Hardly anything has been able to distract me away from the Villa in my lifetime. The last series of events able do it was the birth of my kids, decades ago.
Purchasing a gaff in Spain has distracted me too. It’s the whole process of buying the property and doing tons of research as in what to expect in being over there and everything else around it. It’s a nightmare, with utilities and all manner of bills and taxes to sort out. And is exactly the reason why the thought of moving at all has never appealed to me.
It’s caused me to take a total back seat from thinking about the Villa and is why I’ve hardly been on the site or written anything. Apologies for that and you seem to have been doing a pretty good job of that yourselves.
There’s also another reason I haven’t written and frankly it’s because I have practically nothing positive to say.
I’m very much known as a straight talker and rate myself as very much the pragmatist, hence I want to look at something quite depressing. Our current form.
To make it simple, here’s our form over the last 12, 10, 8, 6 and 4 games;
8th. 5th. 13th. 17th and finally 19th. Anybody else seeing a pattern here? At a time when we’re thinking we’ll turn it around and it’ll come good, we’re actually getting worse. And we’re already in relegation form.
Things look pretty grim to me and I expect this to continue, at least tomorrow anyway.
So Chelsea away and they’re on a roll.
Squad news then and Jacob Ramsey is definitely out and Amadou Onana will be assessed before the game, having missed out for the last two. Kamara will probably start after doing so on Wednesday and I’d expect Barkley might too, having done pretty well in the last few weeks.
As for Chelsea, they apparently rotated quite bit for their European game on Thursday and will revert to a full strength side for tomorrow.
Which doesn’t bode well for us.
We actually have a fairly good record against Chelsea over the last few seasons, but I don’t see us getting anything tomorrow. Unai doesn’t seem open to changing from his current very high line defending stance and I just can’t see how we’re not going to get caught out, with their attackers repeatedly getting in behind us. Quite simply we’ve been found out and we all know it.
So we’re in trouble and Chelsea are looking very likely for a Champion’s league spot. What can go wrong?
Everything, I suspect and my thoroughly depressing position is we’ll be soundly beaten.
I’m going for 1-3. But I seriously hope I’m wrong.
UTV!
Sorry, but it’s just how I see it.
I’m seriously beginning to wonder if our qualifying for the CL was a good thing at all.
I get your negative view Badger.
It’s interesting that Emery seems remarkably laid back about where we are and, I assume therefore, our current form. I suspect if you look at Citeh’s recent form (I haven’t done so) it will not make any better reading.
I intimated previously that Emery is concentrating on the CL whilst he’s suggesting we are in a group of clubs contesting a top seven position whilst hinting that a top 4 / 5 position is not within our grasp this season.
Of course three draws against sides (at least two of which we should have beaten) has knocked our position.
Imho we have a defensive system (and defenders) more suited to European football than that of the EPL which means (if I’m correct) that we need (simplistically) two sets of defenders that can suit each league or, more realistically, a greater strength in defensive depth with a range of capabilities that will allow rotation in both defensive and Eorpesn football but were strangled by spending rules.
If Emery is the coach we believe him to be he will develop the squad we need but it’s bound to be an ‘up and down’ experience.
That’s me trying to me positively rational rather than negatively emotional.
UTMV
I read somewhere the other day Hitch that this here total possession football is on the wane, that teams in Europe have wised up to it, let the opposition keep the ball and then the counter.
Maybe Sir Ron was on to something?
The reality is we’ve fallen behind Brentford, Brighton, and Bournemouth. All are supposedly ‘small’ clubs, playing superb attacking football. I’m somewhat envious to be honest.
Badger you have my sympathy mate, brought a holiday in Wales around a decade ago, with the aim of eventually retiring down there but oh my days the worst thing I ever did.
The political climate changed, I grew horns, a tail and hoofed feet and got screwed to the floor with council tax premiums.
Rid of now and good riddance.
I truly hope things turn out better for you my friend.
Anyway tomorrow, no chance.
Can’t see past a 2 or maybe 3 – 0 defeat.
Knowing this is a Villa blog hope you don’t mind me giving a big shout out to our very close family friend Jacob Bethell who scored his maiden test 50 and the winning run for England in New Zealand. Playing for England has been his ambition since he left Barbados and came to England on a scholarship as a 12 year old.
Spent some time with him and his family here in Barbados before he left for NZ.g
So very proud of him.
Thanks.
And I’m going to be positive – Villa to win tomorrow.
UTMV
I just hope something makes the trip worthwhile.
Similarly to you, I am not confident at all, the only thing giving me any hope to latch onto is our record against them as you said.
Would take a draw for sure.
I would also take a draw right now. We are missing Onana again which is a big blow. We could be 12th after today’s games and we are on a downward trend.
Prediction for this is a 3-0 defeat as we are easy to score against and now seem unable to convert chances.
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Just a thought…
0-0 would be so good.
Here we go.
1-0
Making chances but not converting.
Statistically the story of our season 🤦♂️
Luv Ollie but by christ he misses some chances
That’s not a back pass, dickhead ref.
Wow what just happened there
Wtf?? 🤦♂️
We are brain dead!
What the xxxx are we doing.
Pick the ball up – back pass
Play the ball to the opposition
Break forward then pass the ball back to our keeper
Play long balls from the back line and find the opposition
Don’t finish when glorious chance arrives
Unai either change the style of play or get in players who can execute your plan.
I hope I have to eat these words by the end of the match.
We are gifting Chelsea chances. Should be 3-0 down already. I will give Emi some leeway after what he’s done for us. As for Rogers and Philogene though, I don’t think they should be playing based on what they are currently offering.
His signings are on the whole awful, Rogers, Philigene, Tielemans and £60m for Onana is just the icing on the cake.
It was a back pass all day for, even if it was unintentional. And now our shambolic defence even runs through to Martinez 😐
I ain’t having that mate, it comes off his foot and is not an intentional pass.
Neither, imo, within the spirit or intent of the rule.
We all know why that rule was brought in, due to the bin bippers killing games off by constantly passing it back to the keeper.
2-0 and this really isn’t looking good.
Going to be a cricket score – looking ever downwards now.
Going to the beach
Bloody hell we’re a mess at the moment.
Game over. Maybe 3-0 was being optimistic. We have been found out and Badger made a good point about our recent form being that of a relegation team. Either Emery changes tactics or we need new players or dare I say it…..
Remember, class is permanent. Form temporary.
Although it’s gonna be top 10 this season for us unless we put a proper winning streak together. I think we’ll see a major clear out, including some fan favourites soon…
10 of Chelsea’s players didn’t feature the other night.
9 of ours did.
Enough said.
I think that’s a weak excuse for the defensive howlers we have made. Chelsea are putting our back 4 under pressure and we can’t cope. Our playing out from the back needs to stop.
Yeah. Just heard that. FFP protecting the established top flight. How have Chelsea got away with it? All bloody corrupt. What’s the point?
Chelsea Football Club’s annual revenue for the 2022/23 season was £512.5 million.
Aston Villa is projected to generate around £260 million.
And there’s the answer.
What’s annoying is last season I thought we were better than Chelsea. Of course with the spending restrictions we were forced to sell our better players and bring in dross. Chelsea however seemed to be able to spend whatever they wanted.
And as I type, Watkins misses another sitter 😡
FWIW, I would reluctantly bring on Bailey for Philogene who offers nothing. Barkley for Rogers and then push Tielemans further forward. I would also take McGinn off and play Watkins out wide left and bring on Duran.
I said it in a previous post that complacency has set in within our club. It could be from the coaching staff transcending down to the players. Right now, if I could make 11 substitutions I would!
Olson on🤦♂️
I’ll get my coat.