Aston Villa & Steve Bruce Enter Crisis Situation

Here we are. Thirty-one league matches into the Championship and Aston Villa Football Club are again in a relegation battle just one year after falling out of the Premier League. Oh, how the might have fallen.

Aston Villa dropped their fourth consecutive league match on Tuesday, falling to Barnsley 3-1. The defeat marks two losses in four days at Villa Park. Up next? Just a trip to St. James’ Park with the league leaders Newcastle United next Monday.

Most supporters expected a quick turnaround in England’s second division. After a summer takeover from Tony Xia, heavy summer investment, and renewed optimism at the club, many thought a top-six place was coming. Winning the league? Probably not, but surely a well-placed playoff spot was in the cards.

Fast forward two months into the season and Robert Di Matteo was sacked eleven matches into the season after a single victory – against the bottom feeders, Rotherham United. Summer captain Tommy Elphick lost his place in the first team and now serves as the club’s third central defender.

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Goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini inexplicably left for Atalanta on an eighteen month loan move. Aaron Tshibola left for Nottingham Forest on loan, as did forward Ross McCormack.

Club executives loaned away players who struggled last season, but may have helped in a different division: Jordan Veretout, Carles Gil, and Carlos Sanchez.

Together, the three of them play in Europe’s top leagues – receiving regular minutes with Saint-Etienne, Deportivo, and Fiorentina respectively.

Ritchie De Laet tore a cruciate ligament, leaving Alan Hutton as the team’s only true right back until the January window. Nathan Baker and Mile Jedinak dealt with nagging injuries and illness all season. Aston Villa lost Jordan Ayew and Jonathan Kodjia for nearly a full month due to AFCON.

Couple all of the above with constant backroom shakeups and the result ensues: chaos. Aston Villa are a chaotic club encircled in yet another crisis situation.

Just seven points separate Villa from 22nd-place Wigan Athletic. Who knows how deep this situation runs. From now until March, Villa play: 3rd-place Huddersfield Town, 6th-place Sheffield Wednesday, 7th-place Norwich City, and 11th-place Derby County.

Next: Jack Grealish Is Not Helping Himself

Aston Villa face Newcastle United on Monday, February 20th.

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