This final game of the season isn’t just about qualifying for the Champions league.
It is of course about that as well, but perhaps more importantly, it could be a very big pointer as to which direction the club takes over the next few years.
First off, let’s put simply what we need for us to actually qualify. We need to win and either Chelsea or Newcastle drop a point against Forest and Everton respectively. Either that, or Man City have to lose at Fulham.
Any other combination won’t be enough and that worries me, (everything worries me with the Villa), but I certainly don’t think it’s impossible. Everton are a very tough side to beat. Forest could still pinch our current Europa league place so still have something to play for. And Man City have improved of late, but they still seem liable to being beaten by anyone.
So it’s a big ask and I’m not even going to discuss our record against Man U. We’ve had the worst record of any club against them since the Prem was formed. Enough said.
I’ve been saying for months that qualifying for the Champions League was the most single important thing, apart from winning it this year and we’re very soon going to see why.
If we qualify, It’s all sweetness and roses. We might have to part with one top player, but the revenue should be adequate, albeit maybe £50 million light as a pure guess.
But failing to qualify will slash our revenue. The Champions league earned the club just over £45 million this season, but it’s more than just that. It’s the sponsorship and the prestige too. And then, being in it massively improves our pulling power. Or just as importantly, in my opinion, our ability to hold onto players.
I know Martinez looked like he was a goner last week and he definitely looks like he might be off, as it makes perfect sense to me, but I don’t think for one minute he’s made his mind up. He’s happy here. His kids look at Brum as home and apparently his missus has just set up a clothes shop in Tamworth. Of course, 300 grand a week in Saudi can easily turn people’s heads, but keeping the missus happy might prove just as important (I’m clutching at straws, aren’t I?).
But if we already have to flog one player and we don’t qualify, I can see that turning into two or maybe even three players leaving. Say, two of Martinez, Watkins and Rogers and probably Mings too, if rumours are to be believed. And Tielemens is also being mentioned too.
As much as I trust Emery and Monchi to bring decent replacements in, that sort of loss would be a major setback. I’m quite happy for us to do a Rogers, in getting a player in cheap, improving him and then flogging him in short time for a fat profit, but I definitely don’t want to see us having to rip a big chunk out of the team. You need at least a decent amount of stablity.
So this is the biggest game since, er, the last big game. And we’ve had a few this season, haven’t we?
Squad news and Rashford is out , but importantly Youri Tielemens has a fair chance of being at least on the bench after Emery reported that he’s trained since Friday. Jacob Ramsay is available after his suspension.
As for Man U, Leny Yoro probably won’t be risked. Lisandro Martinez is out, as is Matthijs de Ligt.
I think the fact that I’ve never heard of two of those players says it all about how the Reds are in freefall and I also believe that we’re easily capable of beating Man Utd.
The big problem I have is our disgusting record against them.
Even so, it doesn’t really matter to some extent. We win, and the show goes on until the other teams have finished.
We lose and I’ll be close to tears. Yes, the Villa still have the ability to do that to me.
I’m going for a scappy 2-1 win, although I’d love to see us put five past them.
UTV!
I’m definitely nervous for this.
But up for it too.
Garnacho already told to go by Amorim. That guy is a moron. What sort of so called Manager destroys what little he has to work with?
Can hardly sleep with excitement/anxiety. What an end to the season. As you say all 4 teams fighting for a CL place can easily drop points. I need an early lunch. A beer. And a quet place to watch the game.
Good Luck lads!!!!!!!
I think all this is an extension of what was going on previously. There’s a power stuggle going on between the players and the manager. Ten fags couldn’t win it and Amorim is trying to stamp his authority. I think the owners can see it now and will back him. For now, at least.
It’s great seeing them implode though and I reckon Ratcliffe is wondering what ‘s going on.
I don’t buy the Martinez charade. Fact – we are looking for a new keeper to replace Olsen. A decent player won’t want to be 2nd fiddle for long so the ‘unsettled Martinez’ rumour aids recruitment. Manure want him – hollow laugh – Rumours: Manure always want any team’s key player in the week before Manure play that team. Classic Fergie.
Normally I’d be with you Badger. Villa’s last chance to eff it up – won’t they grab it as usual – especially in the rainy city? But not this Villa and not v this Manure, and thank goodness refs Oliver and Taylor are not on the whistle.
Will we get the win but watch Barcodes, Chelsea and Citeh all do likewise? No. 2 out of the 3 maybe.
We can actually afford to draw IF Everton beat the Barcodes. Unrealistic most likely but we need to be at it from the first minute. We can’t allow them to get any confidence which will lift the crowd. We will need to be wary of Maguire from set pieces and Hojlund who only scores against us. Fernandes is technically the best player they have and can create or score if we give him too much space.
If we do qualify for CL, I don’t think for one second that we will need to sell anyone. I’m sure all the media and click bait that’s trying to act as agents for selling all our best players off are desperate to see us replaced with the Sky darlings, but I haven’t heard anything from Villa themselves.
I’m not going to predict as last time at 2-0 up at their place, I thought we were nailed on to win comfortably! There’s something about Old Trafford and Man Ure that gets under our skin.
Huge today and we are the form team i recon Chelsea will beat forest and we will get europa league but I hope I’m wrong
Just bought the new shirt hope it brings us luck UTV
Sadly, I think, I won’t be watching as still in Bonnie Scotland with friends so TV not available.
Like Badger, I fear the curse that Manure seem to have on us!
On form, we should win but what has form really got to do with today’s game given the pressure and nerves – although these will affect all the teams striving for the CL places.
But, my biggest fear is that we end up in the Conference League which, like Chelsea this year, we will be expected to dominate but brings in no real revenue.
Not going to jinx the result in any way by making a prediction.
Good luck lads.
UTMV
Just read that we’ve only won one of our last 26 final day away games!
Why is it that Villa seem to collect these unwanted type of records?
Records are there for breaking!!!!
Let ManUre have their openings. We’ll hit them on the break and watch them implode.
That is truly an awful stat. I would have thought it was nigh on impossible to do that.
This is not the same team that recorded that sequence. How many times did those games mean anything. How about Man Utd have not won in their last 9 Premier games. How about this will be their lowest ever points total in the Premier. How about this will be their worst Premier league position. And on and on…….
We just have to do what we have been doing and hope for the very possible.
Good that Tielemans is on the bench. The side has picked itself again.
Just watched the interview on TNT with Emery regarding Martinez. He was asked if Martinez is leaving, to which he replied o and then ended the interview.
Unai’s got this all wrong, too defensive and no width.
We’re getting smashed.
We’ve just not turned up yet – wake up Villa
Thought this might happen.
I don’t know how many times I’ve said it this season, but we’re terrible. Again.
Be patient!!!! Lond way to go Badger!!!!
We need to go for this mate, a bit of klopp rock and roll football is required IMO.
I know as fams we apply our own logic, but the more failures in front of goal by ManU, the more likely we are to go up amd snatch one at the other end…Come On Lads!!!!
Mate it ain’t working because unless you are watching a different match to me we’re being battered.
WAKE UP!!!! We are making them look like Barcelona. I said earlier that we can’t allow them to get the fans back on side. We should be 3 or 4 down already. Emery needs to kick ass at half time as we are second in everything.
Emi. WTF????
This is all Unai’s fault, the way we’ve set up today couldn’t have been anymore wrong.
He just doesn’t seem how to dominate games just same old, same old.
Wow!! What has he done
Blown it. Congratulations Cash and Martinez. Prize idiots.
Time for heros
Well, that’s the end of any CL ambitions. Once again Villa fail when it’s important and typical against Manure.
Conference League it is then.
They found a way to eff it that I couldn’t have dreamed. For anyone but Villa you could not make it up.
I’d have taken Watkins off and put Malen on. I’m sorry, but Ollie is useless if he’s not on it. Mind you, Asensio has been invisible too, as have all of them.
And don’t start me on Cash.
Hard to see us getting anything now. We weren’t competing with 11.
I’d have taken Rogers off.
No let me rephrase that…
Rogers would be nowhere near my first team.
But regardless.
This is all down to Emery, he’s got it all wrong today, he has no plans B.
Cash has to go for me.
You’ll probably say Rogers has to go.
Fortunately, yours is a very small minority opinion and if he does go, we get at least £50 mill.
With Cash, we get about £5 mil.
Look up ‘invisible’ in the dictionary and you’ll find a faint outline of Marco Asensio. Once again. When it really mattered. The ‘difference maker’ superstar went missing. Players who have been there and done it have nothing to offer, especially when they’ve stepped down a rung. OK, he made a nice run off the ball against Spurs. Big whoop.
Buy young and hungry. Don’t give Marco Asensio a fat contract. Because we’ve been there and done that.
As for Martinez, that has to be the biggest, fattest example of karma I’ve ever seen. What goes around cones around.
Amazing. Emi’s last play was too save a certain goal
I would say that if Emi can get anything out of Roger’s now and swap Watkins for Malden, just maybe we would be better than we started