​While the skirmishing goes on in the background. Aston Villa inevitably. continue to lose their way as a plausible force on the field.

And another of the questions that has to be asked about the future of the club is whether Ron Sanders can at the same time defend his future in the boardroom and give his team the undivided attention they obviously need.

They were beaten 2-0 by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Part on Saturday and the sum of their efforts now is one win from their first six First Division matches and just four League points in all.

It is easy to become alarmist and fall into the trap of believing that all is lost.

At this early stage that is far from so but their inability to score goals - this was their third successive game without one - must give rise to more concern.

Uninterested

Far more important, less than half the team looked really interested, which suggests either that Saunders is finding himself unable to fire the players with commitment or that the team simply is not good enough.

Crystal Palace may still be unbeaten in the First Division but they are a newly-promoted side with glaring deficiencies particularly in the centre of their defence.

Goalkeeper Rimmer, who in general had a fine game and one of the players whose commitment was not in question, let a Murphy shot slip from his grasp in the 42nd minute to give Palace a deserved lead.

Another goal was inevitable and it arrived after 63 minutes from Murphy. who lifted a 23-yard shot over Rimmer's head for the best goal I have seen in many a long day.

---

Monday, 17 September 1979
*Birmingham Daily Post*

Villa split reaches a climax
By lAN WILLARS

Aston Villa's simmering over the future policy of the club and manager Ron Saunders is expected to come to a head at tonight's board meeting.

For the first time since the £1.2 million transfer of Andy Gray, it has been revealed that the board were split on the sale.

Director Doug Ellis said yesterday: "I confirm that I was the only one who formally opposed the sale of Gray and that gives me no satisfaction whatsoever."

Ellis, a former chairman. would make no further comment apart from refuting a suggestion that he always opposed his other four directors and Saunders.

"That is hogwash," he said.

But it is well known that there have been differences over the last few months between the board and the manager and the manager and the players.

Now the board, under chairman Mr. Harry Katz, has the opportunity to demonstrate that any split has been healed. They have already backed Saunders's judgment with the recent transfer purchases of full back Mike Pejic from Everton for £230.000 and striker David Geddis from Ipswich for £300,000.

The big question is whether they will sanction any further team building by their manager. They still have £650,000 remaining from the Gray transfer, although it is not dear whether all of that is going to be made available.

Difficult days

In view of recent results - Villa have lost their last three games - the board might decide to end Saunders's contract and find a new man. These are difficult days at Villa