Hooray, the new season starts today. I’ll be watching the Liverpool-Bournemouth game tonight, but more with a passing interest, while I wait for what could be a great game against Newcastle tomorrow.
Then again, it might prove to be a total damp squib, as many first games tend to look similar to pre-season friendlies, where both teams can be poor.
The thought of a Villa-Newcastle fixture though, is always one I look forward to, as it does tend to produce something, even if it was our first game 5-1 tonking against them two seasons back.
So what do we know about our squad?
First off is that Morgan Rogers will be available, as he’s been training since the early part of the week. That’s great news for me as he’s exactly the sort of player I like, the sort who runs at defenders and terrifies them.
On the downside, Ross Barkley and Andres Garcia are out. I’m not sure how much of a loss that is, to be honest, as it seems Emery isn’t keen on Garcia and Barkley, as much as he’s done okay, isn’t really a mainstay anyway.
Should we be concerned that Emi Martinez is suspended for this game after he blocked a goalscoring chance in that infamous Man U final game of last season? Given there was much talk of him leaving in this window, maybe not so much, as Bizot seems to be at least a reasonable backup goalie.
And then of course, it seems a deal for Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle has been done and dusted, but for some reason it hasn’t been announced yet. I don’t understand why. Do they think the fans will be upset by such last minute news? Maybe, but he was always one to go and it’s been spoken about for a while now, so it’s not like it’s a surprise. We need the money, simple.
Anyway, there’s no chance he will be playing for either side.
As for Newcastle, well the good news there is that Alexander Isak most likely won’t be playing after basically saying he won’t play for Newcastle again. I’ve seen stories that the chances of him staying at the club are increasing, but I wouldn’t bank on it. The club won’t want a seriously unhappy player and they will agree a deal with Liverpool for him. Is he the best striker in the world at the moment? Possibly.
The only player not available for them is Joe Willock.
New signing Malick Thiaw is available and might get a runout, but he’s only been there for two days.
And then, what to think?
Well, we have a really good record at home against them recently. Much better than I had in my head and apparently we’ve beaten them in five out of the last six times we’ve played them at Villa Park.
Which has actually changed my thinking a bit.
I was going to take the easy option and predict a 2-2 draw.
But now I’m inclined to think that we can win this. The bookies have us as slight favourites too, which surprises me.
Mind you, with the serious threat of Isak being out, our chances are definitely improved.
It’s got to be 2-1 to the Villa.
UTV!
Where are the f****** subs, Unai???
Kamara and Cash. 👏👏👏
Leave Cashy alone.
Rogers, FFS! 🤬🤦♂️
Release the f****** ball!
Anyone else’s arse squeezing?
Excellent point. Brilliant clean sheet. Well done Bizot. Onwards…
McGinn can’t play as one of a front 3; that’s nonsense. It’s Youri or the skipper in that position. Strength in depth. He’s not a forward.
That was a pretty awful performance notwithstanding the red card so take a point and move on.
Big hand for Bizot keeping a clean sheet and looking a very good GK after a series of very poor number two’s
Upside is only a one game suspension for denying a goal scoring opportunity.
Emi is back next week but will Bizot keep his place.
That’s a GREAT result. Brave defending from Cash and Kammara. At least a few chances.
Why hell didn’t emery bring on guessand on instead of Rogers last 10min something different very bad management
I feel sorry for fan’s paying all the money to watch rubbish like that
I think both teams lacked quality and it was all about the defenders and keepers who were the best players. Bizot certainly will push Martinez to hold on to his place. Cash second half was excellent and Digne handled Elanga well. Kamara looked good replacing Konsa (idiot)
For me it was Rogers who was our worst player. Constantly losing possession and I was screaming for Guessand to replace him.
The plus was keeping our home league unbeaten run going.
Fascinating. I had Kamara as our motm, closely followed by Rogers who was the only one willing to run with the ball with any real intent.
Ok, it didn’t work out as much as it did for him
But we created nothing, so I feel it’s a bit unfair to single him out.
Malen showed more threat in his one strike than Watkins did all game, for example.
Dear me Badger your Chesty love in knows no bounds 😂 he was truly average at best, lost count the amount of he gave the ball away. Wasn’t terrible, some lovely touches and a few really nice passes but MOTM?
I think not matey.
Marco Bizot MOTM for me, great debut, solid performance and massive improvement on Olson.
Young Matthew was my MOTM.
Apart from that cross that led to the breakaway and the Konsa red card he played well.
Yeh, it was a shit corner, to be fair.
He ran into trouble far too often, Badger. Particularly in his own half. He needs to release the ball, stretching the opposition, then sprint for the return; we’d score more goals doing that. He plays like an 8 year old who won’t pass and it’s f****** annoying.
Post match conversations would have you think Villa lost heavily today and Newcastle are on a run to win everything. Do they realise we took the same point as them? Oh and we did it with a man down.
We were expected to win that Tom, but looked nowhere near it, hence it feels like a defeat, as much as we managed to hold on for the point.
But you’re right. It’s opening day and you can’t tell anything from that.
Were we expected to win, Badger? Against direct rivals, just don’t lose. Beat everyone else, the Ipswithces of this world (which we didn’t last season), and everything will be fine. Don’t lose against the big boys and beat everyone else is the recipe for success. Opening day is random. Villa were desperately poor, which is great, because now Unai has plenty to analyse and put right next week…
Tom, I agree with you – we were very poor today (although we showed guts after Konsa was dismissed) and consequently made Newcastle look good – but they weren’t.
A good side would have destroyed us today but if the barcode fans think they’re watching world beaters then they’re going to have a big shock in the CL!
Richarlison strike then. Looked the spit of Rooneys. Let’s see if it gets raved about as much.
Anyone think kamara looked good at centre back,maybe we don’t need look for new cb onana and tilemans in double pivot and get malen in team.
No. I remember the Wolves game at Molineux last season. I can’t believe I’ve spelled Molineux right before checking it btw.
Bizot , Brilliant debut , under pressure from the first minute and he handled himself. Composed and capable. Always a fear somebody crumbles in that sort of situation, he’s a keeper. Don’t want to get too carried away but if big money came in for Martinez, would you be tempted to use it across the team?
Awesome debut for a supposed stand-in. After that start, it will be interesting to see if Martinez reclaims the jersey for the next game.
My first post, about the performance has not shown, just after hitting submit there flashed up ‘Failed nonce test’. What? I know artificial un-intelligence is taking over from common-sense but what normal word triggered that? There is a racehorse trainer whose name has to be spelled SimcOck to get printed in the Racing Post, so I know it is a problem. The double bagel, Kash or – I know – Chesty whose surname indicates rear-gunnery.
My personal favourite was a friend of mine putting his name as ‘Don Kiddick’ on his Student Union ID. I kid you not!
OLL, I honestly don’t know what that’s about. I’ve seen it myself, once. It has to be something written into WordPress somewhere as a bit of a laugh, that isn’t funny, if it killed your reply.
OLL. That was my fault as I posted that the Barton Arms had shut down and of course that was an AllGoRhythm to cause a Badger Trump like tantrum resulting in the missing post crash of 2025
Well, it is fortunate we don’t support Young Boys Bern at the Stadion Wankdorf or we would never get a post passed.
🙂
Neither side wanted to lose and after Konsa sent off, a draw was as good as it was going to get.
I strongly dislike Newcastle’s dark arts play. Consistently fouling off the ball, which the ref never picked up on. That said, if I was Emery I’d have Rogers in the office Monday morning. Quite simply he’s got to stop falling to the floor at the slightest or imagined touch. I think he’s been labelled by ref’s as a diver.
On the positive I went to the match with my new season ticket. Stretched myself for a Terrace View (was 30,000+ on waiting list). Enjoyed the bar area and chatting with fellow Villa fans. I was given a couple of drink tokens – obviously cashed in for pints of beer. Also given match day programme. The bit I really enjoyed was having a drink at the end of the match (soft one) allowing traffic to die down before leaving.
Interesting Sid – I thought Pawson was poor and his usual general anti Villa approach. The red card was fair enough – bad choice by Konsa but overall he seemed to see non fouls by Villa and miss similar fouls by Newcastle.
Not that I want to post that as an excuse for a generally poor performance but it doesn’t help.
Our passing was woeful and we seemed to lack any real drive or passion. Is this an early season malaise or the passiveness a consequence of Emery’s approach to control football?
If I’m not mistaken Sid you can get a season ticket for those areas? Well that’s if you have a spare three grand burning a hole in your pocket.
Not that much RSS – but a one off treat to myself.
Sounds great, Sid. We only live once. I’d seriously consider it if I was able to attend every match.
You’re right about them not wanting to lose; as I posted earlier, just don’t lost to the close rivals and essentially the game cancels itself out. It’s the rest we need to be picking up 3 points against, including Brentford away and Palace and home, both of which are major banana skins…
“the passiveness a consequence of Emery’s approach to control football?”
I really think it’s this.
We know we can play a lot faster and more direct. Most of the players did it in Emery’s first season.
It’s pragmatic and I get it. If they don’t have the ball, they can’t hurt you.
But I think it will be found out and be the undoing of Emery at the Villa.
(We’re already prone to a counter, as Cash’s stupid giveaway pass showed today.)
Hopefully not for a good while though.
I’m on holiday at the moment and paid £150 for internet that didn’t bloody work; it kept freezing. Badger, I ranted last season about Rodger and his inability to pass the bloody ball in a game. How can you defend a player like him? Yes, he goes forwards, but he’s beaten on him, unable to dribble the sodding ball. I don’t rate him; the wrong player moved away in my mind. The son-in-law in your camp is in your camp on Rodgers, but to me, he’s crap, sorry to say.
Hi Bill, hope you’re enjoying your hols despite the internet and Villa!
I get your frustrations with Rogers but I wouldn’t go as far as to say ‘he’s crap’. He’s a talented footballer but he does overplay at times and his decision making can be poor but he’s still young and his improvement since moving to Villa from Middlesbrough has been quite remarkable.
Having said all that, like previous comments, I would have liked to see him pulled and Guessand given a run for 15 mins or so. He looked pretty good pre-season at closing down and defending as well as his attacking skills. However, I guess being down to 10 men wasn’t an idea scenario within which to introduce him to life in the Prem.
Bill, I get that he frustrates some fans. There’s plenty on here who it seems don’t rate him.
In which case, I’d just ask why is he by far our highest valued player?
If you can’t see it in him, well, I can’t do anything about that.
It’s all about opinions and everybody is entitled to one.
But I think the doubters are wrong. Tens of millions of pounds wrong.
Hi Hitch, in my static caravan in Cornwall Padstow, maybe I’m being hard on him but he’s frustrating me time after time by doing the obvious to all not passing the ball. Its time he was made to understand pass the bloody ball and not be a hero going at the defence. That’s why I’ve advocated you need a footballer in a team to pull out defenders he’s not one to do that.
He’s (imo) the epitome of a luxury player, it’s a team game and for all his undoubted ability, personally I don’t think he contributes enough and to my thinking concedes possession far too easily and often.
Love him or loathe him Chesty definitely creates debate.
RSS, I get that. Yet he still tried to push on more than any other player.
And 2 or 3 of his touches were world class.
We do not have anyone else like him, imo.
Yes, he wasn’t great yesterday, but none of the outfield were, were they?
I’m sick of complaining about the consistently rubbish football we’re seeing and I’m glad that many more are beginning to see it too.
He’s a asset Badger but just would like to see more from him but that then begs the question is it the system?
Our football bores me silly, too slow, it’s hard to break a team down with 11 behind the ball but then I think of Stoke wanting rid of Pulis and wanting pretty football.
That ended well didn’t it?
I’ll put up with the pants football as long as gets results mate.
And that’s the thing.
I totally agree with you. If it gets results, fair enough.
But I’m not far from saying if it gets silverware and not just results.
Results that are short of the top level isn’t enough.
The suckers, sorry, fans that are paying top level money week in, week out, deserve nothing less, imo.
Hi Bill, very nice – have you been to Rick Steins yet? I went to his Bistro a couple of years back – took our Canadian mates – it was OK but even the bistro is expensive!
Good point about a forward who can create space in a low block scenario – I suspect that’s why Emery is so keen on Asensio; he brings real quality and experience.
Looks like Mr Bailey is on his way to Roma – €1.75m loan fee and an option to buy at €25m which is decent given Bailey’s recent lack of form. Also it seems Dendonker is close to leaving on a free (Oviedo I think) which means getting his wages off the bill and there also seems to be interest in Spain in Merano so I can’t see us selling Maatson.
We’re also supposed to be interested in Hector Fort at Barcelona – 19yo right full back – another to add to our growing collection!
To send out loan then sell in a season or so?
The weird world of modern football.
You beat me to it, Hitch. Was about to say, have a Stein’s fish n chips for me, Bill. Get ready to queue. Prefer it to the bistro! Charlestown is worth a visit if you’re not completely static…
Bailey at that money won’t happen, imo. No chance they’ll pay that.
Just his wages off the books helps though.
Then again, he could have a stonking season, because it’s a different type league, so you never know, but I seriously doubt it.
Correct, Bill.
Played for a draw at home to a team with no striker awful
VAR disallow palace goal, what a fix.
Badger, any chance we can get the ‘like’ function back so we can agree with someone without commenting? It’s also useful to gauge which side of the narrative people are leaning towards…
BFR, I’ve been trying to do it.
You may note the like button is available on the main headline post. I’ve been through the settings to make sure the comments are the same, but it isn’t happening. Seems like I have to get in touch with customer service.
Tbh, not a priority when I’m currently battling the taxman, but I’ll get it done when I can.
Rogers is certainly the player who we debate most on. It’s up to Emery and his coaching team to get him to know when he should be dribbling and when to pass. A couple of occasions yesterday he fell over the ball. He desperately needs to improve in his decision making which hopefully will be down to his age. That’s the thing that will prevent him getting to the next level. There’s no doubt that he is very talented but if a club came in with £100m during this window, I would definitely take it and get Asensio on the cheap or loan and bank the profits.
I posted a few days ago that I thought our squad was too small and with Konsa getting a red card, this highlights a big problem we have in central defence. Against Brentford we will have to play Kamara out of position or Bogarde. I think we currently need 3 more players to push for European places. If Bailey and Moreno go then I think we will need 5 more. Suspensions and injuries will happen and once we start our Europa campaign, we will really start to struggle. Our substitutes bench yesterday is proof that we lack strength in depth.
Holte, that’s pretty much spot on with as to how I think.
The fact that Rogers is talked about at £100 mill (and that seems universal) says it all. We have to bear in mind his age.
Anyway, I don’t feel I need to defend him anymore. The above is enough, whether people agree or not. Emery will improve him.
And then the squad. Yes, as much as I think it would be a big loss (Ramsey was too) anything north of £100 mill you’d have to take, to improve the squad.
It’s 3 £30 mill players and a few quid to the wages.
Right back top of the list and it seems someone at the club sees this as a priority too. Why Emery doesn’t like Garcia is beyond me.
A big Centre back is next . As daft as it might sound I’d love Dan Burn. A proper old time bruiser, who I think is exactly what we’re missing in a world of lightweights.
He’d knock the crap out of his team mates, let alone the opposition if he thought they weren’t trying, I’m sure. (all TIC).
And then another striker perhaps, but that might be money wasted with the way we play.
Watkins is a perfect modern day striker, imo, but he might as well have not been on the pitch yesterday, for all the play we brought him into.
You might be getting the impression that my love-in with Emery is beginning to wear off. You’d be right.
Let’s hope he can revitalise our relationship, eh?