Our Home Record Laid Bare

With a season in the Championship beginning in just over five weeks, many Villa fans are now beginning to come to terms with and even look forwards to the upcoming season. And with good reason. The last five years in the Premier League have, by and large, been a struggle. Personally, I am glad of the change, as watching Villa had become a challenge of endurance rather than the pleasure that it once was.

In particular, the opportunity for those attending Villa Park on a regular basis must be absolutely drooling at the prospect of seeing some positive results for a change. Laid bare, the home record over the last five years makes absolutely shocking reading. 

Since the 2011/2012 season, Villa haven’t managed to win more than six games at Villa Park in one season. Considering we play nineteen games at home, this is abysmally poor. In fact, Last season reached unacceptable status, with just two wins at home all season. With fifty seven points up for grabs each campaign, we haven’t managed to gather more than twenty one in any one season. Last season we accumulated just eleven.

Extrapolated over those five seasons, we have played a total of ninety five league games. We have won a grand total of twenty two games at Villa Park. It’s actually astounding to have won so few games. We have lost forty seven of those, which equates to just under half at 49.5%.

 

And when it comes to goal scoring, the fans have also been let down badly. Just fourteen at home all last season. It’s pitiful. We haven’t mustered more than twenty three during this last five year period. In fact, during those ninety five league games, we average just a tad over a goal a game with ninety seven scored in total. Hardly value for money through those lean winter months.  

 

The full record can be seen below. It is not a pretty sight...

 

 

Many reasons and theories have been put forward as to why we have been so bad at home over this period. From the young kids feeling under pressure in front of expectant supporters, right to the notion that supporters have created a poisonous atmosphere. In truth, the reason is that we have been a very pitiable team for the last five years. The bottom line is that the players haven’t been good enough. The management hasn’t been good enough and right to the very top of the club, things have never been right in the boardroom. Investment has been minimal, decisions have been poor and the wrong people have been winging it for far too long. 

Playing for Aston Villa, and at Villa Park, should be a privilege. With the takeover now complete, there is hope that the mistakes of the last five years can be eradicated and some good times can return to our wonderful club. We may be in the Championship, but at least that gives us the opportunity to send supporters home happy on a Saturday evening on a much more regular basis.