I found that 2007-2009 side a really hard watch. We played some awful stuff, but it was the most memorable team in my lifetime because it had great moments.
2008/2009 (the big tilt the top 4 season) my memory is us just being awful a lot of the time and just winning.
- Portsmouth away Heskey , they absolutely battered us for an hour then they get a man sent off and batter us even more! Saw it out somehow.
- Hull City away around Xmas, we were crap... not a hope of scoring and Ashley Young sticks a cross in on a rare break in the last min and defender scores an own goal somehow.
- Everton (the Ashley Young last min goal (3-2)) camped in our half for the whole game, they had about 3 off the line, hit the bar and we nick it. That winner is probably the greatest moment ive experienced as a villa fan.
- Sunderland away, got dominated we're 1-0 down, Milner scores one with his hand/shoulder on the counter and then we get a penalty for a foul outside the box on another counter and win 2-1 after Young got sent off.
Admittedly, the buzz of winning games in that way (and staying up there in the top 4 hunt) was unbelievable. Away days were insane. It kind of made me think there was something a bit magical about O'Neil how we pulled victories off. But the narrative that we blew it with the Heskey signing and the UEFA Cup thing (MON says we got tired) is false imo. The luck just ran out. Well luck is a bit harsh as it was incredibly resilient side but quality wise we were nowhere near good enough throughout the season, we had some brilliant counter attacking players, Ashley Young was phenomenal and we were great at set pieces but they weren't a good footballing team.