Can Villa bounce back?

This weekend Aston Villa were finally relegated to the Championship after what has been a season of woe for the claret and blue fans that must of seemed like a lifetime.

The last time Villa suffered relegation was 1987, Dirty Dancing and Harry and the Hendersons were in the cinema and a pint of lager cost £1.20 (in most pubs not just sweaty old Wetherspoons).

Caretaker Manager Eric Black has already come out and said he feels Villa can bounce back at the first time of asking but you have to wonder if they really can, many of the current first team squad that have been relegated with a whimper may not fancy the fight of the Championship in amongst some very solid teams at that level and some will feel they are better than playing at a second tier team although you have to say not on this seasons showing.

From what we know Charles N'Zogbia and Kieran Richardson are both out of contract in the summer but how many have relegation release clauses or minimum fee releases after the drop?, now some Villa fans will probably be happy to see the back of most of them but you have to wonder how this squad will cope in the Championship.

You would imagine Ashley Westwood, Ciaran Clark and Rudy Gestede will stay next season but will the likes of Gabby Agbonlahor, Micah Richards, Joleon Lescott and Leandro Bacuna be up for visits to the likes of Preston, Bristol City and the massive derbies against Wolves and Birmingham?.

How about the next boss?, that decision rests in the hands of Villa’s new football board, comprising of David Bernstein, Sir Mervyn King, Brian Little and Adrian Bevington, they will recommend  a candidate to Steve Hollis, the chairman, who will submit their recommendation to Randy Lerner to approve the appointment.

Nigel Pearson seems to be the favourite but Nottingham Forest have started to flirt with him and could he be tempted by them, David Moyes, Sean Dyche and Steve Bruce have all been mentioned but you have to wonder if Dyche and Bruce would leave settled clubs to take over an Omni-shambles such as Villa….

Villa must avoid double relegation at all costs because there could be no coming back from that…