Stephen_Evans

5 hours ago, Zatman said:

I think is a slight chance we could go to pot 3 as some of the teams above us have play offs

You have to laugh that in UEFA-speak Celtic are better than Villa.  They wouldn’t finish half way up our league.

I shall miss the configuration of the North Stand and the “AV”.  The original subbuteo stand!

52 minutes ago, VillaAlex said:

We are capable at the same time probably need to be realistic. Depends on injuries and how well we build the depth in the team.

I read if you reach the final of the Champions League this season you'll have played 17 games. At bare minimum we play 8 and it's going to take its toll.

I'd be ecstatic with top 5 and a good performance in the Champions League and then we build again. 

 

Talking of realism, I can’t help feeling Chelsea are doing this season what we did last season.  A mediocre start, gradual improvement and then a solid late run for Europe.  They may well be the biggest barrier to us retaining top 4 status this time next year.

22 hours ago, sidcow said:

I've made this point before. There doesn't seem to be anyone with oversight of the state of the stadium. No accountability. No one doing walkabout and looking carefully at the place. 

I'd like to know what procedures are in place to look at this stuff. 

A silly example maybe, but there has been a piece of insulation material sticking out above the McGregor’s entrance under the Trinity Road overhang for years.  You can see it clearly through the window.  Man, I could do a job with a clipboard walking round the old place!

You know Unai is trying to work out a way to win it.

2 hours ago, ccfcman said:

Man I wish my Grandad could have seen this. He's only gone a couple years but he converted me with the Coca Cola Cup. If only I'd known what lay ahead for the next two decades. A Corkman who moved to Birmingham for a few years, spoke of Villa Park in the 60s as something approaching t he Maracana.

Will enjoy a trip and tiple in his name at the Bernabau or San Siro

Special Grandads certainly leave an enormous gap after they’ve gone don’t they.  But like you I love to imagine how mine would have enjoyed this season.

A very straightforward question: what possible harm would come of announcing the attendance at each game?  

Wish I could make Emery’s “Up the Villa” shout last night into some sort of text message alert.

6 minutes ago, Villa_Vids said:

IF we finish 4th, it is imperative we improve in all areas to be consistently in the top 4.

Let’s hope so.  If anyone knows how to do this, it’s our man Unai.

23 minutes ago, Jas10 said:

Really hope he scores today… break that record Ollie! You fully deserve it!

The Ollie Watkins thread appearing at the top on match day (pre-match) is not what I needed!

52 minutes ago, The Fun Factory said:

It's a dated concrete carbuncle surrounded by an uneven car park  and offers nowhere near enough capacity or other facilities to justify it's continued existence.

But I am not a member of the 20th Century Society so other opinions are available.

This is all so underwhelming, I can't get excited about refurbishing our current shop and stumps when the original plan about 4 years ago was to flatten the whole thing. We aren't even doing that now. If this was under Doug we would all be screaming about being penny pinching.

To be clear, I will be very happy to see the demise of the North Stand!

22 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

Yep, looking at them now they're a bit more complete I think it's pretty clear they're temporary.

My bad!

Hopefully the refurbished shop will also be temporary ultimately!  Complete eyesore of a building.

The funny thing about the North Stand and its bad press aesthetically is at least it is a clear (albeit dated) architectural style.

In terms of planning consents, it is still possible for Villa to do the Warehouse and Villa Live, as well as the North Stand.  Part of the rationale of the 2023 revisions was to separate the different elements.

2 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

This concerns me a little bit - I had in mind that the plans for this building were pretty substantial and would involve a new roof and (I had assumed) a complete renovation of the building's "Skin" - re-pointed, re-built brickwork and a better design and use of the frameworks that are there on the side (which I assume were once windows) - something really transformative that sets up the building as a future leisure venue in its own right and a great place to be on matchdays.

If we're painting (pretty but slightly awkward) logos and badges on the side of them, then unless we're blasting those off in a months time, it suggests that what we might be getting is more of a lick of paint and a tarting up - which would be disappointing.

I guess we'll know in a couple of months.

Who knows what the processes are behind the scenes.  The very first planning application was to knock it all down, including the shop!

34 minutes ago, Jas10 said:

My hunch is that, sadly, Villa trademarked this so that other people couldn’t attempt to use it.  It seemed very reactive and strange to trademark a second effort only a month after the first. 

34 minutes ago, villarule123 said:

There is absolutely no reason to panic or get stressed yet. If Liverpool beat us and Spurs beat City, then it's time to get nervy. 

If Liverpool beat us and Spurs even draw against City, then it’s time to get nervy.

I’m going to say it, I thought Chris Heck spoke well.

9 minutes ago, Villan_of_oz said:

Who did Leicester sign after they got champions league after winning the league?

More to the point who left Leicester after they won the league and qualified for CL....

Finishing 4th will get forgotten in history winning a trophy will not.

There is no guarantee that finishing 4th means anything other than we will play CL football next season.

All of that is true.  But we can’t progress as a club WITHOUT qualifying for the Champions League, even if doing so guarantees nothing.

If Unai manages to get us through on Thursday night, it will be one of his and our greatest achievements I think.  I love the fact that he continues to speak positively and refuses to whinge.  

1 minute ago, paul514 said:

It’s done we are in the CL next year, not a chance do they win all three and make up the goal difference 

Well they would need to win 2 and draw 1 while making up the goal difference (assuming we do not collect another point).

1 minute ago, DJBOB said:

Go on Robin! Really great that he learned from Thursday and kept his leg low to block the 1v1 in the first half. A carbon copy against Olympiakos. 
 
Will probably be off in the summer but at least one MOTM to hang his hat on. 

Ironically I think he approached both chances in the wrong way and got a bit fortunate today.  I’ll get my tin hat!

2 hours ago, tinker said:

Olympiacos lost 6-1 at home in one of the previous rounds , just need to keep possession and pepper their keeper with shots,  any corners just wait for them to try and deal with us and not give the ref an excuse to call a foul. We will score, if we score first then I think they struggle..especially if.we can beat Brighton and spurs lose to Liverpool.  

I think it was a 4-1 defeat at home to Tel Aviv but they won 6-1 away.  But I take your point.  

If you told me we would keep a clean sheet, I would fancy us to overcome this. 

2 hours ago, ben1505 said:

I believe that we can turn it around

 

I desperately hope so!

I still can’t believe we have (probably) stuffed this up.  It showed me how much I actually wanted to win it.

6 minutes ago, villa4europe said:

I'd buy that even though I feel like that's overly safe, would rather they went with the claret + yellow stripes 

Please don’t say “yellow” in here…