John

On 08/03/2024 at 12:21, omariqy said:

Where do you draw the line? Should people in the military get one etc. 

They used to get one. 

That's the toughest route to winning it that we could have drawn. Lille, then if all goes as the bookies anticipate, Fenerbahce and Fiorentina. So the tournament favourites will potentially face the next three clubs in the betting. That said, the Lille representatives didn't seem too happy about drawing us, I think they were all thinking something like this:

1 hour ago, Django_Zooms said:

If in SF, first leg at home vs Olympiakos or Fenerbache.

Yes.

16 hours ago, ChicagoVillan1983 said:

When do they draw the final?!? 
 

 

(I joke)

They did actually do that. It is Villa v Fiorentina (if they get that far). 

I thought the Ajax fans were very good last night. Kept singing throughout and stayed to applaud their team, despite a heavy defeat. I can think of other fans, whose clubs have a similar status in Europe, who would have been out of the ground by the time that we hit our third (the two Manchester clubs for example). 

4 hours ago, The Fun Factory said:

It's usually restricting access on witton lane as that is where the away fans are. Like they used to do when we played Blues.

Can't they just keep the away fans in the ground for 15 minutes after the game, perhaps offer them a discounted "Follyfoot" battered sausage as a form of recompense? I can't see there would be trouble before the game, particularly with a number of police being around the ground and hopefully their fans actually having tickets for the game.    

14 hours ago, alreadyexists said:

I’m a bit confused, I’ll be walking from star city, and sitting in Trinity, the OS seems to say that I’ll have to head up Witton Lane as normal but go round to the North stand (passing the DE) and access the Trinity there, is that right?

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. 

On 11/03/2024 at 12:37, Leeroy said:

 

On 11/03/2024 at 08:32, Leeroy said:

Not just in reaction to yesterday. We came into 2024 with loads of positivity, probably the most positive we've been since we were last regularly competitive in the mid 90s. Top 3 in the league and with a a manager we believed could end our nearly 30 years wait for a trophy. 

 

We had a really positive 2023 where we amongst other things:

• Reached our first European competition in 13 years
• Brought in Sevilla's Director of Football who had them winning trophies and getting into Europe every season
• Had our longest winning home run in God knows how long
• Outplayed the treble winners like no side has done to them probably ever
• Were in the top 2 at Christmas for the first time in 25 years

The only negatives were going out of cup competitions to lesser teams (Stevenage, Everton), getting pumped 5-1 to Newcastle on opening day, and losing two players to long term injury in Mings and Buendia. But those negatives were one-offs, they didn't start a spiral of negativity, and the positives far outweighed the negatives.

 

2024 to me has just been a really crap year. Ok, we have managed to retain top 4 so far and beaten teams we should have (Sheffield Utd, Forest, Fulham, Luton, Boro), but even in those wins we looked really ropey for at least one half of the game. And then the negatives:

• £120m losses with the press saying we'll have to sell key players in summer because we are close to PSR
• Not strengthening sufficiently in January when we were in our best position in the league for 25 years, only signing one player for our top 4 squad in a Championship player who hadn't stood out at that level (which I called out at the time) and an 18 year old Serbian right back wo we loaned back for the season, then letting our only other experienced holding midfielder in Dendoncker go out on loan despite now having a serious injury in that position
• Seeing our home form completely destroyed by losing to Newcastle, Chelsea, Man Utd and Spurs all in quick succession, despite being favourites in all those games
• Putting in an awful performance against Ajax in Europe, where again we just played really defensively like we did against Tottenham
• Monchi's signings so far really not working out, with the exception of Pau Torres (although even there, we look poor defensively even when he plays). Tielemans has been ok but for the amount of money he is being paid (£150K a week) he isn't doing enough, and Diaby has been hugely disappointing given the expense and can't even get in the side even with injuries to multiple midfielders. The loan signings haven't made a big enough impact. And then the signings in January were just totally baffling in my opinion, when we were in a great position and should have been trying to improve our first team not sign players for the next 5 years.

 

I'm not trying to tempt fate or be pre-emptive, but I don't know if our future is so bright. If our revenues don't improve quickly, given the rules we are up against, we could easily do a Leicester and get relegated in a few years after looking like a marginal top 4 side. Everton were competing with the big sides not so long ago, now look at them. And so were we in fact before we got relegated in 2016. We seem to have gone all in on Emery, putting all his key men in place and the structure to his liking, but if he leaves either by being poached or by mutual consent then where does that leave us? If we continue to sign players from Championship sides or obscure leagues in Europe, or sign players for big money then they can't even get in the side or don't perform, then we will go backwards and then start a spiral of negative outcomes. It has happened before and can happen again. I sincerely hope we know what we are doing and not repeating recent history again. 

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: 

On 11/03/2024 at 12:37, Leeroy said:

Those early years in the 80s lasted two years then we were midtable again and relegated five years later. Even bloody Everton were challenging year after year after year during the 80s 

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. 

34 minutes ago, sharkyvilla said:

Sounds like they're changing the rules then for the summer.  Hopefully good for us.

54 minutes ago, Czarnikjak said:

Courtesy of Swiss Ramble.

Indication by how much we need to reduce our losses this season to stay complaint with PSR

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!

23 hours ago, nick76 said:

I’m not advocating splashing massive cash on players but it’s a chance of attracting a real difference maker(s) for the long term.  

Look how Newcastle have struggled this season and what a difference Tonali could’ve made if not for the ban.  

Do our DD right and get a quality one or two young/early to mid twenties players could really lock us into regular top four team.  

We need that regular CL revenue, not just one season but consistently otherwise we’ll be selling our better players.  

I think this strategy is more looking at long term health at this club that what you are proposing which imo lends to being one off or maybe here or there qualifying for CL.  

We aren’t going to win the CL but we should be reasonably competitive in the early stages because of the strength of the PL compared to other leagues and a seasoned manager in Europe in Emery who can help guide us.

I’m not convinced our youth in the squad is of that level plus likes of Luiz, Diaby, Bailey, Watkins and Torres will be wanting to play in those games, that’s the games they will want to be playing in more than anything.

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. 

3 hours ago, Stephen_Evans said:

I don’t think that’s right.  The roof was replaced first.  Then the stand was reprofiled a few years later for the World Cup.  Externally, from Witton Lane, the stand was the same except that the grey cladding came down from roof level down to cover some of the brick work.  Although I’ve never actually seen a picture from the road side of the stand when it had the barrel roof.  Anyhow the impact of that stand lives on.  Because Ellis technically extended it, it is the reason the current stand is too long compared to the pitch and makes wrapping into the Holte and North Stands so impractical and awkward.

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.

16 minutes ago, CVByrne said:

If we can remove big costs from the books this would work.

Digne, Coutinho, Sanson, Chambers, Dendoncker, Hause. We also have Traore gone. Maybe Olsen to go too. 

We really only need a CDM and another LB/LCB 

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.  

1 minute ago, MaVilla said:

Yeah, we could pull back 820k p/w (ish), or 42.6m a year in wages just from these players.

even if we then bought 4 players in the summer (ie: 2 players on 150k p/w each, and 2 players on 50k p/w - for a total of 400k p/w), we are still saving 400k+ p/w and £20m+ a year.

 

4 minutes ago, Paddywhack said:

I read recently that this was the same original Witton Lane stand shown here, it just had the rolling barrel roof replaced. Is that right?

 

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! 

1 hour ago, theboyangel said:

Anyone think Doughty from Luton is worth a punt if Digne gets sold in the summer?

still only 24, can whip a mean ball in from the left and one of Luton’s better performers this season. 
 

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. 

2 hours ago, ROTTERDAM1982 said:

With FFP we will NEVER be able to compete with Arse, Ure, Plop, Citeeeh, Chelsk or Spuds. Not sure that is to the benefit of the Prem League tbh.

Nor will Noocastle.

Without FFP , i think Emery would have bought in Jan

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. 

1 hour ago, Follyfoot said:

looking back, thank God Brian had that injury

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.