If the worst was to happen at the end of this season and Aston Villa are relegated for the first time in almost 30 years, they could survive in the Championship.
The Villans sit dead last on the Barclays Premier League, with only four points from 10 games on the board and with a tough run of fixtures ahead, remaining in the drop zone until May could be a real possibility.
It is a worrying thought for fans, especially as it can take years for clubs to return to the Premier League. Some never do. When teams like Villa are relegated from the top flight it is often said they may not be able to adapt to the style and the unpredictability of the Championship.
Having been a part of the Premier League since its inception in 1992, the Villans have not played in the second tier since 1988 when the English leagues were named sensibly. First Division, Second Division and so on, not now when four out of England’s top five divisions could all be mistaken for the top flight.
The last team of similar stature to Villa who were relegated, Newcastle United in 2009, bounced back immediately. It could be argued the Geordie’s may have more quality than the currently manager-less club, but Villa have more Championship experience in their ranks.
26.1% – Tim Sherwood posted the best PL win % of any of Aston Villa’s last three managers (Lambert 24.8%, McLeish 18.4%). Gone.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 25, 2015
Some of the squad are no strangers to the lower-leagues. A host of players in the current lineup were either bought from clubs below the Premier League, learned their trade there, or have been loaned there during their Villa careers.
Let us start in defence. Alan Hutton had a loan spell with Bolton Wanderers in 2014, playing nine games for the Trotters. The Scottish right-back also spent the 2012-13 season on loan to Nottingham Forest, making seven appearances for the two-time European Cup winners.
Joleon Lescott learned his trade in the second tier, playing 212 games for Wolverhampton Wanderers between 2000 and 2006. Nathan Baker is currently on loan with Bristol City, though the 24-year-old centre-back has only made two appearances so far, adding to the 24 games for Lincoln City and Millwall in the Football League.
Joe Bennett, bought from Championship team Middlesborough in 2012 after 84 second tier games, while a loan spell with Brighton & Hove Albion last season saw the left-back play a further 41 times in the Championship.
The midfield is not missing experience either. Ashley Westwood was purchased from Crewe Alexandra, playing 123 games in League One and League Two for the Railwaymen. Jack Grealish spent the 2013-14 season in League One with Notts County, scoring five goals in 37 appearences.
Gary Gardner was out on loan with Brighton in 2014-15 and Nottingham Forest, earning praises from the City Ground fans. The 23-year-old has had four loan spells in the Championship, playing four times for Coventry City in 2011-12 and finding the net on a decent basis. Two seasons later he made three appearances for Sheffield Wednesday. But he gained the most experience in his two stints last season, appearing 17 times for Brighton and netting four goals in 18 games for Forest after joining in January.
The striking department is even more promising, with Villa buying Rudy Gestede from Blackburn Rovers, the Benin international recording 33 goals in 66 appearances for the Lancashire side. The 27-year-old played 52 games for Cardiff City in the Championship before joining Rovers, but only managed a measly seven goals.
Scott Sinclair’s record in the Championship with Swansea City is impressive, scoring 19 goals in 43 appearances during the Swans’ promotion season. This adds to his to his five goals in 47 games for Plymouth Argyle, Queens Park Rangers, Charlton Athletic, Crystal Palace and Birmingham City in the Championship. With two appearances in League Two for Bristol City in the 2005-06 season, it is fair to say the 26-year-old has a great deal of experience playing below the Premier League.
Callum Robinson is currently on loan at Bristol City and has only played once in the Championship, but he scored four goals over 25 appearances in League One for Preston North End last season. Gabriel Agbonlahor also played eight games for both Watford and Sheffield Wednesday in 2005-2006.
Even with a wealth of Championship experience already in the side, Villa have a host of players that could deal with the physicality of the lower leagues. The captains would easily be able to hold their might against Championship players. Micah Richards and club captain Agbonlahor would not be bullied in the second tier and this is in addition to the aforementioned Hutton and Gestede, who would give Villa the presence and aggression needed to survive and thrive in the second tier.
Even if the Championship is not as physical as the cliché may suggest, there is still enough in the team that would make Villa easy favourites to not only successfully achieve promotion, but to actually win the Championship, which would be a third second division title.
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Anyone who believes Villa would struggle if they were to be relegated only needs to turn their attention to a 1-0 victory against rivals Birmingham City. While the 1-0 League Cup Second Round triumph mat not be the most convincing of scorelines, the gap in quality between the two sides was obvious. If it was a normal match and not a Second City Derby, it may have shown even more.
It would be naïve to suggest Villa would walk-over the Championship, but it is ludicrous to suggest they may struggle and would not be able to mount a successful challenge for promotion.
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