Paul Lambert Sacked by Aston Villa

Is the headline that many in the media are waiting for as this once proud club stumble from humiliating loss after loss into certain relegation from England's top flight.

If this most likely outcome does eventuate come May, it would be the first time Villa are relegated from the top flight since the 1986-87 season.

Yes, at the time, the All Blacks were just about to commence their first ever Rugby World Cup campaign at home and the Simpsons were still shorts on the Tracey Ullman show.

And most of Aston Villa's current first team weren't even born then, e.g. Nathan Baker, Ciaran Clark, Ashley Westwood, Barry Bannan, Fabian Delph, etc.

Perhaps, the fact they have no recollection of that relegation might be why the boys along with the manager don't appear to have grasped the fact that they're about to send a football giant into the netherworld of the Football League.

There appears to be no system and no plan to win matches. There are a lot of kids but no masters to lead the way. It is hard to believe that Paul Lambert was the same manager who led Norwich to Premier League survival from League Two.

So is there any hope for Aston Villa fans this season?

With no more Cup commitments to worry about, here are Aston Villa's remaining fixtures -

February 2013
Everton v Aston Villa Sat 2 Feb 15:00
Aston Villa v West Ham Sun 10 Feb 13:30
Arsenal v Aston Villa Sat 23 Feb 15:00

March 2013 
Aston Villa v Man City Mon 4 Mar 20:00
Reading v Aston Villa Sat 9 Mar 15:00
Aston Villa v QPR Sat 16 Mar 15:00
Aston Villa v Liverpool Sun 31 Mar 13:30

April 2013 
Stoke v Aston Villa Sat 6 Apr 15:00
Aston Villa v Fulham Sat 13 Apr 15:00
Man Utd v Aston Villa Sat 20 Apr 15:00
Aston Villa v Sunderland Sat 27 Apr 15:00

May 2013 
Norwich v Aston Villa Sat 4 May 15:00
Aston Villa v Chelsea Sun 12 May 15:00
Wigan v Aston Villa Sun 19 May 16:00

To be honest, given Villa's atrocious form, it is difficult to pinpoint games where Villa can pick up points and pull away from the drop zone. However, March certainly shapes to be a huge month for the Villains with two six-pointers in two weeks against sides currently threatened with relegation. However, Reading at home have been tough to beat - as Chelsea amongst other teams have found out - and QPR are a side on the up thanks to Harry Redknapp and some big signings.

So sadly, Aston Villa, rudderless and bereft of experience and a plan, are set for life in the Championship only 4 years after almost finishing in the Champions League. Alas, the Championship is awash with sides like that - Leeds United, Blackburn Rovers, etc.

Might want to wish my blog title was true then.