CVByrne

Shame we couldn't have got out with a 1 goal deficit. We could turn that around, 2 goals is harder. 

Bookies have us around a 30% chance to qualify now would have been 50% if we were a goal down just. 

They do look like an open side where there are goals in the games so if we can get first goal in second leg in first half we can build on that.

1 minute ago, DCJonah said:

I'm not sure I want success if it means a fan base that turns on players like Dougie.

IT's just a few posters on a message board

16 minutes ago, punkiller1981 said:

Massive miss yesterday. Lenglet was all over the place and playing him and Olsen in the same game is a massive no. Hopefully pau plays Sunday and Thursday because he was the calm head we needed at the back today 

Totally agree, with Martinez out we needed him to bring calm

He's having a dip in form. Remember he's being asked to play a different role with Kamara out injured he's sitting deeper. I think Emery had struck on Tielemans being the most adept at that role and he was excellent in the games until he went off against Chelsea. 

For me losing Martinez and Pau from our starting 11 resulted in that loss of calm and control. 

8 hours ago, VillaJay said:

Fair play CVByrne your levels of optimism have been refreshing to see, glad to see, you seem much more optimistic and nearly a 360 from a few weeks ago.

I explained why this run to get CL had been so stressful. It is a sliding doors moment I believe for the club in terms of growth and in particular commercial revenue is the key to being able to compete at the top table consistently. So seeing us falter and potentially failing to get CL was making me defeatist.

However, what is success for us? Is like how has it not just been amazing success so far regardless of of we end 5th. We will be competing for Europe every season and Europa League and ECL are trophies we would be favourites to win. 

If you can't enjoy the current team and manager and enjoy the games not fearing them. Then it's not the sport to follow. 

Players back from injury next season, more upgrading of the squad. Lots of great times still ahead 

We're still only 7/2 to win the tournament after that game. Shows that we're surely in with a decent enough chance of getting through the second leg. 

Was a bad night but the Chelsea win over Spurs is massive for the club. 

Sunday is huge day. 

If we can better Spurs Result on Sunday it's surely over. 

Liverpool will want to do something for Klopp and will be motivated against Spurs. 

Bookies have us 1/16 and I'm still nervous.

Imagine we clinch 4th this would truly be incredible from where we were at Craven Cottage just over 18 months ago

This is madness. Emery is an actual god 

If we can nail down 4th they can give it a go next week. Just a really bizzare game this evening. 

This side do love a panic station. We've done it often this season and Emery has work to do on the mental side of the game. Need some more calm heads out there.

Martinez is one of the key ones 

Even Dougie missing his first penalty. Not our day.

At least Chelsea beat Spurs. 

We are poor at Villa Park these days. It's been a bizzare game. If we get it to a goal down we have a chance.

Villa Park = buckets of goals conceded in 2024

8 hours ago, Alakagom said:

Seem he has good chance to be in the squad tomorrow, huge to have him back and hopefully can be fit for Brighton to get some fresh legs 

Yes any experienced player who can and has contributed this season being fit is most welcome. He's had some key moments for us this season. 

10 hours ago, TomC said:

I can't see selling him unless we've got someone else coming in. We've got 8 established first team midfielders (JJ, McGinn, Doug, Buendia, Zaniolo, Kamara, Tielemans, Rogers) and that really isn't enough, as can be seen by the fact that 5 of them are currently hurt, leaving us at 3. If we don't buy/extend Zaniolo, that already puts us at 7, and selling JJ would put as at 6. Then you have to consider that Kamara probably won't be ready until at least October/November and Buendia may not be 100% yet in August. We're going to be very thin if we sell.

I think Buendia is more the 10 / second striker role than midfield. We are short a CM that's for sure. I think LM is covered by Rogers / JJ as it stands. 

7 hours ago, brommy said:

There's yet to be an announcement of the 150 year celebrations and it surely can't just be the AV150 centre circle display, given the committee assembled to plan the milestone.

Could Heck's rather muddled statement of the expansion postponement have been made to re-evaluate the plans AND make a 'good news' expansion announcement to time with the other 150 years celebrating event(s)?

We have to wait contractually before announcing new kit as it will impact sales of the existing kit and thus hurt Castore. I think we will be trying to make a big splash all at once with new kit, sponsors, AV150 and a lot of new brand and merchandise at the same time. Some special AV150 things to buy. 

Heck is a proven at this type of thing. He knows how to work to build our brand. I think announcement for the future of Villa Park plans would likely come at the same time. Especially as with the Atarios investment. 

8 hours ago, T-Dog said:

Whilst the point about running in Zone 2 is true, I thought it was proven that the overall difference was considered almost pointless unless Calories consumed was restricted too? (This was a long time ago, but I'm sure there was a whitepaper on it). For someone running at Zone 3 and eating normal food, the overall % of 'fat' calories burnt was usually lower, but overall calories burnt was higher, which meant the total 'fat' calories was about the same? I might be wrong, but I definitely remember reading something about it, but this could've been 10+ years ago.

But also, there's a million other reasons to run at Zone 2 anyway, not always, but definitely embrace it. Running at that Zone fixed so many problems for me, with injury, stamina, even just the desire to run. 

It depends what you mean by this. If you are talking about fat burning, then yes the primary is the overall net deficit of calories burnt vs consumed. But the fitness benefits for your heart, muscles, bones etc.. will take place at Zone 2. 

In relation to the Zone 3, yes it will burn more calories but it will put more stain on the body. Easy running (ie Zone 2) is easy, thus you can get to the 180 mins a week of it where you get the maximum benefits for general health. Doing that at Zone 3 is much harder, could lead to injury and doesn't give the right marginal benefits for the extra effort. 

I started out Zone 3 and Zone 4 for all running. Put as much as I could into each run and then had rest to recover. I was aiming for fast Park run times. I was doing the wrong training for sure. 

Really all running is broken down into 3 types. Easy, Threshold (or tempo) and Vo2 Max (or speed).

Easy is Easy running, it trains your Aerobic threshold (also known as where you have raised lactate in the blood but its steady). 

Threshold, is lactate threshold (zone 4), or the point just before lactate starts building up exponentially in blood and you get the burn and have to slow down. Basically this is the speed a few seconds slower than your fastest 10k time. Or There are a few ways to kind of work this speed out. Training at this speed basically improves your bodies ability to clear lactate from the blood and thus allows you run faster at this speed over time.

Finally Vo2 Max or speed, these are to improve your maximum capacity to use oxygen. These are short repeats of high intensity, so 200m sprints wth recovery for example. 

The 80:20 rule is the most significant thing I ever learned about running. 80% (or sometimes as high as 85%) of all running is done Easy, then 15-20% done at Threshold or Vo2 max. 

For example, I now do 5 runs a week. Two 45 min easy runs, and one 90m+ long run, 1 Threshold repeats (for example 5x 2k at threshold pace with 500m jogging recovery between). Then 1 VO2 max session (I mix sessions between hill sprints, 200m or 400m intervals). 

Monday - Rest

Tuesday - Threshold

Wed - Easy

Thurs - Rest

Friday - VO2 Max

Sat - Easy

Sunday - Long Run 

7 minutes ago, CHW said:

I think that's wrong.  I think you can make an allowance for the lost revenue due to the redev, so the impact on FFP revenue would be de minimus.

So it's absolutely the right time to do it, if indeed a North Stand redev is what we plan to do.

You are incorrect, we've had in depth discussion on FFP within the specific thread.

4 hours ago, CHW said:

It's hardly a decrease in revenue as FFP takes account of a stand being redeveloped in the calculations.  The North doesn't bring in much anyway.  

But the result is any redev is probably pushed back so far that the eventual benefit will now be post Emery.  So instead of having 50k+ in 2 seasons time, with massively increased corporate facilities we'll end up with below par fudged GA+ facilities and stadium income significantly lower than Everton, let alone the teams we are hoping to compete with.

If the delay is for anything other than looking at a wider project, then it's madness.

The cost of building the stand isn't included in FFP, the loss of revenue is. 

The delay is for the obvious reason. The reason stated. This is the absolute wrong time to do this. 

9 minutes ago, Stephen_Evans said:

Maybe it really was a “pause” and not a cancellation.  Allowing for potential incompetence, it has always struck me as strange that the North Stand plans have remained on the website.

The pause was the most sensible and obvious thing imaginable and the fact so many people fail to grasp the legitimate reasons despite all the PSR and FFP discussions that have swirled all season. It's boggles the mind tbh 

16 minutes ago, RichW said:

Where was this reported? I can only see that it was a season-long loan deal. 

I think they have the option to extend for another year. At the time it was being reported a 2 year loan was being agreed. 

7 hours ago, sheepyvillian said:

I would be happy for JJ to stay, but someone has to go to generate funds. JJ seems like the only one, of the possibiles, who could demand a hefty fee. 

Who would you choose?

It's a fair point, if we are signing another attacker who can play wide. 

I think the main issue is we can't really sell JJ, or Buendia having been injured and not really been able to show their peak worth. Plus losing JJ impacts us with the European squads.

It's very hard to think who Emery has in mind. I think if we map out 23 first team players (exclude Kamara) we can best see what might be plans.

It's a bit simplistic as lots of players can play multiple positions

LM - JJ, Rogers

CM - Luiz, McGinn, Tielemans, New

RM - Bailey, New

S/S - Diaby, Buendia

CF - Watkins, Duran

I'd see us signing 2 new players to fill out the squad, possibly a CM in on Loan as cover for Kamara

3 hours ago, jacksonho said:

I feel this late in the season there isn’t any real point in them playing games. They might as well continue their rehabilitation without needing to worry about returning to the pitch. Gives them a few extra months and a proper pre season.

It would be awesome to see them in the squad if there is room for them just to sit on the bench if we go into the last couple of games with 4th sorted though, otherwise no point risking leaving out someone who may play a part if we need the points.

Yeah I think they are taking part in training and meetings etc.. so they are learning this seasons style of play and out there on the training pitch. There is no point in using them this season it's better to wait for pre-season games and then bring them in off bench slowly next season. IT's said that ti takes 18 months to fully recover from ACL when you include match fitness.