Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Smirker on July 22, 2023, 01:27:35 PM
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https://twitter.com/chelsearory/status/1682340291066339328?s=46&t=sBkuxyby8YqJXNlWFK9bBA
People are starting to notice us.
I'd say 6th and up would be great. A decent CL charge would be amazing. A trophy win is a bonus.
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I expect to sell Villa Park out for games, not like previous seasons where there were thousands of empty seats
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Stick a poll on here Smirks
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I think I prefer when we surprise people rather than be under pressure to get results, not sure how we'll react as a team with pressure on us to produce
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Stick a poll on here Smirks
Done 8)
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Title challenge. Fuck it, why not. We can beat anybody on our day, and Emery gets a high level of consistency from his players.
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I think I prefer when we surprise people rather than be under pressure to get results, not sure how we'll react as a team with pressure on us to produce
We have to stop thinking that way. I want us to be noticed and feared. Fuck this being nice, subservient little Aston Villa. That’s behind us now.
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Title challenge. Fuck it, why not. We can beat anybody on our day, and Emery gets a high level of consistency from his players.
Saucy 8)
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A couple more signings, as expected and assuming we don't suddenly forget how to scout, and I think we should go into the season expecting to challenge for the top 5. We have as good a set of option in defence and midfield as anyone in the league, the best keeper in the league and we're adding quality up front that should see us really challenging. I normally prefer to target points than positions and I think we'll hit 70 this season.
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Top 5 and a cup. I think that's realistic too.
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Top 5 (CL spot) and win the Conference League. I'm not greedy, the FA Cup win can wait till our anniversary season.
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We just need to score more goals, and for that I think we need an improvement on Watkins.
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We just need to score more goals, and for that I think we need an improvement on Watkins.
I agree. I'd even listen to offers if they were suitably large. I've been saying that every summer he's been here! I like him, and he's very decent, I just don't think he's quite got it in him to be a CL-level player, and I can't see him being happy as a rotated player.
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The season may go to shit, who knows for sure. Form, injuries, anything can happen. But one thing I do know and like, there isn't a single side that's seeing our name early in the fixtures and looking forward to playing us.
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Top 4.
Man City aside (and even they are in transition) there is nobody we should fear.
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We are going to surprise every one.
4th
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We can't keep pissing about saying it's getting a bit better all the time. We've got to aim for top six.
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We just need to score more goals, and for that I think we need an improvement on Watkins.
I agree. I'd even listen to offers if they were suitably large. I've been saying that every summer he's been here! I like him, and he's very decent, I just don't think he's quite got it in him to be a CL-level player, and I can't see him being happy as a rotated player.
I agree. Sounds brutal saying it out loud though, people outside the club would probably think we're mad. I like how you'd can him off but not Traore!
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We just need to score more goals, and for that I think we need an improvement on Watkins.
I agree. I'd even listen to offers if they were suitably large. I've been saying that every summer he's been here! I like him, and he's very decent, I just don't think he's quite got it in him to be a CL-level player, and I can't see him being happy as a rotated player.
I agree. Sounds brutal saying it out loud though, people outside the club would probably think we're mad. I like how you'd can him off but not Traore!
I'll always go for wizardry over functionality. Not everywhere, but having Bert available is (an occasional) joy!
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If we qualify for the Conference League group stages then there must be a chance that it will affect our league form with 3 games a week and the heightened chance of injuries and fatigue.
I hope we do qualify, of course, but wouldn't be surprised if we end up around about where we did last season particularly if we go deep in the competition.
I'd settle for 7th and a final.
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I can't agree on letting Watkins go, if he has a problem with being a rotation option (and I'm less convinced he would have) he'd have to just deal with, that's the reality of playing at the highest level.
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I just think he's the one player we could make big money on without losing *that* much. As long as he was replaced with better, obviously. And better must be out there. Not in this country, obviously.
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It's certainly the most excited I've been about a season since the Lerner/O'Neill days. Having said that I'd still take 6th and a good cup run or two.
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I just think he's the one player we could make big money on without losing *that* much. As long as he was replaced with better, obviously. And better must be out there. Not in this country, obviously.
That's the thing, classic centre-forwards are so difficult to find that I just don't see the point in taking that risk. I'm fine with adding someone else and, if they settle, selling Watkins next year but selling him now just seems like a massive gamble we don't need to take on the hope that we might get someone who offers a little more.
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We just need to score more goals, and for that I think we need an improvement on Watkins.
That. And a safe back up keeper.
Decent striker - top 5.
Otherwise top 6 - 8.
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I just think he's the one player we could make big money on without losing *that* much. As long as he was replaced with better, obviously. And better must be out there. Not in this country, obviously.
That's the thing, classic centre-forwards are so difficult to find that I just don't see the point in taking that risk. I'm fine with adding someone else and, if they settle, selling Watkins next year but selling him now just seems like a massive gamble we don't need to take on the hope that we might get someone who offers a little more.
You're just more sensible than me, Paul. You are right though, it probably isn't worth the risk.
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I just think he's the one player we could make big money on without losing *that* much. As long as he was replaced with better, obviously. And better must be out there. Not in this country, obviously.
That's the thing, classic centre-forwards are so difficult to find that I just don't see the point in taking that risk. I'm fine with adding someone else and, if they settle, selling Watkins next year but selling him now just seems like a massive gamble we don't need to take on the hope that we might get someone who offers a little more.
You're just more sensible than me, Paul. You are right though, it probably isn't worth the risk.
I just can't face the meltdown on here if we sold Watkins and his replacement struggled, we'd have Emery/Monchi out by Christmas.
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I don't want to sell Ollie, I just want another striker, but one who's potentially capable of 20 goals a season. I know they're rare, but we should be busting a gut to bring one in, it makes such a difference.
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I think this is the season where we find out if Cam Archer is as good as we hope he is.
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I think I prefer when we surprise people rather than be under pressure to get results, not sure how we'll react as a team with pressure on us to produce
We have to stop thinking that way. I want us to be noticed and feared. Fuck this being nice, subservient little Aston Villa. That’s behind us now.
we do; but I've not exactly been drowning in success since I started going down VP in 1994. I mean, there's times it was pretty decent, but the past decade or so has been tough :D
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I think I prefer when we surprise people rather than be under pressure to get results, not sure how we'll react as a team with pressure on us to produce
We have to stop thinking that way. I want us to be noticed and feared. Fuck this being nice, subservient little Aston Villa. That’s behind us now.
we do; but I've not exactly been drowning in success since I started going down VP in 1994. I mean, there's times it was pretty decent, but the past decade or so has been tough :D
Oh yeh we are all a little broken and scarred by the events of the past decade at least. More really. But I genuinely have never felt this confident. The best owners we have ever had and the best structure all around the manager to provide him success. And then very arguably one of the top managers in the world who is absolutely obsessed with preparing us appropriately for whoever we play to give us the best chance of winning. Nothing about how we ended last season was a fluke. And he did it with a side that could have gone down. We will be much better off from the start this time. I can’t wait
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It all depends on the rest of the transfers.
As things stand, I would be happy with top 8 consolidation.
Build on solid foundations so they hopefully last.
Anything else would be a bonus for me.
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If we do manage to get the likes of Diaby and Doku, we will be very tricky and quick on the break but also solid defensively if the latter half of last season is to go by. I reckon we can have a real stab at 5th and 6th place. The rest of the window is key though and if we get another striker on top of Ollie Watkins, we could grab 4th. I'd love for us to win a trophy.
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7th and a decent run on one of the cups.
On Ollie, I tend to agree that he’s upgradeable but the risk/reward ratio is against us. We’d need to spend £70m on one player and there’s no guarantee they’d be any better.
I think we are better off signing a couple of “Durans” and hope they fulfil their potential, in the mean time enjoying Ollie and all the good karma that backing him will bring.
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On Ollie, I tend to agree that he’s upgradeable but the risk/reward ratio is against us. We’d need to spend £70m on one player and there’s no guarantee they’d be any better.
We'd still also only have one real main striker, which in my opinion is more of a problem than what level Watkins is at. We'd always be one injury away from having no proven striker.
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I’m okay with that.
Archer needs to step up. And if that fails we have Bailey, Diaby and Traore that have been successful strikers in decent leagues.
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I think we do need another top quality forward. But Ollie improved massively last year and Cam is ready to state his case. I suppose we could go into the season with those two but surrounded by some of the most dynamic and creative midfield and wide players we have had at the club in a lot of years. Goals need to come from everywhere for us to be successful.
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I think we do need another top quality forward. But Ollie improved massively last year and Cam is ready to state his case. I suppose we could go into the season with those two but surrounded by some of the most dynamic and creative midfield and wide players we have had at the club in a lot of years. Goals need to come from everywhere for us to be successful.
That's what I think will happen.
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I think we do need another top quality forward. But Ollie improved massively last year and Cam is ready to state his case. I suppose we could go into the season with those two but surrounded by some of the most dynamic and creative midfield and wide players we have had at the club in a lot of years. Goals need to come from everywhere for us to be successful.
That's what I think will happen.
We get Doku for example and it will be interesting if we spend massively on a forward. Or do we invest in other areas of actual, critical need to fill out the squad. I think definitely need a top RB. Nice to do both of course.
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We need another proper striker - Watkins is too streaky, will go 8 games without a goal at some point, we can't afford that.
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For a start the Quadruple™ over Newton United: Home, Away, FA Cup Third Round, League Cup Final.
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The minimum is to finish at least where we did. The expectation is higher. The hope higher still.
We should be improving, pushing, and actually feeling like we'll win something.
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This latest signing is not - we could win something it’s more a case of we have to win something. A CL spot counts as winning something this coming season.
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Been following this guy on Twitter. Never knew he was a Villa fan when I watched him on TV. Luis Miguel Echegaray is an ESPN reporter who mostly covers for the Spanish speaking audience. But he’s a mad Villa fan.
This is a good little thread on his current views
https://twitter.com/lmechegaray/status/1682907048638308352?s=46&t=0-BUXD66ovTcofwrbTW4Ag
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Top 5
so excited , might sneek a cup I reckon too
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Been following this guy on Twitter. Never knew he was a Villa fan when I watched him on TV. Luis Miguel Echegaray is an ESPN reporter who mostly covers for the Spanish speaking audience. But he’s a mad Villa fan.
This is a good little thread on his current views
https://twitter.com/lmechegaray/status/1682907048638308352?s=46&t=0-BUXD66ovTcofwrbTW4Ag
It is, nice he’s a genuine fan, comments re: most excited since little/Gregory era as a kid.
From when he signed for ESPN:
“Born in England to Peruvian parents, Echegaray grew up in Perú. In the early 1990s, during an unbalanced and troubled time for many Peruvians, the Echegarays emigrated to England, where young Luis Miguel became an English Premier League fan and fell in love with Aston Villa F.C.
Echegaray is an adjunct faculty member at his alma mater, the CUNY Newmark Graduate School of Journalism in New York”
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Yeah, the fact that he's a big Villa fan has been discussed on here He wrote about how that came about here.
https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/becoming-an-aston-villa-fan-how-a-peruvian-kid-in-england-fell-in-love-and-became-a-villan/
We have our own Peruvian convert in our Lions Club, started supporting Villa solely because a few of us were Villa fans. He's been over to Villa Park a couple of times, is travelling up to to Philly and Orlando for the friendlies, and even bought his 75 year old Dad a Villa shirt. :)
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I’d imagined I’d read that but I hadn’t. That’s a lovely read, I value how his Villa love was forged in the challenge of child migration, shaped in grief. I guess we’ll all have our parallels, certainly the constant, including this forum through tough times is very important for so many of us.
In some ways football is so minor and silly, so not the most important thing, yet in other ways it’s thread a lifeblood that flows through all the life events. It’s both/and. Going to message my Dad now about getting him to VP.
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We can't keep pissing about saying it's getting a bit better all the time. We've got to aim for top six.
Top 6 - given where we finished last season that is "getting a bit better" isn't it? ;)
I'll be happy with qualifying for Europe again in whatever form. It's highly competitive at that end of the table, I'll cut him some slack if things go awry.
That said, genuinely - I think Champions League football in 2024/5, and I'd look at that Europa Conference and say that whilst nothing's guaranteed in a cup competition - that's part of what I love about cups - we've got to be one of the favourites for that. Our manager's record, the strength of the Premier League (realistically whoever finishes 7th in the PL would win most leagues in Europe), ...
To be honest, right now whilst I'm not expecting it, I don't think a title challenge would be completely out of the question. When you watch that video of Bailey/Diaby at Leverkusen then think how strong the rest of our spine is, ... I mean, look at how well Arsenal did last season. Not to say that we'll emulate them, but it does give you a bit of hope that the jump from mid table to title challenge is possible.