Let me say from the off that I’m sure most of you know I’ve never really believed in conspiracies and corruption in the game to much of an extent, but after last week’s debacle, I’m rapidly changing my mind.
Hence I have no doubt in my mind that we won’t get a result tonight and the absolute truth is that I don’t even know if I’m bothered. A big part of me is saying that I don’t really want to win a competition that seems as though it’s full of bent referees and bent owners too.
The trouble is, I’m now worried that corruption has also spread as high as the Champion’s league, particularly after the game between Real and Bayern. Now correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m sure I saw the VAR twice and all it showed was a white shaded area with a player’s silhouette compared to the line. Yet it didn’t show the defender that it was supposed to be comparing to, hence it could have been anywhere on the pitch.
What on earth is that supposed to prove and how is it transparent?
And it all makes me think, now the doubt is in my mind, that it was just further confirmation that the game is now corrupt at the very highest level.
I said a few weeks back that football is now seemingly all about entertainment and what draws the crowds, as opposed to being a genuine sport played on any sort of playing field, let alone a level one and I now think we’re just seeing more evidence of it as time goes on.
My meaningless rant over and onto squad news.
The only real news is that Martinez is back in the squad, but it’s not at all certain that he will prove fit. I sincerely hope he is, as while I don’t particularly blame him for last week, I don’t believe the defence has much faith in Olsen and nor do I.
Coincidently, I was talking about him to an Everton fan and guess what? Olsen played for them too and he was also rubbish there.
As for Olympiacos, I’ve looked for team news on their part and can’t find any.
What to think then?
Well, I think everything is conspiring against us and I just don’t see a win, let alone us doing enough to win the tie.
The only saving grace is that we dominated possession and chances last time out, but I’m on a bit of a roll here, having very little faith in us in the first leg and giving a major hint of my thoughts in the Brighton preview, even if I didn’t outright say I thought we’d lose.
Ah, go on, I’ll make a prediction here, as I’m really not bothered about jinxing us either way for this game.
I think we might scrape a draw, but I think it’s more likely to be a loss, 1-2.
UTV!
I think we should have sacrificed this game the second they scored the first goal. Pool will beat us easily on Monday now, and assuming Spuds beat Burnley at home, will leave them 4 points behind with a game in hand.
We are putting too much reliance on Spuds losing to Citeh and I wouldn’t be surprised if they draw or win considering they are a bogey team for them. The end of this season can’t come soon enough for us.
My thoughts and concerns exactly, Holte.
It’s been a disappointing European campaign. We have not performed well in this competition throughout when up against half decent opposition. But in saying that, it’s good experience for the squad and hopefully it’s a dramatically improved squad for next year. Squad depth has finally caught up with us and I dont think the players have anything left in the tank. Our season now will be decided by spurs final results as we don’t look like we have it in us to get another point.
Disappointing??? We got to the semis!!!!
Get a grip, it was the conference cup about the equivalent of the old The Football Combination hence the reason we were favourites.
Then why watch if you weren’t interested??? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
No not really more bored shit less would be a more apt description, name one game where we played well?
I going to put my cards on the table and say it…
Unai’s style of football is shite, boring, one size fits all and predictable.
Let’s see how he gets on next season when every team knows exactly what that team is going to do each in every game because he isn’t going to or isn’t capable of changing it.
Kevin Keegan’s available.
Hitch you are spot on. Injuries have limited the squad available and they have run out of steam. It reminds me a little when Man Utd with the class of 92 broke into the champions league. They went out but it gave them experience and look wheat happened later. I think this is our development moment.
We will have to rely on Man City beating Spurs. I will be very surprised if we get more than 1 point this season. But if any team is able to get a result it is City.
And if it does not happen and we land up in the Europa competition then fine. We will have back
Mings
Buendia
Ramsey
Kamara
Rogers
+ 3 decent signings in the summer. We will be stronger. Whatever happens from this point on this season, it has been a great season.
Well, I’m thinking of West Ham when they got knocked out of the semis by Frankfurt but next season went on to win a trophy. Most of our players don’t have much European experience but they do now. We need a bigger squad and being in the CL next season (fingers crossed) will be the carrot that will get us the players we need.
I have faith that we will get something from our last two games and even more faith that Man City will demolish Spurs. I never thought that I’d see a season like this again but I have and long may it continue.
Onwards and upwards…
https://twitter.com/AVFCOfficial/status/1788701512534761584?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
Unai’s message is spot on. The points about how demanding Europe is and being better prepared more than hint that he expects a stronger and deeper squad for next season.
Thank you, Unai for your exceptional work this season. Please, finish the job and get our great club to the promised land that has eluded us for so many years, the Champions League, where Aston Villa belong; it would be a monumental achievement. One final push, please.
https://twitter.com/AVFCOfficial/status/1788697919740162444?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
Love this guy. Tells it as it is. I hope he can win something so that Unai banner can be unfurled in the Holte End one day.
https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tDP1TdIyrHIMWD04k4sLsnPUyjLzMlJBABR5Qdj&q=aston+villa&rlz=1C1VDKB_enCY1100CY1100&oq=&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCQgBEC4YJxjqAjIJCAAQIxgnGOoCMgkIARAuGCcY6gIyCQgCECMYJxjqAjIJCAMQIxgnGOoCMgkIBBAjGCcY6gIyCQgFECMYJxjqAjIJCAYQLhgnGOoCMg8IBxAuGCcYrwEYxwEY6gLSAQkxMTMwajBqMTWoAgiwAgE&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:d81ef920,vid:Asqv7q18jUo,st:0
Bravo, Unai. They’re going to analyse every second of those games by the sounds of it. The players will learn so much from it.
And the first leg?
And the Brighton game?
And the second half against Chelsea?
Going to take some time that.
So it’s not just me…
https://www.astonvilla.news/news/awful-neil-lennon-stunned-by-what-he-saw-from-four-aston-villa-players-v-olympiacos/
Neil Lennon? Talking out of his ginger arse. Maybe Shearer booting him in the head years ago did more damage that we thought. Of course the players were arguing at the end. There’d be a problem if they weren’t. They were frustrated and disappointed; their manager stated that explicitly post-match. It’s only natural. As for ‘stunned’, there was nothing stunning about it. Just a bunch of honest players who were completely exhausted, coming to the realisation that their dream was dying in those very moments. Everything Unai said is exactly correct. They lost it in the first match, when their emotions got to them, and they didn’t compete – notice how Unai has never mentioned how EVERY decision went against us at VP. And that the first half was key yesterday – we weren’t clinical, despite controlling it, and they were, scoring from one transition. As Unai said, move on. Learn and move on. We knew it was over last week, so I don’t know what the fuss is about.
Three teenagers on the bench who’ve never played in a European semi-final says it all. We’re beyond bare bones now. The commentator last night also mentioned that of the top 4 players who have played most minutes this season, 3 are Villa’s: Watkins, Konsa, and Luiz.
RSS, we’re all pissed off mate, but it’s quite obvious that there’s nothing left; they’ve given their all. All of them.
Mate you have give Olympiacos their due they defended like trojans, they never gave us a sniff in front of goal and manged the game really well. So hats off to them and good luck in the final.
That’s their job, RSS. They will anaylse everything and react accordingly.
*analyse
I’ve calmed down BFR but us grumpy old gits have had years of Villa flirting with just to say no after all the dates, chocolates and flowers . 😁
I get it, RSS. I do, mate. But there’s plenty more to come from Unai and his team. He’s not yet completed his first full season…
RSS, We have simply played about 4 games too-many, or put another way, have had maybe 4 players missing in the last few games who could have made a difference – Tielemans as the prime example.
And it’s not just Villa: the ‘failure’ of all English clubs to get to any finals in Europe this season has been quite notable – and one prime reason (IMO) is that we’ve had ridiculous patterns of games Thursday / Sunday / Thursday (in our case) when many of the European teams (like Olimpiakos) had the weekend off to prepare for Thursday.
If the PL want English clubs to actually win in Europe, they need to sort out the playing schedules once and for all – possibly even cutting the number of clubs in the PL…
You are both correct.
Let’s be honest if at the start of season Mystic Meg predicted that we’d finish possibly as high as 4th?
Get a guaranteed European place, possibly Champions League?
And for good measure a European semifinal to boot?
I think we’d have asked for our money back?
Posted on Facebook – Olympiacos looked like a team that had played two matches I three weeks; Villa looked like a team having played 5 matches in the same period.
Similarly Lille’s games were ‘re-arranged’ by the French FA so they a
So played two to our five.
If the FA (EPL) want English teams to succeed in Europe then they can’t continue with this two games every week approach. Also remember EUFA has increased the size of the European Cups so even more games next season.
In respect to the Champions League, EUFA are (have?) introducing a European Super League by the back door. Where does that leave the EPL?
Go on Burnley
Reading between Emery’s lines, it seems unlikely either Zaniolo or Tielemans will be fit for Monday. He also says that Moreno has (another!) small injury and may not be available.
So the team picks itself and I can’t see anything but a loss. What’s important is that we don’t ship too many goals given that it appears Spuds are only getting one back on us against Burnley.
Just feeling very negative about Villa football matters at the moment.
Spuds win 2-1 which hasn’t reduced goal difference much. The worry is Liverpool are the type of team that can score 4-5 against us. We will be better suited to play a low block and park the bus approach. If we can get a tune out of Diaby by playing long, we might even pinch the win. Unfortunately we are pinning our hopes on Citeh beating Spuds on Tuesday as we can’t rely on goal difference. We need Arsenal to beat Man Ure so that Citeh must win rather than be happy with a draw.
Too many ifs and buts which is stressful for us fans. I can’t wait for the season to end now!
Agree with you, Hitch and Holte. If Arsenal lose tomorrow, I fancy Spurs to get at least a point against City. Goal difference may well come into it. Both Liverpool and Palace are capable of 3 or 4 against us if we’re not careful. If we can’t win either game, we have to keep the scores down. Spurs are capable of 7 or 8 against Sheffield if they need them.
Having said all of that, the bizarre thing is it’s in our hands! Yet we’re all talking as if the last two games will definitely yeild zero points. The team have to, have to squeeze one more win out. They owe it to themselves. 🤞
Gibbs White. Again. Two assists. Commanding in midfield. Ideal for the Villa in my view.
Agreed BFR, he’s a box to box player with great energy and an eye for goal.
Watching it BFR, the type of midfielder would suit us . Shit Chelsea just scored again 2-3 now.
Would it be advantageous for Villa to rest as many players as possible against Liverpool, so that we can get rested players against Palace? If Spurs lose against Citeh, then it wouldn’t matter anyway, but at least we would be in a better position fitness wise to compete next weekend. If we pick our best team tomorrow, I’m convinced we will lose because Liverpool will be rested and want to make sure Klopp has a good finish.
FWIW, I fully expect Emery to go with his strongest team tomorrow.
Too risky. Have to go for the win and put it to bed. They’ve got nothing to play for but this is actually a massive final for Villa. No pressure, of course. Win and it’s the promisee land next season. The seemingly impossible for so many years will be done. VP has to be booming tonight. And like the home straight of a marathon, the Villa boys will find reserves of energy when they focus on what’s at stake, the prize in front of them. Give it everything. Everyone. Win, and it’s done. Was it Mandela who said, “it always seems impossible until it’s done.”
UTV!
Looking at the stats, the reality is that a Villa win is impossible.
Our record against Liverpool (the 7-2 anomaly aside) is even worse than against ManU; add to that, Liverpool like Citeh just don’t lose games in May – ever!
Sorry guys – I think we’ll lose by 2 or 3 goals – and I’m sticking to my prediction that we won’t win either of our last two games.
Up to Citeh then.
I hope you’re wrong, Hitch!
And me BFR but I’ve also just read that Emery has never got the better of Klopp in head to heads – it’s the stats that just keep on giving ……..
Absolutely no idea on a scoreline tonight. A bore draw would suffice. Liverpool will probably try and starve Watkins of the ball but will they be able to cope with McGinn’s fat arse tactics? Our defence needs to be ultra focussed tonight and we could do with a MOTM winning performance from Dougie tonight.
Either way, I still think Citeh will do Spuds tomorrow.
I’m still not convinced about tomorrow. Spurs have a good record against City. I hope I’m wrong!
I just think Citeh will be too pumped up for this game, and Spuds luck against them will also have to change soon…Spurs hardly impressed against Burnley this weekend either.
I think the odds on Villa beating Pool tonight is probably the same as Spuds beating Citeh!
That seems a reasonable assumption Holte – neither will win then!
More to the point Hitch, if we both lose, we win!!!!!
Not looking forward to tonight’s game given our recent form, injuries and poor record v Liverpool. City will end Spurs hopes tomorrow though.
Don’t, DS. You’re giving me the jitters. 😬
https://twitter.com/johntownley11/status/1790053584643539453/mediaViewer?currentTweet=1790053584643539453¤tTweetUser=johntownley11
Anyone seen this??!
https://twitter.com/johntownley11/status/1790053584643539453?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
Tom Hanks is at VP! Last time he attended we lost 2-4 against Arsenal.
It’s impressive that we have the future king and biggest Hollywood actor as fans.
Don’t forget David Cameron!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Talking of celebrity fans, Benjamin Zephania is a big miss…