bobzy

Football Weekly did the same when discussing games on the podcast. It just shows how the day panned out and gives MORE DRAMA.

Just chronological order. ”Liverpool have done <x>, time for Arsenal to step up”. It’s **** odd that people get so het up over the running order of MOTD.

Rogers doesn’t count!

Exactly. And, whilst it's understandable for fans to discuss how a game is going and "OMG make some subs!" etc., we should really constantly remind ourselves that we're currently watching a good team playing under the greatest manager we've (I've) seen at Villa Park - and I genuinely think that. Like having Martinez in goal, we have an absolutely World Class manager leading us. It's hard to comprehend because we've been a very average if not poor (by Premier League standards) side for such a long time and a lot of the feelings we (I) have around games are sort of scarred by that... but this guy is an absolute master. As Gary Neville said on his podcast... "the next thing about Arsenal, today - and, I felt this as a coach when I was over in Spain - when you're up against a master of a coach, a top coach, who can design a game of football... he just designs a game of football, an outcome, he almost sees it and he's patient enough to sort of let it develop and his teams seem to have that ability to follow it. He's a class act, Unai Emery... an absolute class act as a coach. You know, in all the sort of "top jobs" that are mentioned - Villa, at this moment in time, what he's doing there is special - but you see all these jobs that are available in the summer at Barcelona and Bayern Munich and Manchester United and Liverpool and... he doesn't get mentioned! He's not available either, but he's one of the best coaches in Europe ... Arsenal were up against a coach with know-how today who imparts know-how and knowledge on his team and they (Arsenal) fell for that in the second half... what he did in the first half, they dug in and defended resolutely and they were compact. But the start of the second half, he split his back line... the momentum shift in that one passing movement where they got out <some description>... I thought "oooh, it's changed. He's got them playing." He's gone in there at half time and gone "Now, we're gonna go play" and God they played in the second half, Villa... the reason Arsenal got beat today - yeah, you can point to many things - but in the end, they got out thought by a fantastic coach who designed the performance and designed the outcome and his team followed his instruction. It was a brilliant away performance". This is where we're at. We're no longer reliant on individual brilliance from Benteke or Grealish or Martinez or whoever to get us a result. We're reliant on a manager who sees everything and can react to everything. We're reliant on having an entire squad with the right mentality to take on board exactly what he's saying. We don't have the player quality and depth of, say, Man City - and this is a game of football, so sometimes surprising things happen - but we have a manager who is absolutely there. He's right up there. Lets just enjoy that for as long as we can.

Obviously fine to look at a transfer window, but we've just beaten Arsenal 2-0 away from home and are still to bring back: Tyrone Mings Emi Buendia Jacob Ramsey Boubacar Kamara Matty Cash as well as having Douglas Luiz return from suspension. Even if you assume they're all simply squad players, that's 5 "new signings" compared to where we are right now.

I thought it said V Sports board? Edit: OK, the actual update is with "Aston Villa Limited" so not V Sports. Shouldn't be stateside then!

If we didn't get an incredibly late win against Palace or draw against Sheffield United or late wins against Burnley and Luton then we'd be lower than where we are. Similarly, if we won all of our games this season we'd be champions. Football doesn't work like that. You can't look at a tiny selection of past games in this manner. We're where we are based on how well we've done over the course of the season and the victory against Arsenal was a great performance and bounce back from the disappointment in drawing against Brentford.

Is it even definitively Aston Villa-linked? These guys have invested in V Sports. There were rumours r.e: a new MLS side (Las Vegas based, wasn't it?) being created. A large development could happen in the States, no?

There’s a whole 2 or 3 minute section about how good Emery is and was in this game. It’s a decent analysis.

I know, hence…

Puts his points across really well there and a very fair assessment of the game given his Arsenal bias. Fair play.

De Gea was very good at it from memory. Didn't have the commanding presence or ability to just claim, but was very good with his legs.

Is he in the conversation for best signing we’ve ever made (and by ever, I of course mean since 1992)? What I mean by this is… we sign, say, Watkins for £30m and you’re expecting big things from him, even if not immediately you’re thinking there’s something there for the future. Or with Martinez, you sign a goalkeeper from Arsenal who had a belting end of season and has a chance of being decent (even though he’s obviously amazing now)… …but did anyone expect John McGinn to develop into one of the Premier Leagues better central midfielders and be captain of a Villa side pushing for European success and a possible CL place? I know I didn’t. What a guy SJM is.

People want to say it’s Alisson or Ederson or whoever else. It isn’t - it’s Emi Martinez.

It’s probably wrong of me because, on days when it isn’t going right, it will end up frustrating me more often than not… …but I quite like having some classic Italian… petulance is maybe the wrong word; but that “spirit” in the team. It’s quite endearing really.

Nitpicking, but Benteke is still the best striker we’ve had IMO. As an all-round forward, though, Watkins is the better player.

Seriously - why did we let go of Philogene and bring this guy in? His ceiling is nowhere near as high as Jaden’s. Our scouting department is shit. Awful work.

The game today was close, but we were brilliant second half and took our chances. The City game at Villa Park wasn’t close. We were utterly dominant and should’ve won about 5-0. I’m not sure I ever have - or will again - see a better Villa performance than that one.

Rogers, I think. My comment was in jest by the way pals

Is he the weak link?

Pretty sure the goal difference against Spurs was already a lost cause. We’re ****.

I think it’s because we went out of the domestic cups early - but could be wrong.

Yes

On target is between the bar/posts, not hitting them or going over/wide.

Up there with Fernandes for me in my most disliked Premier League players. Seems like a nice kid, and is a good player... but, wow. Really don't like him