DaveAV1

6 hours ago, OutByEaster? said:

We're in the competition for 4th to 8th I think, I'd hope we wouldn't fall below that.

Any sort of qualification for Europe for a third straight year would be a success.

 

Top at Christmas and stay there whilst winning the FA Cup and the CL too. The Sultan won’t stand for less than that. UTV!!!!

3 hours ago, Don_Simon said:

There's news from other media that Sawiris and Mubarak are close. I'm not suggesting they're swapping wives, so you can calm down with the exclamation marks, just that's it's an interesting alliance, if true.

Thank you for allowing me to calm down and put my exclamation marks away somewhere safe!!

2 hours ago, Don_Simon said:

Hmm, no smoke without fire...

https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/money/2023/12/05/egyptian-billionaire-nassef-sawiris-to-move-family-office-to-abu-dhabi/

... Sawiris, UAE, Villa, Man City? 

Billionaire decides to move office to anywhere he feels like, shock horror!

20 hours ago, mykeyb said:

Please let that happen 

Fat Frank or Slippy G, would both be just the man for the soccerball club known as SHA!

7 hours ago, VillaJ100 said:

I still think with Heck we're going to end up with a villa version of this in a few years

Surely that was more likely under our previous CEO and well known LFC fan. 

19 hours ago, CarryOnVilla said:

 

but, thank you 

1 hour ago, rodders0223 said:

We don't have the aura of Gerrard now mind you.

Is that what aura smells like? I’ll give a bottle of that a miss, if you don’t mind. Essence of Scouse plonker, is so last year now.

1 hour ago, briny_ear said:

Well, the first 10 games after Grealish left rendered us 9 points and Dean Smith was sacked. After a mediocre recovery, the first 11 games of the next season achieved 9 points and Steven Gerrard departed. 
 

I wouldn't call that a resounding affirmation that we weren't affected by JG's departure.

That’s all true but our coaching staff and recruitment team his much better now than then.  As are many other aspects that have improved dramatically since the appointment of Unai, who has been a key driver of the club both on and off the pitch and who still enjoys the backing of the owners who appointed him and support him massively. It’s almost as if Unai has turned the lights on for us to enable us to see where we should be going and how to get there. As long as he remains everything and anything positive is possible. Would you bet against us?? UTV!!!!!!!!!!

On 28/05/2024 at 18:33, rodders0223 said:

£9m is nothing nowadays. 

A wealthy man I know, once said to me, “atenner is nothing, until you haven’t got one”. He isn’t wrong. 

On 28/05/2024 at 14:55, sne said:

So hope we bring in a first choice RB and give this kid rotation minutes and time to settle. Cash can be 2nd, 3rd or 4th option if he isn't sold.

Dumfries is being linked in the BBC rumours page today. 

53 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

I would be suprised if there are any signings barring barkley until after euros. Always tough signing players when the tournament is on

You’re right, players are scattered far and wide plus risk injury, it adds to the usual complications involved with persuading a player to move his family and career potentially thousands of miles, his national team won’t be bothered about protecting his value from an injury in the same way that his club might be more inclined to do, once they’ve made the decision to part company. 

3 hours ago, Follyfoot said:

He needs a project probably in the lower divisions to find his Mojo again. Not sure if there are any projects that would appeal to his ego , say in division one ? if there was I would wholeheartedly support his involvement

it would have to be one of the biggest projects outside the Premier League and championship that has ever been though

 

mate

 Now you’re talking mate. A match made in heaven, or town. They breaks yer heart they really do. 

3 hours ago, HanoiVillan said:

It's also quite possibly the case that many of the people in the match threads would be attending games if it were easier to get a seat, which a larger capacity would help with. 

Possibly yes but even when games are not sold out the match thread is still well patronised. My excuse is that I no longer live in the area!! Which of course could apply to many people and it’s a big world that doesn’t have VP on the door step, ignoring that fact would be daft. Billions of football supporters as opposed to a million Brummies doesn’t need a mathematician to work out, regardless of the logistics. No matter how far ahead of the local opposition we are, which of course is miles and miles given what a shambles that SHA are and have been since the beginning of time itself!! UTV!!!!!!

9 hours ago, HanoiVillan said:

Sure, that's one way of looking at it. Another is that the people writing on this board will be going to watch this club long after the current owners have moved on, and that as such we should take an interest in what they do with it. 

Most of the people writing on this board seem to spend lots of time on the match thread and not at VP during games so there lies the answer, other revenue streams different to bums on seats, shinny new developments to Villa Park could possibly be viewed as owners vanity projects or possibly CEO’s  vanity projects beyond managerial and player appointments. 

7 hours ago, _AA_786 said:

We have so many keepers it might be good Emi being at the Olympics to give them a chance before working out who stays as no.3 and who goes on loan

Emi is obviously no.1 so no drama him missing the usual Walsall away in July

As long as he’s back for Man U in the 3rd round of the FA Cup, you have to factor in Emi celebration drinks too! 

13 hours ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

I was really encouraged until I realised what you were doing there

He’s just shedding a little light on the subject JV!!

On 22/05/2024 at 09:40, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

 

What @andycv said @Captain_Townsend!

I always revert to my deep trust in the owners!

I agree JV we need patience and trust in the current owners but with the caveat that as a modern football fan I want something big and flashy and of course I WANT IT ALL NOW!!! UTV!!!!!!!!!!

17 hours ago, Follyfoot said:

it was a distressed asset and they knew the potential, fair play to them and thank you to them

 

I have been a distressed asset for years, if they want to make an offer!!

On 15/05/2024 at 17:19, LxYoungAVFC said:

Last night when I saw City score their second goal on my dodgy stream, I cracked (in a positive way). 

I never experienced our glory days, only heard the stories. My Mum watched our European Cup win live in Rotterdam and my Grandfather had a season ticket for over 50 years. "Up the Villa!" was one of the first phrases I learned as a toddler.

Growing up abroad as a Villan was tough as many on here have experienced themselves. You're surrounded by "fans" of all the big clubs, who choose their team based on success, because the local football here is shite and they have no connection or reason to support a club like Villa (Aston who? Do they play in the 2nd tier? Are they from Manchester?). Actually, the first time I met another Villa fan from my country was in 2023 after reaching out to the local supporters group via VT.

Then there's small things like your team being absolutely irrelevant at school and group chats, matches not being shown in pubs because the sky 6 are playing, most media unavailable due to geoblocking before VPNs were a thing, German Sky having an even worse Top 6 bias than UK Sky etc.

Here I would like to thank VT because you lot acted as my window to what's going on at Villa and more importantly Barry Bannan heat maps, Julie B's basement, plane spotting at BHX, Hairy Hands, General Krulak, fish puns, the Rashica saga, drinking in town....mate etc. etc.

In my time supporting the club we've had some ups but so many more downs. Lerner, Rapid Vienna, O'Neill leaving us in a mess, McLeish, Lambert's bomb squad, Tactics Tim, Garde, relegation, Tony Xia, Di Matteo, the cabbage incident, almost going into administration, losing the 2018 Play Off final and winning it in 2019 after a 10 game win streak under Smith, barely surviving the Premier League, one hundred million pounds, Gerrard and finally the beginning of the Emery era.

Of course football is football and anything is possible but for now it feels like we've finally turned a page and left all that shit behind us. Qualifying for the CL feels like the happy end to that chapter and it sets up the new one beautifully. I've always been proud but right now it finally feels **** good to be a Villa fan.

So thank you Unai and of course Wes & Nassef for everything you've done so far.

VTID.

We’re not irrelevant any more mste, it’s time to enjoy your reward for all those years of Villa loyalty. I grew up in north Birmingham and so my story is different I only moved away in 2017 but I miss Villa Park now and always will, no life is perfect I suppose but mine has been pretty good, I was around through the 70s and 80s so I haven’t missed much, except seeing is left the FA Cup, so I’m keeping everything crossed that happens before long! UTV!!!!!

1 hour ago, Pinebro said:

Small club with zero expectations.

Completely different.

He is 30

Was total garbage here

Will likely be on high wages

No resell value

 

I just don't see this as a good deal, like at all.

If he does well for us over a couple of seasons and is the difference that makes us competitive in the PL and CL plus perhaps winning some silverware he will have been worth a lot to us, I trust those more qualified than me to get these decisions right more than we have for years. 

1 minute ago, DaveAV1 said:

37 minutes ago, _AA_786 said:

May be a brain wave or brain fart, not sure yet but what are people's thoughts on a bid for Kaoro Mitoma from Brighton?

Was injured so hasn't had the hype recently but plays left wing, is young, quick, knows the PL and will also help shift shirts from a Business perspective

 

If he’s a shirt shifter then that is handy from a commercial point of view, provided the phrase shirt  shifter doesn’t get confused in any way………..

A good player too, always helps. 

30 minutes ago, _AA_786 said:

May be a brain wave or brain fart, not sure yet but what are people's thoughts on a bid for Kaoro Mitoma from Brighton?

Was injured so hasn't had the hype recently but plays left wing, is young, quick, knows the PL and will also help shift shirts from a Business perspective

 

If he’s a shirt shifter then that is handy from a commercial point of view, provided the phrase shirt  shifter doesn’t get confused in any way………..

3 hours ago, viivvaa66 said:

My initial reaction too, but the rule for the 5th coefficient spot is that it is allocated to the highest ranked club in the league not already qualified for Champions League. If Atalanta is 5th then the 5th coefficient spot will go to Roma. But Italy will lose one of their Europa League spots , giving them a total of 8 clubs in Europe. 
 

3.03: Additionally, the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League titleholders are each guaranteed a place in the league phase even if they do not qualify for the competition through their domestic championships. If the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League titleholder qualifies for the UEFA Europa League or UEFA Conference League through one of its domestic competitions, the number of places to which its association is entitled in the UEFA Europa League or UEFA Conference League is reduced by one

3.07: Finally, the two associations whose affiliated clubs achieved the best collective performance in the previous season of the UEFA men’s club competitions (i.e. best season club association coefficient), in accordance with the season coefficient principles (see Annex D.3), are each entitled to an additional place in the league phase, known as a European performance spot (EPS). The EPS is allocated to the club that finishes the relevant association's domestic championship in the highest position of all those that do not qualify for the league phase of the UEFA Champions League via the domestic championship (after any vacancies have been filled in accordance with Paragraph 3.04 to Paragraph 3.06). The two associations' overall quota of clubs qualifying to UEFA club competitions are each increased by one club.

UEFA rules for CL qualification

We’ll keep it simple by winning the Champions League, to avoid any complications. 

44 minutes ago, duke313 said:

With Bayern hiring the likes of Komapny, it might be easier than we think 

As Unai himself said, it’s easier to win it now that we are in it at least! 

On 15/05/2024 at 11:23, stewiek2 said:

We all know he won't be happy just being in the champions League next season. He damn well will want to win it.

Agreed now we’re in it, let’s win it. UTV!!!!!