Former Aston Villa midfielder David Platt believes the club are doomed in their bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League. Remi Gardes side slipped to another defeat on Saturday, losing 2-1 at Stoke, and find themselves eight points from safety with just 11 games to play.Based on their showings so far this season, Platt believes that is too much of a gap for them to make up. Its shocking, Platt, speaking as a studio guest on Super Sunday, told Sky Sports.They had a couple of games where they put some points on the table but I dont hold out any hope for them staying in the Premier League and when teams drop down - especially on the back of winning so few games - its very difficult to bounce back. Remi Garde: His Villa side seem destined for the drop The Midlands club have struggled to maintain their Premier League status over the last few seasons and have ultimately managed to do so. Not this time though, according to Platt.Theyve looked for the last few years like they were going to get relegated, added the 49-year-old.There might be a lot of players in that dressing room who thought they were too good to go down and thats not what you need when you drop into the Championship because its a very difficult league. Theyve looked for the last few years like they were going to get relegated. Former Aston Villa player David Platt The players that theyve bought, theyve bought as Premier League players. If you are going to get rid of them, how are you going to get rid of them if theyre on big contracts.Its a great club - a Premier League club in every sense but not what theyre producing on the pitch. Also See: Arnautovic double downs Villa Garde: Defeat tough to take Garde: Fans have right to protest Villa fixtures Dalton Pompey Blue Jays Jersey . Patrice Bergeron and Daniel Paille scored 20 seconds apart a few minutes after Stamkos was taken off the ice on a stretcher with a broken right leg, and the Bruins beat the Lightning 3-0 on Monday afternoon. Roberto Alomar Jersey . He says so-called TRT is only one problem and he wants to go even further than the ban. "Its about time," St-Pierre told reporters at a promotional event in Montreal on Friday. "I think its a good thing. http://www.bluejaysonline.com/blue-jays-alen-hanson-jersey/ . Nine days before the opening ceremony, organizing committee chief Dmitry Chernyshenko said Wednesday that Sochi is "fully ready" and will deliver safe, friendly and well-run games that defy the grim reports that have overshadowed preparations. Jesse Barfield Jersey . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. Clay Buchholz Jersey . - Connor McDavid scored 53 seconds into overtime as the Erie Otters came from behind to defeat the visiting Guelph Storm 4-3 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. ATLANTA -- Four Georgia-based jet pilots who buzzed Charlottes professional football stadium are restricted from flight duty while the incident is reviewed, U.S. Air Force officials said.The Carolina Panthers were practicing on Monday when the A-10 Warthog attack jets swooped low, alarming some inside and outside the stadium.Its unclear whether the pilots of the A-10C Thunderbolt IIs, based at Moody Air Force Base in south Georgia, find themselves in a danger zone because of their actions.As professional airmen we take aviation safety very seriously, Air Force Col. Thomas Kunkel said in a statement to The Associated Press.The team was most certainly caught off-guard, as players wondered what was happening, Carolina Panthers Coach Ron Rivera said. But it was pretty awesome to see, he added.Workers in nearby office buildings criticized the flyby on social media, assuming the pilots were mavericks.However, it turns out the pilots had requested permission for a flyover from the tower.Specifically, the Federal Aviation Administration is looking into reports that the pilots made a low-altitude pass over Bank of America Stadium after air traffic controllers approved the pilots request to fly over the National Football League venue, the FAA said in a statement Thursday.The statements released by the Air Force and FAA include no indications that the pattern was full or that a negative to the pilots request was in order. But that doesnt mean no rules were broken in this particular engagement.As we look into the circumstancees of this incident we are working with the FAA to ensure both civil and military aviation instructions were complied with, Kunkel said.ddddddddddddSome Air Force pilots do flyovers at NFL games, but the Charlotte team had no knowledge of any practice flyovers, Panthers spokesman Steven Drummond said.While much of the social media reaction saw the flyover as a circus-stunt, the team didnt appear to label the pilots as jesters.I like the fact that they waved at us as they went over, Rivera said.The pilots from the Georgia base were conducting routine navigation training from Charlotte to Moody and were not participating in the Air Forces partnership with the NFL to provide flyovers, Kunkels statement said.The planes had taken off from Charlotte Douglas International Airport moments before flying over the stadium, Air Force officials said. They are part of the 74th Fighter Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, which is near Valdosta, Georgia.The aircraft are used to support troops on the ground, and are sometimes known by their nickname Warthogs, according to descriptions from Moody.Their maneuverability and capability for short takeoffs and landings help them operate near front lines in battle. The planes can carry a variety of bombs, missiles, rockets and guns to defeat a wide variety of targets on the ground, including tanks, officials said.---Reed reported from Charlotte, North Carolina. ' ' '