I don’t write much on here… but thought I would give it a go tonight following a win I am very much impressed with.
Fenerbahçe went into this game as solid favourites, which I did expect, with the last time I checked the odds pre game they went in at around 13/10, whilst we were at around 2/1.
I thought in the first 10 minutes they looked the better, and was worried an early goal would crush us, but we were excellent after that, and went into half time comfortably at 1-0, and arguably should’ve had more.
Second half was less stable, but I still certainly think that the 3 points were deserved, and all involved did excellently with limited resources. Emery in particular I was impressed with, although I personally did not like his reaction to Tielemans coming off, despite the “son” analogy he has since used to explain it. I thought Emery did just enough to win and did so by using as little resources as he needed to, by this I mean preserving the minutes of key players we will use on Sunday, whilst also using them to win the game, notably Maatsen, Onana, and Rogers, who I noticed he took off today, which is a rare occasion for Unai! Definitely thinking of Sunday there I think.
I predicted 1-2 to Villa before the game (which would’ve been correct if all goals stood, not that they should’ve), and, although I will admit I was worried, I very rarely go anything other than a win these days as my expections are so high.
Any win I would’ve been happy with tonight, or even a draw to be honest. But securing top 8 feels like a weight lifted now, and gives us more freedom at Newcastle. Although, in saying that, of course position in the top 8 can determine your draw. But look at Liverpool in last seasons Champions League, who finished top and were beaten by a tough draw to PSG in the Round of 16, so I don’t think it means so much. We should beat any team we are drew to in that competition, as far as I am concerned.
For a quick note on their Villa related players… I thought Asensio looked okay, but had better games at Villa. Duran seemed to get a lot of the ball, particularly in the first half, but never looked menacing on it, and couldn’t stay onside. I said from the beginning Duran looked very patient, which is unusual for him, but I also said he would lose his head eventually, and we just have to stop him from scoring before this occurred, and it seemed it did as he looked stroppy, and did not seem to be a threat at all after that. I thought Mings was sublime in handling him and his unpredictability.
That brings me to my final points that I thought Mings and Bizot were both worthy contenders for Man Of The Match tonight, and, this is where I stick my neck out and say I think Bizot has done enough to be considered first team keeper now in my eyes (controversial, I know), but I genuinely think he is more reliable right now, especially amid reports Emi Martinez could be off to Milan soon.
Anyways, overall it was a fantastic win that has secured us top 8 in the Europa League group stages, and we should all be very proud tonight and rest up for Newcastle away, which I cannot wait to attend myself!
UTV!
I can’t argue with any of that, Bradley. Good post!
I’d agree with your best players bit, but would add Buendia, as I think that was one of his best performances for us.
It was good all round.
Good post Bradley just watched it back after work brilliant win woop
Could of scored more but a great win all the same we can definitely win the competition wow imagine that UTMV
We didn’t score more because our decision-making was too slow. As much as I’m buzzing with last night’s win, that won’t pass at Newcastle.
Nice sum up Brad. As much as I still think we need to do more at Newcastle, I would see this as a mature, professional victory that has really shown our capabilities in this competition.
Cannot fault a single player last night.
Great to see Mings back, Bizot takes away any concerns over Martinez deciding to move on (though I’d prefer him to go to a European side) and add Lidelof to our recent list of superb free signings.
Adding a top striker in this window is a priority but otherwise a brilliant professional performance.
A draw at St James’ will be a fantastic result. After that, the next 5 league games are: Brentford, Bournemouth, Brighton, Leeds, and Wolves – 3 at home. With a rest against Salzburg and the cup tie, again at home.
If the right players come in, surely, we should be in a fantastic place come the spring?
I would sincerely hope so BFR, particularly the home games. Wolves is always an iffy one, though. Also very glad we’ve got Elland Road out the way with a win!
So have we all stopped panicking now? Please can we be spared any more injuries to particularly Mings and Onana for the rest of the season? I think we’re underrating some of those who aren’t regular starters, Little Emi is as pit-bull like as ever, and Sancho – well there is definitely a player in there, and would really benefit from a stable environment and could thrive at Villa.
Talkinng of Onana, it was nice to see him reintroduced gradually. Perhaps we should have done the same with Pau last weekend. Players get rusty…
UTV!!!!!
p.s. Does anyone follow the Irish Villians at the ‘For the love of McGrath’ podcast? Really good. Actually preferring this over the Holy Trinity at present…
I don’t want to sound repetitive but I still have that uncertainty about Watkins and Hitch. He did have half-chances, and it looked like quick feet is his problem; holding up the ball and distribution are there, but that final foot is, to me, slow. Am I too critical of Watkins? Sometimes I think I might be.
I’m also uncertain about Hitch, Bill. 🤪
I like your sense of humour BFR, Hitch is ok but like me were not spring chickens😇🥸.
😂😂 I quite often have the same feeling!
Tammy Abraham to Aston Villa, here we go! Verbal agreement in principle with Besiktas after personal terms done days ago.
€21m plus add-ons, Yasin Özcan will be also included as part of the agreement.
#AVFC in Turkey now with their directors to formally seal the deal.
As per Fabrizio Romano!
Hold on a min, what is he on about Yazin Ozcan? Isn’t he the youngster we’ve just signed and loaned out?
Signed him last year but he stayed with the club and loaned him out this season but he hasn’t played for Villa this season so can play for Beskitas.
Nice. Seems like a lot of our youth players signed are just sale assets to be honest.
I do not mind this though, it implies smart business.
Yes.
It seems that a deal has been struck with Beskitas involving Ozcan in exchange for Abraham plus cash.
Romano has given it the “Here we go” over Tammy Abraham.
€21m plus add-ons, Yasin Özcan will be also included as part of the agreement.
That’s a hell of a lot and a right fat profit for them, plus we lose a young kid.
I really don’t think I’d be happy with that deal and surely that means we won’t get Mateta?
I wonder if it’s just an option in case we can’t do a deal with Palace , as I’d rather take Mateta, myself?
I think Abraham will be a better fit to how we play and particularly the possibility to play alongside Watkins.
His numbers (albeit in the Turkish League) – goals and assists are significantly better than Mateta’s and he has more European experience. He knows the club, is well liked by the fans and, it seems, Emery has been a long time admirer.
Now we need to get a decent holding midfielder in – even on loan until the end of the season.
Two Turkish reporters saying Abraham will be on a 6pm Flight tonight.
Interesting dynamic – on the OS reporting Emery’s news conference ahead of the bar codes. Emery saying Bailey is back to help us, is fit and can play as he understands our way.
Now, if he’s included in Sunday’s squad it would seem to me that Emery intends to play him and retain him at least until the end of the season. If he does play for us – even 10 minutes – then he can’t play for another club in Europe this season.
He could, of course, go elsewhere certainly to the MLS.
Or Saudi.
Not sure about Saudi Bum Bum. It seems the transfer would have to be to team thats season does not coincide with Europe’s
Interesting article about the top 20 teams in the deloitte money league with villa in 14th place their 6th for broadcast money but match day revenue bad at 80million but the most surprising i thought was how bad our commercial revenue is compared to the rest at only 83million I think that’s dreadful a lot more needs to be done on that side of the club.
Who’s responsible for that very poor showing
Match day I can understand re size of stadium but someone should be working harder on commercial side that would help unai with funds even if increased by 40million could get a decent player
Anyone else think someone is not doing their job to the full?
You nailed it, Roy.
The ground is too small, plain and simple.
And it’s exactly why I think the club has made a massive mistake in not going all out for a minimum capacity of 60,000.
It was Emery’s call – not to lose capacity in the ground, by demolishing the North Stand to enable the expansion to take place, which he felt was vital in pursing European ambition and ultimately accelerating revenues including far more valuable sponsorship deals.
Whilst we lag behind the historically rich clubs we’ve made big strides in revenue generation since NSWE bought the club – I prefer to look at growth – rather than purely headline number – and that has been excellent. The big challenge for Villa is how they replace the betting advertising sponsorship when the present deal expires and the ban comes into place.
A new stadium is the ideal solution but there doesn’t appear to be any land in the same area as Villa Park and building one out by The NEC, so disconnected to Villa’s heartland, would be unpopular and a risk.
The plan is (as I understand it) to invest £100m in expanding VP to a 50,000 seat stadium with increased and improved fan facilities thus increasing match day revenue in time for the European Cup games in 2028. Alongside that we need Government investment both centrally and locally in local infrastructure – particularly Witton station.
50k is not enough Hitch. You will never convince me otherwise.
This is a club that had a capacity well up amonst the biggest for decades. The Holte end was the biggest in the game, as much as the Kop and Wolves’ North bank used to argue.
We need a big ground, at least 60k, minimum if we really want to compete.
And CL every year for a decade, regardless of whether we win any silverware.
That’s how you compete with the Sky 6 and play them at their game.
Revenue at £800 million, not £400, because of the continued international recognition.
An absolutely massive ask, but we have the manager to do it.
Bournemouth kind enough to do us a favour!!!
Villa win. Arse win. Fair weekend?
Mate, a win at St James’ for Villa would be practically unprecedented. I will be delighted with a point and not another mauling.
Looking at the bigger picture, of course Unai and the boys have to keep trying to chase down City and Arsenal. But it’s City and Arsenal. A 3rd place finish would be magnificent and the highest since 1995! Just keep the chasing pack at arm’s length. Liverpool got no points today so one for us away from home means one more point distance between us. By all means, keep fighting for the title until it’s mathematically impossible. Absolutely. But it was Deal or no Deal would you take third or would you gamble and go for second or first, knowing who’s above us?
UTV!
Having said that, I think United might take something from the Emirates tomorrow so if we were to win, we cut it to 5, maybe 4 points at the top. F*** it, go for the win!
Having said that, a win would put the barcodes joint 4th. I can’t see them passing up that opportunity at home. Ah bollocks, let’s just wait and see…
Records are there to be broken. Look at us and Everton last week!!! Everyone and their aunt had a nailed on Villa win and look what happened! The Geordies know this pattern has to break one day and today could be the day.
I’m bloody chuffed Dan Burn is out. If only Tonali came down with a case of the trotts…
Heh, BFR, you’re viewing it the same as me. Tricky one this.
Very tricky…
Given our poor record at the bar codes (we haven’t won there since 2005!), the tough game at Fenerbahce and our midfield injuries I’m not feeling over confident. It might all come down to whether Guimiraes plays.
In addition bar codes had an easy home game Wednesday so no travel and a day extra to recover – on balance I can’t see us coming away with anything.
As suspected most of the transfer talk is just so much click bait nonsense – why do we still look at it? One story in the Brum Live might prove to be true and, if so, it’ll be fascinating to see how it develops.
It’s saying that Elliott will be in today’s match day squad! It seems that his loan will continue under the terms of which we can play him four more times without triggering the buy obligation. If true, that he’s in the squad, does it signal a change of heart (head in Emery’s case) or a (cynical) move to utilise the four games whist we’re short in midfield?
Hitch, I was thinking exactly that about the 4 games. Of course you have to use them. Makes sense. Right midfield where McGinn plays is ideal.
But they should have renegotiated so Elliott can play the rest of season without Villa being obligated to buy. Liverpool should help their players and their boy and take the initiative. Slot saying he’s Villa’s player and washing his hands of it is disgraceful. Worse than Unai saying we won’t be buying. It’s not the player. Villa literally can’t afford to commit 35 million a year in advance. Madness by Monchi.
OBLIGED!!!!! I HATE THIS AMERICANISM OF OBLIGATED!!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Blimey mate – actually it’s not an Americanism of the word obliged.
From the Latin obligatus, it actually entered the English language in the 16th century.
Thought that might help a little 👍😄
We had a debate about it at home, and you are quite correct. Obliged still sounds more English!!! 🤣
Nearly KO. Don’t forget it’s 2pm, not half past today…
👍
On my way to St. James Park (well, the pub first). There’s one result they’ve got quite a few times this season. Who can guess what it is?
Hint: I’d definitely take it.
A Villa win?
Massive game again they have a few injuries but so did Everton so be happy with a point UTMV
Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatson, Onana, Tielemans, Sancho, Rogers, Watkins, Buendia.
Hard on Bogarde, Digne, Bizot, Mings and Lindelof after Thursday – all on the bench plus Bailey, Elliott, Guessand and Hemings.
That’s a good line up and bench!!