The big Ding Dong Brummie Derby on Tuesday night will be Villa’s biggest game of the season, even more so after Villa faltered at home to West Bromwich Albion at the weekend.
With the exception of another cup final, the Second City Derby will be the pinnacle of what promises to be another boring season, if recent results are anything to go by.
The importance of the first Villa-Blues Derby in recent years is not just bragging rights for the citizens of the great city that is Birmingham – but it could be just what Tim Sherwood’s team needs to kick-start their season and provide the claret and blue faithful with a memorable Premier League campaign.
Not only would another cup run galvanise the fans and the players but it could also help wipe the memory of the abysmal FA Cup final against Arsenal in May. Where, after a heroic semi-final win over Liverpool, Villa once again disappointed their fans at Wembley for the second time in five years.
A win on Tuesday and a subsequent successful cup run would also help erase the memory of the nightmarish League Cup quarterfinal tie away to the Blues at St. Andrews six years ago. The pain the Villa fans endured getting knocked out by their bitter rivals was exasperated when City went on to lift the trophy. Coincidentally, beating Arsenal.
It is not Villa’s first embarrassing moment against their city rivals in the competition. When Birmingham won their first of two major trophies in 1963, it was against Villa, who had won the trophy two years prior in the inaugural final.
While Villa’s path in the competition has awarded them four more trophies, twice in the 70s and again twice in the 90s, Birmingham’s success is what everyone remembers.
That is why it is important that Tim Sherwood’s men go out and not only earn their fans the bragging rights, but launch an offensive on the tournament that sees Villa win their first trophy in 20 years, rectifying the mistakes made in the FA Cup final.
The importance of a win on Tuesday night has increased tenfold after an incredibly disappointing result to Villa’s local rivals, West Brom, at Villa Park on Saturday. Boos could be heard around the ground as Villa went in at the break and again at full time when Villa failed to break down Tony Pullis’ Baggies to grab the spoils.
[interaction id=”55ff98a2f94584352d1fedf1″]
There are some of the claret and blue persuasion that are starting to lose faith in Sherwood, and there is no better game for the Londoner to convince Villa fans he is the right man to lead Villa from the touchline.
There will be three Villa players who were boyhood fans in the lineup on Tuesday. They will know what this means, with Joleon Lescott and Jack Grealish making their debuts in this historic fixture and Gabby Agbonlahor finding his form, anything but an inspired and heroic performance will do.
This is a game where the fans will not tolerate mistakes. The pressure is very much on for Sherwood.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
