10 February 2015 – Aston Villa fall into the Premier League drop-zone for the first during the season following a lacklustre 2-0 defeat at relegation rivals Hull City.
Four days later, after the sacking of Paul Lambert, the charismatic Tim Sherwood agreed to take the Villa Park hot seat with one very clear objective in mind – to save the freefalling Midlands club from the oblivion of the Championship. It was desperation time for the Premier League ever-presents after slumping to yet another performance devoid of any spirit, fight or character. Three key components in any relegation battle.
Two narrow losses against Stoke City and Newcastle United followed as one of the most decorated clubs in English football hurtled towards relegation. If Sherwood was in any doubt how hard his challenge would be, it was quickly laid bare as tensions in the Holte End reached boiling point.
What the former Blackburn captain needed – famed for his passionate demeanour – was a turning point. What he needed was a watershed moment that not only lifted the confidence and mood of the players but also that of the beleaguered fan base. What he needed was a West Midlands derby double header against bitter rivals West Bromwich Albion – and that is exactly what he got.
Recent form goes out of the window in a derby match, which can be worrying if you are a team on a great run of results. For Villa it was a blessing in disguise and it remains a week which transformed their season.
Gone were the goal shy strikers, the misfiring midfielders and the bumbling defenders, in their place stood 11 lions willing to fight for the cause. A run of seven consecutive defeats ended with a crucial 2-1 victory over Albion – Sherwood finally with a win under his belt as he fought for every ball from his technical area.
The win set up a mouth-watering FA Cup quarter-final clash against the Baggies just four days later and Villa Park was met with scenes of unbridled joy at the final whistle as they notched up a second derby victory thanks to a 2-0 scoreline.
The new manager had uncovered Villa’s turning point and discovered the power of a couple of derby wins in quick succession. They went on to secure Premier League safety with important results against Sunderland, Queens Park Rangers and Tottenham Hotspur, before outplaying Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.
Fast-forward to this season and Villa have found themselves with the exciting prospect of a September triple derby header – each one meaning a little bit more than the last.
The hat-trick of derby games starts on Sunday as they travel to in-form Leicester City. This is a fixture which has been frequented by a great deal of hostility throughout history and which reignited last season during three feisty matches – two in the league and one in the cup. It will provide Sherwood’s new-look side with another major test as the pace and trickery of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez has been electrifying during the opening four games of the season. Leicester boast a superior head-to-head record over Villa, winning 40 times in league and cup compared to the Villans’ 33. Sherwood will be out to cause something of an upset at the King Power Stadium and use it as a springboard for the following week.
Albion once again make the four mile trip to Villa Park on Saturday September 19th and they will no doubt be looking for revenge with the double heartache of last season still fresh in the memory. Whatever the result in the West Midlands derby, there will be no time to catch any breath, with the Second City clash with Birmingham City following on the Tuesday evening.
It is four years since the arch rivals met each other and if previous matches are anything to go by, the passionate scenes in the stands is likely to be replicated on the pitch. Tactics and form will be replaced by a burning desire to win and Villa should have no shortage of this vital ingredient with Sherwood on the sidelines and boyhood supporters Gabriel Agbonlahor, Jack Grealish, Micah Richards and Joleon Lescott all in contention to play.
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It seems disingenuous to even suggest such a thing in early September, but this triple derby header really could play a big part in the claret and blues’ season. Win or avoid defeat in all three and it will provide a significant springboard for Villa to push on for the rest of the campaign. Suffer defeat in more than one of the fixtures – particularly the latter two – and Sherwood will be facing the prospect of a difficult winter ahead with a young, relatively inexperienced side still looking to find their feet in this league.
The significance of three Midlands derbies in a row should not be underestimated. Can Sherwood repeat his derby heroics? The Villa fans will certainly be hoping so.
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