I woke up and it all looked good. The sun shining, a contract or two in my back pocket, and not the merest whiff of a hangover. And then I got thinking.

It isn't beyond the realms of possibility that Everton will beat Wigan at Goodison this weekend, or that Villa will lose at Old Trafford. In fact, if you were a betting man, the odds on that double would not exactly make your mouth water. That will leave Everton a point behind Villa.

Now I'm normally a writer with a tendency to irritate readers with my desperate optimism. But even I look at this, expect us to lose at home to the Toffees, accept that we will finish sixth again, look forward with only the most half-hearted anticipation to the UEFA Cup (or the Europa Also-rans League or whatever it's going to be called) and feel like giving up.

You see, Gareth Barry and Ashley Young will leave if we finish sixth. Both have the quality to play Champions League football and to play for top sides here in the EPL or further afield. It wouldn't be disloyalty if they left, it would be lucrative common sense for them, and decent money for Villa. And then Villa would be able to go out and spend that money on lots more Marlon Harewoods and Steve Sidwells, players whom are just about good enough to cement our top six position and put up a decent show in the frankly bloody tiresome Eurovision Mid-table Trophy.

Martin O'Neill will continue to send out well-drilled, hard working sides, based on British players with fire in their belly and a bit of talent to boot. They'll huff and puff their way to 5th or 6th each season, battling hard with Everton and Spurs for the honour of being the nearest challenger to the Big 4. And most of it will be pretty good. We'll take some surprise points off one or two of the big four each season, and we'll have the odd celebrity visit from one of Europe's top sides who, by way of aberration, have slipped and ballsed up their Champions League campaign. Who knows, maybe we'll even turn them over.

The thing that's depressed me is this: I had a bit of a "Sliding Doors" moment.

I reckon if we had shut the door on Stoke, instead of leaving it wide open ... if Gabby had put that chance away for 3-0, like my 7-year-old son would have done, everything would have turned out differently.

Villa would have scraped fourth place, and made it to the full group stages of the Champions League. Barry and Young would have stayed and flourished, joined by a handful of seriously high-quality players lured by Europe's big stage. Randy would have knocked down the North Stand, and built a superb "second Holte End", taking the capacity to 50,000 and filling it every week.

My god, it would have been great.

But we left the door open, didn't we. So it's Heskey and Knight for us, and maybe we can look forward to Latex Lovelace again, or whatever their name is. Great.

I'm off to Blockbuster now. It is called "Sliding Doors", isn't it?

Comments (37)

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Chris Harper said:

... Good, comical read Doc Life is full of ifs and buts but at the end of the day we have to accept what actually happens. We could still go onto getting a 4th place finish.....then we would be asking-Could we of finished 2nd if we would have closed the door on Stoke??

Comment 1, made on April 01, 2009 at 9.51 am

Cavan said:

... DOC, But thats football and its why we love it, anything can happen, the arse have played all the easier games now, and they will struggle against wigan i recon, teams that will go there and defend arsenal tend to struggle, then theyve got trips to man u liverpool and chelsea, if we can get a spirited draw against man u then get a result against everton, we could go on a run, when we have to play the easier games and then we might topple arsenal, it might not work out like that but lets not be pessimistic for being 3 points behind arsenal going into april, as if we had been offerd that at the start of the season, we would of snatached it with two hands!

Comment 2, made on April 01, 2009 at 9.53 am

andrew said:

... Doc,we could have done the whole of English football a favour by acheiving 4th but for a lack of ambition in the transfer window and sm terrible displays, we find ourselves scraping for 5th with Everton who haven't had a striker all effin season.If we do not spend some serious money and im talkin 60 mil next season, we will never win anything.Aston Villa a club that will just tick over acheiving nothing.

Comment 3, made on April 01, 2009 at 10.05 am

Doc said:

... Cavan, you're right. The druid is mixing me up some more happy potion right now.

Comment 4, made on April 01, 2009 at 10.24 am

Michael said:

... it gets worse damian today we are linked with dickson etuhu from fulham!! i can actually see this one happening as its only for £3million (we will probably pay £5million tho) hes young and also english (i think) theres only one player we should get from fulham and thats brede hangeland who we were after a few years ago, but even then - we should be going for better.

Comment 5, made on April 01, 2009 at 10.33 am

Lee Jelley said:

... Can people stop this 1st post shit! I'm sick of reading the first post and instead of seeing something interesting all I see is some moron who has nothing to say!

Comment 6, made on April 01, 2009 at 10.57 am

Woz said:

... I feel sick

Comment 7, made on April 01, 2009 at 11.17 am

Tim Hillman said:

... Doc, I am usually not the most positive Villa fan, in fact I go into every game thinking we will probably lose, however this season has been different. For once I look at a fixture and think you know what we should beat them or we could go to one of the top four and get something. Ok the wheels have fallen off slightly and we have a bit of a slip up but I think every club goes through these at least once a season. I look at our potential squad for Sunday and it fills me with confidence. Friedel (one of the best prem keepers in the last 10 years!). Luke young (solid and reliable), Davies (Future England regular), Laursen/ Cueller (International defenders who wear there hearts on their sleeves). Bouma (Eager to play and contribute and will give us back that much needed balance). Milner (Record signing,always eager and hard working), Petrov (player of the year), Barry (voted Englands 2nd best player last season), Sidwell (Ginger!!!), Webcam (best player who on his day can terrorise defences!), Carew/ Gabby (bigger than me and you and will score a goal or two, As fast as lightning and is due a goal). Man Utd who have they got??? Yes We Can!!!

Comment 8, made on April 01, 2009 at 11.48 am

legend said:

... ...same old, same old focus on our 'weaknesses' and suggest our best players with ability will leave, why not add that our 7 away wins were all lucky flukes etc. I personally think Aston Villa players and Martin O'Neill will have learnt some valuable lessons about themselves this season. Thank God we have achieved so much to put ourselves in that position. The question is how we can use this to improve on what we already know.

Comment 9, made on April 01, 2009 at 11.57 am

Damian said:

... legend That's why this summer is so important .. I hope we act as we should, I think we will, mostly because we need to. Should make for an interesting summer.

Comment 10, made on April 01, 2009 at 12.03 pm

taglor said:

... So how come I have taken no amount of shit for this opinion just because I had foresight? Yet a writer on here gets kudos and applause maximus?

Comment 11, made on April 01, 2009 at 12.40 pm

MBE said:

... while I dont want to settle for second best and would love to finish 4th and really kick on. it takes time. i think people on this site have only been villa fans for about 2 years, finishing 5th or 6th every year which is slated above would actually be an amazing achievement on the past 10 years. were any of you around for taylor mark 2? or oleary? when going to villa park was horrific?

Comment 12, made on April 01, 2009 at 1.25 pm

Mike F said:

... WAY TOO SOON to give up on the season (or next). Our last 6 fixtures could produce 18 points (or at least 12). Arseanl have a tough stretch in April and could play 8 times to our 4. 4th place is there for the taking. UTV

Comment 13, made on April 01, 2009 at 1.45 pm

Chris Harper said:

... Yes MBE I have been around for 14 years and had a season ticket when O'Leary was in charge....We managed to win about 3 games (One of which I missed on Boxing day because had to go n see my dad and we beat bolton 4-0!!) and lose plenty of others....whats your point?

Comment 14, made on April 01, 2009 at 1.50 pm

andrew said:

... MBE...teams like Wigan, Fulham, and Bolton are the kind of team who should be satisfied with finishing 5/6th.We are Aston Villa european cup winners (when it was hard to. win it) super cup winners, 7 times F.A cup winners etc why the hell should we be satisfied with finishing 5/6th?.We have the fanbase the ground the training facilities the chairman ,manager and even the team to deliver 4th, so its about bloody time we go out and do it.

Comment 15, made on April 01, 2009 at 1.50 pm

Paul Egan said:

... This has got to be an April fool, right?! Surely the Doc can't be so downbeat? Where's the usual positive angle? 1. That Arsenal still have to play Chelsea, Liverpool and Man U as well as difficult Champions League games? 2. That if we're still within 3-4 points of them with 3 games to go we've still got a decent chance? 3. That after playing us, Everton have got to travel to Man U and Chelsea? Come on guys, don't throw in the towel just yet!

Comment 16, made on April 01, 2009 at 1.59 pm

MBE said:

... my point is that was terrible, were a million miles from that now and are improving season on season yet its not enough for people look at other teams who nearly finished 4th and sacked maanger, spurs etc, where did it get them? we need to ahve a bit of perspective

Comment 17, made on April 01, 2009 at 2.04 pm

Adey Stuttard said:

... Bit of a downbeat article Doc!! Bottom line is, if we don;t make 4th does it really matter that much whether we are 5th or 6th? I cannot see Ashley Young leaving at the end of the season, and if he does we get a shedload for him (enough to potentially buy 2 decent players?), however if he does move, would he be happy being a bit part player, bench warming and possibly losing his England place (a la SWP). Yes, we do need to build and as much as we want it "tomorrow", it will take time and we need to be patient - I think this seasons' timing was crucial in that MoN sacrificed the UEFA Cup for a Top 4 finish (although it is still not over!). Had we been a distant 5-6th, I believe a full team would have gone to Moscow, and win would have firmly cemented us as favourites - look at the UEFA now, Man City favourites, wtf?

Comment 18, made on April 01, 2009 at 2.29 pm

Dan Price said:

... Come on guys, Arsenal could realistically take 0 points from their games against the top 3... leaving us 6 points behind (after man utd) with 2 games in hand... not the worst position in the world... and if we cant beat everton at home then we dont deserve 4th. Man u Will ruin arsenal and Liverpool right now are the team to beat... not to mention that chelsea are maybe the hardest team to break down (no matter how many fancy triangles you have) in the world. The league table doesnt look too great at the moment, but it is filled with lies as we are just finishing our hard stretch and they have the 3 hardest games of the season to come! it might not happen but it is all very doable!

Comment 19, made on April 01, 2009 at 2.38 pm

Christian said:

... When do Arsenal play United, Chelsea and Liverpool? I ask because my fear is that United may have wrapped it up by the time these games go ahead, meaning all 3 will concentrate on Champions League and not really worry too much about league form, making it a lot easier for Arsenal than, say, they had to play next weekend...

Comment 20, made on April 01, 2009 at 2.46 pm

Chris Harper said:

... You would be in deep depression if you were still over on o*****e Doc.... Looks like they have stopped the blog again...Nothing since Monday but the comment count is embracing to say the least....and most of them are from Mockley!

Comment 21, made on April 01, 2009 at 3.05 pm

villarobin said:

... MBE ive supported them since i was a kid and we were winning the Europen Cup, this is precisely why we have such big dreams and expectations , because we know it is possible to do at Villa and we shouldnt settle for 5th / 6th. Realistically however due to lack of investment / bad management over the years it will take time and we are heading in the right direction, but i do feel we need to step it up slightly and go for slightly bigger players / bigger wages. If we combine our fantastic management with more nouse for new signings (Modric etc) we would be flying.

Comment 22, made on April 01, 2009 at 3.07 pm

Chris Harper said:

... comment count is embracing to say the least Whoopps! Should have said embarrassing!

Comment 23, made on April 01, 2009 at 3.26 pm

Michael said:

... i love villa but in 25 years we have won the league cup twice. i hate it when villa fans (HOOLEY) bring up winning the european cup and fa cup 7 times, european cup was in 82 and we havnt won the fa cup in over 50 years. i dont think we should be classed as a big team at the moment, i mean blackburn won the premier league 15 years ago, and 6 fa cups, are they a big team? i dont think so. so until we win atleast 2 fa cups, the premiership, or at least finish in the top 3 a few years in a row and get to another european cup final then we can be called a big team again.

Comment 24, made on April 01, 2009 at 3.30 pm

Anthony Laud said:

... I assume this is an april fools doc as you are stating and making the point that many people said would happen at the start of the season and yet you shot them down! you did this yourself with an article that was entitled something like "now is the time to tell the moaners they were wrong and rub it in" when we were flying in the league!

Comment 25, made on April 01, 2009 at 4.02 pm

Chris Harper said:

... Clever Mr Tonebone! I could do with O'Neill's help being as though he's so hot on criminology! Mr Sister in laws house has been cleared out while she's been at work! Bet it was a bluenose!

Comment 26, made on April 01, 2009 at 4.16 pm

AAA said:

... Doc...So you are saying this was all as a result of a 'slidind door' situation. Get feckin real. Do you live in the real world. While I agree 4th is still possible, it went pear-shaped ebcause MON did not do his job and get a team to deal with the situation. It's all QED really. You don't run a successful business without the proper and correct numbers of staff. Chris...Making assumptions at the scene of a crime leads to failure.

Comment 27, made on April 01, 2009 at 5.08 pm

Michael said:

... yea chris....it could have been a scouser. whats this sliding door stuff? the film bored me so never watched it all. in o'nels defence, i doubt he deliberately tried not to buy anyone, i believe that the option that was right for villa wasnt available to him, we could have easily went out and splashed the cash and bought craig bellamy, jermaine defoe etc and had them not fit in and sold them next season for half what we payed for them, but we never, weve still got a squad who gel well with each other and dont cause a bad atmosphere when they dont get picked every week and are happy to be here. im hapy with 5th this season, its higher than last season, higher than the season b4 and higher than the season b4 that. were improving each year and for a team that hasnt done anything for 25 years then that is a great place to be.

Comment 28, made on April 01, 2009 at 5.28 pm

James said:

... I'm very tempted to join in Doc. We are low. We will get beat by United and Everton. BUT I read taglor and I fight the rising tide of depression. I will not surrender. Who are the biggest threat to the Big 4? Who would you rather support? Who would you prefer to manage us? In MON we trust.

Comment 29, made on April 01, 2009 at 6.33 pm

Martin Clabon said:

... taglor, please take this in the spirit it is intended, which is constructive: - Doc has proved himself to be a positive Villa fan so his occasional downer has shock value - you not so much - Doc like the rest of us is clearly hurting from the current position, it feels like you relish it when we do badly rather than suffer (even if this is not true you come across like that) - Doc does not claim to like Wrestlig more than football - Doc does not indicate views mocking working class people - Doc writes with clarity and imagination and compex angles (sometimes) so now we are all wondering about his motives It is not what you say sometimes but how you say it. You want us to apologise for criticising your views when 80% of people suspected/ feared it would all go wrong but wanted to support the team not slag them off and constantly criticise and relish defeats Now it's a free world and we can all do what we like but if you show passion for the club, that it really matters to you when we lose, it makes you sick when they slip out of the top 4 and you fear for the future and celebrate when we win people will take you much more seriously Alternatively carry on as you are but don't expect people to apologise or big you up for predicting what they feared all along has indeed happened

Comment 30, made on April 01, 2009 at 7.55 pm

fastbackace said:

... i donno if im the only one who believes this, but i saw an artical saying villa have signed De la red on a precontract. http://www.villatalk.com/index...&sid=3998 any truth to it??? anyone? damian???

Comment 31, made on April 01, 2009 at 8.26 pm

James said:

... fastbackace You funny man you.

Comment 32, made on April 01, 2009 at 10.32 pm

fastbackace said:

... well shi*, if im not gullable im a pro player. damn i wish i was a pro player. lol

Comment 33, made on April 01, 2009 at 10.50 pm

James said:

... My guess is that that was gonna be Damian's funny day special, but he realised that several nameless individuals would work themselves up into a such a lather of loathing that they'd need to be put down. The loss of a beloved pet, even one with nasty habits, is always difficult, and certainly not good for Blog Business.

Comment 34, made on April 02, 2009 at 12.08 am

taglor said:

... SCOWLOVECHILD What is wrestlig? I am working class How did you come up with the figure of 80% for Villa fans that believed that? Did you conduct a quantitative or qualitative survey from every Villa fan there is? I was being sarcastic, I neither need nor want recognition from any human

Comment 35, made on April 02, 2009 at 12.38 am

Ramon Maklouf said:

... So how come I have taken no amount of shit for this opinion just because I had foresight? Yet a writer on here gets kudos and applause maximus? I haven't bothered reading the rest of the comments after this one but I will tell you this... The reason you do not get applauded is because I have NEVER seen yu say/type anything positive about Villa... The team yu supposedly support? Abit like what SidCowanslovechild mentioned... Support your team, and then when yu enter depression, like a couple of us, we will appreciate your views! 4TH IS STILL POSSIBLE. I'd rather look stupid hoping my team succeed then allmighty when my team fail! UTV - Baa Baa !

Comment 36, made on April 02, 2009 at 1.54 am

Martin Clabon said:

... taglor, as long as you're happy I am love and hugs

Comment 37, made on April 02, 2009 at 12.14 pm

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