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*Aston Villa would settle for being top dog in West Midlands right now*

These past two seasons have been an unhappy time to be a supporter of the club who won the 1982 European Cup.

The 30th anniversary of the greatest night in Aston Villa’s history is fast approaching. But the European Cup final win over Bayern Munich in Rotterdam seemed a lifetime away as Villa struggled to a draw with Stoke City on Monday evening, much of the football as grim as the bank holiday weather in the West Midlands. Bayern Munich’s current vibrant side can dream of another final in their home city next month but it will surely be a long time before Villa can dine again at Europe’s top table.

Rather than aiming to be Europe’s premier club, Aston Villa would settle for being the best side in the West Midlands, and West Bromwich Albion may have something to say about that. Villa’s aim is no loftier than Premier League survival and Monday’s 1-1 draw with Stoke and Bolton’s defeat at Newcastle earlier in the day have put daylight between Alex McLeish’s side and the scrabble at the bottom.

It was another frustrating night for Villa supporters, however. One Premier League win in five months at Villa Park helped ensure that the crowd of 30,100 was their lowest league attendance of the season and the abiding image of the night was not of a spectacular goal from Andreas Weimann but of another young player, Chris Herd, staggering to his feet after coming off worst in an aerial challenge with Robert Huth and having his team-mate James Collins land on top of him.
Villa, too, are staggering towards safety. Last month’s dreadful news about Stilian Petrov offers perspective to the frustration of seeing Huth head an equalising goal, but it is hard to imagine that Villa still had European ambitions only a couple of seasons ago.

These have been an unhappy two seasons to be an Aston Villa supporter. Since Martin O’Neill walked out of the club five days before last season began, an exit never satisfactorily explained, the club have struggled. Gérard Houllier’s appointment was misjudged and McLeish was always going to struggle to win over fans.

There was a lot of phoney outrage when the Scot moved across the city from Birmingham last summer and McLeish has remained largely good-humoured despite the abuse he has encountered. But, although he bridled at the suggestion of overcautious play after a goalless draw at Wigan in February, he does have a reputation for defensive football. Monday night’s game saw a paucity of creative play from both sides.

McLeish must be relieved that Villa are not owned by Roman Abramovich. Randy Lerner has shown great patience and it is absurd that the American, who recently was reported to have invested another £25m of his own money in a club that has announced losses of nearly £54m for last year, has also come in for criticism from the anonymous army of social networkers out there.

Provided Villa stay up McLeish will almost certainly survive and the manager sees Villa’s salvation in the number of young players emerging at the club. It was a sign of the changing times that Stoke’s squad had three England internationals on the bench while Villa’s included seven academy players, including the 20-year-old Austrian Weimann, who is helping make up for the failings of signings such as Charles N’Zogbia, an expensive flop since his much-heralded arrival from Wigan.

“We have to keep going. Every game is like a cup final from now on,” said McLeish, who next has the task of lifting his young charges for a trip to Old Trafford on Sunday. Villa fans can only reflect ruefully that not so long ago they were in actual cup finals rather than struggling against Stoke to a backdrop of grumbling supporters as the rain lashed down from grey skies.