Steve Sidwell Stresses Importance of Home Wins for Aston Villa

Midfielder Steve Sidwell says that his former club Aston Villa can think about promotion only if the excel in the home matches.

Villa were relegated into the Championship to bring an end to their long stay in the top division. They were one of the few clubs never to have been relegated from the Premier League. However, the decline was forecasted some time ago and Villa started the rebuilding process in the summer by appointing Roberto di Matteo. Results from the former Chelsea boss has not been spectacular and the club are struggling in the bottom half of the table even after nine matches.

After having secured just one victory all season long, Villa are in danger of dropping out of the promotion race even before it starts. Sidwell played at Villa Park for three years from 2008 to 2011. Many see this as the time when the club’s struggles started and which were largely unnoticed by former owner Randy Lerner. Now playing with Brighton, Sidwell to get back into the Premier League but with a different team. He has previously achieved promotion to the top division with Reading. The only victory for Villa so far has come in the league and it was a 3-0 success over Rotherham United. Interestingly, this victory came in the first couple of games and Villa have been unable to win since then.

Sidwell says that the club needs to build on this result.“We spoke last year that the players that they bring in have to have the right quality and mentality.The key will be their home form. They are leaking goals [currently]. They are obviously going to want to go back to the Premier League as quickly as they can, but they are going to need to get to grips with the Championship as it’s relentless,” said Sidwell.