Popular Post Mantis Posted May 23, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted May 23, 2023 (edited) Always been fascinated by the "what could have happened" timelines. Basically, what moments in recent (or ancient) Villa history stand out as being especially decisive? And by moments I'm talking about specific games or even specific moments in games which could've ultimately had a huge impact on our trajectory, for better or worse. Examples: March 2009 - the 2-2 draw at home against Stoke where we threw away a 2 goal lead in the last 5 minutes. If we'd have won we'd have been 8 points clear in 4th, admittedly with still a lot of games to go but after that game we went on a 4 game losing streak and would only win 2 more games that season. We haven't really been as close to CL qualification since. February 2010 - the League Cup final defeat to Man U. That was where things started to unravel and you have to wonder if our trajectory would've been different had we won it April 2011 - Ok this isn't a match, but Houllier's heart problems forcing him into retirement definitely had a huge impact. We had actually just started turning a corner and IIRC we were set to land Cabaye that summer if he'd stayed. To replace Houllier Lerner eventually appointed McLeish of course and we all know how that turned out. Definitely felt like this was the year when Lerner fully gave up. September 2015 - the 3-2 collapse at Leicester under Sherwood. We may well have gone down regardless of the outcome (we'd replaced the entire spine of the team that summer with vastly inferior players and had a terrible manager), but if we'd had seen out this game we'd have had 7 points from 5 games, not great but not the catastrophic form we would end up slumping into that season. May 2018 - One of the few moments in football where you can say with reasonable certainty that us losing a major game ended up helping us out massively in the long run. If we'd won, we'd have been promoted in the Premier League but no doubt splurged more money under Bruce and been in even deeper financial problems further down the line. Of course we lost the match, almost went broke and were saved by NSWE, and now 5 years later we're on the cusp of European football again. June 2020 - the infamous goal-line technology blunder. Of course we could well have fought back and got something from the game, although at the time it's worth remembering how fragile we were. If we'd lost that game, it does seem unlikely that we would've stayed up that season due to how close it ended up being. Relegation would've meant Grealish leaving a year earlier, and the project being set back years. No Martinez, no Emery etc. October 2021 - The collapse against Wolves, still the most furious and sick I've ever felt after a Villa game. There were already problems with Smith by that stage (we'd been in quite poor form in 2021) but if we'd have won this game as we should've done, Smith could still be here today. Any others that stand out? Edited May 23, 2023 by Mantis 25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Zatman Posted May 23, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted May 23, 2023 Goes in, Bruce probably gets an extra few weeks to do more damage and we dont go up 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post StewieGriffin Posted May 23, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted May 23, 2023 Rotherham away 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted May 23, 2023 Author Share Posted May 23, 2023 7 minutes ago, Zatman said: Goes in, Bruce probably gets an extra few weeks to do more damage and we dont go up I totally forgot about this. Definitely the most important penalty in our recent history (along with Tammy's against West Brom in the shootout) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 Really interesting thread. Nice work. Agree with all of it. Could have been so different 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StewieGriffin Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 Also, to go back slightly earlier... Juninho - would have been an absolute statement signing and really elevated us, but old Doug penny pinched and blew it. Muzzy Izzet - again, Doug penny pinched and this time it cost us our manager when we were really going somewhere 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain_Townsend Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 For me, it is one that gets forgotten, but Ugo Ehiogu's injury in 1998-99 really seemed to derail us. We had mounted a serious title challenge up to January 1999 and then fell apart spectacularly around the time he got injured. Juninho, as mentioned, another big moment that year. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgyknees Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 1 hour ago, Mantis said: Always been fascinated by the "what could have happened" timelines. Basically, what moments in recent (or ancient) Villa history stand out as being especially decisive? And by moments I'm talking about specific games or even specific moments in games which could've ultimately had a huge impact on our trajectory, for better or worse. Examples: March 2009 - the 2-2 draw at home against Stoke where we threw away a 2 goal lead in the last 5 minutes. If we'd have won we'd have been 8 points clear in 4th, admittedly with still a lot of games to go but after that game we went on a 4 game losing streak and would only win 2 more games that season. We haven't really been as close to CL qualification since. February 2010 - the League Cup final defeat to Man U. That was where things started to unravel and you have to wonder if our trajectory would've been different had we won it April 2011 - Ok this isn't a match, but Houllier's heart problems forcing him into retirement definitely had a huge impact. We had actually just started turning a corner and IIRC we were set to land Cabaye that summer if he'd stayed. To replace Houllier Lerner eventually appointed McLeish of course and we all know how that turned out. Definitely felt like this was the year when Lerner fully gave up. September 2015 - the 3-2 collapse at Leicester under Sherwood. We may well have gone down regardless of the outcome (we'd replaced the entire spine of the team that summer with vastly inferior players and had a terrible manager), but if we'd had seen out this game we'd have had 7 points from 5 games, not great but not the catastrophic form we would end up slumping into that season. May 2018 - One of the few moments in football where you can say with reasonable certainty that us losing a major game ended up helping us out massively in the long run. If we'd won, we'd have been promoted in the Premier League but no doubt splurged more money under Bruce and been in even deeper financial problems further down the line. Of course we lost the match, almost went broke and were saved by NSWE, and now 5 years later we're on the cusp of European football again. June 2020 - the infamous goal-line technology blunder. Of course we could well have fought back and got something from the game, although at the time it's worth remembering how fragile we were. If we'd lost that game, it does seem unlikely that we would've stayed up that season due to how close it ended up being. Relegation would've meant Grealish leaving a year earlier, and the project being set back years. No Martinez, no Emery etc. October 2021 - The collapse against Wolves, still the most furious and sick I've ever felt after a Villa game. There were already problems with Smith by that stage (we'd been in quite poor form in 2021) but if we'd have won this game as we should've done, Smith could still be here today. Any others that stand out? This is great, can’t disagree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mark Albrighton Posted May 23, 2023 VT Supporter Popular Post Share Posted May 23, 2023 A sliding doors moment for someone which relates to Villa, rather than being about Villa. Nantes, July 2015. “Hmmm. Aston Villa or Leicester City? Well, you have to say to yourself Jordan, they finished within a few points of each other in the previous season. So it isn’t unreasonable to think that might be the case again this season - worst case scenario. It’s highly unlikely the club I choose to join will be considered one of the worst sides in premier league history while the club I reject go onto capture the football world’s imagination by having an unexpectedly successful season. Haha. As if. The chances of that are practically zero…” 3 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post KentVillan Posted May 23, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted May 23, 2023 That Vidic red card in the League Cup final still gets me 19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Hank Scorpio Posted May 23, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted May 23, 2023 I still feel sick thinking about the stoke 2-2 That really was the start of the downfall to relegation. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zhan_Zhuang Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 3 minutes ago, KentVillan said: That Vidic red card in the League Cup final still gets me Sickening, no justice at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marka Ragnos Posted May 23, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted May 23, 2023 Stevenage loss in January was a very interesting thing. It was a bitter moment where the Villa fan base had an almost-justified opportunity to go negative on Emery but ... didn't. It was humiliating, but we didn't let it drag us down. I think it made clear to Emery in as nice a way as possible that Villa supporters would not accept such a loss again any time soon -- and that all cup runs matter, that we want to be contenders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-Reacho Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 Great thread! Imagine we'd beaten United in that inaugural Premier League season. We were well matched clubs with a very similar history and pedigree. Look where they went to on the back of that title and look where we've been ever since.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post DaveAV1 Posted May 23, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted May 23, 2023 (edited) A number of events happened on 26th May 1982. 1. Jimmy Rimmer has to be replaced by Nigel Spink (who?). Potential disaster. 2. Nigel is brilliant, makes a number of outstanding saves and becomes a club hero. (Disaster averted). 3. Bayern goal disallowed for off side. (Fortunately pre VAR or who knows what they’d have found after 25 minutes of reruns and pouring over rule books searching for some obscure rule? 4. 0h it must be, it is. Peter Withe’s wand of a right shin steers the ball precisely against the post and Aston Villa conquer all of Europe. (Glory confirmed and never in doubt). 5. 12 months earlier a bloke called Bosco Jankovic, who never played for us, ensured that all this was possible. Those really were the days. UTV!!!! Edited May 24, 2023 by DaveAV1 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KentVillan Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 Another one that maybe wasn’t quite a sliding doors moment but did feel painfully like a coin toss was the 97/98 UEFA Cup. We probably would have got torn to shreds by Inter in the final, but it did feel like we were good enough to reach the final and have a chance of winning, and lost to a stupid rule rather than being outplayed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post El-Reacho Posted May 23, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted May 23, 2023 (edited) If Levy hadn't tried to be so clever that summer we were in financial trouble he could've got Grealish for an absolute song. His own stingyness cost Spurs the opportunity to have Grealish up front with Kane and Son. We'd have never been promoted without Grealish that following season. Edited May 23, 2023 by El-Reacho 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-Reacho Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 (edited) Edit - Double post. Edited May 23, 2023 by El-Reacho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sulberto21 Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 Roberto Carlos and Denis Bergkamp. Also Luc Nilis who could have been our Bergkamp. FFS there’s so many. 92/93 and that failure. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post El-Reacho Posted May 23, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted May 23, 2023 Record signing Tony Cascarino being absolutely terrible when we were chasing the title in 1990.... We could've had Sheringham instead! 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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