wedge

Maybe we should attack the Holte in the first half, although that didn't work on Saturday!

You won't be, you'll be with 40,000 of us!

Needs to have a hint of hatred and as I said earlier in the thread - a game vs SHA air to the atmosphere.

The entirety of the Lower North and Lower Holte and the majority of the Upper Holte have stood throughout the 90 minutes of matches at home for as long as I can remember, unless I am that alcohol-induced when at VP?!

Hopefully there's a bit of hatred fuelling the atmosphere on Saturday, as someone else has said further up the thread it would have been better if it was a 5.30pm KO.

Good to hear, it needs to be absolutely cauldron-like next Saturday for the Geordies, like a Small Heath home game, wish it was 5:30pm KO rather than 12:30pm but we all just need to start drinking earlier to reflect that!!

Two returned tickets available on the official website if you're uber-quick! Sod that it's an early kick off, we need to make this like a SHA home game or like the WBA play off semi-final home leg which (correct me if I'm wrong) was the same kick-off time. First 12:30 Saturday game I will be attending at VP for years, what time do boozers like the Social (or Aston Inn or whatever it's called these days), Manor Tavern, Aston Tavern etc open and start serving alcohol for an early Saturday game? Or better off going to a Wetherspoons in town or the one in Perry Barr? EDIT: They've gone, match SOLD OUT

How was it today?

I'll tell ya, honestly, I will love it if we beat them, love it.

Why isn't it?

For all those who have said 'the players need to give the fans something to sing and shout about' etc and have indicated a home fanbase should only vocally back the team when things are going well...surely then there's no excuse for Saturday for VP not being electric?

I just can't get my head around the confidence that UE and his coaching team have instilled in the players (the same players bar two that we had in the squad as under Gerrard may I add!) and the change of playing style that we've seen in such a short, short space of time. I appreciate some may accuse me of getting carried away but I think he might be the most elite tactician we've had in charge in recent history. We look so relaxed and comfortable on the ball and then after we scored we looked even more relaxed and comfortable! I shrugged my shoulders when Barnes scored their equaliser and I think the players weren't affected either - we just carried on playing our style as Unai wants and we were rewarded, we didn't sit back for a draw in the second half, we were trying to win the game even before they went down to ten men and were the more progressive side by far. It's taken a few months (as it would) for Unai's methods to get through to the players (even though during his first few games we still picked up plenty of points but saw some wonky performances and individual player errors when playing out from the back) but now our decision-making is miles better and not once last night did I think that we were going to play our way into trouble. Vardy never got a sniff or a run on Mings and Konsa, Alex Moreno is a gem - a lovely footballer (some of his link-up play with Buendia was a joy) and he never looked out of position offensively or defensively somehow a bit like Matty Cash, and when we get the ball into Buendia, Ramsey, McGinn or Luiz's feet and they turn we look so, so dangerous! Over the moon for Bertrand Traore as well, he's not the best player the world has ever seen but he's got an air of unpredictably and unquestionable bags of skill, what a stunning intuitive finish that was. I'm not sure where we'll end up this season and we're not going to win every game, but one thing is for sure, I am 110% signed up for the Unai Emery/AVFC ride, long may this feeling continue!

This is typical Daily Mail - absolutely disgusting reporting, this guy could potentially lose his job etc for what was absolutely 100% not a racist gesture in any way, shape or form, whoever the scumbag was who sent it into them I tar with the same brush as the DM itself as well.

We were in the Prince of Teck just next door to Courtfield. We didn't quite get our pyro march but to be fair the walk from Earl's Court down to the ground was brilliant, just a massive stream of us striding down in full voice, about 30-40 of us went right past their main pub the Chelsea Pensioner as well but it was all good-natured (one adult Chelsea fan wearing actual replica kit socks up to his knees pleasingly got a good ribbing!)

My word I am covered in bruises from crowd-surfing the upper tier of the away end in the second half yesterday! I thought rail seating was supposed to prevent this Following the Villa away under Unai is bad for your health, long may it continue!

SOLD OUT (Source - Official website)

Woke up in the middle of the night thinking about the game Saturday, my first concern was which waterproof jacket is going to match my claret and blue trainers best as it will likely hose it down - and secondly - I'm really worried that because absolutely nobody is expecting it and this is football after all that we're going to get a pasting and everyone will be waxing lyrical about Chelsea. Mudryk, Felix and all their other new signings who have been criticised by the media and football Twitter will score and it will be horrible. So therefore, because no-one I've seen has, I'm going to say 4-0 to Chelsea!

Makes you proud

Shall all of us VT'ers meet at Earl's Court and march down to Stamford Bridge ultras-style behind all our flags and let pyro off? Seems to be the done thing these days...

Source? Great news if true!

Just FYI there aren't any pubs that will let (obvious) away fans in around there hence Earl's Court and the Courtfield etc

By no means the only worry (Chilwell, Reece James, Mount, Havertz, Kovacic to name a few) all more than capable of doing damage but I agree with you Chris and thought to myself that Felix looks sharp and quite terrifying, hopefully we stand firm to the challenge!

The Courtfield smack bang outside Earl's Court tube, absolutely rammed with Villa every time I've been to see us at Stamford Bridge including frokm about 3-4pm onwards in the League Cup match last season under Deano when we lost on pens, it's the main away focal point pub and the atmosphere is usually buzzing, including people who'd travelled by coach (think the supporter's coaches park at EC anyway). See you there!

SOLD OUT

So, so happy tonight. I feel like we've seen it in flashes so far but today it clicked for the majority of the match for the first time and this is how UE and his coaching staff want us to play. I couldn't make it to VP today but it's pleasing to hear the crowd might finally be starting to get it and show more patience with the way we're trying to play football and watching on TV gave me the chance to analyse (and enjoy) our play and tactics more than when I'm in the stands and these were a few things I noticed. Our first goal and Watkins's chance that he should have buried in the first half both moves started from Emi Martinez (our goals at home to Arsenal finished by Coutinho and the Palace OG did as well) and it was a joy to watch today for the overwhelming majority of the 90 minutes, we moved the ball quickly and looked dangerous in attack and controlled and assured in defence and midfield. Our decision-making has let us down and cost us a few times since Unai took over and have led to us giving the ball away cheaply and conceding goals but it was miles better today, I love it that we're trying to play good football from the back and dominate the ball/control the game but sometimes you do need to play a longer ball and we got this balance spot on today and we were creating goalscoring chances from both, we got rid of it when we needed to and I love the clipped passes from Martinez out to Cash and/or Moreno who take it in their stride and we're away on the attack. Watkins had a shot from a narrow angle that Neto saved at the start of the second half and the move preceding it was amazing, we almost went forward, then back again as the chance didn't open up but we didn't do anything rash or silly and kept the ball, then forward again and had a good chance, we need to accept that when we go backwards it's actually an attacking move more often than not and we've confidently kept possession whilst trying to probe down the other flank for example. Jacob Ramsey and Douglas Luiz (Kamara will be again when fit and back in the starting XI) were integral to this as - JJ in particular - was crucial at upping the tempo when receiving the ball from the defence and driving forward, some of the runs they along with Buendia and McGinn went on and the inter-changing passing moves were great to watch and after the second goal my goodness Bournemouth couldn't live with us as we went up another gear, the speed at which we were winning the ball back and attacking again when they were trying to counter was incredible. We won't win every game - nor do I expect us to - but if this is the way we're going to be trying to play football under UE - then sign me right up, I don't think we've had a manager of his calibre at Villa Park for a long, long time (possibly ever when you consider his CV vs previous Villa gaffers) so let's just enjoy it whilst we've got him. How many times I've thought 'we've played well against a top team (but still more than often lost the game) why can't we play like that against the likes of Bournemouth at home' well today we did and Unai's tactics and the way the players executed it were the perfect formula to break down a relegation-threatened team at home in which we've seen us struggle impotently so many times in the past. I'm buzzing to see where we go under Unai.