John

Yes, as OBE has said, you will be fine, its those of us coming from the other direction that cause all the trouble and get a sight seeing trip around the ground.

I see that we are having to access the Scottish Stand and the Holte End by walking around the stadium again, rather than by walking up Witton Lane (when travelling from the Witton island side). Is this going to be the case for all European games from now on? Surely if away fans for PL games can be managed without doing this, the same could be the case for most of these games? Back to the football, we need the confidence that the first goal will give us tomorrow and that a win will give us, for our trip to Wet Spam.

You cannot be serious! Whilst I agree things haven't gone as well as we would all have hoped in recent weeks, it isn't really reasonable to use that, as a reason to describe 2024 as being a "crap year". We could after all, still qualify for the CL at the end of this season and win the Conference League, despite the injuries and suspensions we have had to cope with. Addressing your second set of points: It is the press saying we'll have to sell key players" not the club. If we had strengthened "sufficiently" in the last window, we would have been inviting a points deduction and would have faced needed to sell players. We may have started these games as favourites, but no game in the PL is a "gimme" and these are teams that most Villa fans would accept are our direct rivals. I don't think an away draw in Europe can be considered an awful performance. It wasn't great, but a solid defensive display has left us in the driving seat, with the home leg to come (albeit also not a gimme). Who would have said "no" to Tielemans on a free? I feel our defence looks worse rather than worse when Pau is in it. Diaby started strongly (unlike Bailey), who is to say with any confidence, he will not, given time match Bailey's current level? In your final paragraph you claim "we could easily do a Leicester and get relegated in a few years". That would be some fall from grace and not one that I can easily see happening any time soon with our present team, manager and owners. You add that both Everton and Villa prior to our relegation in 2016, were "competing with the big sides not so long ago". Everton have not finished in the top 6 for 10 Seasons and we had not finished higher than 15th in the 4 seasons before going down as the bottom club in 15/16. I'm rather glad that we have "gone all in" on our manager. Doing so, makes him less likely to look to leave, than not doing so. I looked for progress at the start of the season and we have delivered. I would have been happy with 6th, but we may do better than that. Football is a game of highs and lows, and I have experienced both since the 1960s. I think the trick is to enjoy the highs and hope that we can maintain them, rather than to anticipate the worst happening, it might not happen after all. In my opinion: The late 70's were rather good too (including beating Everton in the 1977 LCF) and the return of HDE, with his frugality had much to do with our relegation. Don't forget that we finished 2nd in the league in 89/90 & 92/93 too.

The higher league placing and CL qualification, along with extra funds from off-field sources, should pretty much do the job then. I guess it would then be a case of a return to "sell to buy" thanks to P & S.

92/93 as well, but we didn't in 80/81! It's not happened yet either and 5th may well get CL too.

McGinn gave the referee a decision to make and he really didn't hesitate in making it, ignoring the over the top reactions of the Spurs players, particularly then, but throughout the game too. Did anyone else think their first and perhaps even their second goals were offside? I haven't seen them get out their slide rules yet, to justify the on pitch/VAR decisions, but on a quick play back last night, I thought so myself, as I thought our early shout for a penalty was too hastily ignored.

Another big game at home and another loss. What happened to the team that beat Manchester City and Arsenal in similar games? We haven't even got John McGinn now, time for the team to bounce back again!

A lot of fans said that in 1982 too! That said, I agree with your comments and our first target would be to qualify from the group stage, every win before and after that point will add to the club's revenue. The CL will also need our first choice team in each and every game.

The picture was taken in 1963. The one below in 1966, after it had been made all seater. Yes, the roof was replaced before the standing was taken out, but the work done before the World Cup was what really changed that stand for me. I think some photographs were posted earlier of the work being undertaken.

A draw would be a very good result and I would take that now, if it was on offer.

Yes, that is what I was thinking, I'm not sure UE would include Digne in the list of players that he could do without next season though and the same could be the case with Carlos below. The good thing is that it looks like the decision will be one for UE & Monchi to make.

No, the original stand was bigger than the all seater that replaced it, with standing on the lower level and seating on the level above that, like the old Trinity.

It looks to me that we can go with the squad we have again next season and only if we need to buy someone for over £20-£30m, will we have to sell one of our most prized assets to do so. That's assuming CL qualification, some more money coming into the club as a result and pruning the squad of players that UE considers that we can do without. If so, that is a much better position, than we had feared and we won't have to sell players at below their value (much to the disappointment of the clubs that FFP is there to protect from the likes of us).

1 - I will renew. 2 - Inflation rate would be nice, but I anticipate around double that. 3 - I've had one for 40 odd years, so only being too ill/old to go/travel (VTID! would stop me). 4 - Nothing really. 5. I feel for them, I'm just fortunate demand for them wasn't so high in the past, could we re-visit having standing areas to increase capacity and ticket availability? 6 - It is not too expensive for me to afford and has gone up near to the inflation rate in most seasons. 7 - I think our tickets are among the most reasonable prices in the PL. 8 - I think the club are doing as much as could be expected for the fans by balancing what we are getting, with affordability.

I think this will be the sort of game that the players will want to play in. Getting into Europe was a big incentive last season and this would have been the kind of trip that they would have had in their sights. It is no great distance to travel and I think UE may think about going strong again, although not risking any players that are coming back from injury and he will probably be looking to give most of our regulars 45 minutes again. Pity we have Spurs in between the two matches, but West Ham away, could be pretty big too. I think we may start: Emi, Matty, Lenglet, Pau, Digne, Iroegbunam, McGinn, Douglas, Zaniolo, Diaby and Watkins. Bringing on Konsa, KKH, Moreno, Tielemans and Rogers for the second half or for much of it. I see Coral has Ajax at 10/3 to win at home and we are odds on to win there at 7/10. I hope they are right, they often are.

Sir Brian's LCSF replay hat-trick at Highbury in 1977. He was walking on water that night (as usual) and we were walking in a Villa wonderland, all the way back to Brum!

Not for me. They wouldn't sell him on the cheap and with FFP in mind, would flogging Digne work (to save on his wages), if it meant paying through the nose for Doughty? I think I would prefer to keep Digne, if we were able to.

Despite FFP we are currently competing with Arse, Plop, Citeh and Spuds, just like the Geordie Sheiks did last season (but not this one). I agree that UE would have bought in the last window and would have done so again in the next (given we are already at least a year or two ahead of our most ambitious targets). It would have been far easier for us without FFP, but thanks to UE we are still in the top four and how the greedy six, PL and Sky must hate that! I suspect we will be competing with them all again next season too, because of UE, his staff, the squad he has built and despite FFP.

Unusually, I can't agree with you, unless you are referring to that potential transfer to the dark side, that was scuppered by injury. We were robbed of an immense talent through an injury that killed his career, I still can't really be anything but devastated about that and I suspect that Gary Shaw would have made his mark in any case. Who knows we could have seen Shaw, Little and Withe playing together, as we had previously seen Deehan, Little and Gray do so.

A comfortable first half, which gave us the cushion that we wanted and that we ultimately needed. A spirited second half fightback by Luton, ably assisted by a referee, who gave them the benefit of the doubt and then some. A superb late winner, just when the home fans thought they had at the very least a point in the bag. Digne earned every penny of his salary this week, in that one splendid moment, with a goal that gave us a win, that could prove so vital at the end of this season, when the points are totted up. You have to feel for our opponents though, or do you? Those Hatters will be mad tonight! We can breathe a sigh of relief and celebrate another cup final win on our road to the CL.

Is it? Even if it is, I can just ignore it and enjoy the rest of this season.....

I wouldn't rush him back, if there is any question at all. The same goes with Konsa, although I do hope one of them will be ready. We need them back by the Spurs game at least.

Is it this the tower below? If so, I believe it is the Great Hall which was sold in 1888 and demolished for houses to be built upon the land, before the club moved to Villa Park.

Douglas, Evans, Cowans, Barry and Platt.