Welcoming a struggling side to Villa Park isn’t always as straight forward as it seems. To be honest, I’d say that it only occurs with Villa, but let’s be honest, any side can struggle when their opponent desperately needs the points the climb out of the relegation zone – I am not going to sit here and say that we are the only victims of this.
Now, the title of this article will stand providing two outcomes today;
Bournemouth DRAW or LOSE today (Kick-off 14:00)
Aston Villa WIN today (Kick-off 19:00)
So, Champions League football next season can be secured by late tonight, and we know exactly what we are playing for if Bournemouth do not win. That would be some great momentum to take into the second leg against Nottingham Forest on Thursday. On that note, apologies for not getting a post-match article out in time.
After Thursdays unproductive display, there are several changes I would make. I would, firstly, rest Watkins and start Abraham simply because I can see Watkins starting again on Thursday, I would bring Barkley into the team to replace Onana because he is ineligible for Europe, and I would bring Sancho in, maybe even for Rogers.
Onana and Kamara are out for us, whilst Spurs have an injury list that you cannot fit on one page – the only reason they’re in 18th, by the way; I firmly believe they would be comfortably safe if they didn’t have the rate of injuries that they have – Kulusevski, Solanke, and Kudus to name a few.
Well, the entire nation are relying on us to beat Tottenham tonight. Personally, I am not fussed. I generally like Spurs, I prefer them to Arsenal by a mile – however this current group of Spurs players I really detest, they have always played shin-kicking football against us, which has been reciprocated at times, in all fairness.
I think this has potential to be a tough one tonight, at a very awkward kick-off time. Spurs should travel fairly well considering it is bank holiday Monday tomorrow, but I feel we may have enough to get this one over the line given the injuries Spurs are dealing with. I am going to go for a tight 2-1 victory, but anything like the last two games in all competitions, we will not get a sniff in front of goal.
Come on lads, seal the deal! – UTV!
I keep saying it. When a team wants it more than Villa, we lack the physicality and mentality to deal with it. I saw Spurs midfield and ours and there was only going to be one winner.
Holte, I was at a family function today and I said to a Spurs fan pretty much exactly what is happening.
Pathetic, pathetic and pathetic.
If McGinn’s out Thursday (as well as Onana) there’s no point watching.
I confidently predict we won’t win another game and fail to qualify for the CL.
It’s Villa and sometimes I wonder why I put myself through it season after season year after year.
Bye.
“I’m absolutely astonished by the lack of effort…they look like they don’t want to out there” says the commentator. Embarrassing. Shameful.
The worst display I’ve seen since they got relegated in that awful season
Also remind me of fans calling aston vanilla the team everyone licks
This is embarrassing have they only just met each other that’s what it looks like.
Sancho should be off after 25min he’s obviously scared to get hurt after shoulder injury
Unai looks lost got no idea what he’s doing should have made at least 4 substitutes already.
I hope crowd give them what for at half time
It’s not his shoulder. He’s a joke. He’s showing why he didn’t make it at United. He wouldn’t make it in the Championship. Monchi was negligent. And United, like with Djemba-Djemba, saw us coming. I think I said he was Wayne Routeledge mk2 when he arrived. I was right. Fraud.
You right hitchens can’t see us winning another game this season confident forest will beat us on Thursday so depressing this
I so with I’d put a few hundred on Spurs. Easy money. So easy. At least it would’ve softened the blow.
And congratulations to Forest on getting to the final and probably winning Europa. I’m fed up of seeing our passive, pathetic approach to games. No hunger, no energy, just weak players who are bunch of bottlers. Sell Rogers, get rid of Sancho and Bailey. Offload Digne and Barkley. In fact it’s probably easier to name players to keep.
The only ones worth keeping are Smith’s and over 30. Big big problems.
Boo boo what a load of bottlers get out of this club
Next season needs a rebuild like villa park,but I can’t see emery able to build a team I have no confidence in him like smith able to build a squad next year we’ll be like forest this year or spurs and can’t see villa avoiding relegation.
Not with frauds like Monchi giving him substandard players.
If Emery goes, with this squad and Smith’s players another year older, it’s a real possibility. We have to get over the line for CL so we can attract high end players. Otherwise it’s over.
BFR, Emery thinking rest players for Thursday I want to win and be 5 times in the competition, he rips the team apart, he should have the whole hog and play today’s game to win, he didn’t with a ” I know best attitude, it’s upset me seeing this shit
.
Maybe, Bill. But other than Shitscho, those players are good enough to show more than what they have. It’s the same story without McGinn.
We have to get CL over the line and break the bank for Gibbs-White. The problem is, if Forest win the Europa, as expected, they get CL and then there’s no reason for him to leave Forest. Who will replace the skipper? The skipper, not the player.
We’re just spineless. I seriously think if we scrap 5th by a point and go out to Forest then it’s actually a bad season.
Not watching. Have a good evening, gents.
Aren’t teams supposed to play strong team and show commitment to other teams in relegation trouble this stinks
Or is it a master plan to help spurs and keep forest in the relegation battle.
West Ham must be fuming and I can’t blame them. We are letting Paulinha take the piss when they should be taking it in turns smashing into him. Weak and pathetic!
Are Emerys hands stuck in his pockets? Imagine having paid to watch this. Refunds would be fair.
I’ve just walked out of the Holte with 20 minutes to go. Emery should be ashamed of himself tonight. There was a man just in front of me with his young kid. The man had tired his back towards the pitch. How much he spent to watch that was unacceptable – wow!
Emery threw the match. His priorities are wrong! Win the match pretty much guarantees £100m wh I go buy new players. He’s chasing a trophy worth a maximum of £30m. Doesn’t add up. Even worse this season he fielded a full team against Spurs in the FA cup for a prize of winning that round of £127k. He lost Kamara for the season. Dubious approach. And today with Champions League almost in grasp he couldn’t be bothered. If this goes tits up NSWE need to have a word – not sack him but remind him of priorities.
Third absolute shit game on the bounce fucking rubbish boooo
Did anyone just see that free mic on 82nd minute! What in the actual f##k was that????????
A new name for Rodger, Give the ball away Rodgers, it’s what he’s done all
The game. I’ve said it the reason he’s playing for England because there’s no one else in the league. The owners should kick Emery up the backside over this game, crap just crap.
That was abysmal.
Our heads have gone – Emery looks lost – it’s all unravelling a bit like Forest’s season last year.
We’ll probably miss out on CL by goal difference again and lose another semi final so that we can suffer for yet another year with all the associated financial challenges.
The missus is threatening to ban me from the house on game days and I can’t really blame her.
Can’t wait for the summer and no Villa football.
Villa definitely trying to do same as forest last year go from 3rd to 7th and probably relegation battle next session unai will leave he won’t stomach having to rebuild a new team which i don’t think he’s good at anyway from what he’s been like at previous clubs.
He maybe a good coach but useless as a manager buying players
Maybe we should have got dezerbi in he’s done fantastic with spurs in just a few games
That was one of the most disgraceful performances I have seen. Certainly since 2016/17 with the relegation team. I can accept defeat if we have shown 100% effort. Today there was no effort whatsoever. We had an opportunity to push a Sky 6 side closer to the Championship. Now we will see them sitting above us in the premier league next season.
Emery picked that team and he must take responsibility. Where was his desire on the touchline? Has something happened behind the scenes we are unaware of?
The substitutions with a few minutes to go was completely pointless. Baileys hair makes him look like Sideshow Bob on the Simpsons which probably best suits him.
The players will all go home with their big fat paycheques and not give a shit. The fans however have to put up with the hangover of feeling pissed off for a long time.
Although I’m told Rogers was in tears after the game which, if true, doesn’t reflect a player that doesn’t care.
We were poor – no denying it – and I’m certain Emery will take full responsibility for the performance. No different to anyone else on here – desperately disappointed but, in my heart of hearts, expected it. Can’t explain why but it’s the same feeling as the sf against Forest.
But if we take a step back and put emotion aside what it shows is how our squad lacks real quality in depth. In reality we have one class functioning midfield and, tonight, without McGinn, Onana and Kamara it highlighted how we rely on a very small group of players to deliver the quality needed to be in the top five.
I’m incredibly disappointed in our performance and very concerned about our ability to close out the season. BUT what Emery has achieved, whatever the outcome (and we will qualify for Europe, at some level, forcthe fourth successive season) given the financial restrictions placed upon the club is remarkable.
I have no doubt Emery will stay and will look to rebuild the side. He knows he has 100% backing from our owners and will notvbe satisfied until he wins something with the club.
Proud and lucky to be a Villa fan – keep the faith.
UTMV; HEITS.
Anything but Champions League will be a disaster. Europa and conference leagues will confine us to UEFA PSR rules and will probably mean we need to sell players again.
I’ve seriously no idea how we’re 5th. We’ve fluked it.
No that’s completely wrong Alfie – no team flukes 5th over 35 games in the EPL plus sixth last season, fourth the season before and seventh before that, You might as well say Pool or Manure fluked their positions given some of their performances over the season!
Squad depth and injuries are the big influencing factor and we suffered as much as most teams losing several influential players at a key point in the season with a limited squad.
What todays game showed is that we can introduce one squad player without it making a massive difference, but making sweeping changes is not sustainable.
We were embarrassingly poor today but it doesn’t define our season.
I’ve just walked out of the Holte with 20 minutes to go. Emery should be ashamed of himself tonight. There was a man just in front of me with his young kid. The man had tired his back towards the pitch. How much he spent to watch that was unacceptable – wow!
Emery threw the match. His priorities are wrong! Win the match pretty much guarantees £100m wh I go buy new players. He’s chasing a trophy worth a maximum of £30m. Doesn’t add up. Even worse this season he fielded a full team against Spurs in the FA cup for a prize of winning that round of £127k. He lost Kamara for the season. Dubious approach. And today with Champions League almost in grasp he couldn’t be bothered. I’d this goes ti
Just met Peter Withe in the Witton Arms! Good end to an awful day!