At Cardiff, it all starts today, updates and team news

I started the post with something about Cardiff, then realised it's a new year and I should wish you all a happy new year. I could also mention that 2016 wasn't a good year for us, you know with relegation and all that, but I prefer to look on why 2017 will be a good year. Hopefully starting today.

And we really should win today. I mean, if we're to have any hope of promotion this year, we've got to win at clubs that are one place above the relegation zone. It's a simple as that. And that's the indicator for me. You might as well take promotion this year from the result today and every match that follows this season and possibly the rest of the year.

And again, this is really simple. If you win every game during a season you will be promoted as the winners of the League. If we won every game remaining in this season, it's likely we'd end up in the play-offs although possible too that we'd be automatically promoted. Don't we have to have that attitude and aren't we a Club that should be able to have that type of attitude and if we don't, shouldn't we be asking why?

But I have to accept that we're probably not going to be able to switch on that attitude and that we won't win every game remaining this season so it's likely that if we're to have any chance this season of getting promoted it will have to come from the play-offs. But you know what, if I accept that we've got to hope we get lucky, then I don't think it's too little for me to hope that we start to see some of that attitude.

We've too easily become a second rate side in the Championship with no desire or purpose. Steve Bruce was given the tough task after a massive gamble by the board and after the beating after beating this team has taken, it's not a switch. But this is a new year and still very much a new start under Bruce, but he's also had the time where he can start to ask it from the players or he can replace them.

And even though I'm not a fan of too many changes in a transfer window, after the mess that the board created at the start of this season, if the manager wants rid of four or five players they have to support him in getting replacements. He shouldn't be blamed for the amateur mistakes of the board. And yes, it just goes to show that experienced people can make amateur mistakes.

Starts today

So, everything is forgiven. The transfer window is open and if Bruce doesn't like a player or a player is unwilling to show the determination needed to be an Aston Villa player, he should be replaced. And we need to start acting like Aston Villa.

More importantly, I think supporters need to start believing that the name Aston Villa should mean something. And you can argue that the Club and players need to show something first, but it's a two way street and it has to be done together.

So that is it. There really isn't much more to write. We need to win today and we finally need to do it with some conviction. Team news an hour before kick off.