So I’ve made the move to Liverpool for six months and it’s been a nightmare. It’s said that moving house is one of the most stressful things in your life and although I haven’t moved house, I can see why, if my experience this week is anything to go by. I’ve done nothing but make phone calls and send Emails every evening this week. I won’t go into the ins and outs, but a good example, which is probably the weirdest is that the previous tenant and my missus have both taken supposed gas readings from the water meter. To be fair, it appears it was only because the letting agent told us the meter was in a room on the ground floor. Anyway, she took the reading and texted it to me and I gave the reading to my supplier. It was only when I actually checked the meter myself that I realised. Now that I’ve found out where the meter actually is and I’ve a key to open the box, I can get a proper reading. That’s going to involve an interesting call to the supplier tomorrow.
Anyway, onto the important stuff and how important is this game?
If fifth gets you Champion’s League it’s not quite so important, as it will take a big change in fortunes for Man U to catch us, but if it’s only the top four who qualify, this game is massive.
If we win, we open up a nice eight point gap, although they have a game in hand. Lose and it puts them within two points of us, which really puts the pressure on.
Squad news and Tyrone Mings, Emi Buendia and Boubacar Kamara are all still out. Ramsey is a doubt, but Pau and McGinn will be back after being rested for the Ajax game. There seems to have been some concern about Pau coming off on Thursday, but it was apparently all planned and I suspect it was more about easing him back in gently rather than him not being at all fit.
As for Spurs, Pedro Porro will probably be back, but Richarlison, Fraser Forster, Ryan Sessegnon and Manor Solomon are all still out.
I’m not sure what to think about this game or how to even predict a result, to be honest.
Spurs play a very gung ho style of football and while it can be very successful, it can also be their undoing when they’re attacking and playing a high line. It sounds a bit familiar doesn’t it?
Whatever, it gets goals, although the numbers are very much on a par with us, which surprises me a bit, because I thought they’d have been superior in that aspect.
I see a lot of goals, at least three, but I honestly struggle to see who is going to win, as it could go either way.
I’m tempted to say I think we’ll edge it, but my predictions have been terrible recently, so I’m going to play safe and go for a draw.
2-2 it is then.
PS Well done to Bailey being voted as Player of the month by the Villa fans. Totally deserved in my opinion.
UTV!
* Aghhhhh – b***dy predictive text
should contribute proportionally more and
no doubt the ‘select few’
I see Ajax snatched a late draw at home to a mid table team last weekend. We need to go for the jugular from the start on Thursday. We have shown too much respect against them and Spurs recently. Let’s believe in ourselves at Villa Park. We have a very good team and will still have McGinn available who I’m sure will desperately want to make up for his sending off.
Does anyone know if Ramsey is available Thursday or Sunday?
Holte – Ramsey not available tomorrow and Emery is unsure about his availability for Sunday.
Looking at the training pictures it seems Carlos is fully fit which is important with Konsa suspended. McGinn can play tomorrow and with a three game ban in the EPL I would expect him to start.
Don’t believe this is a foregone conclusion. Ajax will be up for this game and I suspect they will play a deep block and try and catch us with balls over the top. Our recent home form is very patchy (thank goodness away form has picked up) so we have to get our midfield into the game or we’ll struggle – early goal is vital.
Just reading that (according to Brum Live) Villa have a ‘dual’ buy back clause written into the sale of Archer.
The first is an option to buy at an agreed price which is higher than the sale price but, the second interesting ‘buy back’ is an obligation to buy him back if United are relegated but at a lower price.
So, it seems, Villa are obligated to take him back but it’s not clear whether the lower price is less than the option price or less than the amount we sold him for.
It’s become clear that the sales of Archer, Bodace, Ramsey and Azaz were FFP related with the income designed to boost the 24 / 25 results not the ones just declared as the amortised purchases of Torres and Diaby will also fall into the same period.
As the accounting year is to 31st May then any sales / purchases in this years summer window will fall into the 25/26 accounts.
Season shaping game tonight. KO at 8pm on TNT/BT.
No Konsa or Ramsey. I wonder if Emery is resting Ramsey for the Hammers game?
We should have enough in the tank for this but if we play with fear Ajax will smell it and go for the jugular. We need Villa Park to be mental tonight, not a bunch of pussies leaving early if things don’t go to plan. I can’t actually believe that fans were leaving early Sunday after the brilliant work Emery has done. What did O’Leary say again???
COME ON VILLA!!!!!!!!!!
This is a good piece – well worth a read.
https://myoldmansaid.com/has-aston-villas-sinister-seven-results-shaken-unai-emerys-confidence/
Some fair points but to be fair, a lot of it is unfair. Demanding 90 minute performances is all well and good, but the squad is depleted and tired physically. And now they’re struggling mentally as the weight of expectation begins to crush them. Mental and physical strength are needed but is there enough in the tank?
The weight of expectation. It’s why we blew the title in ’93. And United in ’92. And Newcastle in ’96…
It’s why Gregory and his team didn’t lay a glove on Chelsea in the cup final, even though they had Merson, Dublin and Carbone in the team. It’s why Brazil got slaughtered at home in the World Cup. The weight of expectation creates fear. Which in turn breeds doubt in both players and manager. A time for big balls. A time for warriors to step forward, forget the aches and knocks, eliminate the fear of failure from the mind and be brave! The skipper needs a performance tonight to drag his team through…
UTFV!!!
Martinez, Cash, Carlos, Torres, Digne, Bailey, McGinn, Luiz, Diaby, Rogers, Watkins
So Emery’s going for it and has thrown the cautious 5 at the back approach.
UTV
Wow. 4 strikers? McGinn and Luiz will need to put a shift in. If those 4 play well, we should scare the shit out of Ajax and blow them away. If…
West Ham thrashing Frieberg which is good and bad.
It helps significantly with Englands chances of getting a fifth European Championship place yet doesn’t bode well for our visit to them on Sunday.
Absolutely imperative we win tonight and win well.
Going into the West Ham game on the back of a defeat would be a disaster.
We cannot be tired tonight. This is our Mt Everest and we will not fail.
Bum Bum, Badger – anyone got a stream?
I can get every game except Villai
Eventually found one
I think Watkins will be happy to only get a yellow card
PPV Live13
So it says on the internet.
Ollieeeeeeee!!!!!!
Watkins goal
Chesty needs to be careful. At higher level football players value is significantly higher and therefore more protected. This isn’t the Championship where everything is more physical…
I just hope Watkins isn’t out for any length of time
Too right. Everyone on their knees before bedtime…
‘Our Father, please do your magic, and fix the left knee of Ollie Watkins, B6, so he’s fit for the Hammers game. Amen’.
On that note…
Just how did we miss out on this kid for £17m?
Viktor Gyökeres
https://youtu.be/mFp4GcfftLo?si=ZS9bQQI6vfxXjDUn
Looks like we’ve run out of steam – again!
That’s proof that it went over the line in 66 ( how similar was that?).