Thirteen games into the season and already some English Premier League clubs will be feeling concerned about the position they find themselves in. One such club is Aston Villa who currently sit last on the table.
With one win from 13 and in desperate need of some points, where has it all gone wrong for Aston Villa?
Villa were not coming off the most successful 2014-15 campaign. Manager Paul Lambert was sacked in February 2015 with Villa starring down the barrel of relegation, before Tim Sherwood arrived to stave off relegation and finish 17th.
It was vital Villa got things right in the off-season but it is obvious things have not gone according to plan.
Losing key players Fabian Delph and Christian Benteke was not ideal, but the club did try to strengthen the squad considerably to offset those losses. Scott Sinclair and Micah Richards joined from Manchester City and boyhood Aston Villa fan Joleon Lescott arrived from West Brom.
The club spent significantly with the additions of Idrissa Gueye, Jordan Amavi, Jordan Ayew, Jordan Veretout, Rudy Gestede and Adama Traoré. Many came with big wraps but performance has simply not warranted the money spent, with Villa dishing out more than £50 million.
The managerial merry-go-round at Aston Villa continued with Sherwood sacked from the club on the October 24 as Villa languished in last position. Frenchman Remi Garde was appointed manager on a three-and-a-half-year deal.
He will have no doubts about the size of the task ahead of him. The first match in charge for Garde saw Villa earn a point against Manchester City, however last week Everton mauled Villa 4-0. What will be of most concern is the scoreline was somewhat flattering; Everton could have doubled their advantage.
Former boss John Gregory did not hold back on his thoughts about the predicament Villa find themselves in this week.
“You are only as good as the players you sign, I would like to know who signed them. I don’t think Tim Sherwood signed too many of them I have to say. Whoever did sign them should be held accountable because there have been some very poor signings.
“You hope things are going to improve, but I can’t see it happening at the moment. The current situation has been coming for a long time, they have been flirting with it a lot. There doesn’t seem to be a Plan A or a Plan B.”
Aston Villa need to start winning games, starting tonight against Watford, before the task gets too difficult. The preparation for this game has not been helped with youngster Jack Grealish dropped from the squad for disciplinary reasons after the 20-year-old spent Saturday night partying and drinking at a Manchester nightclub following the disastrous loss to Everton.
It is not ideal as Aston Villa need all hands on deck to try and turn things around. The current season marks Aston Villa’s 28th consecutive season in the top flight. Will they be plying their trade in the Championship next season?
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