.
Losing Tyrone Mings and now John McGinn, with a fractured ankle, is proving very serious for Villa and their defence was awful at the weekend.
They have leaked badly in their last two home league matches, while they continue to defend £22 million striker Wesley up front but, quite frankly, he does not cut the mustard for goals.
Shrewd chief executive Christian Purslow stresses the club are not facing Financial Fair Play charges so the message is: sign some more new players next month to stay up.
Jack Grealish apart, most of the current fit players do not look, on present form, good enough to keep this big club up.
A record of four wins from 18 league games is the same as Southampton and Norwich. Only the bottom team Watford, with two victories, have a worse record.
Villa’s home match with Southampton was a six-pointer... and they got zilch.
Now they are at home to Norwich on Boxing Day... another six-pointer as they say. Norwich failed to take their first-half chances against Wolves so Villa will be hoping for the same again. Wolves winning 2-1 at Carrow Road to maintain sixth spot was excellent.
Villa, meanwhile, continue to draw around 42,000 for their league matches, which is just about capacity. The supporters deserve better.
Maybe it will come in the next week because, after Norwich, Villa go to bottom club
Watford on Saturday before the visit to Burnley on New Year’s Day.
IF Villa gain nine points from those three games they might be moving up the table and this column would reflect that.
But (as the late Nottingham Forest chairman Fred Reacher named his house) “IF ONLY”. Birmingham fans might think talk of relegation is harsh with their team nine points clear of the drop zone in the Championship. However, they have now lost three matches on the bounce and the new attacking style is no replacement for goals and wins.
Christmas is an important time and they go to Blackburn on Boxing Day before two contrasting home matches – against second-placed Leeds on Sunday before bottom club Wigan on New Year’s Day.
They are at struggling Luton on January 11 so, like Villa, have to win against the bottom clubs.
Crossing to rugby and a tight situation at the bottom of the Premiership where the club that finishes last at the end of the season is relegated.
At present, after the sixth round of matches, that spot is occupied by the champions and serial winners Saracens.
How come? Well, they have won five of their six matches but were found guilty of breaching the league’s salary cap after an inquiry into the business partnership between owner Nigel Wray and some of their players.
Saracens were deducted 32 points for this season and fined £5.3 million. Now that they are keeping their top players, they have reduced that to minus 13. They look likely NOT to be relegated but who will?
It is tight above Saracens. Leicester, who lost at home to leaders Exeter, have four points, Wasps (who threw away a 17-0 lead at home to Harlequins to lose as well) have six points and then come Bath with eight. Three former winning giants who are in changing times at present.
I was the guest of affable Wasps deputy chairman Nick Eastwood and his wife Deborah for the Quins match.
Wonderful hospitality, a cracking match against the Quins but a shattering result.
The crowd was 24,000 and we all enjoyed a simply fantastic firework display at the Ricoh afterwards. The best I have seen for a long time.
Wasps owner Derek Richardson has poured a fortune into the club, which is always a pleasure to visit.
Meanwhile, I am quietly confident that Villa, Blues and Wasps will survive but there is work to be done.
Coventry City continue to win at their host ground St Andrew’s but need to start winning away matches if they are to make the League One play-offs.
I am quietly confident that Villa, Blues and Wasps will survive (relegation) but there is work to be done.
Finally, I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and good results for all the Midlands sports teams. Back next Tuesday.