The day Alex McLeish was appointed manager, I called it a dark day and not just because he was our new manager, but because and mostly because, that was the most our owner thought of us. I also told those that would listen that we would get served up the type of football that we have had served up for a long time now.
I'm telling you again; it isn't going to get better and it can only get worse under this manager, which is why he will be gone soon and why he will not be given next season. But supporters have a part to play. A massive part.
Talk is that not many season tickets have been sold. Attendances are down. Thousands are staying away and thousands more are threatening it. This is the only thing this owner understands and seeing as it has come to this and seeing as speculation is mounting that the manager is going to go, supporters have to keep doing what they are doing.
Horrible, horrible times
But something needs to be emphasised here. This is the last resort. The club didn't listen to the supporters when the speculation started that Alex McLeish could get the job. They didn't read the graffiti. They didn't look at the thousands that turned up at Villa Park. They've not taken notice of the petitions or the Facebook group with over 15,000 supporters.
This owner does not listen. He doesn't talk. He doesn't care about anything other than what he can get out of Aston Villa and if you threaten that, he will take notice and if speculation is to be believed, he is.
So, if the supporters are not listened to and Randy Lerner is poised to take another huge dump on Aston Villa, what choice do supporters have? And I'll say this; yes, where he came from did play a part in it, but he relegated them twice, had a Premier League win record of one in four and none of this was a revelation. If that isn't taking a huge dump on Villa Park, nothing is
Time for a fight
If Bolton win the two games in hand they have over us. they would be level on points with us but most likely below us as our goal difference is better, but then we have to hope we pick up the same results as Bolton for the rest of the season to stay ahead of them. I'm not sure that will happen, but we could get lucky.
Wigan are finding the type of form that Roberto Martinez wishes they started the season with and there is every chance that they will jump ahead of us soon. It only takes for us to draw the next match and for them to win and we drop a place.
Now is the time to fight and this manager, with two relegations in three previous seasons, has demonstrated, more often than not, that he doesn't have it in him. On the other hand, Villa Park does. Get rid of him now and you will see people coming back to Villa Park. Keeping him on and while I don't think we are going to drop into the bottom three, people will continue to stay away.
Sunderland next
Fortunately for us, new manager syndrome seems to have worn off at Sunderland but we all know Martin O'Neill will get his lads up for this match and we all know what our manager will do. This game has draw written all over it.
And that point will be valuable for us, even if it does see us dropping a place. You see, every point is important now because the teams below us will not be consistently picking up three. But with this match coming up; time for a prediction and not the result. What will the attendance be? Your guess below please.