Aston Villa started the season by conceding an own goal of sorts when Martin O’Neill left the club after a disagreement with owner Randy Lerner. And the subsequent appointment of Gerard Houllier and the uncertainty surrounding his reign during the first few days did nothing to ease the problems at the Birmingham-based club.
But the squad is slowly coming together under the Frenchman, with evidence in the form of a good performance against Fulham at Craven Cottage over the weekend.
But performances don’t count for anything unless the team gets the right result, and that has not quite been happening for Villa.
Their last victory in the league came in September, against Wolves, when Stewart Downing and Emile Heskey ensured victory at Molineux. But it has been a rocky road since, as Houllier’s charges have gone five games without registering a win.
Add to this the striker crisis with Agbonlahor, Carew and Heskey all sidelined, the gaffer has some cause for concern ahead of a match that would have been chalked down as a certain victory when the fixture list was announced.
Push for survival continues
Blackpool are in their maiden season in the Premier League, and survival will be the objective despite currently resting in the comfort of a mid-table position.
Ideally, manager Ian Holloway would take the table as it stands, which may even be a fair reflection on the performances put in by his charges. But there is still a long way to go before the end of the season, and there could be many a slip up between now and then.
The Seasiders have been fantastic on their travels, notching up three victories – which is more than any other team in the bottom half of the table. The win over Liverpool at Anfield was a real feather in Holloway’s cap, as his side capitalised on the Reds’ poor form to take away three points on their trip to Merseyside.
Now the boss will likely hope for something similar when his side make the trip to Villa Park, as the hosts have gone five games without a win.
TEAM NEWS
Aston Villa
Gerard Houllier has some selection issues after Nigel Reo-Coker (knee) sustained an injury during the recent draw with Fulham. And the problems are compounded due to skipper Stiliyan Petrov (knee) being sidelined as well.Barry Bannan could keep his place in the starting line-up after a strong performance at Craven Cottage, while Ciaran Clark could also start.
Stephen Ireland and Steve Sidwell could be gunning for starting roles, but the French boss could be in line to keep his faith in his young players.
The injuries to Gabriel Agbonlahor (groin), John Carew (calf) and Emile Heskey (knee) means that Nathan Delfouneso should start again.
Possible starting XI: Friedel; L Young, Collins, Dunne, Warnock; Bannan, Clark; Downing, A Young, Albrighton; Delfouneso.
Blackpool
Billy Clarke and Alex Baptiste (both knee) remain sidelined, while veteran forward Brett Ormerod is still doubtful of making this encounter.Manager Ian Holloway recently maintained that he would rotate his squad due to games being in quick succession, and the manager could tinker with his line-up to manage fatigue or to prevent any potential injuries.
Possible starting XI: Gilks; Eardley, Cathcart, Evatt, Crainey; Vaughan, Southern, Adam; Harewood, Campbell, Grandin.
Prediction
Aston Villa are finally coming together as a team and could notch up a victory to resurrect a season that has not gone as planned.
Aston Villa 2-1 Blackpool 
