Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/358967
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 6 AUGUST 2014 Sport 23 Answers to the MaltaToday crossword will be published next Wednesday WEATHER: Mainly Sunny VISIBILITY: Good WIND: Northerly force 3 to 4 becoming West to Northwest force 3 to 4 locally force 4 SEA: Moderate becoming slight to moderate SWELL: LOW NORTHWEST SEA TEMP: 25 °C A B C D E F G H 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 White to play and mate in four moves A B C D E F G H 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Last week's solution Sudoku rules are extremely easy: Fill all empty squares so that the numbers 1 to 9 appear once in each row, column and 9x9 box. PARTLY CLOUDY 30 º C / 22 º C UV INDEX: 8 Today's Weather Chess Sudoku Pursuits OPINION Across 1. Branch of knowledge (7) 4. Vacuum flask (7) 8. Stealing from a shop (11) 12. Scheme (4) 13. Pitch (4) 14. Person who explores caves (5) 15. Revise (6) 17. Artificial waterway (5) 22. Donations to the poor (4) 23. Reprimand (5) 24. Encounter (4) 25. Shoe ties (5) 28. Zone (6) 30. Occur again (5) 32. Abound (4) 34. Equipment (4) 35. Saturated with water (11) 38. Communication (7) 39. Any longer (3,4) Down 1. Containing soap (5) 2. Fourth Gospel (4) 3. Head covering (3) 5. Humble dwelling (3) 6. Rave (4) 7. Moon (9) 8. Having a sound mind (4) 9. Escaping fluid (4) 10. Combustible matter (4) 11. Woman's dress (4) 14. Crucifix (5) 16. Squander (5) 18. Allow to enter (5) 19. Icy storm (9) 20. Female bovine (3) 21. Mammary gland in cows (5) 26. Ship's company (4) 27. 365 days (4) 28. Form of wrestling (4) 29. Was indebted to (4) 31. Unrefined (5) 33. Charts (4) 34. Microbe (4) 36. Ovum (3) 37. Alcoholic liquor (3) With only eight days remaining till the start of a new season, many of us are all very excited about our week- ends returning back to normal and office banter hitting the sour notes of those we are used to during a season of the Premier League. While many of us football fans are looking ahead to next week eagerly I am excluding Aston Villa fans, who even by their standards are in for a tough season. By putting them at 4,000/1 to win the league it is fair to say this will not be their year. In fact, in the eyes of many it will be their year for the drop. Sadly for Aston Villa things have gone from bad to worse, and they have earned the label of relegation contesters this season. Most neutrals have fond memo- ries of Aston Villa trying to gate crash the big four, threatening to pip Liverpool or Arsenal for that all important Champions League quali- fication berth. Under Martin O'Neil they held their own and one can only imagine what would have happened if Aston Villa made Europe. Those days seem long gone now and for the last four seasons Aston Villa's flirting with relegation has al- most led them to first base. They fin- ished 15th last season, and averaged a pathetic point per game during the last two seasons, which is unaccept- able by any standards. On paper their squad looks de- cent enough, with Belgian poacher Benteke leading the line, however as soon as you look elsewhere you know the club is in trouble. Controversial American owner Randy Lerner is looking to finally sell the club which has cost him a total of £217.7 million since taking over in 2006. The losses are awesome for Aston Villa and the rot will not end soon. He has admit- ted the club has battled week in week out and that statement is not one the fans want to hear. Manager Paul Lambert has every reason to stress out. There is no money available for transfers and he must sell in order to buy. After a sensational World Cup for the Neth- erlands, centre back Ron Vlaar has turned some heads, despite having a rocky last season at Aston Villa. He is hot property right now and Villa might be tempted to sell their cap- tain to make way for new additions this summer. Many feel sorry for Lambert, how- ever the statistics pile up against him. He has himself spent £40 mil- lion on transfers since taking over two seasons ago but despite this has the worst managerial record at the club. An over reliance on youth has meant Villa have been easy to pick off by more experienced opposition so this summer he has swooped over the Free Transfer market, bringing in three former internationals. Phillipe Senderos, Joe Cole and Kieran Rich- ardson have joined the club and again here I do believe they have signed three Championship standard play- ers at the twilight of their lame ca- reers. Hardly the stuff of dreams for the desperate fans. The Senderos deal in particular seems odd. Aston Villa have landed a total of 130 goals during the last two seasons, and Senderos' wobbly legs if anything might help that tally grow. They have fallen far since the heyday under O'Neill and one more signing shocked everyone. Martin O'Neil's assistant manager at Ireland, Roy Keane, has joined to help Lambert and add some disci- pline and experience to the fold. He will be in charge of training and this move has revitalised some areas of the squad, which include the out- cast Darren Bent and Alan Hutton who hardly got a sniff under Lambert. Charles N'Zogbia, a name I haven't typed in ages is also back in the loop after a season plagued by injury. The cynical in me wants to make a sly prediction: Roy Keane will soon end up manager of Aston Villa as Lambert climbs the betting polls for first manager casualty of the season. Their season gets underway against an improving Stoke City, then it's Newcastle and Hull City. Their fix- ture draw has been kind to them early on and bagging points in the first three games will be the key for Villa to gain some sort of confidence and momentum. The next five games however will be the proof of their pudding: Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Everton stack up against them and that only serves to highlight the importance of their opening three games. A loyal fan base deserves much more from their team and with them losing 19 homes games in two seasons it is fair to say they are used to the bitter taste of defeat. The statistics must im- prove for Aston Villa this season: they have stagnated into a Championship standard club, and only a miracle will save them next season. Mark Strijbosch Tough season ahead for the Villains Ng5+ Kg7 Qf5 d6 Qxh7+ Kf8 Nxe6# (Qf7#)