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The Tufts Daily
Where you read it first | Friday, March 29, 2024

On the Spot: Why Aston Villa might have been the worst Premier League team ever

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“Proud History, No Future,” read some of the banners.

“No Fight, No Pride, No Effort,"  read some others.

I do not remember watching a Premier League team with such a proud legacy of being European champions demonstrate such little spine, and it has been difficult to watch this team play or say anything positive about their season.

You would think that they could have built on their impressive end to last season. You would think that Tim Sherwood’s energy would have been infectious enough, yet the FA Cup Final defeat to Arsenal was more of a preview for this season than an anomaly compared to the conclusion of the last. Tim Sherwood has gone, and his replacement, Rémi Garde, has too. They’re stalling on his replacement — because they know they’d be playing Championship football next season.

You would think that they might have strengthened their team after narrowly escaping relegation last year, but having lost key players like Fabian Delph and Christian Benteke  who are now playing only bit-part roles at their new clubs — they’ve gone backwards. To have your defense centered around Joleon Lescott — a player past his prime and sold by West Bromwich Albion and Tony Pulis, who recognizes defensive importance — suggests his irrelevance to a defensively-minded coach. They’ve even released players like Ron Vlaar, who, despite his injuries, is an excellent option at center-back.

Yes, they’ve signed a good player in Jordan Ayew, but to sign Blackburn Rovers’ Rudy Gestede as a replacement for Benteke reflects their lack of ambition. Jack Grealish, a promising youngster, has had his development stalled when he could have provided a spark in their otherwise futile attack.  It is probably safe to say that these players who don’t start for Villa, and probably Brad Guzan too, are the only ones that might find a way into other Premier League starting elevens.

Points-wise that may not be true, but in terms of their legacy, this has got to be the sorriest story ever in Premier League relegation history. Other teams who’ve gotten fewer points than Villa in Premier League history, such as Sunderland and Derby County, have given more to their fight for survival than I’ve seen this Aston Villa team ever give in any match.

Remember, this is a Villa side that, just six years ago, finished sixth and had the likes of Ashley Young, Stewart Downing and James Milner playing under Martin O’Neill. But part of Villa’s downfall has been Randy Lerner’s unwillingness to back the manager in the transfer market, and even when he has, their inability to recruit smartly has cost them.

We should have seen this decline coming with their unwillingness to recruit. With all due respect, players like Ashley Westwood and Jordan Veretout are not in the same class as Villa’s more illustrious former players. They’ve tried to bring the youngsters through the youth system, but they’ve not been guided by more senior, experienced heads and have been coached instead by mediocre managers like Alex McLeish and Paul Lambert. The former got Villa rivals Birmingham relegated and the latter currently manages Blackburn Rovers. Enough said, really.