As of today, we're three points from 19th and tonight we're playing the team 18th only two points behind us. It's only because the team 17th in the table are not playing that we can't end up in the relegation zone. But that's a false narrative; we're okay, things are going in the right direction and silverware beckons.
But don't take my words for it, after the game against Chelsea Mourinho said it best for me by pointing out that if we were relegated “it is not because of the quality of their players”. But who puts any credibility on what Mourinho has to say?
But all that is history and I'm firmly of the belief that Lambert is the one to keep us out of the Championship, because disruption now could be catastrophic and it all starts tonight. Tonight, Aston Villa need three points because as the table stands we need five more wins to be safe and it's the teams below us that are the important victories, because that keeps the gap.
Tonight is actually one of those games that could define the season. Three points could be the medicine needed to make the players believe that they can do this while defeat would mean we're closer to the bottom three, could actually find ourselves in the bottom three tomorrow. But again, this is all a false narrative, but then again it's how you define a false narrative, I mean we're 16th, it's not as if we're actually in the relegation zone.
Six pointers
And this game is a six pointer, just like the one coming up at the weekend. If we could play both games today and win both, we'd be in 12th ahead of Everton. These two games are massive for Aston Villa and they're both six pointers. In fact we have to win all the games against the sides below us and pick up points with teams around us.
With fourteen games to go, there are no false narratives because right now, we're in trouble. I think we'll survive, only because I think that even though we're pretty bad there are sides below us that are worse ... just.
But all this is just opinion. This post is about tonight and you have to fancy that the likes of Sinclair and Benteke will start and maybe don't be surprised to see Sanchez start, but not in place of Cleverley, who the manager is apparently not picking because of a clause in the contract. I can't believe he answered that question.
And with that, we'll have team news later, updates throughout the day, because there will be updates today but hopefully good ones. Hopefully it's three points tonight, because if we do get them, it will make it easier to believe we're not heading into the abyss. Because whatever the CEO and owner think, these days a club like us do not come straight up and there is no way of knowing what will come next.