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3 hours ago, Daulmakan said:

While I agree that Zaniolo was out of left field (wasn't really in my radar, and no reason why he should be after the past season), and that Lenglet is absolutely terrible and he should've known that, wasn't he instrumental in convincing Torres to sign for Villa? Maybe not worth 38 million, but still a good player. With a year under his belt, some very good results achieved, and the coaching staff solidly in place, this market window will put the focus entirely on Monchi. IMO, the team has mostly reached its ceiling or very near to it barring a totally improbable injury-free season, it needs more depth and some more talent. It's still early, though. I expect things to be relatively quiet until after the eurocup where players rise and fall.

Not sure Lenglet was terrible! He served a purpose as a left sided centre back when Mings got injured and came in at late notice, he had some poor performances but was also good in some eg Fulham away and helped us through the period when Torress was out - Either way not one to judge Monchi on in my opinion

3 hours ago, QldVilla said:

It’s like Groundhog Day on this site some days. Last year it was Tielemans, this year it’s Barkley.

You would think after 18 months supporters would trust Emery to sought the squad.

Welcome back Ross, hopefully we will see the player that we know you can be.

Exactly how I feel mate, everyone is entitled to their opinion etc but we just continue to be so short sighted on these things and throw out all sorts of suggested names

Couple of things for me....

1. Lets see how the whole of the business ens up looking at the end of the window before we judge, Barkley may be a squad enabler to get someone else at a higher price in a more vital position or even another more high profile CM

2. Go and look at the team that got Villareal to Europa league win and Champions league semi - Some on here would have a heart attack looking at the names on it if they were suggested at Villa, it shows though its the key chemistry and components of the team rather than the individual

3 minutes ago, villan-scott said:

Good deal for us. Played well for Luton. Knows us and the league. Good level of experience. Free transfer to bolster numbers. Makes a lot of sense. Can’t all be £35m+ signings. 

6ft 2 as well so adds a bit of physicality to things too, I think Unai has more than earned my trust on these things so im going to go with his judgement and not a loan spell 3 years ago!

25 minutes ago, S-Platt said:

Yeah but many of those teams will have managers and their better players cherry picked.

We don't know what our squad will look like at the start of the season I trust The Don to have a plan to negotiate The Champions League.

It's bloody exciting there will be 8 chances for us to pit ourselves against Europe's elite what more can a fan ask for!?

UTV

This is a great point and exactly what will happen across Europe and the premier league, Palace being the great example of everyone is buoyant after the end of the season however the reality is they will lose at least one or maybe evn two of the main reason this happens.

Yesterday didnt matter but i hate the fact it was 5-0 however where we are for game one of next season will be completely different and Unai will have them ready again and we will be far more excited/settled about how CL ready we are when that draw comes round

20 minutes ago, JPAngel said:

I like Duran a lot and I love a good unpredictable, powerful striker but he does give me an overall bad vibe.

The comments from McGinn in three different interviews around being "hard to manage", "a nightmare" and not showing respect, liking a ton of Chelsea posts on socials after that strange Poch hug, the cycles of removing everything related to Villa from his Instagram and then restoring it a few days later. Worst of all for me, is the way he celebrates big moments or goals with a shrug as if to say "see? This is what I can do but I don't get a chance to show it".

I get it, he's young and hopefully he can be focused at stay here to contribute to our next campaign. But if he can't see that an ever-improving Villa side managed by one of the world's elite coaches, competing and learning from a top Premier League striker, is the right place for him, I do wonder if we need to look elsewhere.

There were comments to one one of the podcasts - May have been Dan Bardell/Greg Evans - that a January move was very much in discussions before he got injured

We can try and brush off things as just twitter activity etc but there are to many flags to things

He is a very exciting prospect who has a great nack of coming on and making a difference as a wildcard but when he starts he is so raw/rash and in that moment where you need control of the game and a bit more tactical awareness he still has a way to go - He is in perfect place to get that with Emery but seems he wants it now and so will push for that move

I would be asking for 40m and a sell on personally though as there is definitely a very good player there

5 minutes ago, AntrimBlack said:

Last night was great, but we really should have sealed CL.

Martinez did not have a lot to do, but at the other end we had a number of chances to win that game.

Liverpool were damned lucky to get a draw.

Hopefully tonight seals it for us.

Great how we dug it out but agree on the balance of the game it was a great chance for 3 points

10 goals, 9 assists - Better stats than a certain 100m player that was adored

If he was just a little calmer in that final moment he could easily make that 15/15

31 minutes ago, ferguson1 said:

Can’t believe we’re on the verge of CL qualification. What a magnificent achievement from where we were a little over 18 months ago.

To think that we may have a Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, PSG etc playing at Villa Park next season? Let’s just take that in for a moment. Wow.

I went for a run this morning and that all I could think of, we are literally touching distance of it and i know its a cliche but im trotting it out anyway, we finished on 17 points only 6 years ago and were circling the plug hole to potential oblivion not long after under the Dr Fraud and now we could hosting the biggest clubs in the world

Noel Gallagher, Paul Dikov, Shaun Goater, Curley Watts, Ricky Hatton - Its on your boys to make that dream happen!!!!

6 hours ago, VillaChris said:

Also beat them 1-0 in the CL in 2019 although that might have been at Wembley? Man. City also missed penalties in a couple of those games.

They're generally a tricky match up for Man. City with the pace they have in final third but can't see anything but an away win in this as Man. City are different animal in last ten games of a league season to before xmas.

City beat them there in the FA cup this season 1-0 so hopefully that ones off their back

I genuinely think he will be the FFP sacrifice sale in the summer to Chelsea unfortunately

4 minutes ago, maqroll said:

Gabby is right, there's a noticeable degree of Villa-bashing going on right now, and a noticeable glee at our dip in form and results. You'd think people would be wishing us well in our effort to crack the Sky stranglehold. 

There can only be one explanation: Jealousy.

Spot on mate, exactly what it is

5 minutes ago, DJBOB said:

To put into context, the chances of all sequences occurring (two Villa losses, two wins and at least a draw for Tottenham) are at 16:1 so if you’re a doomsdayer, at least get yourself a nice holiday out of it. 

Spurs 11-1 on skybet for Top 4 - £20 componsation bet lol

I get we are all nervous but we have given ourselves scope now to achieve this in several ways rather than the chase last year where we had to win every week to get Conference

Spurs - 2 wins and 1 draw - Villa need 1 point

Spurs - 3 Wins - Villa need 3 points (1 Win)

Any other combo for Spurs and we are in the Champions league with 2 defeats

It might be the hot weather and a barrel load of talking from the heart but I wouldnt rule out a Burnely side playing for their lives and on the back of recent draws at United, Chelsea (With 10 men) and at home to Wolves/Brighton on taking a point tomorrow

8 minutes ago, ben1505 said:

They've lost to 4 decent sides who are in form. They didn't lose to a piss poor Brighton side who had been woeful for weeks. They now get to play 2 teams that have pretty much been propping up the league all season.

Liverpool had just lost to palace and Everton and drawn at West Ham - They were not in form!

7 minutes ago, The Fun Factory said:

It should be good experience for the players to get some European football back at Villa.  I just hope we don't have to wait another 42 years for the next semi final.

Although we were heavily fancied by the bookies at the end of the day we only won 1 of our last 4 ties, and  2 out of our last 7.

 In our first 7 games we won 6 of them, which showed as the step in class in the knockout stages we found  it harder.

We all desperately wanted a claret and blue repeat of last year but West Ham had already had a good run in the Europa the year before and were that little bit more experienced than us. Plus without sounding churchlish they had an easier draw.

Agree, West Ham finished 14th in the league alongside a much easier path where they played someone in the Semis that we played in the group

Larnica/Gent/Az is much easier than Ajax/Lille/Oympiakos

18 minutes ago, Zatman said:

Thr best team won and I know why we lost but at end of the day Olympiakos wouldnt get 6 points in the Champions League

We need to be careful with our expectations if get to the Champions League as the level is a lot higher

Of coure it is, but it will be a different more experienced Villa too if we get there

They were better team in the moment but our fully fit team/bench beats Olympiakos so lets not do us down to much 

28 minutes ago, TRO said:

9 of them played last night....Only Kamara and Tielemans missing.

The bench is weaker, sure.

Maybe but In my opinion our best side has Kamara in there with Mcginn in that forward role and Ramsey/Rodgers left - Moves that team forwards from last night 50% in my opinion

The bench is so key to, with teams being able to make 5 subs you can effectively change half your team and bring on fresh legs/change shape/different styles etc

As ive posted elsewhere, look at the match day squads in December v City/Arsenal and the strength in the team and bench and you will see why the drop off has happend

KTF, get over the line with CL and rest, recover and reset and next season will be another exciting season to look forward to and although a cliche what felt like a dream only 5 years ago when Dr Tony nearly took us under

Villa 1 Man City 0

Look at the difference in the strength of the team and depth & options n the bench - That team/squad walks through if fit, wasnt to be with whats happend and i think its obvious 3/4 or those playing last night arent fit 

Proud of the lads, europe secured for next year, just hope its the elite version as we deserve it

• 1E Martínez
• 4Konsa
• 3Diego Carlos
• 14P Torres
• 12Digne
• 31Bailey
• 44Kamara
• 6Douglas Luiz
• 7McGinn
• 8Tielemans
• 11Watkins

Substitutes

• 2Cash
• 15Moreno
• 17Lenglet
• 19Diaby
• 22Zaniolo
• 24Durán
• 32Dendoncker
• 41J Ramsey
• 42Marschall

1 minute ago, CVByrne said:

Torres is a good defender but his primary skill is in build up and progressive passing. Build up is absolutely key to us and with Pau we can break and counter though the high press so well. I think he is best suited to LCB of the back 3 in possession and would be perfect with Mings and Konsa in the back 3. That would be the right balance

And i think if you look at how we started in pre season that was going to be the plan in my opinion pre the injury to Mings

1 hour ago, david-avfc said:

Yes far too old, he would need to be at the club for 3 years before he turned 21, he is already 21

The Homegrown Player Rule is a UEFA rule for competitions that was first introduced in the 2006–07 season and fully enforced beginning in the 2008–09 season¹. A homegrown player is defined by UEFA to have been trained by their club or another club in the similar association between ages 15-21, regardless of the player’s nationality². In the UEFA Champions League, you are required to register a squad of 25 players, within which at least 8 players need to be considered as homegrown². UEFA's home-grown player rules set a quota of locally trained players at clubs but without any discrimination on nationality³.

Pretty sure he qualifies as he has spent that time with WBA/City 

12 minutes ago, The_Steve said:

Chelsea had 16 shots. Arsenal 9. Newcastle 18. Forest had 13 shots despite losing 3-1. Even in our 4-0 loss, we had more shots - just terrible at finishing with only one on target whereas Spurs scored four of their five shots on target. The last game Spurs conceded under 5 shots was their 3-1 win against Palace on 2 March. 

And in that forest game if Wood doesn't hit the bar from a  yard out and they go 2-1 up it could have been totally different too

The other thing with that Spurs v City game is the Arsenal angle, I think although players will want to win it will cause a strange atmosphere in the stadium as plenty would give up 4th to stop Arsenal winning the league

1 hour ago, ben1505 said:

Football cliche 101: first goal is crucial in the second leg… if we get it, we are in the ascendancy and we can go on to win…. I’m actually more confident of us going there and having to win , than going there to defend a 1-goal lead… it’s a pity that the penalty was missed. Ideally we need Martinez, Pau, and Yuri back in the team too… maybe even Carlos too.

Agree, pen could be the crucial moment as a goal behind i think we do them and bizarrely i do think the same, we have to go there and win now so its a clear strategy rather than thinking do we hold on etc

14 minutes ago, andycv said:

I want both - and I think we can still do it.  We can win 3-0 away from home....

Need that first goal and then go from there