Aston Villa to close out another miserable season against Tottenham Hotspur

Show of hands: how many Aston Villa fans are actually the least bit concerned about the outcome of the 2013-14 campaign's final match against Spurs? Tottenham supporters hoping for another trip to the Europa League certainly have something to root for, but with Villa (barely) safe in spite of another horrendous league showing and anticipation regarding the club's future reaching a fever pitch, it's difficult to muster a great deal of enthusiasm about an ultimately meaningless game. Unless of course playing Europa League spoiler is one's cup of tea.

There are reasons to watch, of course; a desire to see players such as Jack Grealish, Callum Robinson, Nicklas Helenius and, uh, Jordan Bowery, why not. And as miserable as this club can make its supporters feel at times, there's still a commitment (or perhaps it's inertia) that draws them back. And even if the football is bad, it's still football, which is really the point of the whole fandom thing.

Regardless though, nothing that happens between the lines this afternoon is really going to matter in any lasting way. Spurs could cruise to a comfortable win and it's as everyone is expecting; Villa could pull out a shock upset and it won't undo the past 9 months. The offseason promises to be one of the most important in the club's recent history, with some kind of major change in course seemingly all but guaranteed. Villa fans are hopeful that said change will signal better days ahead. And with things unresolved on that front, this game seems even less meaningful than most other low-stakes season-enders.