Fan View: Aston Villa

Rob Wildey, Vital Blues Content Editor, was speaking to Matthew Ansermoz, an Aston Villa fan, ahead of the second city derby this Sunday lunch time.

Being an ex-Blues manager, what do Villa fans think of Steve Bruce?

Personally I like him, he has steadied a sinking ship so far, hopefully he can push us on next season.

Why was Bruce given more of a chance than Alex McLeish?

He hasn`t come directly from Birmingham to Villa and he was the best candidate for the job, there weren`t many managers available who had his experience at championship level.

Finishing mid-table will obviously be a disappointment for Villa after spending so much money. But where did it all go wrong?

Too many draws early on in the season and big money signings that didn`t pay off. We still struggled to dominate games or see them out from winning positions.

Would failure to be automatically promoted next season be classed as failure?

Not for me as this is the toughest division to get out of and there will be three teams coming down. However, I would see not making the top six as a failure, with the squad of players we have we should be competing at the top end of the table.

After his sending off at Fulham, how big a loss is Jonathan Kodja?

He is a huge loss as he is our main source of goals; hopefully one of our other forwards can step up and perform in this game.

If you had to sign one Blues player for the Villa squad, who would it be and why?

David Davis, I don`t watch too much of Birmingham but when I do he`s always working hard and puts his tackles in. I also thought he had a really game when we met at St Andrews earlier this season.

What is your prediction for the game?

I think it`s going to be another 1-1 draw.