MNVillan

I am very, very excited for Shadows. Odyssey got me hooked on AC, so much so that I went back and played most of the old games. Didn’t get far in Valhalla, but enjoyed Mirage and hoping for more of the same with Shadows.

On 27/05/2024 at 09:54, Straggler said:

Sadly player career is possibly bugged even worse than manager. The match day objectives are often impossible, especially if you are coming on as a substitute. As a game mode it has had the least attention of them all I think.

It’s funny you say this, I am having a good time with the player career mode. Recently bought the new Xbox and EA FC to go with it. I always create a player and start in the Championship (Sheffield Wednesday this go round). I’m about 1/3 of the way through my first season and hitting most of my objectives, albeit playing on semi-pro and winning most matches easily.

9 hours ago, dubbs said:

Mrs D and I are going on our 1st holiday together in all the 15 years we've been together.  Our eldest daughter, her husband and his parents are coming too.  Why am I not looking forward to it? Feels like I've been railroaded into it since it was discussed about 9 months ago.  10 days in Tenerife and I'm already looking forward to coming home.  We've not even left yet.  WTF is wrong with me?  Haven't felt right for a couple of weeks mentally, so I would have thought something new would have picked me up but I'm actually dreading it at the moment.  Was thinking earlier I'd much rather have the 2 weeks off at home and if I felt like going somewhere then I could.  

Feels like a bit of a cycle, although I'm still waiting for the high points to come around.

I have experienced plenty of pre-holiday anxiety similar to what you mention. “Should I cancel? Why didn’t I opt to stay home?”

In my experience, once on the actual holiday, most of that disappears and I am able to relax and enjoy myself. Hoping the same for you.

7 hours ago, T-Dog said:

Might be a very personal question, so apologies if it is, but for those of you that have given up booze or drugs or any other addiction for any reason, what was the the point where you went "nah, this is enough now, this needs to stop" - obviously don't answer if it's deeply personal and you don't feel like sharing.

I was on a downward spiral with drinking - doing it every night, nursing hangovers at work, planning my day around drinking. Deep down I knew it was a problem, but as they say, admittance is the first and most difficult step.  

My excuse to keep drinking was always that it never affected my work or home life (that wasn’t true). I was married (alcohol had strained our relationship), and I held down a job (but I was a crappy employee).  I never drank before work or anything, though, so I couldn’t be an alcoholic! And then one day I just… did. I woke up terribly hungover and dreading work, so as sort of an out-of-body experience I grabbed a beer and cracked it. I had 3 of them that morning, called my boss and told him what happened, and then called rehab. Was admitted shortly thereafter, and while I was sleeping in the detox wing we beat Brighton to qualify for Europa Conference League. Haven’t had a drop since.

Looking back, there were many signs that I was an alcoholic. But for whatever reason drinking before work that one morning is the trigger that happened to set the alarm off in my mind. It was a blessing in disguise, really.

7 hours ago, Rugeley Villa said:

Well done mate keep it up . I fell off the wagon just after the 8 month mark but I’m two months again now . 

I have stumbled many times - it’s part of the journey. Congratulations on having 10 sober months! That is a long time and something to be proud of

6 hours ago, useless said:

It's very unlikely but not impossible, we showd this season we can beat the top teams in Arsenal and Manchester City, in one off games against the best teams we have a chance. So whilst that remote chance is there we have to try and do our best.

I fully expect us to be competitive in every CL match we play, and I would not be surprised if we beat a big name at least once. Yes it has been a while since our last appearance in the Champions League, but we’re Aston Villa and can have a go with any club in the world on our day. This season proved that.

I am a Golf Professional (NOT a professional golfer) by trade in the USA, and out of curiosity looked at courses around Birmingham tonight. I didn’t realize how much good golf is in the Midlands area, it really flies under the radar.

Little Aston, Cavendish, Edgbaston, Hollinwell, Sherwood Forest, and Blackwell all have me dreaming of a trip to see the Villa and play golf.

The Belfry, while famous, isn’t really my style. I’m interested in proper golf courses and clubs more than high-end resorts.

23 minutes ago, maqroll said:

Which Pot 1 Club do you want to see the most at Villa Park?

I really hope we can avoid the other English sides, home and away. To have waited so long for this only to have to play the same boring Premier League teams would such an anti-climax.

Villa have never played Real Madrid, so I'd love to face them. Just not sure if I'd prefer to play them at Villa Park or at their swanky remodeled Bernabeu. 

I voted Barcelona, but if we’ve played them and never played Real Madrid, I would change my vote.

It’s so weird we are using the “new” badge on Adidas partnership material when it hasn’t been officially launched yet. The tweet below has our current AVFC badge as the official Villa account profile picture, with the “new” badge on the promotion. What’s the holdup with announcing the new badge? This was supposed to happen months ago.

I am a happy man tonight. Go Wolves

I hope this year’s shirt can be ordered online with the Champions League badge on the sleeve. Was so peeved the official online store never had the option to add the Conference League badge.

4 hours ago, wishywashy said:

 

Essentially a toss up between us and Spurs for 4th - seems about right.

I’d give Spurs the slight edge based on their remaining fixture list. They have Forest, Burnley, and Sheffield United left, whereas our lowest placed remaining opposition is Brentford. Us and Spurs both will face the top 3 sides on the run in, but they get two of those at home (City & Arsenal), while we only get one (Liverpool).

That being said, based on the table’s prediction, only 10 points from our last 8 matches would represent a massive drop in form. We are a mere sliver under 2 ppg so far (59 from 30) and 10 points in 8 is only averaging 1.25 ppg. When framed that way, I don’t see how we only end up on 69 points. Should be aiming to crack 70 at a minimum.

I am about halfway through (what was written of) The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Quite like it so far.

I don’t keep close tabs on Grealish or the England squad, but just had a look and he isn’t in the current team. Is he regularly left out now?

12 hours ago, ThunderPower_14 said:

The USA really nailed it when they had the red and white hoops a decade or so ago. It's such an obvious and distinctive look for them and they should have stuck with it. Everything else they've done since is disappointing.

Those shirts were fantastic. I don’t mind the US having white shirts and blue shorts at home, and I think the new home shirt is nice. That being said, it seems like the away shirts have been poor for a while now

36 minutes ago, sne said:

The French away jersey is an abomination 

Does look slightly better as a whole kit, from a distance.

I kinda like it

*ducks*

13 hours ago, OutByEaster? said:

Just a note on the difference between an alcohol sponsor and a gambling sponsor and BK8.

Someone mentioned Heineken earlier as a comparison, and in gambling terms I think it's really important to realise that BK8 aren't the gambling equivalent to that - and that whilst comparing the harm caused by alcohol and the harm caused by gambling in our societies is one thing - comparing those to BK8 is another.

It is very heavily suggested by investigative journalists that BK8's primary market is the illegal Chinese gambling market - that gambling market is huge, and in operating in illegal markets, with a prohibited product, companies that are involved tend to mix in very muddy waters - BK8 is very heavily rumoured to have been owned and controlled by Alvin Chau, a triad linked underworld figure who is now serving eighteen years for running a criminal syndicate - there are reports that the syndicate was also involved in drug operations, prostitution and people smuggling.

In terms of comparing BK8 to a brewery, the most sensible comparison I can make is to compare it to an alcohol supplier in a market where there is prohibition, yet everybody drinks and there are people who take advantage of that to generate huge sums of money.

If I'm comparing BK8 to a drinks supplier, I'm not comparing them to Heineken, I'm comparing them to Al Capone.

Edit: removed after I saw Blandy’s post. My bad.

5 hours ago, OutByEaster? said:

I think it's probably both - the club's difficulties in passing the FA's regulation are delaying the process and the club have decided to change their plans off the back of that. 

I think the first time we'll see it will probably be on the 24/25 shirt - to be honest that might have a good impact.

 

Change plans as in scrap the badge and start over? I hope so, although I can’t imagine there’s time for that.

13 hours ago, Marka Ragnos said:

Enjoying Robert Pinsky's inspiring translation of Dante's Inferno. Been reading a lot of mid-career Seamus Heaney recently, too. Like a lot of fiction writers, I find poetry more nourishing than prose when I'm working on my own stuff, too.

Mrs MNVillan and I named our dog Dante because of our adoration for the Divine Comedy

3 hours ago, Marka Ragnos said:

Hopefully, one day at a time, never take a drink. I'm a recovering drunk. Had my share.

Came here to say this. I plan on staying sober for a 24 hour period every day for the rest of my life. God willing, I’ll never take a sip again.

10 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Was doing great for 2 weeks. Good diet, good workouts, felt good on a new programme online. Then decided to have one drink Friday. Ended up in 3 days of heavy drinking and missed work today. I’m freelance so no pay. 
 

Feel like shit. 

Sorry to hear. I have also been there many times.

8 hours ago, sidcow said:

Can someone explain to me why, as Biden won the election last time out, and then the madness of the insurrection unfolded, would MORE people now vote for Trump than voted for Biden last time? 

I don’t know how many MORE people will vote for Trump, but FEWER people will vote for Biden. Even if those votes don’t go towards Trump, low voter turnout could make the race closer.