Well, isn’t astonishing how we can go from having one of the lesser injury crises in the Premier League, to then having a completely wiped out midfield in the space of around two weeks – granted you’ll all probably say, “not really”.
Football fans have a strong tendency to overreact, but it is fair to say that a call for reinforcements in the middle of the park is not an overreaction, and, as per, journalists have taken advantage of this and transfer rumours have done the rounds in the last few days.
It appears that Tammy Abraham will be first through the door in a return that seems to be anticipated by the fans, as I think a lot have effectively given up on Watkins now, despite his goal in Tyneside. It’s interesting, because I actually thought he led the line quite well, but I have received a lot of criticsm for adopting that opinion, mostly on X. As confirmed by top journalists, including Fabrizio Romano, Aston Villa have agreed upon a fee of around £18 million for the English striker. To be honest, it is one of them where you cannot really put your finger on it until you see him in Watkins position, but, given that he was instrumental in our promotion to the Premier League scoring over 20 goals, I am willing to give him the time he needs to re-adjust to the Premier League stage, and I am hoping that he provides reasonable competition for Watkins.
The other one, one that a lot of people called as soon as our injury crisis landed, is the return of Douglas Luiz. I actually think this is really smart business – at a point of the season where we are looking to avoid losing sight of Man City and Arsenal, I don’t think we have time to allow a player in our current most depleted part of the pitch to adjust, and, given that Dougie has played in an Unai Emery system before, with pretty much the same group of players, he should be okay to fit straight into the midfield, travelling under an hour from Nottingham to Birmingham. This deal also includes an option to buy, which I think is another bout of decent business from our recruiment team, it’s the best possible scenario in a loan deal.
Overall, I think we’ve done all we can, with the Premier League and UEFA constantly on our backs – not that I can be bothered to discuss that. We have filled some gaps that needed to be filled and provided reasonable contention with a striker who will always be remembered at this football club.
As for Thursday’s game, I’m debating whether to even purchase my ticket, but with the demand for away tickets I am thinking they may use Europa Home Games as part of the required criteria, so I may just purchase it to ensure my eligiblity to travel around the continent for the knockout stages, although, I am hoping we draw Forest in order to secure a cheap away day whilst adding a Europa game to my reference, ready for, hopefully, Champions League next season. I was hoping that Abraham would be available for selection, but it’s looking more a more unlikely – I wonder what is preventing him from being announced? I think we will rotate, but I do think this should be a sound victory, and I am going to go 2-0, and hopefully that will mean we have the home draw second in the Round of 16.
UTV.
My god. Decent goal, but we are really shocking at the back.
Rogers. Get in!
Total complacency earlier.
Mings redeems himself
2-2!
Very comical comments here lads!!! 🤣
You know how we enjoy going behind!!!!!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
YEESSS!!!
Home advantage in EVERY game up until the final?
That’s bonkers!!!!
What a turnaround!!!
This side honestly! This is old Man U type stuff.
How can a team change so quickly?
It HAS to be a mentality thing, imo.
Who is this new kid???!!!
I’ve heard of him, but that’s all.
Who’s this Young too? He’s from Erdington.
South Road???
I don’t know. Is he?
I was!!!
A total game of two halves. I’m still struggling to get my head round that.
Great win, Eventually.
Villa eventually woke up and showed their class.
Got some really good kids as well.
I think Emery needs to rethink Elliott, I really do.
He was excellent tonight.
I thought he was terrible for most of the game.
But agreed, when we started actually playing, he looked okay.
So in our first 11 he’d probably be okay.
I disagree on Elliott – considering his lack of playing time I thought he understood and intelligently fitted into our way of playing
If we weren’t so constrained by the idiotic rules I don’t think Emery would be worried about a £35m price tag.
The kids done well. Tough on Hemmings as replacing Tielemans is a huge ask. Can Luiz and Abraham slot in on Sunday without much preparation? We still need a couple more players now Guessand has gone and assuming Elliott will be gone too. Monday is the deadline day so let’s buy now and sell in June. Martinez and Watkins will bring in £50m!
Is Guessand’s departure confirmed?
Apparently, Juventus now interested. Am I missing something???
Isn’t that so Villa! Utter rubbish for the majority of the match and then click into gear and win.
A telling moment for me involved Onana. At one point in the second half a ball deflected into space. He was jogging towards it and then realised he should have won it, if he put a shift on to get there. If it had been against Newcastle last weekend, there would have been no doubt, he would have won it. This told me certain players were
Playing within themselves, in his case nitro get injured.
Well done on Jahmal!
Isn’t it nice to see Cash come in and you know he will deliver!
Ollie really out? A celestial joke????
Holte no to selling emi and he’s worth 50 mil on his own
All about opinions tho mate woo hooo UTMV
Lyon lille and roma are all toughies but we can definitely win this trophy
Agree, they’re all beatable.
I think the only team I really wouldn’t want to meet is Forest!
Betis look dangerous with Antony in form.
Great win!
Celta Vigo, PAOK, Belgrade or Lille in the next round.
I need Belgrade or Lille otherwise I’ll struggle to get a ticket, maybe nick PAOK but got no chance of Vigo with 1,200 allocation, shame would’ve liked one in Spain.
Woke up to see the score. Very pleasantly surprised. Well done Unai and the boys! Sorry we doubted you (again).
I was wondering why young Jim didn’t start. Congratulations, lads! Shades of Vassell in 98. Wasn’t his breakthrough two goals at VP in the UEFA for a 3-2 comeback win?
I remember that well! I was on holiday in the South of France. Got the newspapers the next day. No Internet back then!!!
Those were the days…
If Ollie is out for a few weeks, would anyone take Sterling on a free?
At £300k per week – NO
I was thinking more £50 a week following his MASSIVE pay off…
At 30 pence a week – NO.
What him come to a villa on a YTS scheme 😆😆😆😆😆🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I bet you villa wouldn’t even pay 200k a week &i bet sterling wouldn’t even accept 200k a week anyway 🤔😆😆😆
I bet you villa wouldn’t even pay 200k a week &i bet sterling wouldn’t even accept 200k a week anyway 🤔😆😆😆
From the performance shown by our new youngsters it’s time to give them the stage I would think, how many of us knew about the two who came on? I’m still in awe of both players, what a player that Jimbo going to turn out to be? also the lad from Erdington a local asset. I see we have been fined 125 thousand for the bust-up in our Newcastle match, that should have been the bleeding ref he caused that.
Footballers really aren’t the sharpest, are they:
“Onana has outlined his long-term career ambitions, confirming that he intends to play for one of the game’s elite sides in the future. The 24-year-old was speaking in an interview with Het Nieuwsbladwhere he was asked directly if he envisions himself playing for one of the top five clubs in the world.
“Yes, I think one day I’ll make a transfer to a club that is world-class,” Onana said. “That is really a career goal. I am 24 and feel that I have become more mature. In the past months, I have played my best football ever.”
The midfielder also provided context on his decision to move to Villa Park in July 2024, revealing that he turned down other significant opportunities at the time. “After my period at Everton, I already had contact with top clubs,” Onana explained. “Ultimately, I chose Aston Villa because I thought it was the right step at that moment.”
How to lose respect quick sharp…
Foe someone as intelligent as Onana not the wisest thing to say albeit I don’t begrudge him ambition.
I should think all footballers have similar ambitions – if course he’ll be in a dilemma when it’s us he wants as a ‘major club’.
Of course the journalist could have massaged ‘spun’ Onana’s responses to make it more ‘sensational’ click bait material.
Personally I’ll take it with a pinch of salt like the Emery to RM story.
I hate predictive text 😒
Leave you to spot the mistakes! 😁
First word, do I get a prize Hitch😇
That might be why he rolls in agony when he gets tackled, I noticed he stay down in last nights game until no attention was made to him.
Think we showed a lot of professionalism last night. I think if that had ended a 2-2 draw, we would’ve said fair enough, but the best teams go that extra mile and win the game, however meaningless it is.
If we had not won that game, we would’ve came third, meaning that we would have drew either:
– Fenerbahce
– Panathaikos
– Nottingham Forest
– Viktoria Plzen
I think winning that game has helped us overall.
Agreed Alfie – really essential to he one of the top two seeds although it didn’t help ‘Pool in the CL last season. Difference is, of course, there aren’t any PSG’s or RM’s lurking about in the Qualifying Round.
Badger worried over meeting Forest – we still could but not until semi-final which is a long way off and lots of ifs buts and maybes before then.
Still some ‘old favourites’ possible before then such as Lille in the round of 16!
Still you have to beat ‘everyone’ to win it.
UTMV