Leicester tomorrow, the January window, match stats from the BBC and Footballocracy

December was tough. We had seven matches and picked up ten points. It should have been better and if we want to be challenging for the top four it should have been. But we also had a Champions League match that we won and that has left us in fifth place with two games to go.

There is an element of looking to the Champions League position as a degree of success and if we were to win it, it would mean automatic qualification to next seasons Champions League, but we also have to be realistic. 

And in all things real world, we’re not going to win the Champions League, but because we are doing so well and so are other teams from the Premier League, there is a chance that the team that finishes fifth this season also gets in. So us doing well in one, maybe helps us with the other. 

And the other is also why I think we might have an interesting January. And by interesting, I mean we might see a player or two coming in. Don’t ask me how, but I just sense the one thing we’re missing is not that player for the long term, but that player that can get us over the line. 

And over the line isn’t the Champions League, but fixing our attacking options. And I think our attacking options are why we’re not looking like we did last season. Let me put it another way, if we’re attacking more and causing problems at one end of the pitch, the ball isn’t going to be at the other and we’re not going to concede as many as we are. And conceding is our problem. 

I wrote the other day about our goal difference this season so far to last season and for me it comes down to goals scoring – it’s like a swing. We score more, we’ll concede less, based on my logic above. Now I know that doesn’t always work out, but there is something in it. 

And this is why I think we’re going to have a good January. Or actually not the only reason. The other reason is we have owners that know how important it is to get Champions League again next season. Or at the very least, European football. And I believe they can make it happen and it will happen with a new player or two this window. 

And I really think it will be interesting, but this post is or should be about the football tomorrow. And tomorrow we have Leicester at Villa Park and this is a match we should be winning. Don’t get me wrong, not because it’s Leicester, but because it’s Ruud van Nistelrooy. And I’m not going to get started on the reasons why, but he’s in the job because the game is broken. Or mad. I’ll let you decide. 

I will however at one day in the future get into Ruud and why appointing foreign managers is going to kill the game though over on Footballocracy. And this is a little bit of news I have today and it’s that I’ve started a new blog! And I actually started it today. Footballocracy is basically a place for me to start writing about football things that are not related to Aston Villa.

And the reason I started it was because I quite like writing and find it quite relaxing and I also like to get my view out and even if nobody reads anything over on the new site, I’ll know that I’ve shared it. I might even link to the odd article every now and then, but I’m now going to whore it out here, don’t worry and nothing will change here.

It might actually turn out that I write more here. That’s the ultimate hope. And it’s a way for me to try a new platform. Right now, if you want to leave a comment you’ve basically got to register at the other platform, but I’m looking for ways to bring the commenting platform from here over there soon. 

Anyway, that’s me for now. I’m nearly a bottle done and I’m not feeling like I used to after a bottle, so I might have to open another. Or start in on the grappa. Either way, I’ll be back tomorrow and here most of the night probably as I’ll also be watching the darts in a couple of hours. It could turn out interesting. 

And on that, until tomorrow. 

Match facts from the BBC