Premier League: TV schedule another Aston Villa worry

Aston Villa fans can add another grievance to the growing list

Michael Lintorn argues that the revealing of the televised fixtures has brought more bad news to Aston Villa...

This hasn't been a vintage summer for Aston Villa fans so far. Takeover talk has quietened after early promise, an unpopular manager remains in charge and the first three signings have been dirt-cheap additions Philippe Senderos, Joe Cole and Kieran Richardson.

When the most encouraging development has been the appointment of a new assistant manager - Roy Keane agreeing to help out Paul Lambert - you know it isn't a window to remember.

With all that going on, Villa supporters can be forgiven for not paying too much attention to their Premier League fixture list for the coming campaign and subsequent alterations to allow for TV coverage.

Those who glanced at it probably weren't disappointed with what they saw: Stoke, Newcastle and Hull make for an attractive start, Swansea, Sunderland and Crystal Palace is a kind festive triple header and there are trickier closing sequences than West Ham, Southampton and Burnley.

However, dig a little deeper and there are a few things to be concerned about - or uplifted by if you are backing the Villans to be relegated at 4.3100/30, a price rendering them joint-sixth favourites, with 9% of the money staked in the market being on them:

They are all over the place

Though they have morphed from top-six regulars to bottom-six constants and the general consensus even among Villa Park regulars is that they have been drab to watch under first Alex McLeish then Lambert, the TV cameras refuse to be shooed away.

A quite staggering six of their first dozen games have been moved for TV coverage, with the home clash against Hull also liable to be shunted over to Sunday if the Tigers clear their first Europa League hurdle.

Such disruption is unconducive to striking a rhythm and enjoying early progress, while Villa struggled on the box last term, losing their final four televised matches 1-4, 1-4, 0-4 and 0-3.

Just three of their first 11 outings were broadcast in 2013/14 and they ended that period in the top half of the table.

The double dose of MNF

The most disorienting TV timeslot is the Monday night berth as it is the only fully-fledged night spot, is removed from the weekend and is the matchday's last showdown, by when positional rivals may have flourished to increase pressure.

Unfortunately for Villa, they are the sole club selected to entertain that audience twice by November, firstly away to QPR then at home to Southampton. They haven't handled Monday duty well over the last four seasons, winning a mere one of 11 games whilst suffering defeat in seven.