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What can Villa learn from last seasons automatic promotion achievers?

Aston Villa have been installed as favourites to win promotion to the Premier League this season after bolstering their squad with some high-profile summer signings. Chief among them is former England captain John Terry, a real coup for the club as the Chelsea legend had plenty of offers from around the globe. Steve Bruce has also brought in Ahmed Elmohamady and Glenn Whelan and the Villans are looking strong going into the 2017/18 season. Newcastle Utd and Brighton secured automatic promotion l
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Three early fixtures which could shape Villa’s season

The Championship can be a cruel mistress, any fan of any club will tell you exactly that meaning that, regardless as to how much things can change over the course of the season, a quick start can do wonders for anyone’s campaign. Villa fans know only too well what a poor start to the season can do for your fortunes across the following nine months-or-so after the debacle of last term. A few wins early doors can do wonders for a side’s form and confidence and could be the difference whe
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Smells like team spirit?

The_Steve ponders the new season. Is it me... Or is there a renewed sense of togetherness in the squad? After the departure of Kersa and Culverhouse. Lambert giving the squad a clean break and bringing some leaders to the squad, we are seeing the fruits of that labour. When our senior players like Guzan/Senderos reassure or celebrate at full-time with our younger players (e.g. Baker/Grealish) it makes a world of difference from last season. For a squad often bereft of confide
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Player Match Ratings: You can’t win them all!

It would have been fitting to have won a second successive home league game on a night when the sad passing of Dalian Atkinson was impeccably marked on the tenth minute by home and away fans alike but it was in May 2015 that we last managed to win two home league games in a row. Last night’s 1-1 draw mirrored the score when the two clubs last met at Villa Park in 1987. That point eventually played a part in securing automatic promotion for us and let’s hope this point can do the same but we
John

John

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Player Match Ratings: Woah, we’re half way there!

Its only half time, despite Bon Jovi’s confidence, but if we can hold on to what we’ve got at the Hawthorns on Tuesday night, then we’ll make it to Wembley on 27th May. We take a one goal lead with us on Tuesday night and that didn’t really look very likely at half time, did it? Albion arrived yesterday, with avoiding defeat as their primary objective. Is Pulis providing Jimmy Shan with tactical advice as well as Michael Appleton? The first half looked like a carbon copy of the game th
John

John

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Player Match Ratings: While there’s life, there’s hope

The Villa lion showed the visiting canaries that there is still some life and fight left in him yesterday. A defeat would have left us doomed to relegation but this was a 6-pointer that we won due to hard work and determination on the pitch. There was not too much to choose between the two teams in the first half. Norwich are currently on the crest of a slump having now lost their last five games and the first goal was always going to be crucial given the brittle confidence of both teams.
John

John

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Player Match Ratings: When Harry met Gabby!

This was a dire game. Our visitors from the dark side of the city showed exactly why they are in real danger of relegation and we showed why we were unable to sustain a promotion challenge this season. But sometimes winning is everything!    Small Heath needed a win but they were not good enough to get one or a draw! We needed to put on a show for those 38,000 Villa fans that paid good money to witness this local derby but we lacked either the ability or the desire to put our opponents to t
John

John

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Player Match Ratings: We’re not winless anymore!

We have played better this season and lost. We have played better this season and drawn. I cannot recall us playing any worse for a very, very long time and winning. We may have won ugly at the end of what was a scrappy game but we did win it and that belatedly gave us our first win of 2017.   We now face what is a 6-pointer with Bristol City at Villa Park on Tuesday before travelling to bottom club Rotherham next weekend. These two clubs are now 6 and 22 points behind us respectively. Two
John

John

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Player Match Ratings: We’re not bottom anymore!

We scored four goals at Villa Park for the first time in three years yesterday. Conor Hourihane scored our first hat-trick for two years and his own first. This our first win of the season took us from the bottom of the table up to 16th place. We also left the ground with smiles on our faces rather than frowns after this goal fest.   We conceded two goals and at times looked too shaky for comfort at the back. That is enough of negativity which was far outweighed by the positives yesterday.
John

John

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Player Match Ratings: We’ll play our first XI next time!

It has been 3 months and we have gone 12 games since we last tasted defeat. It is still disagreeable to see visiting fans celebrating a win at Villa Park and it is even worse for their team to be picking up the Championship trophy afterwards, as was the case yesterday. The last time we ended a game pointless, was against the team that we next face over two legs for a place in the playoff final. Our clear objective is now to ensure that we remain unbeaten in our next three games. Six of the
John

John

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Player Match Ratings: We win for the first time in 189 days!

Yesterday’s win was our first since March. We really had to break the losing habit quickly and we did it in our first home game of the season to provide a much needed confidence boost to both players and fans. Alan Stubbs said following this defeat “We won’t be the last team to come here and get beat”. I hope he is proved right and that Villa Park soon becomes a fortress for us. Rotherham gave a workmanlike performance yesterday but they offered little threat and we will face tougher t
John

John

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Player Match Ratings: We win at Fortress Villa Park!

This was our first Boxing Day win since 2005 and the first time we have won 5 successive home league games since season 1992-93 when we won 7 on the trot and Villa Park was a fortress, as it now threatens to become again. Burton arrived for the first ever game between the two teams to face an all but full Villa Park. We opened the scoring after 15 minutes but instead of pressing for a decisive second goal we then surrendered too much space in the midfield to our visitors. Burton came i
John

John

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  • Posts

    • JAMAICAN-VILLAN
      Summer Transfer Window (2024/25)

      By JAMAICAN-VILLAN · Posted

      With all the talks about player sales, and who some think weay need to sell etc. Have we discussed Tielemans? We did sign him on a free, and he is probably worth good money, also potentially someone we can replace cheaper? Not saying I want him sold by any stretch, but as we know, these things go in order of value/age Vs contribution and replaceability etc.
    • JAMAICAN-VILLAN
      Morgan Rogers

      By JAMAICAN-VILLAN · Posted

      I think they could be on the pitch together and wreak havoc if I'm honest, they are slightly different. I also think some people have forgotten how good JJ is at his best, due to his prolonged absence and lack of being able to get there this season. Doesn't always have to be either/or. Worst case, we have two very good players who are strong, quick and athletic.
    • nepal_villan
      Future Club Crest & Brand Identity

      By nepal_villan · Posted

      Not sure how to add a twitter post but interesting commentary on the above typography -  https://x.com/BoskoBoot/status/1783613606426489227
    • Rossi
      Unai Emery

      By Rossi · Posted

      There’s a new god in town !!!
    • Mark Albrighton
      John Terry

      By Mark Albrighton · Posted

      Unless I just have claret & blue specs welded to my face…he WAS alright when he was with us, wasn’t he? In terms of being a good character. I can’t recall anything where I’d think “Oh Terry, you prick…”.
    • Keyblade
      Brighton

      By Keyblade · Posted

      You can only keep the conveyor belt running flawlessly for so long. It was bound to happen at some point. They had a good run though. Played against the likes of Ajax and Roma in Europe too, who'd have thought this when we were both slugging it out under Hughton and Bruce not so long ago?
    • VillaChris
      John Terry

      By VillaChris · Posted

      Just watching the podcast now....I assume the player he's talking about from 8 minutes is Samatta as his performances massively declined as soon as football returned during lockdown. I was genuinely wondering what had happened as he'd looked o.k in the 4-5 games he first played. Edit: Might've been Trez given he did alright the next season according to Terry.
    • VillaChris
      Brighton

      By VillaChris · Posted

      Certainly limping to the end of the season now. I thought they'd pick up again after exiting Europa but hasn't happened. Their transfer strategy is rightly lauded but I think last few months have shown the drawbacks of it. If I'm right they replaced Caciedo and Alexis Mac with Dahoud (clearly didn't settle and now back in Bundesliga), Baleba (promising but just a kid) and Lallana?!!!! Milner would probably be playing central midfield if he was fit currently. Gilmour was doing o.k but that's a real downgrade in a key part of the pitch and why De Zerbi is moaning so much so a little chink and we'll see what they do in the next window as the spark has gone from their play big time and this is how teams slowly fall back down the premier league.
    • Kiwivillan
      Race for Champions League - 2023/2024

      By Kiwivillan · Posted

      You can't rule out Manure 
    • VillaChris
      Euro 2024 - Germany

      By VillaChris · Posted

      Gomez played about four games for Liverpool (after endless years of injuries), got injured again and has since been warming the bench again so that would be a nonsense pick. Think it will just be the same as last few tournaments. Three RBs and Trippier will just cover the LB spot (and possibly have to play there). England same as all other tournaments, some great attackers but feels like one injury to Rice and it will all fall apart. Also left hand side pretty weak with Maguire and probably going to have to gamble on Shaw when he's barely played second half of the season, can't see him lasting a full tournament and Chilwell was abysmal in the March games. I'm actually disappointed it's gone up to 26 as was looking forward to Southgate actually having to make some tough calls but now he'll have the space to call up all his old mates. I don't really understand why it hasn't gone down to 23 as you can still name them all on the bench and have 5-6 sub option so that's enough to rotate and keep people fresh surely?



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