Bruce after twenty and Millwall on Saturday

I was reminded in a comment yesterday about my twenty game statement. I made that when after three games many were asking for Bruce to be sacked. It was also around the time when Alex Bruce, the managers son, slapped Howard Hodgson about on Twitter and when I suggested that Howard Hodgson was a petulant child that liked to have his arse slapped about a bit, that my Twitter account was locked.

Remember those days? You should, it was only a few weeks ago and now we're at twenty games. And at twenty games we're sitting comfortably in the top six and within touching distance of the top two.

On top of all that, The Clowns are in the bottom three. And you know what, I've enjoyed this season so far. And I'm looking forward to the next one.

I'm not sure we're going to get promoted. It's always harder the second time and while it is absolutely possible, to go up automatically or even through the play-offs, I'm not actually that bothered if we go up or not. Because I've enjoyed this season.

And yes, we're Aston Villa and we should be competing at the top of the game. But do you think we're going to compete in the Premier League when our owner is playing the role of senior manager, pitching his services, from company to company?

Do you really think he has the money to help Aston Villa challenge? I mean, if he did have the money why are we still to learn how much Recon have paid for sponsorship around the stadium and on the shirt this season. I mean, we're so fearful of Financial Fair Play - why wasn't this considered when negotiating the fee for the sponsorship?

Or was is really just £1 for Recon to advertise around Villa Park and on the shirt? If the owner has the money to challenge in the Premier League, why are we struggling with Financial Fair Play in the Championship?

Bottom line, when the owner came in, he was too involved in football matters and on social media. Fortunately both have been fixed. His only involvement since Steve Bruce has come in is to play a game of ping pong with Sam Johnstone. That's all he's good for and it's where his involvement should remain?

Millwall on Saturday

So, all things written, we're a point from third and seven from second with twenty six games remaining. The owner is as far away as we can put him, so far in fact that we has to book presentations with the squad to get close to the side and to keep him happy with have to put quotes on the wall of him. And on current form, he'll have to "own" the club for a further 48 seasons to match the number of times Randy Lerner visited Villa Park or he'll need to get a tattoo on his leg.

And with Millwall on Saturday, we could find ourselves third by close of business. And after Leeds, we need the win. I wrote before Leeds that my fear was we'd not go and want the win and it played out. It could have been worse, but look at the results around us. Had we really wanted to win the match, we'd have gone out and after five minutes, attacked them for the next forty.

We didn't do that and you can easily suggest or argue that we played not to lose. If that was the plan and that was what we got and if Bruce gets us promoted at the end of the season, you'll take it on the chin. But if at the end of the season we miss out on automatic promotion by one point, you'd be forgiven if you were a little annoyed.

Don't get me wrong, I want to go up because it really is where we should be playing. But if we don't it wont bother me that much and I'm fairly convinced our charlatan owner doesn't have the necessary money for us to compete, so it only means mid-table and that means more defeats than wins.

It's funny you see, because it's the winning that I've quite liked this season.

Anyway, twenty games in and we're doing okay. So much better than so many predicted after three games. I also think we'll win on Saturday. We have to win on Saturday to make up for Leeds.

And I know some wont agree and it will be the same group that wanted Steve Bruce sacked after three games, but surely you can't be that disappointed now after twenty games, or do you still want him to be sacked and if you do, is that because you like the Championship too?

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