Ray was ex-boss Remi Garde’s right-hand man throughout his five-month spell in charge.
Former Aston Villa assistant manager Reginald Ray has told French outlet La Nouvelle Republique that it would have taken a magician to prevent the club from relegation last season.
Villa crashed to one of the most miserable relegations in Premier League history last term, amassing just 17 points, the third-worst points tally since the re-branding of the top flight in 1992.
Pretty much everything that could have gone wrong for the former European champions did. Tim Sherwood was sacked in late October and replaced with former Lyon boss Remi Garde, but the Frenchman managed just five months in the job before also getting the boot.
Blame for the distastrous season has been spread around a number of factors, but Garde’s former assistant Ray believes that former owner Randy Lerner’s unwillingness to fund signings in the January transfer window was what sealed their fate.
Ray told La Nouvelle Republique: “It would have taken a call to [famous French magician] Gerard Majax to successfully keep Aston Villa up.
“We arrived on All Saints’ Day [November 1] with Remi Garde and couldn’t bring players in over the winter transfer window. When you can’t improve the team, it becomes very complicated.”
Since their relegation was confirmed, Villa have done their very best to ensure that things change, with sweeping changes in the boardroom, in the dugout, and on the pitch.
However, in truth their fortunes have not improved too much. Villa have just one win from their opening 10 Championship games under Roberto di Matteo, although their status as draw specialists means they have also only lost twice.
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