Well I thought this forum was due a write up, so a sum up of the seemingly dismal few weeks at this football club feels appropriate. Whilst I don’t believe we have entered a full-blown crisis, I can see exactly where the frustration of fans has come from, and I have definitely gathered that different people are looking at this from various different angles, depending on their status.
In terms of this site, I think the main frustration comes from the PSR regulations and our injury crisis. Mix them both together, watch clubs like Man City purchase Guehi in January, as well as Semenyo, and both look brilliant, whilst we sold Grealish, Diaby and Ramsey for a combined £200m, it just doesn’t seem to make sense. Whilst I do not have an answer as to why exactly this is, I can definitely gather that this is where fan frustration is rooted. There is that, and there is also performances on the pitch – Wolves, Chelsea… just completely spineless, and what kind of a Top 4 team are we if we’re just going to capitulate as soon as we accumulate a few injuries… we mocked Spurs for this, huh? There have just been limited positives since our midfield was taken out, and I believe Newcastle had it out for us so selfishly tried to injure our players at St. James Park whilst our fan base watched from above with the Gods – oh well, let them rot in 14th and get knocked out to Barca despite having £250bn owners.
There have also been other things pointed out by more match-going fans. On Twitter / X, whatever Elon calls it these days, there has been voiced frustration about the lack of care there is towards the fan base, and this is definitely going to rub off on that away end at Old Trafford next Sunday – a particular incident is a fan who’s had his Lille ticket stripped off of him and his entire European booking history lost because he advertised his friend’s ticket despite having booked his flights and accomodation, and sent it to Villa for proof.
My view? It quite clearly states in the rules that you are not to advertise away tickets for sale online or else they were show zero mercy towards you, but I suppose the club could’ve been a little human about that particular issue. It’s just not worth it at all whatsoever, and why I try to avoid discussing tickets on social media. But yeah, things like that just sum up the frustration at the club in terms of liasing with the fanbase recently.
Old Trafford on Sunday, heh! Arguably the worst possible fixture to come up in this bad run, considering the average Villa fan’s view on Manchester United Football Club – I know a few who are refusing to watch because they don’t see the point. If we can run away with a point I would be astonished. In terms of injuries, we could see McGinn and Tielemans back sooner rather than later. Kamara, I just can’t see him playing much for us again, I think he will move on, to be honest.
Anyway, apologies for the negative article, I just wanted to get some fresh writing up considering it has been a while, and it seems a lot of other writers are not feeling up to it due to their frustration at the moment. Open to criticism if I have been too negative.
UTV.
Fk it. I can’t watch anymore.
And game over.
I f***ing hate Neville. He shouldn’t be allowed to commentate for Manure games. There’s enough bias with the officiating and Stockley Park.
Lightweight team when will we learn,
We piss about building from the back, then give the ball away. That team will get nothing, mark my words. As for substitutions, my mind boggles.
Bailey useless
Dougy useless
Rogers -100 mill see ya
Watkins useless
Overhaul needed in the summer
Agreed except Dougie who only played 10 minutes.
We are a bunch of pussies! No fight! Where are the ones who surround the referee when we don’t get a decision go our way? Where are the ‘dirty’ players in our team? We have the look of resignation when we went 2-1 down.
FWIW, I don’t think Abraham is the answer long term. Watkins must be sold in the summer and I’m sure Arsenal won’t be interested. Shame he’s not going to the World Cup! Can we find a striker who can hold the ball and run behind the defenders? As for Bailey, his best performances are when he’s sat on the bench. We need wingers who can go past the full backs.
Champions League next season is over! We aren’t going to win the Europa League and Chelsea will overtake us eventually.
The media darlings are guaranteed the funding by the Premier League and UEFA to keep teams like Villa at arms length. I’m pissed off that 14 clubs aren’t putting up a stink about the way things are going.
With eight games to go we’re in fourth (probably fifth after the Pool play) and hold an away lead in the Europa league yet we’re all moaning.
TBH I can well understand why. We have lost our mojo with no signs that we will be able to find it again.
As always, we can only support the lads and hope for the best.
At least we’re not Spurs…
Love the negativity LOL
Reality is we’ve over performed – realistically compare our squads and we shouldn’t be this high up the league. Maybe if we hadn’t lost our midfield but all that did was reinforce Emery’s view that we aren’t good enough for top 5.
A dose of reality would be a good call.
I still think we can win the Europa League which remains our best chance of CL next season.
Just like forest last season we probably end up 7th as Brentford probably win Monday and will only be 4 points behind.
Apart from Fulham and Sunderland the games we have left are against teams with something to play for either top or bottom of league.
I lost picture as barkely scored so no idea what happened after apart from result and var trying disallow goal.
So can’t comment on rest of match but thought we not to bad apart from Watkins and Rogers losing ball a lot.
Wonder what Watkins has in his contract to play all the time .
He played Thu surely Abraham should have started,I don’t get it does emery want out I wonder 🤔
For God’s sake Roy, sort it out!!! We looked much better in the week and today we’re again beaten by a ref who should have sent Casimero off, and performance wise they beat us 60/40. Bailey and Ollie were shit, granted.
McGinn is back, Youri next. I can guarantee top 4! Otherwise I owe u a pint! The Gods smiled on us with that unexpected late Spuds equaliser!
Up The Mighty Villa!!!
You all bang on about Abraham but frankly he’s offered very little. It seems to me it’s all an anti Watkins sentiment rather than believing Abraham offers anything different or better.
We remain shopping in the bargain basement store and that means we won’t win anything. It’s down to Emery’s brilliance that we are where we are and he may well decide to move on in the summer and who could blame him?
Well isn’t that quite tragic – want to compete for UCL and don’t even have one competent striker.
Kevin showed much more bite and aggression than Ollie the Gentleman.
We need something in the 10 role urgently.
Today was awful. Can’t blame PSR when you have a team of no bollocks bottlers. 👍🏻
Oh look. The banter club Spurs equalise at Liverpool while we sat back and let Liverpool destroy us. Almost as if we can’t kick a football when it comes to meaningful matches.
Spurs equalize 89 min. We are back in 4th
We’re lucky lol.
All winners are lucky Alfie. And thats it
Not entirely convinced. United didn’t win by luck today, they won because they faced a spineless opposition.
We are a nice and easy team to play against. I wonder how many 50/50 tackles we lost today. Apart from Onana and McGinn, where is the physicality? Rogers has it when he feels like it. Buendia, Watkins and Bailey are lightweight. Cash isn’t the greatest player we have but he has tenacity and shows desire.
Maybe when we have Tielemans and Cash back, we might get back to winning ways. I will make a prediction now though. West Ham will take at least a point next week.
Spot on.
Still 4th this league is poor as piss need to start taking advantage for champions league qualifying from next week
And that’s a very good point Little.
As the results in Europe showed last week – the EPL is no longer the ‘big bollocks’ league it thinks it is!
And which team was the only one to win?
All still to play for – getting past Lille and something from the game with West Spam are priorities. After that with SJM and Tielemans back in the side after the IB we’ll be back with a bang.
Keep the faith fellow Villans- all is not yet lost.
UTMV
Villa and Spurs remain the only two teams not to be awarded a penalty this season – whilst Brentford have been awarded 8.
Does that sound a little fishy?
No problem with Brentford’s 8 as long as they’re all penalties. It’s more the way we haven’t been given any considering how many calls we’ve had this season.
Although I’d like to qualify for CL and say we haven’t been given a penalty all season, that would be a good way to attention seek to the rest of the league. 🤣
Arokodare of Wolves is someone we should be looking at. A player who can hold the ball up and is physically strong. Also he can actually score from corners whereby we have Onana and Mings who rarely do. He wouldn’t cost a fortune and he wouldn’t need to relocate presumably.
Does anyone else think the fine and suspended transfer ban for Chelski stinks of Premier League corruption. Surely it’s a way of preparing us for a very lenient decision on Citeh.
Absolutely fuckin criminal holte they have admitted to corruption and still get away with it watched it today o talksport
Unbelievable how they got away with a paltry 10 million fine like I say football is corrupt man city will get away with it as well UTMV
Holte, when I read it I had to smile, bent as a 5 bob note that FA, I don’t think we have anyone in the football association like us one little bit, as BFR said f:;@k them all might as well turn up at a match and kick f@;k out of all of them, One-eyed crooked never ever played football board of morons.
Yep – there’s one rule for the favoured five or six clubs and another for the rest – all about keeping the ‘plebs’ in their place.
If I was the owner of teams like Everton and Forest who received points deductions I’m be knocking down the walls of the EPL demanding compensation – even teams like Villa struggling under unfair financial regulations should be consulting solicitors. Whereas Chelsea with their £1.5bn squad built on cheating and deception can sail on regardless – sickening.
It’s time a few owners stood up and started a campaign against the clear and obvious bias in the EPL. All the fans know it’s bent; time for a revolution!
Guys, on a slightly different note, just watching YouTube videos of old Birmingham before it was ruined, but where did the Spanish connection of the ‘Bullring’ come from?
In all these years it has never occurred to me why…!!!
Been thinking about the Chelsea fine following breach of Premier League financial regulations, and I have come to the conclusion that it is not a result of “big six bias” that the Cockney’s have escaped with only a fine.
I do think the Premier League try and avoid points deductions at all costs, as do the Football League, however if you really look at certain clubs, there are no other options.
For example, Sheffield Wednesday, Derby, Leicester etc – clubs that are not as financially secure as Chelsea, Villa, City etc.
Villa got away with only a fine, too. This is a result of the Premier League knowing that we have financial stability outside of PSR regulations, so we can easily pay a fine, whereas some clubs do not have the owners that can afford to pay fines worth tens of millions, so a deduction is the only option.
City’s 115 charges will probably get away with only a fine because their owners can easily pay it, and they will be willing to pay it if it avoids a point deduction, despite denying all charges.
That’s my take on it, anyways.
Another side note is that we were also charged by UEFA, who have zero jurisdiction in the Premier League, therefore a fine is really the only option, however Chelsea have been fined by the Premier League.
Not sure your argument completely holds water Alfie.
Both Forest and Everton could easily afford fines but the EPL were quick to take points of both. I think you’ll also find that far less wealthy clubs in the EFL have both been fined and had points deducted – Leicester for example and theirs related retrospectively to the relegation year from the EPL – which they have appealed.
Personally, I’ve never understood why clubs suffering with financial challenges are fined – for having financial problems – it seems completely daft to me.
I don’t get why we didn’t get points deducted then.
Wasn’t the fine for Villa imposed by UEFA? They can’t deduct points in the Premier League but they can impose a transfer ban and disqualify us from playing in European competitions. The way i understand it is, we were fined and given a route to bring our SCR to the 70% which they require. We failed again last financial year, so we are likely to receive another big fine as we have reduced the SCR percentage. I assume a 3rd attempted failure will result in major punishment. To be honest, if we only make Europa or Conference League next season, it will not be worth the effort to trim the squad and be weak in the Premier League. Better to not be in those competitions and have more financial clout in the transfer market to boost out small squad.
Chelsea held their hands up and admitted breaking rules, but that shouldn’t soften the punishment. They won lots of silverware based on their crimes and the sickening fact is the £10m fine will likely come out of the funding for Ukraine victims as stated on Talkshite!
Which is exactly what I’ve been banging on about.
Europa and Conference ain’t worth a proverbial.
I don’t know why we entertain it, as it does next to nothing for our standing.
For now, I’m done with it all and am contemplating closing the site down.
Don’t worry, I’ll give it weeks of consideration first.