Tayls Posted September 4, 2023 Share Posted September 4, 2023 (edited) Is the league going to be super tricky for us like it was for West Ham last season? Are we likely to find ourselves flirting with the bottom half of the table? What can Unai do to keep us where we want to be? Edited September 4, 2023 by Tayls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwivillan Posted September 4, 2023 Share Posted September 4, 2023 3 minutes ago, Tayls said: Is the league going to be super tricky for us like it was for West Ham last season? Are we likely to find ourselves flirting with the bottom half of the table? What can Unai do to keep us where we want to be? We've lost away to 2 teams that finish 4-5th losing CB to injury in both and conceding very early goal last game that should've been ruled out for offside. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinebro Posted September 5, 2023 Share Posted September 5, 2023 Man Utd barely got any points against the top 7 away from home last season. It's entirely possible to get top 4 by being a flat track bully 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted September 5, 2023 Share Posted September 5, 2023 For context, we have 3 points more than the first 4 games of last season which was a much easier start 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don_Simon Posted September 5, 2023 Author Share Posted September 5, 2023 It's not happening this year. There's just too much turmoil through the awful injuries and bedding in of new players / formation required. Race for Europa League, game on. Most likely through winning Conference League, with a very slight chance through league. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinebro Posted September 5, 2023 Share Posted September 5, 2023 19 minutes ago, Don_Simon said: It's not happening this year. There's just too much turmoil through the awful injuries and bedding in of new players / formation required. Race for Europa League, game on. Most likely through winning Conference League, with a very slight chance through league. You say that but if we keep winning in the games we are expected to win we will get close point wise. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duke313 Posted September 5, 2023 Share Posted September 5, 2023 If Leicester can finish 5th twice so can we. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ender4 Posted September 5, 2023 Share Posted September 5, 2023 45 minutes ago, duke313 said: If Leicester can finish 5th twice so can we. under the new qualification rules, Leicester would have qualified for the Champions League both those seasons! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted September 5, 2023 Share Posted September 5, 2023 When Aston Villa can consistently ( in the wise words of Pep) "go after teams and not wait for teams".....then and only then can we afford the ambitious league predictions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomaszk Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 Our games from this week to the November international window are crucial to the season. 13 games. All winnable and we'll be comfortable bookies favourites in 11. Easily the kindest run of games we'll have all season. Tough to place us at the moment. Beaten two poor sides pretty comfortably. Beaten by two good sides pretty comfortably. I think our league position will define how much money we spend in January. If we're nowhere in the league, I don't think we'll be spending big. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vive_La_Villa Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 On 05/09/2023 at 07:25, Don_Simon said: It's not happening this year. There's just too much turmoil through the awful injuries and bedding in of new players / formation required. Race for Europa League, game on. Most likely through winning Conference League, with a very slight chance through league. Agree with this. We’re still not good enough for top 5 from what I’ve seen so far although it’s still early doors so that could change. Win the conference and quality for Europa that way. Finish top half in the league. Would be a very memorable season to win a European trophy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillanousOne Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 The issue is the level of trust we have in Carlos or Torres to replace Mings, at the moment neither look capable but it's early days. Moreno will help on the left but will need some time to recover match fitness. We need Ramsey back, because without Buendia we have no one to carry the ball from midfield. I feel like we are 4-6 games from really seeing where we are this season and we will drop a lot of points while Unai figures out how to get everyone back fit and firing while bedding in the new boys. Top 4 no chance, Top 6 maybe, Top 8 definitely. Will settle for a good run in Europe and the cups at this stage and not getting utterly wiped out by the teams at the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 On 04/09/2023 at 19:46, Tayls said: Is the league going to be super tricky for us like it was for West Ham last season? Are we likely to find ourselves flirting with the bottom half of the table? What can Unai do to keep us where we want to be? Win 10 or so home games again and we'll finish top 8 once more. We also won v comfortably at Burnley so no reason why we can't beat a few more bottom half teams on the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 1 hour ago, Tomaszk said: Our games from this week to the November international window are crucial to the season. 13 games. All winnable and we'll be comfortable bookies favourites in 11. Easily the kindest run of games we'll have all season. Tough to place us at the moment. Beaten two poor sides pretty comfortably. Beaten by two good sides pretty comfortably. I think our league position will define how much money we spend in January. If we're nowhere in the league, I don't think we'll be spending big. Would we really be the bookies favourites at Wolves. We've only beaten them once since coming up and finishing 20 points clear of them didn't count for much in the two meetings last season. At least there's no Lopetegui as I do think Unai overthought the games last year given he has great respect for him and a Gary O'Neill managed team won't be as quite tactically sharp. Also West Ham at home. Again a terrible record v them home and away last few years and they have Ward Prowse and many players in final third who can hurt us if we leave endless space for them to run into. Guess given that's a home fixture we'd be priced marginal favourites but if West Ham are 2/1 or more that's a very good value bet for the neutral. Not sure the bookies would be pricing us comfortable favourites v Chelsea either despite their poor last 18 months. Playing every 3 days will probably mean we drop points in a very winnable fixture like Forest or Fulham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted September 12, 2023 Moderator Share Posted September 12, 2023 On 04/09/2023 at 11:18, ender4 said: I'd go with: West Ham - W Just on this fixture in particular. West Ham seem to be our bogey team in the way we're Everton's. We've not beaten them in our last 10 attempts (6 defeats, 4 draws) and although we were unlucky last time out, they still found a way to avoid defeat. It is coming though, I guess. Last Villa player to score the winner against West Ham? Tom Cleverley in May 2015. 1 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomaszk Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 24 minutes ago, VillaChris said: Would we really be the bookies favourites at Wolves. We've only beaten them once since coming up and finishing 20 points clear of them didn't count for much in the two meetings last season. At least there's no Lopetegui as I do think Unai overthought the games last year given he has great respect for him and a Gary O'Neill managed team won't be as quite tactically sharp. Also West Ham at home. Again a terrible record v them home and away last few years and they have Ward Prowse and many players in final third who can hurt us if we leave endless space for them to run into. Guess given that's a home fixture we'd be priced marginal favourites but if West Ham are 2/1 or more that's a very good value bet for the neutral. Not sure the bookies would be pricing us comfortable favourites v Chelsea either despite their poor last 18 months. Playing every 3 days will probably mean we drop points in a very winnable fixture like Forest or Fulham. I think if you price those games up today we're favourites against everyone except Chelsea and Brighton. Perhaps not big favourites v West Ham. It's a really really tasty run for us overall. Season starts on Saturday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 1 minute ago, Tomaszk said: I think if you price those games up today we're favourites against everyone except Chelsea and Brighton. Perhaps not big favourites v West Ham. It's a really really tasty run for us overall. Season starts on Saturday. The same Brighton who we've beaten in last four prem matches and only lost once since coming up? At the start of the game the 11 we have on the pitch will be far more confident of beating Brighton at VP than West Ham based on last 3-4 years so that's where there's anomaly in betting odds as they never really take into account psychology of playing bogey teams. I bet Arsenal are odds on to win at Everton this weekend but their record at Goodison is shocking in last 5 years. Also don't think we'd be big favourites away to Forest. They have a very good home record in last 12 months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomaszk Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 14 minutes ago, VillaChris said: The same Brighton who we've beaten in last four prem matches and only lost once since coming up? At the start of the game the 11 we have on the pitch will be far more confident of beating Brighton at VP than West Ham based on last 3-4 years so that's where there's anomaly in betting odds as they never really take into account psychology of playing bogey teams. I bet Arsenal are odds on to win at Everton this weekend but their record at Goodison is shocking in last 5 years. Also don't think we'd be big favourites away to Forest. They have a very good home record in last 12 months. Yes, that Brighton. Sounds like you could make some money if you play your cards right. Yes, Arsenal are rightly favourites because they've played better than Everton this season. That's more of an indicator than their record the last five years. Season starts Saturday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinebro Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 Let's just keep being flat track bullies and let's see where it takes us point wise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichW Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 If I was to try and predict the next 8 league fixtures Palace - W Chelsea - L - Just think this will be tough due an away European fixture in the week whilst Chelsea don't Brighton - D - Can't help but think Brighton are due a win against us but with it being a home fixture got a feeling this will be a entertaining draw. Wolves/West Ham - One of these screams a really annoying/frustrating loss but can't make up my mind which one it will be. Both bogey sides for us no matter how poor they are. Think we will get 3 points from these 2 fixtures Luton - W - Got to beating these at Villa Park it's as simple as that. Forest - D - Can't decide between win or draw on this one. Gone for draw because they have improved at home recently however it could just be down to needing points to stay up last season and started the season well. Could be a game we nick late but will go for a draw. Fulham - W - Don't think these will be as good last season and don't see where their goals are coming from. Got to be winning these games. That gives us 14 points out 24. Football never works out the way we think so wouldn't be surprised if Villa beat Chelsea but lost to Fulham. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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