O'Neill Targets Home Form Improvement

Martin O'Neill has admitted that we need to reinvigorate the 'Fortress Villa Park' form next season in an effort to pick up the all important extra points for a Champions League push.

Our home form contained a very respectable 3 losses, we picked up 8 wins but what let us down was the 8 draws especially those draws that stick in our minds where we viciously grabbed a point from the jaws of 3.

Yes I know it's a stupid phrase but I quite like it.

Our away form was certainly more exciting as we won 9, and drew and lost 5 a piece.

Still counts as 32 points though, the same as our home form.

Meaning whilst our away form was respectable, gaining only 32 points at home was the 12th best in the league. Blues pipped us to 11th best by virtue of an extra point if that helps put it in perspective for folks.

'That's something we should try to improve on next season - the home form,' O'Neill told the Birmingham Mail.

Adding that one or two extra wins at home could well translate into an improvement in league placings. Home form has been a bug bear of many fans with how predictable and boring it has been at points, plenty would simply be happy with an improvement in the entertainment value. Others would certainly take an extra few scrappy wins to get more points on the table.

The secret will be getting a balance of both. When O'Neill arrived we were thrilling to watch but just as likely to win you felt, as lose. Now we have cracked that we are a difficult team to beat, it's time to ramp up the attacking play again. We are pegged as a fast counter attacking team, truth is we haven't been for a few seasons in reality given the quality we know we have. Getting that right, and dare I say having a plan B for when teams sit back could easily translate into an 3-4 wins if not more.

Should that happen, those who are only interested in results will be happy, and so will those who still view football as entertainment.

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