I don’t deny it. I’ve been one of the team’s most critical (ok, moany) Villa fans of all, this season.
I can’t help it. The older I’ve got, the more critical I’ve become overall and I honestly wish I was more like my grandsons, who always have 100% belief that we are going to win. I used to be like that too, when I was late teens. What happened?
The simple answer is life and experience. Along with many of you, seeing us fail year after year to win anywhere near like our fair share of anything has ground me down. So much so that my expectations are minimised, because missing out yet again hurts less. Will the Grandsons feel the same in 40 year’s time? I hope not.
And then Unai Emery hasn’t helped. He’s raised expectations so much since his arrival, that victory is just that: expected. And when it doesn’t come, it’s all the more gutting.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good thing. I’d much rather we get close to something than not be in the running at all.
So with that in mind, while this season was one of ups and downs, it was generally massively successful and apart from winning big ears, you probably have to go back to the early 20th century, if not the 19th, to think of a better one.
I mean, it doesn’t get much better really. I obviously don’t need to recap, but I’m writing it for posterity. We reached the quarters of the Champions league, missed out on qualifying for next season’s Champions league by a whisper and wrongly disallowed goal, qualified for the Europa league and reached the semis of the FA cup.
So a load of “nearlys”, but still a great result overall. The big hope is it wasn’t a one-off and we continue to push on.
What went wrong then?
The Champions league, we battered PSG in the second half at home, but the first tie was our undoing. If only.
Premier league? Well Unai got it spot on. We were mostly really good, but that wretched run in the, I don’t know, six weeks? before Christmas proved our undoing. Thinking back to then, I think the consensus was that the lack of backup in the squad was our biggest failing and in hindsight, it was probably to be expected. The fact that we got some great loan players, that gave the team a big boost straightaway, proves the point and that was probably the biggest disappointment of all.
Still, building a better squad has to be a slow job now, given the financial restrictions, but we have a pair of the best in the game trying to get us there. I’m sure they’ll continue to do that in the summer.
And the FA cup? Well, things were going fine until we absolutely never turned up against Palace, who also knocked us out of the Carabou cup. Sometimes the opposition just seems to have your number and there’s not much you can do about it.
Missing out on Champions league qualification was the biggest disappointment of all for me. Yes, you can talk about what the Europa league might bring in , but the revenue is dwarfed by the Champions league and there’s no trying to gloss over it. It’s cost us millions and I really do hope the club try to take the PGMOL to the cleaners. They won’t win, because the game won’t let it happen. But it would make me and I suspect the owners feel better that the clowns who run our game are at least being held to account. A “complaint” is a total waste of an e-mail in my opinion.
So having looked back, we now have to look forward to the summer transfer window.
Emery has said we’re going to be busy and I’m sure we are. There are a few young players who can go and plenty of fringe and even first team players too, I suspect. First and most obvious is Marcus Rashford. There is not a chance in hell that we will be signing him. It might have been a possiblility if we’d qualified for the CL, but even then, I think it was very doubtful, I read today that he’s on £225k a week for us and coupled with a 40mill fee (even though that will be reduced) it just doesn’t make economic sense. Yes, we pay well, but we’re not as stupid as Man U.
Asensio, I’m not sure about. He’s on £150k, I believe, along with a few others. I like him, but a 4 year contract? I’m not sure, but would trust Unai’s judgement on that one.
Bailey is another cert, while he still has some value. What that value would be now, is the question? £20 mill perhaps? I’d take it, I think.
Olsen has gone, so we definitely need a new goalie. By all accounts we might need two if Martinez goes, which I think is a distinct possibility, if he gets the right offer.
Would just Martinez, who I’d expect to get us maybe £40 mill be enough to stave off PSR and the squad to revenue rules? PSR, probably but I believe the rules in Uefa competions are much more stringent, so most likely not.
And then it gets a bit concerning. We have other players who can bring us decent money in and I’ve heard talk of £100 million being raised, which is nice, but frankly not a great amount these days (it seems obscene that I’ve just written that, but that’s how it is).
So we then come into the realms of one of our top players having to leave. And we’re probably talking about Jacob Ramsay, Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers.
I believe Unai would rather sell his soul than Rogers, so there’s no way, for me. I don’t see Ollie going either. I’ve thought for a good while that we don’t necessarily have a problem scoring goals if a striker is out, but looking at the closing table shows us we do. Ollie contributed what you’d expect and finished the highest English goalscorer. But we finished the equal lowest scorers in the top ten. Unless we can bring better in, I can’t see it happening unless someone makes an offer we can’t refuse.
Which leaves Ramsay. Unai has come out and said he won’t be leaving, but I’m not convinced. If we have to sacrifice a name, I think he is favourite.
I sincerely hope not, but nowadays needs must and even though I think we’re on track to bring in around £325 million this season, there’s a good chance it won’t be enough.
I think one thing’s for sure. It’s going to be a very interesting window and I expect Unai to do a flurry of business early on.
There’s a Europa league to prepare for, after all.
UTV!
While we’re on refs, sad news about Uriah Rennie. Blast from the past. RIP.
Yes, indeed BFR – very sad.
Not happy with some of the rumours swirling around VP.
Now, it seems, Tielemans is not committing himself alongside Kamara having not signed a new contract and Martinez and possibly Watkins looking to move.
I’m becoming really concerned about next season – already!
That is not good news considering how Emery has developed these players into what they are today. I’d be well ****ed off if they upped and left.
Honestly, as soon as I hear a player of our speak like that, my support for them is done. Move him on asap – no matter how important he was for us last season. With the exception of Gareth Barry, Dwight Yorke, Grealish, I don’t recall many players who thought they were bigger than Villa, moved on and did much better. So many leave us and fade into oblivion. I think he’s 10x the player for us than he was at Leicester, and would do well to remember the reason why; Emery.
It is all ‘Birmingham Lies’. Their hacks have to write anything that gets people to click on the story so they can bill the advertisers of scam medical products that pollute their side boxes. Under the ‘Tielemans shock’ headline the actual words Tielemans said were that he was happy at Villa and NOT thinking of leaving.
Just remember when the dust had settled on the January window the press nearly all agreed Villa had doe the best business in the EPL. Villa are not selling anyone unless we have a better replacement coming in, perhaps on loan if not bought.
We were just as concerned last January but with a couple of blips we were fantastic. It almost seems that some players run out of enthusiasm in less than a season and need a new challenge. So its not just our players but other clubs have the same and we swop. Simple so nobody need worry.
Always love your positivity Gerry – hope you’re right.
Tielemans, Kamara, Onana, Rogers, Watkins, Ramsey and Martinez all being linked with moves away. My view is the same as Texas Villan, whereby if they want to move, then ship them out. We should get over £200m from those players if they were all to leave.
Canadian Pete refers to players as commodities. We shouldn’t get attached to any of them, except for maybe Mings and Meatball McGinn!
I watched the second half of the pathetic England game against Andorra, followed by pathetic excuses for why we didn’t win easily. The next day I watched Alcaraz and Sinner in the French open final playing a 5 set thriller over more than 5 hours, both playing after a semi final a couple of days before, and realised that the modern day football players are a bunch of whining w*****s!
I’m getting to the stage where I can’t be bothered who goes and who comes in. Football is cutting itself adrift from the working class fans who remember the likes of the greatest team we have EVER had in 1980-82. A team that was mostly consisting of 14 players who made us proud with a no nonsense manager.
I feel for Unai Emery, because he has that same work ethic in a world of lazy overpaid (in the most part) world of modern day footballers.
Rant over!
Holte, this is why I refuse to listen/watch Canadian Pete. He is bloody clueless about the British passion for the game. That, plus I don’t like watching videos anyway and prefer the printed word.
Part of the reason our game is THE best in the world is because we do get attached to players. They are absolutely not commodities, at least not all of the time.
Consider Barry leaving, Mr U-turn and Grealish etc.
Were they commodities? I think not and it’s that shit thinking which is making the game even more soulless.
You should not delude yourself about what our owners are in it for either, as much as they’re doing a great job.
Clue. It isn’t about their love for the game.
Yorke – Gregory would’ve shot him (if he’d had a gun).
Milner – O’Neill took his ball and went home.
Further afield – Arnold – a born and bred scouser, now public enemy number one and despised by his own.
Even that Villas-Boas walked away from that French club after they sold Villa that crap French player whose name I can’t remember.
The list is long and fairly distinguished. I get the point, but to fans, rightly or wrongly, they’re not commodities.
Ramsey linked with a £30m sale to the BarCodes now.
It really is silly season. I like Canadian Pete but don’t always agree with him. He has a very cool head about him.
So many other podcasts are a joke at the minute. Going mental over any poor transfer link. It’s just clickbait.
Unfortunately it seems that pretty much any player is for sale due to PSR. It feels like this year fewer clubs are in danger of failing this absurd ruling. As a result selling clubs are at a real and dangerous disadvantage. Preditor clubs can low ball transfer offers at the 12th hour. If Villa don’t agree they fail PSR.
As we are not in the champions league next year, we really must look to sell dead wages and replace with home grown youth. I previously posted the amount of salary tied up discarded players:
Coutinho
Dendonker
Merano
These 3 represent £250,000 per week, or approximately 5% of salaries to revenue calculation. We just can’t keep up this strategy long term. We all know that if we are at risk of redundancy we start to look for new jobs. Every Villa player knows they might be sold due to PSR, therefore comments like Tilesman’s are natural.
Can the likes of Jimoh-Aloba, Bogarde, Rowe and Barry / Wilson step up as squad players who can be relied upon? They would save millions.
Otherwise Villa should take legal action against Premiership and UEFA for restrictive practices.
Finally for what it’s worth, I really like Canadian Pete. He is balanced and insightful.
The biggest tell is that no one is being linked with our deadwood players which continue to be millstones around our collective PSR / SCR neck!
I doubt if we could even give most of them away!
So selling our best first team players helps us not a jot as some, at least, would have to be replaced and the deadwood wages would still be there!
We should be suing Gerard and Purslow for fraud 🙂
It’s being “reported” that we’ve told dirty Leeds we want 5 mill for Moreno.
My first thought was that’s ridiculously cheap, but his contract is up next year and it’s about getting his wages off the books.
In that case it’s a decent deal on both sides. I like the lad and think he’ll do well for them.
18 YO Feyenoord free agent has passed a medical and will sign a contract at the end of the month:
https://getfootballnewsbene.com/feyenoord-striker-moves-to-aston-villa/
Haha, England 2-1 down.
I’m calling it already.
Tuchel Out!
Terrible replacement for a terrible manager.
Only the FA would appoint someone with the showing he had at Man U.
They’ll reap what they’ve sewn and all be booted, I hope.
Totally correct decision to overturn our goal because of handball.
The comms were trying to say it shouldn’t be disallowed because the player didn’t put the ball in the net.
Bisaed or what? It’s either a hanball or it’s not and it hit him clean on the arm, whether he meant it or not.
Utter joke and it should have been immediately ruled out by VAR.
Still, this strong woman ref, who isn’t standing any crap off the players called it correctly on review.
Now all we need is some equally tough blokes who aren’t taking bungs and the game will move forward massively.
3-1 How embarrassing!
Watching England play brilliant T20 cricket against the Windies – and winning. Rather always watch England playing cricket than football.
We might have the most watched, most valuable football league in the World but our players are over privileged, over hyped, over paid and definitely average. Add a very average coach and we shouldn’t be surprised at embarrassingly poor performances.
We haven’t won a major tournament for nigh on 60 years and it’ll be another 60 years before we do.
At least I was privileged to watch England win the World Cup in 1966; a rare experience.
UTV
Tuchel’s gonna make Southgate look like prime Brian Clough…
I have to say the new Adidas Villa gear (Samba trainers and tracky range) look rather nice. Got the email today – marketing is doing its job. Tempted…
The Sambas are ace, BFR.
I was extremely tempted, but they’ve sold out.
Love this article in Brum Live
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/emi-martinezs-wife-clarifies-tottenham-31832081
Hopefully Emi’s going nowhere.
So just back off holiday and was gonna purchase the beautiful hoodie we have brought out and the adidas t shirt only to find out they are already sold out just like the 150 anniversary shirt last season so frustrating
Why don’t we just mass produce these items and start acting like a massive club aaarrrgh
Oh, you’re kidding. 🤦🤦🤦
What a waste of money advertising it all when you haven’t got anywhere close to enough stock. 🤷
That’s really not good.
Except it is.
It shows seriously unexpected demand, I’d say.
I know marketing nowadays likes to keep supply tight, as it creates more demand.
I’ve never bought into that and my attitude has always been “if you can’t make it available, you obviously aren’t bothered if I buy it so F you”.
No doubt they’ll have a batch of stock in soon.
Well that didn’t last long…
‘Arriyadiyah report that Jhon Duran has suffered with personal issues since signing for the Saudi Pro League club in January, which have affected both his mental wellbeing and his ability on the field. There are various clubs willing to take the striker on loan should Al-Nassr be willing to strike a deal.’
I think we dodged a bullet there.