In 2006, Randy Lerner had completed his takeover of the club and under the influential Martin O’Neill, things were looking and sounding good. New players, new focus and new ambition under the slogan ‘Proud History, Bright Future’. We pick up the story in September 2008, with us going well in the league and about to enter the last ever Uefa Cup before it was rebranded as the Europa League.

First Time

The Uefa Cup format had changed since we last took part in the 2001/02 season. We had to win a 2 leg tie to take part in a 5 team group with 4 games (2 at home and 2 away). Standing in our way was Bulgarian side Litex Lovech. The first leg being in Bulgaria, we pulled off another impressive win with our Bulgarian Captain Stiliyan Petrov scoring the 3rd in a 3-1 win after goals from Nigel Reo-Coker and Gareth Barry. A Marion Harewood goal at Villa Park gave us a 1-1 draw and a comfortable 4-2 win on aggregate. We would take part in a group stage format in European Football for the very first time.

We began at Villa Park with a game against the mighty Ajax from Holland. A glory night with goals from Martin Laursen and Barry gave us a 2-1 win and a great start. John Carew scored the only goal in the 2nd game, a 1-0 win over Czech side Salvia Prague. 

With 3 teams going through from group to last 32, we were effectively through despite defeats in our last two games, a 2-1 home defeat to Slovakian side MSK Zilina, and despite Nathan Delfouneso and his goal in the next game, it was not enough in a 3-1 defeat to German side Hamburg. 

Difficult Decision

After being drawn with CSKA Moscow in the last 32, things were looking good,and at home we were storming with another strong Premier League campaign and hopes of Champions League qualification.

We were sitting pretty in 3rd place ahead of the first leg against the Russians. After falling behind, John Carew scored to rescue a 1-1 draw and we were ready for the 2nd leg.

Then O’Neill made a decision which looking back wasn’t his best in charge. Focusing solely on Champions League qualification, he decided to play a second string XI ahead of the 2nd leg.

The team competed well but CSKA Moscow were too good on the night, running out 2-0 winners, to win 3-1 on aggregate.

Ahead of the Uefa Cup match, we were unbeaten in the last 13 Premier League matches. After the first leg, we only won 2 games out of the next 13 so our Champions League dream had faded away as we finished 6th, meaning a place in the new Europa League.

New Format, Same Story

To compete in the main group stage, we first had to win a playoff round which saw us drawn against Rapid Vienna.

The first leg ended in a 1-0 defeat in Austria but we turned it around at Villa Park with a James Milner penalty and a Carew goal putting us 2-0 up. Then came the sucker punch, 14 minutes from time and once more (final time) we would exit out on the dreaded Away goals rule. All attention now would be turned on domestic matters.

So Close, Yet So Far

This was O’Neill 4th season in charge of the Villa, can we finally get some silverware and/or finally qualify for Champions League?

Entering 2010, things were looking hopeful. Competing among the top four and reaching another League Cup Final after a wacky 7-4 aggregate win over Blackburn Rovers in the Semi-Final.

Another classic Final was set up against Manchester United on 28th February 2010. Can we emulate the last FA Cup win in 57 and of course, our League Cup win in 94?

We got off to a perfect start (well almost). A certain penalty but what looked like a certain sending off for Vidic was ignored. Milner scored and things were looking good. Predictably though we couldn’t sustain the pressure and goals from Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney gave United the trophy.

Two months later we were back at Wembley for the FA Cup Semi-Final against Chelsea, looking to revenge the defeat in 2000 FA Cup Final. Like that game, we were 0-0 at half-time but Chelsea finished stronger and won 3-0, denying us a chance of winning some silverware that season.

Unlike the previous two seasons, the Champions League hopes were going to the wire. With 2 games to go, we were battling with Tottenham Hotspur and the new powerhouse of English Football Manchester City. We needed to win at City to stay in the hunt but despite taking the lead, a 3-1 defeat killed our hopes as we finished a 3rd season in 6th place.

Ultimate Bombshell 

So another Summer thinking what might have been with Man City chasing our players, having signed Gareth Barry during the previous Summer and getting James Milner in this one. Still another season in the Europa League and another campaign under O’Neill – or so we thought.

Unhappy with the progress and transfer budget, 5 days before the start of the Premier League, he resigned. Four years in charge and he gave us memories, consistency, great players but ultimately no trophies. What would happened in the next 6 years at the club, no-one could see coming what so ever.

Ahead of Gerard Houllier’s arrival, Kevin MacDonald took temporary control for our playoff game, again against Rapid Vienna.

A handy 1-1 draw ensued with Barry Bannan scoring to give us hope. Once more, there would be disappointment in the second leg with goals from Emile Heskey and Gabby Agbonlahor not enough, as we lost 3-2 in the 2nd leg. This would be our last European Campaign for 13 years but sadly not the end of our problems.

So It Begins

Houllier’s arrival gave fresh ideas after his successful time in Management including winning several trophies at Liverpool. This though would be a rebuilding job as many players were injured and lots of youngsters having to be bedded in.

At the wrong end of the table in early 2011, Darren Bent was brought in to replace John Carew, in the hope his goals could keep us afloat. He did as well, two impressive wins against Arsenal and Liverpool, saw us finishing 9th. Whilst Houllier was winning the battle with the team, his health was another matter and he stepped down at the end of the season.

Unpopular One

Once more there were plenty of names that were mentioned for the job including Mark Hughes at Fulham. The man chosen was not a popular one, Alex McLeish who not only managed at arch rivals Birmingham City but had just been relegated despite winning a League Cup.

With more star names leaving like Ashley Young and Stewart Downing to name but a few, the season was going to be tough.

In the February things were looking ok but Bent’s injury, saw a depressing lack of goals and we were just doing enough to stay in the division finishing 16th, which was going to start a worrying pattern of inconsistency. 

He was sacked at end of the season with another Scotsman taking over.

Popular One

The final game of 2011/12 season saw a 2-0 defeat at Norwich City who had a fine season under Paul Lambert. He had taken the Canaries to two successive promotions ahead of a fine season at Carrow Road.

He was chosen to be the new man at Villa Park but with emerging problems on and off the pitch with Lerner looking to sell up, the season was going to be tough.

By January 2013, we were stuck in the relegation zone but there was some light at the end of the tunnel, a run to the Semi-Finals of League Cup against League 2 Bradford City.

The first leg summed up Lambert’s time in charge, big hope but equally big disappointment. Bradford picked up a 3-1 win with us missing chance after chance. The Bradford keeper was MOM! But in the 2nd leg we were expecting to turn it around. We got the 2-1 win but it wasn’t enough and we bowed out with 4-3 defeat on aggregate.

The disappointment of that exit was turned around thanks to goals from Lambert’s best ever signing Christian Benteke. In the end we did just enough, finishing 15th and with lots of promising youngsters coming through we were all hoping for a better season next time around.

Come Spring the following season, things were looking good and a mid table finish was a real possibility. Then Benteke got injured and the goals dried up again. A win in our final home game at Villa Park that season against Hull City was enough to keep us afloat and we finished 15th again.

Improvement was much needed for the 2014/15 season but despite an excellent start this was not to be the case. A 2-0 defeat at Hull City in February 2015 saw us enter the relegation zone and Lambert was out of a job.

The Positive One

The man trusted to turn things around was the former winning Captain of Blackburn Rovers Tim Sherwood, who had managerial experience at Tottenham Hotspur. He was in the dug out for our 5th round FA Cup 2-1 win over Leicester City.

We beat rivals West Bromwich Albion 2-0 in the Quarter-Finals and our league form was picking up ahead of the Semi-Final clash with Liverpool at Wembley. Despite falling behind, goals from Benteke and star midfielder Christian Delph gave us a 2-1 win and an FA Cup Final against Arsenal.

As nice as this was, survival had to be secured and the goals of Benteke were just enough as we finished 17th. 

Turning Point

Now all things focused on the FA Cup Final against Arsenal, a chance to win our first silverware for 19 years and our first FA Cup since 1957. The scene was set in our famous Claret & Blue – can we do it?

There was plenty of hope but whatever way you want to analyse this, Arsenal were simply better on the day and ran out easy 4-0 winners. It was depressing. 

The Summer saw the spine of the team torn apart with Defender Ron Vlaar leaving, Delph joining Manchester City and Benteke leaving for Liverpool.

Many French players came in under the influence of our new Sporting Director Tom Fox, along with more familiar faces Micah Richards and Jolson Lescott.

The first game after the first International break in September saw a trip to Leicester City which would be the turning point for both teams. Gil and our new home made sensation Jack Grealish gave us a 2-0 lead and things were looking good. Leicester under new boss Claudio Raneri, never quit though and came back to win 3-2.

Sherwood would lose his next 5 games in charge in the Premier League and he was dismissed. To be fair though, the situation for the next Manager already looked hopeless.

Sinking Ship

Remi Garde, a former Arsenal player who worked with Fox came in, looking to turn things around. With 8 points on the board after a 1-1 draw with West Ham United on Boxing Day, we simply had to win our next two games at relegation rivals Norwich City and Sunderland.

With respect to both clubs, we lost both because simply they wanted it more- 2-0 at Norwich and 3-1 at Sunderland. Garde managed to win two games at Villa Park- 1-0 against Crystal Palace and 2-0 against Norwich City before the Valentine’s Day Massacre.

This was at the hands of Liverpool and after our Norwich win, we went in with a little bit of hope. At the end all hope had gone, a 6-0 drubbing by Liverpool. Like Sherwood, Garde lost his next 5 in charge and he was gone before relegation was confirmed.

Being a Villa Fan, this was a time to acknowledge the truth of the saying ‘it’s the hope that kills you’.

It wasn’t a question of if we were going to get relegated but when. The inevitable finally happened at, of all places, Old Trafford. A 1-0 defeat sealed our fate as we finished bottom with 17 points as the Premier League title was won, by? Yes you got it, Leicester City.

Back in 2007, a 3-0 win over Sheffield United with the flags branding ‘Proud History, Bright Future’ was an exciting time to be a Villa fan. 9 years later there was no silverware, a lack of European Football, mismanagement on and off the pitch, star players leaving and an Owner looking to sell up, partly because of a messy divorce. We were now back in the second tier of English Football (Championship) for the first time since 1987-88 season with no way of knowing when or indeed if we would be back where we belong, in the Premier League.

If only we had a Gaffer who was one of our own….

Next Edition- Back At Last