villabromsgrove

I hardly ever post these days but I just wanted to say that that's where Man City are .... and that's where we are. I'm enjoying our ride up towards the summit and I hope we don't cheat financially (like tonight's opponents have) to eventually stand on that summit. I'm guessing that at my age I will almost certainly be a "Holte Ender in the sky" when it happens, but it will happen. UTV.

We have one of the most talked about strikers in the best league in the world and we don't make enough noise about him .... it's simple .... Olly, Olly, Olly, oi, oi, oi !!!!!! Oggy, Oggy, Oggy, oi, oi, oi used to be a regular chant at all sort of occasions and originated from the King of all comfort foods, the Cornish Pasty. Imagine how much noise could be generated by thousands of voices at Villa Park belting out this simplest of all chants. Ollie deserves it!

We are playing a lot more matches this season, and it must be Unai's expectation that this will happen again next season. Signing reasonably cheap (by PL standards) up and coming players like Morgan Rogers and Jon Rowe would add extra Strength, technique and youthful energy to our match day squad without breaking the bank. We need players coming off the bench who can run at tiring opposition defences and get in their faces. In my opinion either or both would be very welcome additions under Emery's tutelage.

I like the bottom left badge very much but can see a logistical problem meaning two different applications to the shirt instead of one, increasing the production cost (having the gold star separate to the badge). There is a way round this, by returning to the idea of the "gas lamp" topped shield first suggested by the club. I live on one of the few roads in the country that still has these old gas lamps, and although they are very dim they look superb as an historic nudge to the past (have a look at some images). An ornamental triangle at the top of the badge would display the gold star in just the position you've placed it in your design, and would make it a single (less costly) application to the shirt. It would also have that historic story telling link to our foundation 150 years ago.

Good post. I'm someone who has experienced the ups and downs of being a Villa fan for much longer than I care to remember, and I have to say that I am in the best place that I have ever been as a Villa supporter. Thanks to NSWE and Unai Emery and the recently assembled crew for giving me such enthusiastic hope. We are nowhere near the finished article which is what makes this point in our journey so exciting. I hope we don't turn into stereotypical entitled fans who think that the club owes us a result, because we're not there yet and are still trying to establish ourselves as a genuine contender. Five years ago we were only a couple of weeks away from folding as a football club. NSWE saved our arses and despite the Gerrard hiccup we are in an immensely improved position as a club. I know Chelsea have been rubbish this season, but to believe that we should go to Stamford Bridge and kick their butt is arrogant. We're not there yet and I hope even when we become the 'complete team' that NSWE intend, we will remain humble enough to support our team whether they win lose or draw (which has always been my philosophy). We may be struggling to replicate the goal tallies of our early season, but we're in the top four on merit, and whatever happens in the rest of the season we should be proud,

I've been around since the 1950's and in my opinion Unai Emery is the best manager we've ever had. I trust him 100%.

Unfortunately it's as simple as this .... Media has taken over the world. We no longer think for ourselves, instead we are told what to think.

Is this the Morgan Rogers thread? Can we stop the rubbish talk and concentrate on the player. I think he will sign for us in the next few days, and will be an important part of Unai's match day squad. Another 'Watkins' in the making. A player that we actually need.

In my opinion growing the financial base has to be at least a decade long project. It would take regular 'Champions League' involvement for several years and would then mean that a new stadium with state of the art infrastructure would become inevitable. I've attended Villa Park for a very long time including standing on the surging Holte terraces. I've struggled into and out of Aston so many times that it finally wore me out. VP is still an historically great venue, but sadly it's reaching the end of its ability to cope with the logistics required to qualify as a genuine top club. If we want to become (and remain) a top four club, then due to ground restraints it has to be team and player and coach focussed first, to attain a regular top four league position. If we make the final 'top tier' step successfully then considerably increased sponsorship and regular 'huge' prize money from the CL involvement will drive the investment in an impressive new stadium. A couple of years ago I would not have dreamt that I would post this, but if NSWE, Unai and Monchi remain committed I can see AVFC reaching the pinnacle (but not at B6 6HE).

The ref was really weak and that allowed a 'Dyche' scenario, which is play the man not the ball and make it a broken stop start game. I enjoyed some periods of our play very much, but poor refereeing and VAR ruined the flow of the game. However, I'll happily take a point with no bad injuries and move on. (Tarkowski's tackles were reminiscent of Ben Mee, so no serious injuries is a bonus) I didn't comment on the match thread during the game because many of the posts were toxic. Try and enjoy being a Villa supporter, win, lose or draw for a change because we're in a good place. You will support Villa for many years so try to enjoy it.

Williams (now playing mainly on the left wing for Bilbao) and Frimpong would be two awesome January signings. They would both be big first eleven upgrades who would have a real impact imo. It's not going to happen, but I can dream.

I have no knowledge of our clubs actual financial position, and I have no trust in random (clickbait?) articles publishing "facts" without any checkable references as to their source or accuracy. However, I do have two genuine questions. 1) Why would Emery have joined a club who were (reportedly) in the middle of a huge financial crisis having recently suffered a catastrophic annual loss of 275 million pounds? 2) Why would Monchi have joined AVFC if he was unable to spend money due to having absolutely no FFP headroom? This "FFP league table" seems like a load of rubbish in my opinion.

I thought we played some neat, good looking football but real penetration was lacking. I'm mystified as to why VAR denied us a goal and a very clear (handball) penalty. I also realised tonight why following the match day thread damages your health. Merry Christmas every one and up the Villa.

I can remember Villa Park in the late 1950's and every decade since then. It's in my blood and I have so many memories. I can remember when buses and coaches would pick up supporters from their towns and villages on a Saturday lunchtime. Those of us in the sixties and seventies with our Austins, Morris's and the few well off guys with their Rovers, would drive into the surrounds of VP then park up and walk in for ten minutes or so. Times have changed. Football has changed, and what was possible and acceptable in the second part of the 1900's is no longer a serviceable option. The owners of top Premier Clubs have to make very large amounts of money commercially to stay at or near the top where the real financial incentives are. I think it's inevitable we will have to accept at some point that the location of our Villa Park stadium limits our ability to create sufficient additional money streams. Relocation to a brown site with good access and transport links, and the ability to stage non football events on a very regular basis, without interfering with "a local community" is essential in my opinion. I never thought I would say this but I believe that change should happen if we want Villa to be a "Top club". If we were able to find a suitable site and relocate the iconic Holte End facade into our new "Villa Park" design, while perhaps also re-creating the historic brick face of the old Trinity Road stand as an historic resonating feature, then "Villa Park would still exist in spirit! I think fans could quickly adjust to our "spiritual home" having moved a handful of miles away. There is no really enjoyable match day "Villa Park experience" except during the actual match on the pitch. We have to deal with the time consuming crowded hassle, lack of public transport and vehicle parking, and the "joy" of wading in piss if you fancy a good drink and the inevitable toilet trips, not to mention the frustration of trying to access decent food. We may be an awakening 'giant' on the pitch, but we will never again be the top venue that we used to be even with the current building permissions, unless we face the stark fact that the location of VP makes a viable business plan for the next few decades totally unrealistic. I'll put my tin hat on, lol.

I love the way Unai has got us playing, and I think I'm now beginning to see his thought process match by match. I believe he will be looking for more pace and more aggression, as our high line gets breached too often. Emery and Monchi probably talk every day about what and who they are after. They both live for this. Player availability, FFP, and having some decent December results, will be key to the January window.

I normally keep well away from the 'Match day Thread', but I felt I had to leave a comment today. I watched the match on Sky with my son and two of my Grandsons and by half time I was a stressed out wreck. I spent the whole of the second half in the lounge on my own in front of a large wood burning stove with a bottle of ten year old Laphroaig whisky. I sipped it and sang songs from my Karaoke catalogue to drown out the cheers and groans coming from the TV room. When my son came and told me we'd won it was a huge draining relief. I don't usually get stressed about games (win, lose or draw, as long as we've done our best I was happy), but since we've got up towards the top of the table the hope and desire has flooded back in. Some years ago I had a life saving triple bypass operation after a couple of heart attacks, and I suspect the rest of this season is going to raise my my blood pressure considerably. Fortunately as a collector of excellent Whisky's I have a lot of good 'medication' to calm me down. Still if the worse happens, what a way to go. UTV !!!!!!

My son bumped into Tyrone at Philadelphia airport two days ago, he was just flying back to the UK (Friday evening 27th October). He said he looked very fit and was walking well. He gave his trade mark smile and thumbs up to my son's "Up the Villa Ty".

We all seem to agree that a 2 points a game average is a really good result for us at this moment in time, considering where we were less than a year ago. That means we currently win two games out of three and lose one on average. So why is there so much negativity on here when we lose that "one in three game"? Shouldn't our reaction be "can't wait for the next game". Unai is transforming our dreams and expectations and we need to give him our full support, win, lose or draw.

He is stronger and more skilful than most Villa players. It's up to Emery to channel his strengths into the player we need. He's an exciting prospect.

Tyrone Mings is heart and soul a Villa warrior, and we are weaker without him. Come back as soon and you can Ty, we miss you.

Sorry guys, I never know what day it is.

We play our fifth game of the season tonight and the season started just eighteen days ago. We need Lenglet or someone just like him.

Pragmatic and sensible signing. Emery is planning for a 55 game season (or maybe more).

Lenglet will sort out our strength in depth for CB, and Brennan Johnson would do the same for our front three. Job done lol.

Wow, given the number of minutes he's actually played for them they've got a woeful return for their euros! If that really is his salary no wonder Barca are desperate to sell him, and no wonder he doesn't want to leave.