Have Aston Villa ran out of steam in the Championship?

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Aston Villa’s recent slump continued against Norwich City.

Aston Villa had the chance to heap pressure on the shoulders of Cardiff City when they went up against Norwich City, but unfortunately, they crumbled under the pressure.

This side is a far cry from the Villa who dominated local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-1 a few weeks back, and in truth, it feels like they’ve just been unable to maintain their consistency throughout what is an extremely long and gruelling season.

While Steve Bruce has always been someone who is capable of guiding a team to promotion from the Championship, it’s clear to see that the expectations surrounding him are greater than they’ve ever been at any of his previous clubs.

Some of that is down to his reputation, in addition to his Birmingham City ties, with some fans even calling for his head after this recent run. While that may seem a little bit rash, Villa supporters have experienced quite the fall from grace in recent weeks, so it makes sense to see that they want answers.

Alas, not all of the blame can be directed towards Bruce, as the players themselves just look like they’re out of ideas. Villa looked like they were already on the beach against Norwich, which is bizarre given they’ve all but secured a spot in the playoffs.

There was a lack of creativity, no urgency, and it just feels like they’re going through the motions until the ‘post-season’ of sorts can begin. The Canaries just seemed to want it more, even though they’ve got nothing to play for by comparison.

You could argue that’s a smart mentality given that they could preserve some of their energy, but most successful playoff teams thrive on the momentum built from their run towards the end of the campaign – and right now, Aston Villa look certainties for a semi-final loss.