John Gidman is ready to return to first team duty against Oldham tomorrow as Aston Villa attempt to strengthen their bright promotion hopes.

Gidman, the England Under-23 full-back, is standing by to replace John Robson, who has a damaged ligament in his right knee.

Both Robson and leading goalscorer, Ray Graydon, who has a suspected hamstring injury, are doubtful for the Villa Park clash.

They were seen by the Villa specialist yesterday and both had pain-killing injections.

But Ron Saunders, Villa’s manager, said last night: “Their chances of playing do not look too bright at the moment. Robson took a painful knock on his knee and Graydon’s injury is worrying.”

The injuries could not have come at a worse time for Villa as they launch their last assault in their Centenary year to return to the First Division.

With five games remaining they can ill-afford to be without key players, particularly as promotion rivals Norwich, Sunderland and Bristol City are breathing down their necks.

Saunders believes that Villa might have to take six points from their games with Oldham, Blackpool Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland and Norwich to achieve their promotion objective.

“I know we have games in hand over our main rivals, but what matters most is that we continue to win all our remaining games,” he said.

If Gidman is called up to replace Robson it will be his first game in the senior side since his Bonfire night accident when he was hit in the eye by a rocket.

He was substitute at Orient on March 22 but did not come on.

The injury to Graydon, who has scored 27 League and Cup goals this season, is equally annoying.

But the recent form of Brian Little, Keith Leonard and Chico Hamilton in attack could offset their fears.

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*Birmingham Daily Post*
Monday, 14 April 1975

Little the hero in Villa rout By RANDALL NORTHAM

When a team scores five times in a match it is perfidious to remember the goals they missed - but that’s what remains in the mind after this mixture of the brilliant and bizarre from Aston Villa.

Nudging that memory for top place was the outstanding performance of Brian Little.

He scored his first League hat trick - including two dazzling goals - provided pressure which caused Hicks to head into his own net and gave Chico Hamilton the pass for the fifth goal, which was the last kick of the game.

But the 21-year-old striker marred his glittering display by squandering a penalty he should not have taken.

Had he scored Villa would have been three up by the 36th minute and made the game absolutely safe from counter-attack by Oldham.

The miss earned the label “unprofessional” from lan Ross.

The Villa captain said: “Chico and Ray Graydon take the penalties alternately. With Graydon out of the side it was Chico’s turn.

“But Brian wanted to get his hat-trick and Chico allowed him to take it. Me? I was flaming because teams can come back from two down but rarely from 3-0.”

Ross was right, of course, even if he was, as he admitted, a little harsh.

The criticism ought not to detract from Little’s magnificence but he ought to store it for future use if ever the temptation to put self before team occurs again.

Four times the action was frozen into a frame containing just a Villa player and the Oldham goalkeeper Chris Ogden.

Four times the chances were wasted.

And those were the gilt edged opportunities, there were others, as well, from which players are generally expected to score.

Keith Leonard could have had a hat-trick which included one remarkable miss from six yards.

Even Hicks’s own goal came direct from a clearance from Jimmy Cumbes which was missed by Ogden.

I have often written that a team could have reached double figures. On Saturday Villa should have.

And just let us suppose that Manchester United lose their last two games 1-0.

In that event four victories would give Villa an equal number of points. But there is a real possibility that they would lose out on the championship on goal average.

At the moment Villa’s is inferior to United’s. If Little had converted the penalty it would not be. It has always seemed to me that goal average is an invidious (as well as tricky) way of judging teams when the points are equal.

For instance Villa have scored 66 times and conceded 31. United have scored six fewer but conceded three fewer. But their goal average is better. The system legislates against giving triumph a chance and in favour of avoiding failure. So why not use goal difference, the system used in the World Cup and European championship?

The goal difference in the games at Villa Park is extraordinary. Villa have scored 45 and conceded only six. It is the best record in the whole of the League and it stems from a philosophy of attack that is stimulating. It has its basis in team work.

Little, as well as being lethal near goal - he also scored the two goals by which Villa beat Cardiff on Wednesday - was making himself available for passes from defenders under pressure.

If there was a sour point it was the chanting of John Gidman’s name by a section of the fans at the Holte End.

He has not been able to get back into the side since damaging an eye in a firework accident on Bonfire Night, and the tasteless chanting could unsettle the man keeping him out, John Robson.

It is worth stating that since Robson settled into the defence it has conceded only 19 goals in 23 League games.