Home and AwayAston Villa are in a bigger predicament than they care to think
The widening gap in sentiment between the crisis-hit club’s absent American owner and loyal fans is only growing larger as relegation looms
Such was the shock of winning for the first time in 20 games, one Aston Villa fan asked to be reminded what was the opposite emotion to shame.
The 1-0 win over Crystal Palace midweek was indeed a rare moment of pride for the grand old club in its most torrid of seasons, one which has them perched on the edge of the abyss.
With 17 games remaining, the three points hardly touch the sides of the bucketful needed for survival.
But Remi Garde’s players sparked a glimmer of hope with a spirited display that had Villa fans cheering (for the first time in a very long time) their first home win of the season – a stark contrast to the spleen they vented at players after the FA Cup third-round draw at lowly Wycombe last weekend.
The geographical gulf between supporters and the owner is superseded by the massive division in sentiment
Villa fans hope that mission impossible is at least now under way, though the root cause of the club’s distressing malaise remains: an absent owner who has grown tired of his English Premier League toy.