Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: algy on August 05, 2024, 12:46:20 PM
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How do you think this coming season will pan out?
League - hope we do better than we did last season. If we repeat last season, though, I'll still be pretty chuffed.
European Cup - don't know quite what to expect with it, but I think with the new format we should probably get past the group stage at least. As with any English club for that, a club in the top 4 of England should also be in the top 24 of Europe really. Not particularly expecting to get too deep in to the knockout stages though.
FA Cup - Expect us to mostly use it to give the stiffs a run out. Take it seriously if we're still in it if/when we're knocked out of Europe.
League Cup - Honestly, I hate myself for saying this but I don't see it as a particularly high priority given all of the fixtures, even the final, will likely happen whilst we're still playing Champions League football (I think the group stage for that finishes in January, so that alone takes us up to the semi-final stage)
Mickey mouse cup that Small Heath play in - Groups, but it'd be funny if we did better than them.
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If we match what we did last season in the league it’ll be a massive achievement.
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In the realms of attainable dream*: Top 4 again, QFs of Champs League and a domestic trophy
Realistic: Top 7, play-off exit or last 16 of Champs League, deep in one domestic cup but silverware remains elusive
*Unai has over-achieved in his two seasons at Villa. This would constitute an equivalent over-achievement for me.
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League Would be amazing to get top 4 again obviously but I reckon 6th.
Champions League Still feels mad writing that! I reckon we'll finish top 24 of the big group and get to that play-off eliminator for the last 16 but we'll get knocked out then.
FA Cup A good run but alas the wait goes on. Quarter final.
League Cup Last 16.
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League : Could be anywhere from 3rd to 7th depending on how quickly the team gels. So 5th with CL qualification.
Champs League : Last 16, maybe quarter-finals with a favourable draw.
FA Cup : Quarter-finals.
League Cup : Won't be prioritised so a 3rd or 4th round exit.
That would be a very good season.
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ACL free and a return to the free flowing and goals a plenty performances of the autumn.
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League: 4th by a tight margin.
CL: Last 16
FA Cup: If we progress in the CL, the manager will prioritise that, if not, he'll prioritise the league so out early again with a whimper.
League Cup: Out with a whimper early doors
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Think we will slightly drop off from last year into 6th place.
Hoping to do something in one of the cups.
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I will be happy with a top-six finish in the league and getting into at least the round of 16 playoffs in the Champions League.
A third successive season in europe is important, both for profile and the cash, so I expect them to prioritise this. I also think we are definitely capable of getting out the group stage of the CL in the new format. Domestic cups will be least priority unless we get some lucky draws and end up around a semi-final, I don't expect any sacrifices to be made to stay in them.
League: 1-6.
CL: Last 16 playoff / Last 16
FA Cup: 4th round.
League Cup: 4th round.
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The Grauniad predicts a 6th place finish. Though that could be 9th knowing them.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/aug/05/premier-league-2024-25-preview-no-2-aston-villa (https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/aug/05/premier-league-2024-25-preview-no-2-aston-villa)
I do love that pic they've used. 8)
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I think it will be much tougher this season to get into that Top 4. I'd love a repeat of last season, but if we can get out of the "group" stage in CL, and get a 5th or 6th place finish in the league, then I think I'd be happy enough. A trophy would be lovely, but as long as we can look at something from the season and view it as an achievement and other year of progression, I'll be happy.
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League - 7th
Champions League Top 24 finish then knocked out.
FA Cup QF
League Cup QF
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The Grauniad predicts a 6th place finish. Though that could be 9th knowing them.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/aug/05/premier-league-2024-25-preview-no-2-aston-villa (https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/aug/05/premier-league-2024-25-preview-no-2-aston-villa)
I do love that pic they've used. 8)
Have they released one for each team? If so who do they predict 4&5?
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I'll be delighted if we qualify for Europe again. I'd be surprised if it was for the Champions' League.
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The Grauniad predicts a 6th place finish. Though that could be 9th knowing them.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/aug/05/premier-league-2024-25-preview-no-2-aston-villa (https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/aug/05/premier-league-2024-25-preview-no-2-aston-villa)
I do love that pic they've used. 8)
Have they released one for each team? If so who do they predict 4&5?
They will, but day by day. Just us and the Arse so far. Arsenal are predicted 1st...
https://www.theguardian.com/football/series/premier-league-previews-2024-25 (https://www.theguardian.com/football/series/premier-league-previews-2024-25)
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I fancy Arsenal to win the league next year as well.
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My fear is that we are not as good as with the Kamara Luiz Midfield. So I am not sure we can hit the level of the 2023 team. We have a deeper squad but without a better RB, CB and back up centre forward we will find the League a lot tougher.
The first 2 games could have a huge impact on our PL season. Win them both and we are challenging the Top 3 again. Momentum is everything.
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I think we’ve got better quality on the bench now but need another couple of potential first teamers to have a chance of replicating last season.
A centre half and a wide forward with pace have to be the targets now. It’ll cost but if we want to progress then we’ll have to fork out for them.
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I was full of hopes and expectations until the US tour took place.
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7th, last 24, QF, Final.
Sign a really top quality 10 and a mobile, aerially strong centre half, push for 4th again.
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I was full of hopes and expectations until the US tour took place.
Now, now, don't be like that.
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I can only hope that we are always demanding, imposing our style, in our way, with the fans, achieving like we were doing last season with respect and improving some things.
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I do think that the US tour really has highlighted the centre-back issue.
We went there with two centre-backs, plus two young prospects. We then lost one of them half way through the second game, leaving us with just one.
Yes, we have Konsa coming back, Mings at some point too. But if we could splash the cash and bring in a centre back who strengthens the first 11, that would be massive.
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I would be disappointed with anything less than 4th. We need to kick on and will do so if we can stay relatively injury free. Getting into the knock out of the CL would be a big bonus and should be our aim.
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I can only hope that we are always demanding, imposing our style, in our way, with the fans, achieving like we were doing last season with respect and improving some things.
Unai, you're so boring. Change the record. Start being funny and get us losing all the time.
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Unless we sign a couple of top notch players, I think anything 7th or upwards would be an achievement. Can’t see us getting too far in the CL as last season we struggled a bit in the 3rd tier competition so think CL will be a step too far. If we’re really serious about winning a trophy, the easiest one is the League Cup. The FA Cup, Probably go out in the 4th round as we usually don’t take that too seriously.
Let’s wait and see but, so far, I’m not that encouraged by our signings and don’t think they strengthen us to any degree.
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My hope is that we can secure Champions League football, I think that would be an even greater achievement than last season.
Most likely I think we will finish 6-7th. I think our starting lineup as it stands is weaker than last year's and we're asking a lot of young new signings and those returning from injury. Hopefully, it is a step back to build more solid foundations, rather than the peak of our achievements.
But with Unai, there's always hope and he has exceeded every expectation set of him to date.
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I was full of hopes and expectations until the US tour took place.
This is the Villa curse
1996 - 4th in league, playing great football, Semi final FA cup and trounced the favourites Leeds in LC final.
Thought we were one maybe two players away from challenging for the league and could not wait for 96/97 season to start.
We buy Curcic to be the #10 to really compliment the group.
Little leaves, Curcic went mental, Doug brings in Collymore and the momentum was lost - never been so deflated.
Now we and some of the media have an expectation on us - we crumble like a cheap suit.
Really hope this time is different. It was not the losses but more the way we sort of did not give a toss and some of tyhe defensive play was criminal.
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Securing a second season of CL football would do me. It's about firmly establishing ourselves as one of the elite teams, beginning to close the financial gap, continuing to build the squad, retaining our best players and attracting quality additions.
A trophy would be nice, but I think the best route to that is staying at the top table.
Expectation - 7/8th. I think our starting 11 / first sub is weaker without Luiz, Diaby and with Kamara injured. We're still far too reliant on Ollie.
edit - so pretty much as per Beards thoughts.
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I hope for:
League: top 4 again
Champions League: Get past the first group phase
FA Cup: semi finals at least please
League Cup: just at least take it semi seriously
Expectations - genuinely don't know. I think we absolutely have to get another top class forward in, but it's gone a bit quiet on that front.
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Leeds were not favourites for the 96 final, we were. And we then finished 5th in 96/97.
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I think we could be in the mix for the title. Just can't see Man City doing 5 in a row, Arsenal havn't got that 25 season striker that we've got and they always flap it, Liverpool will be in transistion again. Obviously we need to replace Diarby and Duran with true class but if we do why not?
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My hopes are
League Top 5
CL At least the playoffs, and no twattings along the way
FAC Win
LC I think we'll field weakened teams so round 4
Expectations will depend on what the final squad looks like.
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Hope:
Solidify our place as Champions League club and/or win a trophy.
Expectation:
8th and no cups.
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League: 7th
UCL: play-off
FA Cup: 5th Round
League Cup: Quarter Final
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Realistic hopes;
At least 5th in the league, a notable first appearance in the modern CL and a domestic cup win.
Expectations;
Quite a bit less.
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Going to be tough to keep the momentum going.
Top 4 again is a huge ask .
I'd like to take the domestic trophies seriously as its our best hope of silverware but understand why we won't prioritise these games .
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Hope:
Solidify our place as Champions League club and/or win a trophy.
Expectation:
8th and no cups.
Yeah don’t know why I’m not that optimistic at the moment. Could be that whilst we’ve improved the age profile and depth of the squad, the first 11 feels weaker than our best 11 last season at the moment. Now obviously I’m hoping that feeling changes, the players we’ve signed integrate quickly and we bring in another couple with real quality. But at the moment just feel a bit flat.
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Hope: top 4, last 16 CL, at least 1 Semi-final or better in the cups.
Realistic: top 6, get out of the CL group, play in the cups.
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Hope:
Solidify our place as Champions League club and/or win a trophy.
Expectation:
8th and no cups.
Yeah don’t know why I’m not that optimistic at the moment. Could be that whilst we’ve improved the age profile and depth of the squad, the first 11 feels weaker than our best 11 last season at the moment. Now obviously I’m hoping that feeling changes, the players we’ve signed integrate quickly and we bring in another couple with real quality. But at the moment just feel a bit flat.
Yeah, I feel like we've improved our depth and, hopefully, reduced the chance of having one of those off days we had a few times last year when we concede three or more. But I think we've reduced our number of matchwinners. Give me a dead exciting winger and I'll be much more confident.
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Hope - To go deep in a cup competition. Now we have bigger squad it is vital that we qualify for Europe again.
Expect - 8th and a QF. Too much chopping and changing whilst we find the right balance will cost us.
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Hope - To win a cup, qualify for the champions league again, and not get embarrassed in our first go.
Expect - Decent cup runs, just fall short of champions league.
For the same reasons as others have mentioned, sold quality and brought in potential and a bit more depth. Still time to add a couple to go straight into the first team though, then I might be a bit more confident.
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Top 8 and the usual cup misery against a Manchester club. As for Champs League, knockout stages but not too deep into those.
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League: 6th
UCL: play-off
FA Cup: 4th round
League Cup: 4th round
Can’t see us “Going” for the domestic cups when pushing for another CL place in the league and hopefully having a good go at the CL at the same time.
Would love to be wrong though and finally win a trophy!
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This will all depend on our overall transfer window activity & the strength of the squad once it has closed.
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I think the squad is larger but we are still massively lacking in some areas and I feel as a first team we appear weaker overall.
League top 6
ECL last 16
Cups wont even try.
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I think we could be in the mix for the title. Just can't see Man City doing 5 in a row, Arsenal havn't got that 25 season striker that we've got and they always flap it, Liverpool will be in transistion again. Obviously we need to replace Diarby and Duran with true class but if we do why not?
Is that drinkin' thinkin' ?
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This will all depend on our overall transfer window activity & the strength of the squad once it has closed.
We haven't done anywhere near enough so far. Signing players like Ross Barkley suggests we are constrained by FFP, in fact we know we are .
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A new defender and striker and we should have a crack at the title or the CL. Pick one.
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A new defender and striker and we should have a crack at the title or the CL. Pick one.
Pretty much how I see it. A big dominant centre back and an attack who can play at 9 or 10 and we'll look a lot more complete as a squad. Lots of outgoings to sort out though so I suspect we're focused on those for now because otherwise the squad is a bit full.
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A new defender and striker and we should have a crack at the title or the CL. Pick one.
Pretty much how I see it. A big dominant centre back and an attack who can play at 9 or 10 and we'll look a lot more complete as a squad. Lots of outgoings to sort out though so I suspect we're focused on those for now because otherwise the squad is a bit full.
I agree, they need some movement out of the club.
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Top 5 again
Deep in all cups - less priority on LC (Its what Champs league team do :()
CL - after all the hype and trumpeting about being in it don't fall out of it with a whimper.
Oh and punish the redfilth home and away
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I hope they don't go deep in all cups, the little drunks.
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League: Top 6
Champions League: Quarter Finals
FA Cup: Fifth Round
League Cup: Third Round
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To make CL QF would be incredible. I can't see it though.
An FA Cup would be fantastic, we need favourable draws and a slice of luck.
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Hopes - league winners etc. Expectations, I actually don't have a clue. The squad 'feels' a bit different already and I think at least a couple more first teamers are yet to be signed. I wonder if we will play the same kind of way, or if Emery will tweak things? I'll wait to see what happens over the next week or so!
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I'll settle for 11th in the league like in 1981/82 as long as we qualify for the European Cup the following season.
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Don't think we'll be as good in the league this year, I'll go for 7th (imitating Newcastle again).
Won't care a jot if we have an epic cup run, expecting good things in the league cup this year as think we play one round before we even start CL so should be able to combine that with the other competitions.
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I had a silly tenner on us winning the league this season, Obvs that was before the feckin' America tour :(
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If....
Sell Cash buy Sergi Roberto - 25m profit
Sell Olsen buy Kasper Schmeichel - net zero
Sell Carlos buy Branthwaite - net 30m cost
Sell Duran buy Osimhen - net 60m cost
Buy Felix - 50m cost
Sell Dendoncker, Hause, Moreno, Archer - 25m profit
Then
Fuck it. League winners, CL quarters, FAC winners
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Win the FA Cup and stay up on goal difference will do me.
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CL should go down to 5th as last year was a bit of a anomaly in how bad all the sides were in the three European competitions, you'd assume a very good showing from 2-3 sides and harder to get knocked out in the group stages.
I'd like to give the league cup a serious go. I think we play at least one round before CL even starts and then hopefully we can get some o.k home draws and Barkley et al can be o.k in those games. Pretty sure I read that QFs clash with Conference league so Chelsea would have to put out a Liverpool type youth team if they're still in it.
Not sure why they still play two legs in January though with CL expansion so that would be tricky to juggle but ultimately at least one CL club will more than likely be in the final.0
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Taking 4th from Spurs on the last home game of the season against Spurs.
Finishing 15th in the UCL league but losing the knockout legs.
Knocked out early in both cups.
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The priority will remain the Premier League, followed by the Champions League.
No risks will be taken for the cups.
Right now we need to retain or increase both our profile and our revenue, which is where the league and europe massively outweigh the domestic cups.
So much as we all want a trophy, it’s probably the least likely outcome this season.
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League : Could be anywhere from 3rd to 7th depending on how quickly the team gels. So 5th with CL qualification.
Champs League : Last 16, maybe quarter-finals with a favourable draw.
FA Cup : Quarter-finals.
League Cup : Won't be prioritised so a 3rd or 4th round exit.
That would be a very good season.
As of now this is word for word what I would have said. I think 3rd to 7th will be closely fought. Also agree that I think Arsenal will win the league, which I hate.
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My first post after years of browsing. :)
In all honesty, I'm not sure how one can make predictions on the season until we have finished in the transfer window.
That said, I will say that as it stands, we are between 6th and 8th given the current squad. We will bring at least one more in tho and that could see us a place or 2 higher.
I would be absolutely stunned if we finish in a CL position, and even more stunned if we did it without a new RB, CB and back up striker.
As far as "hopes" go, I'll be hoping for the same thing as every other season. Win a trophy. Any bloody trophy!
UTV
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Wélcõmē tô thė sïtë Àçčēñt Gûÿ!
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Welcõme tô the sïtë àçčēñt gûÿ!
Haha cheers. See what you did there. ;) 😉
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It was that or "A'roight our kid! Bostin! Yow dain't tek lung te mekya self atum!"
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My first post after years of browsing. :)
Welcome to the site Aztec Guy!
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My first post after years of browsing. :)
Welcome to the site Aztec Guy.
Cheers!
I'm from Brum originally but my missus is from here (Mexico).
She is a big Villa fan now and has been to plenty of games over the last few years. :)
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Stay up
Top four
Beat small heath at home in either quarter final
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I am expecting a poor start but then recovering and winning the League.
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Stay up
Top four
Beat small heath at home in either quarter final
Very random! You're predicting staying up AND top 4, then expecting Blues to make a QF haha
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My first post after years of browsing. :)
In all honesty, I'm not sure how one can make predictions on the season until we have finished in the transfer window.
That said, I will say that as it stands, we are between 6th and 8th given the current squad. We will bring at least one more in tho and that could see us a place or 2 higher.
I would be absolutely stunned if we finish in a CL position, and even more stunned if we did it without a new RB, CB and back up striker.
As far as "hopes" go, I'll be hoping for the same thing as every other season. Win a trophy. Any bloody trophy!
UTV
Love your accent guy. Welcome.
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Stay up
Top four
Beat small heath at home in either quarter final
Very random! You're predicting staying up AND top 4, then expecting Blues to make a QF haha
They're hopes.
QF win means we've taken at least of the cup seriously and puts us in a semi final at least.
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I've just hit the pre season wobble. Through the first round of Big Cup, top 6 and a cup run. Even typing that has given me anxiety.
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Can see us struggling in the early part of the premier league season - finish 7th and hopefully win the FA Cup
Champions league, hopefully we can get through to the 1st knock out round of the competition
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Top 8
Win a cup
Get through the first round of the Champions League
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Yeah, what kind of impersonations can you do?
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My first post after years of browsing. :)
Welcome to the site Aztec Guy.
Cheers!
I'm from Brum originally but my missus is from here (Mexico).
She is a big Villa fan now and has been to plenty of games over the last few years. :)
As long as your missus' name isn't Juanita Martinez, it'll be grand.
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I had a dream last night that we lost our first nine league games.
I was thinking of putting a tenner on, but it's at odds with my £25 on us winning the league, so don't think I'll bother.
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4th to 6th in the Premiership.
Beyond the group stage in Chumps League.
Quarter-final in the FA cup.
Out in an early round in the League cup using the kids.
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I’m pessimistic about the CL. I think we’ll finish top half of the league. A round or two in the League Cup. But I think we’ll somehow win the FA Cup. Emery will be unhappy with the season and frustrated that despite performing beneath his high standards, statues of him pop up across Birmingham like mushrooms and old men greet him with tears in their eyes.
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Decent showing in Champion's League. Top 6 in League.
And win a bloody Cup, preferably FA Cup.
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Last season, our first eleven could go toe to toe with any other league team. However, the squad quality was not there. If it was, last year would have been a title challenge.
As of right now, I think we have addressed the quality of the squad so i suspect we will manage the amount of games better this time around. However, I think our first eleven has lost some real quality in Luiz and Diaby and with Kamara still out injured. For that reason, and with the Champions League being a sterner test than the Conference League, I think it might be more of a top 7 season than a top 4 season.
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Last season, our first eleven could go toe to toe with any other league team. However, the squad quality was not there. If it was, last year would have been a title challenge.
As of right now, I think we have addressed the quality of the squad so i suspect we will manage the amount of games better this time around. However, I think our first eleven has lost some real quality in Luiz and Diaby and with Kamara still out injured. For that reason, and with the Champions League being a sterner test than the Conference League, I think it might be more of a top 7 season than a top 4 season.
I’d agree with this. We definitely need a couple of quality players in before we can compete in Europe and the league again. If we can get them in then anything is possible.
Luiz and Diaby need replacing and we also need another centre half and maybe 2 if Carlos goes. I’m presuming it’ll take Mings a good while yet to get up to speed. Onana should be a decent replacement for Kamara.
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Didn't want our first season back in Europe's premier club competition to be a season of transition but here we are.
7th in the league
Might give one or two of the big sides in the EC a bloody nose at VP but out @ the group stages
LC: Out to Chelsea or Man Citeh away with a weakened side
FA Cup: The FA Cup has been erased
On the plus side, only one ACL this season
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As per every one of my Villa supporting years, an FA Cup final win
League - top 7
League Cup - I'd take it
Champions League - To progress from the league stage even in 24th, would be amazing.
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I'll probably not bother to answer this right now tbqhwy.
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I get its preseason but at the moment we look pretty wayward. We’re not exactly ramping up towards the first game.
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After watching game today, so far, I confirm my opinion that we will have a very bad start and then hopefully recover once likes of Watkins and players coming back from injuries are up to speed.
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After today’s game only CL SF for me. Not good enough to go all the way. Disappointing really.
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Based solely on what I’ve seen in pre-season, I pretty much echo the thoughts of a few others. We have a stronger squad but weaker first team, so unless we bring in a couple more players that are as good as or better than Luiz and Diaby then we’re going to struggle picking up as many good results as we did last season. Needless to say, I’m not at all confident in what I’ve seen so far…but there’s plenty of time to address the obvious issues.
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A season that results in us playing in the charity shield please
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A season that results in us playing in the charity shield please
*QI Klaxon sounds*
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A good season for me would be getting to the knock out stages of the European cup while maintaining a top 6 finish and getting very close to picking up a trophy. We hopefully have the squad to do this now.
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League Cup win and top 10 would be decent .
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Top Ten...feck that. 7th bare minimum, top 5 with a good wind.
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Top Ten...feck that. 7th bare minimum, top 5 with a good wind.
Yeah, against my normal preference I think for the first time in a while that league placing is most important to continue our current momentum.
I don't think we'll get too far in the CL, regardless.
Top four; or top six with the FA or League Cup.
The pressure is on, but it was always going to be. Not feeling super confident right now, but think we need a statement this year. Maintaining top four would be that; as would being top six plus a trophy.
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Pl 8th lc semis fac 4th rd champions lg surprise winners utv
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If “Top 10” means 10th that would be pretty disastrous.
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Pre-season has looked a lot like second half of last season. Unless we get a couple of really strong additions in before the end of the window, top 8 looks about right. Which isn't at all what I was thinking at the start of the summer.
For those who spend much more time understanding the minutiae of the game, why are we finding it so difficult to sort out our defence? UE obviously knows a thing or two about football and we have two dozen analysts scrutinizing every aspect of everything we do. Yet our defensive frailties remain the same.
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Based solely on what I’ve seen in pre-season, I pretty much echo the thoughts of a few others. We have a stronger squad but weaker first team, so unless we bring in a couple more players that are as good as or better than Luiz and Diaby then we’re going to struggle picking up as many good results as we did last season. Needless to say, I’m not at all confident in what I’ve seen so far…but there’s plenty of time to address the obvious issues.
That’s pretty much where I’m at. There’s still time before the transfer window closes but I think a repeat of last season might be a big ask.
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If “Top 10” means 10th that would be pretty disastrous.
Yep. It would mean finishing below all of the other decent sides and a couple of ordinary ones. I am astonished anybody would call that decent after the progress we’ve made.
Anything lower than 6th and us being in the race for 4th until the last few games would be a big step backwards I reckon. Preseason hasn’t been good results wise, but let’s see who else arrives and how we get on in the next few games.
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Based solely on what I’ve seen in pre-season, I pretty much echo the thoughts of a few others. We have a stronger squad but weaker first team, so unless we bring in a couple more players that are as good as or better than Luiz and Diaby then we’re going to struggle picking up as many good results as we did last season. Needless to say, I’m not at all confident in what I’ve seen so far…but there’s plenty of time to address the obvious issues.
That’s pretty much where I’m at. There’s still time before the transfer window closes but I think a repeat of last season might be a big ask.
This is also my take. The x factor is Unai though, can he work magic again with what we have of players and resources?
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Of course he can. I think his job would be made a lot easier with another top class forward type, though. With Diaby gone (even though I wasn't 100% sold on him) and god knows what's happening with Duran, our forward department isn't looking the strongest.
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My point was we need to win a trophy at some point soon. I'd take a League Cup to start .
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I have to say that I'm surprised that having shat ourself most of last season in case Watkins got injured we've not only replicated the situation but probably are in a worse one seeing as Duran's on a tantrum. Archer upfront in the Premier League would not end well.
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I think we'll end up having a similar season to the one Newcastle did last season. I reckon we will:
* start pretty slowly but have a stronger second half to the season
* get frustrated with the likes of Maatsen, Barkley and Onana who then improve as the season goes on.
* have a couple of massive Champions League wins, get out of the initial league then have one of those heroic losses against someone good in the knock-outs.
* get knocked out of the League Cup pretty early
* get knocked out in the FA Cup quarter final
* finish 6th or 7th.
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Top 4 finish.
Play off spot in the Champions League.
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4th or 5th
Fa cup, it just could be our year Unai is the cup king.
Champs league get out of group stage
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Think 4th to 8th will be a tight pack this season, so could see us finishing anywhere in that range really. It would be good to progress to the knockout stages of the Champions League and progress a lot further in the domestic cups than in recent years.
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I just hope we get off to a good start against Wham and Arse.
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I think we'll end up having a similar season to the one Newcastle did last season. I reckon we will:
* start pretty slowly but have a stronger second half to the season
* get frustrated with the likes of Maatsen, Barkley and Onana who then improve as the season goes on.
* have a couple of massive Champions League wins, get out of the initial league then have one of those heroic losses against someone good in the knock-outs.
* get knocked out of the League Cup pretty early
* get knocked out in the FA Cup quarter final
* finish 6th or 7th.
I have to say Maatsen is looking like a strange use of transfer funds at the moment. Not that he's a bad player, or won't grow into a brilliant left back. It's just a huge amount of money to spend in a department where we're not short of players, when there appear to be far more urgent areas to strengthen. And at present he doesn't appear to be better than what we've got, although time is of course, on his side.
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I just hope we get off to a good start against Wham and Arse.
5 points from the first 3 games would be a decent return.
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I think maatsen was an unplanned opportunity they couldn’t pass. Helped with PSR issues and lowered the age of the LB position. It’ll make sense once Digne or Moreno leave, until then it looks like a luxury signing.
More worrying to me, I read that at Dortmund he played that inverted LB/CM role rather than the quasi winger role Emery likes. Is that correct?
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If “Top 10” means 10th that would be pretty disastrous.
Yep. It would mean finishing below all of the other decent sides and a couple of ordinary ones. I am astonished anybody would call that decent after the progress we’ve made.
Anything lower than 6th and us being in the race for 4th until the last few games would be a big step backwards I reckon. Preseason hasn’t been good results wise, but let’s see who else arrives and how we get on in the next few games.
Everyone on here would take 10th if it resulted in an FA cup win. Would also mean we qualify for Europa league.
Let's remember last season we lost two of our first four games very badly. What we did well however was get results v all the bottom half bar Forest away where it just didn't happen.
In the first six games we're playing Leicester, Everton, Wolves and Ipswich so to me it's the same formula as last year, don't mess up v those teams and we'll be comfortable top half and "there or thereabouts" as Steve Bruce infamously used to say.
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I just hope we get off to a good start against Wham and Arse.
I'd sign up for draws v both, I think with how disjointed we're looking in midfield and at the back both could soundly beat us.
We struggled massively at West Ham last season with all their crosses so not looking forward to that game as they've kept their big names and new signings are solid.
However 10 points from Wolves, Ipswich, Leicester and Everton and we'd be on minimum of 10 point from first 6 games so pretty much in line with the points ratio we were achieving for most of last season.
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I reckon a draw against West Ham and a defeat against Arsenal.
They'll feel that they owe us a beating for us stopping them from winning the league.
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If “Top 10” means 10th that would be pretty disastrous.
Yep. It would mean finishing below all of the other decent sides and a couple of ordinary ones. I am astonished anybody would call that decent after the progress we’ve made.
Anything lower than 6th and us being in the race for 4th until the last few games would be a big step backwards I reckon. Preseason hasn’t been good results wise, but let’s see who else arrives and how we get on in the next few games.
Everyone on here would take 10th if it resulted in an FA cup win. Would also mean we qualify for Europa league.
Let's remember last season we lost two of our first four games very badly. What we did well however was get results v all the bottom half bar Forest away where it just didn't happen.
In the first six games we're playing Leicester, Everton, Wolves and Ipswich so to me it's the same formula as last year, don't mess up v those teams and we'll be comfortable top half and "there or thereabouts" as Steve Bruce infamously used to say.
The FA Cup would be nice, but it's a stretch to say 'everyone on here' would settle for 10th if we were to win it. I wouldn't, for example. 10th place in the league would be a depressing return to mid-table mediocrity that a cup win wouldn't really hide. I know load of people really covet the cup above most other things, but I'm not one of them (maybe I should 'sadly' at the end of the sentence, I dunno).
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Only once in 90 years have we finished top 5 in consecutive seasons, and 0 times for top 4. Apart from 96/97 we've followed a very good league season with a worse one, often a lot worse. It would be nice to change that.
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I cannot see top 4 again. That took a monumental effort and i cannot see us repeating it , especially with a leaky defence .
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Predictions for this season - Pau - will be the player who the fans will blame if we start the season poorly.
At the end of this season, we will again face FFP problems, and will sell a fans favourite to comply - Watkins / Martinez or Konsa
Also next summer - McGinn, Buendia, Mings and possibly Pau will all leave the club
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Predictions for this season - Pau - will be the player who the fans will blame if we start the season poorly.
At the end of this season, we will again face FFP problems, and will sell a fans favourite to comply - Watkins / Martinez or Konsa
Also next summer - McGinn, Buendia, Mings and possibly Pau will all leave the club
What a cheerful post. :)
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Predictions for this season - Pau - will be the player who the fans will blame if we start the season poorly.
At the end of this season, we will again face FFP problems, and will sell a fans favourite to comply - Watkins / Martinez or Konsa
Also next summer - McGinn, Buendia, Mings and possibly Pau will all leave the club
I’d probably not bother if you genuinely think this is where we’re going.
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Hope
Birmingham Senior Cup - Win
EFL Trophy - Win
League Cup - Win
FA Cup - Win
Premier League - Win
Champions League - Win
Expectation
See above, less one or two wins.
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Kamara had a big effect on our results (for the good) last year, so this year could be a slight reverse of last year, where we start off slowly and improve once he's back. Hopefully Mings coming back will help as well.
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Still think we have important business to do on the trading side in the coming weeks to enhance the first XI. Overall, our squad is already stronger.
I was struck by Emery's conviction after a recent friendly that we are going to "stay there" in the top positions, and trust he will have devised a way to achieve that. So I expect us to finish at least 5th, challenging hard for the top 4.
I think we'll start slowly; the end of last season saw us run out of momentum, and we're in a different place than we were one year ago.
Expect to reach the knockout rounds of the EC, and the trophy to come from the domestic cups.
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League - winners
ECL - winners
FA Cup - winners
LC - 3rd round loss to Hartlepool
Simples!!!
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Hope - we go to Munich, preferably last match.
Expect - great days and miserable days.
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I opened The Athletic's Premier League Predictions article with glee, today... Only to discover we have been completely dismissed. We may as well not exist.
We are mentioned four times in the article. One mention is one person predicting we will get in the top five, the second is just in a graphic showing every team, the third is someone saying they like Iling-Junior, and the last is someone predicting Watkins will be runner up in the golden boot.
It's laughable really. They can't even accept the possibility of us not slinking back off to mid-table. We're barely even worth a mention in passing in the discussion of the season.
We need to go for it this season, and then line these fuckers up against the wall. 8)
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I opened The Athletic's Premier League Predictions article with glee, today... Only to discover we have been completely dismissed. We may as well not exist.
We are mentioned four times in the article. One mention is one person predicting we will get in the top five, the second is just in a graphic showing every team, the third is someone saying they like Iling-Junior, and the last is someone predicting Watkins will be runner up in the golden boot.
It's laughable really. They can't even accept the possibility of us not slinking back off to mid-table. We're barely even worth a mention in passing in the discussion of the season.
We need to go for it this season, and then line these fuckers up against the wall. 8)
Another reason to hate the Athletic.
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Can't hate The Athletic while we have the boywonder Tanswell reporting and analysing us like a boss.
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I feel more comfortable when we're being dismissed than when praise is heaped on us, if I'm honest.
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League - winners
ECL - winners
FA Cup - winners
LC - 3rd round loss to Hartlepool
Simples!!!
Only flaw with this is Hartlepool aren't in the league
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Phil McNulty has us finishing 4th. Now I’m worried.
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League - i would be amazed if we finish 4th. I think 6th or 7th. I think newcastle will probably get top 4 this year
Champions league - we get to middle point of group stage play play off and dont advance
Carabao - go out 3rd round as we will play backup players and not take it seriously
Fa cup- 4th round if we advance in CL. Of we go out im gonna back us for QF
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Well Unai is still giving it the "finish in the top 8, 7 bigger teams" stuff he did last season.
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With two weeks still left of the transfer window it’s obviously difficult to predict how teams will have improved or otherwise from last season. I would say we have better squad depth than last season but at the same time have lost arguably our best midfield player. That said I look at Newcastle and Spurs for instance and don’t see any significant improvements in their squads either. As it stands I’d say we are a top 6 squad with an elite manager who can add value in the way few others can.
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Can't hate The Athletic while we have the boywonder Tanswell reporting and analysing us like a boss.
Yep, who on the same day launches Villa v Arsenal : Who needs the strongest underpants elastic this season? article;
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5697521/2024/08/14/arsenal-or-aston-villa-which-clubs-fans-should-be-most-excited-the-debate/ (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5697521/2024/08/14/arsenal-or-aston-villa-which-clubs-fans-should-be-most-excited-the-debate/)
I haven't read it yet, as unfortunately my work day inconveniently seems to be full of actual work. :-[
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Can't hate The Athletic while we have the boywonder Tanswell reporting and analysing us like a boss.
Yep, who on the same day launches Villa v Arsenal : Who needs the strongest underpants elastic this season? article;
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5697521/2024/08/14/arsenal-or-aston-villa-which-clubs-fans-should-be-most-excited-the-debate/ (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5697521/2024/08/14/arsenal-or-aston-villa-which-clubs-fans-should-be-most-excited-the-debate/)
I haven't read it yet, as unfortunately my work day inconveniently seems to be full of actual work. :-[
The Athletic is behind a paywall so unless you sign up you can't read it apart from the first paragraph.
To get around that type 12ft.io/ in front of https.
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Can't hate The Athletic while we have the boywonder Tanswell reporting and analysing us like a boss.
Yep, who on the same day launches Villa v Arsenal : Who needs the strongest underpants elastic this season? article;
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5697521/2024/08/14/arsenal-or-aston-villa-which-clubs-fans-should-be-most-excited-the-debate/ (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5697521/2024/08/14/arsenal-or-aston-villa-which-clubs-fans-should-be-most-excited-the-debate/)
I haven't read it yet, as unfortunately my work day inconveniently seems to be full of actual work. :-[
Here is the article Dogtanian is referring to
https://archive.ph/0hGXm
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Well Unai is still giving it the "finish in the top 8, 7 bigger teams" stuff he did last season.
It's the only thing he has in common with Dolly and his trying to keep up with the Boltons and the Charltons of this world.
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Predictions for this season - Pau - will be the player who the fans will blame if we start the season poorly.
At the end of this season, we will again face FFP problems, and will sell a fans favourite to comply - Watkins / Martinez or Konsa
Also next summer - McGinn, Buendia, Mings and possibly Pau will all leave the club
What a cheerful post. :)
Sid also often warns climate change activists that their predictions for the destruction of the planet are too optimistic.
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(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GU8MR_CXYAAquVr?format=png&name=medium)
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Newcastle fancied more than us? Hmm... maybe. I assume they're comfortably ahead of us in the 2024 calendar year PL table. Still find it odd that they were/are prepared to sell yer man with the pale skin and pointy ears to Liverpool, like he's possibly their best player and others have been offloaded for PSR.
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Newcastle fancied more than us? Hmm... maybe. I assume they're comfortably ahead of us in the 2024 calendar year PL table. Still find it odd that they were/are prepared to sell yer man with the pale skin and pointy ears to Liverpool, like he's possibly their best player and others have been offloaded for PSR.
I guess a lot people will think the Champions League might have a similar effect on us to that of Newcastle last year.
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Did Newcastle make Europe at all? If they've no Thursday-Sundays and their injured players are all back, they'll be a big threat.
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Predictions for this season - Pau - will be the player who the fans will blame if we start the season poorly.
At the end of this season, we will again face FFP problems, and will sell a fans favourite to comply - Watkins / Martinez or Konsa
Also next summer - McGinn, Buendia, Mings and possibly Pau will all leave the club
What a cheerful post. :)
Sid also often warns climate change activists that their predictions for the destruction of the planet are too optimistic.
I was already in a gloom today, this has cheered me up no end.
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Newcastle fancied more than us? Hmm... maybe. I assume they're comfortably ahead of us in the 2024 calendar year PL table. Still find it odd that they were/are prepared to sell yer man with the pale skin and pointy ears to Liverpool, like he's possibly their best player and others have been offloaded for PSR.
The Champions League distraction as Risso says, but also:
We finished eight points ahead of them, in our best season since the 90s, and the narrative is that they had a worse season than they / people were expecting. They've got Tonali back in two weeks and I think that lots of people would look at the sales of Diaby and Luiz and their replacements and think that we've made our first eleven worse rather than better. (and they could well be right).
Is that difference worth eight points over a season? Could easily be.
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The thing about football is that it's possible to come to massive conclusions based on absolutely nothing.
In my experience, very few football fans know anything in depth about other clubs, and a lot don't know that much about the goings on at their own.
Nobody knows what's going to happen and it's all part of the fun.
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Phil McNulty has us finishing 4th. Now I’m worried.
'Ah shit' was what went through my head when I saw it.
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Yeah but if he said 9th we'd be calling him a cvnt. Didn't he tip us last season? Warnock (Stephen, not Colin) had us down for top four after getting turned-on after seeing us training in pre-season.
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I don't think he's a ******, I just think he's useless.
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It feels odd to me that lots of pundits/commentators are predicting us to finish top 4. I’m hoping it’s my inherent pessimism that’s making me think it’ll be really tough for us.
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Newcastle i think are definitely going to have a better season this year i think
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I read an article on one site, I think I maybe Sky or Football365, and of 30 journalists, just 2 predicted us to be top 4 whilst 8 predicted Newcastle would be. West Ham got 1 vote too.
Personally I still think 6th to 8th is where we will finish. The top 4 will revert back to the usual suspects. Not a surprise given their constant spending power dwarfs ours. They can't, won't and dont stay shit for long.
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I preferred it when nobody was noticing us.
The popular opinion seems to be that Newcastle will swap places with us, good, let them have the pressure, while we enjoy the CL.
Unpopular opinion, i think Newcastle will struggle and Howe will get the bullet.
Man U and Spurs will keep improving, we'll be in the top six at GW32, then it's all to play for.
Hope - for a good cup run, to a final.
Expect - disappointment again.
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League - Top 6
League Cup - 3rd Round
FA Cup - 5th Round
Champions League - Round of 16
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League - Top 6
League Cup - 3rd Round
FA Cup - 5th Round
Champions League - Round of 16
That's exactly what I've just predicted when discussing with my son.
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It feels odd to me that lots of pundits/commentators are predicting us to finish top 4. I’m hoping it’s my inherent pessimism that’s making me think it’ll be really tough for us.
I think we are better informed than they are.
From most I spoke to in Dortmund and what I read on here expectations arent too great this season and we’re starting with a slightly worse starting XI than last year unless something changes soon!
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It feels odd to me that lots of pundits/commentators are predicting us to finish top 4. I’m hoping it’s my inherent pessimism that’s making me think it’ll be really tough for us.
It's just recency bias. I'd bet that if you look at the same people this time last year, they'd probably have had Newcastle in there.
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I'm not sure I buy this "first 11 is worse than the one we ended last season with". We played without Kamara for several months, so that's not changing. The only change is Dougie, who was brilliant for us, but was also not quite as brilliant without Kamara next to him.
We do need to find a Dougie/Kamara style axis for the middle of midfield, the one that helped get us the chance of going top at Christmas. And one might emerge, but it's not like we'd be starting that pair if Dougie had stayed. We'd be starting the version of Dougie who played from Feb to the end of the season (still good, but not the brilliant version from the first half of the season) - that's an easier player to replace.
I also think Diaby's loss will be mitigated by the return of JJ to the 11, who was brilliant pre-injury.
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I'm not sure I buy this "first 11 is worse than the one we ended last season with". We played without Kamara for several months, so that's not changing. The only change is Dougie, who was brilliant for us, but was also not quite as brilliant without Kamara next to him.
We do need to find a Dougie/Kamara style axis for the middle of midfield, the one that helped get us the chance of going top at Christmas. And one might emerge, but it's not like we'd be starting that pair if Dougie had stayed. We'd be starting the version of Dougie who played from Feb to the end of the season (still good, but not the brilliant version from the first half of the season) - that's an easier player to replace.
I also think Diaby's loss will be mitigated by the return of JJ to the 11, who was brilliant pre-injury.
I think we are looking worse as a offensive side compared to last season. However i think we look better in defence and have more squad options. So we have improved in those areas.
I think luiz and diaby are going to be big misses. I already felt in some pre season games we were missing getting the ball forward quicker than we were last year. Diabys work rate was exceptional.
As for dougie he is like a complete cm for me. Can do it all. Hard to find those types. I will greatly miss dougie 😔
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I think luiz and diaby are going to be big misses. I already felt in some pre season games we were missing getting the ball forward quicker than we were last year. Diabys work rate was exceptional.
I think you must have been watching a different Diaby to me mate. Exceptional work rate? I'll accept that his raw stats in terms of goal contributions were just about OK, but other than that, it was mostly like playing with ten men when he was on the pitch. It also became apparent as the season went on that you couldn't really have Bailey and Diaby in the same team and maintain consistency, so on that basis, I'd always rather have Leon with I assume, Philogene as his back up.
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I’m not sure how much we can take from pre-season in terms of performance considering we played much of it without a recognised centre forward. While that highlights the fact that as it stands we don’t have obvious cover for Watkins at the same time we all know how important he is to the way we play and how much better we are with him on the pitch.
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I think luiz and diaby are going to be big misses. I already felt in some pre season games we were missing getting the ball forward quicker than we were last year. Diabys work rate was exceptional.
I think you must have been watching a different Diaby to me mate. Exceptional work rate? I'll accept that his raw stats in terms of goal contributions were just about OK, but other than that, it was mostly like playing with ten men when he was on the pitch. It also became apparent as the season went on that you couldn't really have Bailey and Diaby in the same team and maintain consistency, so on that basis, I'd always rather have Leon with I assume, Philogene as his back up.
I accept towards the second half of the season diaby wasnt as good as the first half. But he did do alot of defensive running back from what i remember..
He was always doing a lot of running, but the point i do agree with you is that he was inconsistent. He did appear as well that him and bailey were not working when in same side which seemed as they looked good together early on.
I do feel he would have gone on and had a better 2nd season like bailey has - but now we understand why he was sold on that talkshite interview.
Im hoping JPB can give us what diaby did as he has similar attributes
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I’m not sure how much we can take from pre-season in terms of performance considering we played much of it without a recognised centre forward. While that highlights the fact that as it stands we don’t have obvious cover for Watkins at the same time we all know how important he is to the way we play and how much better we are with him on the pitch.
Not like for like but Duran is the deputy, and if he we decide to sell him, we'll almost certainly have someone lined-up to replace him.
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I'm of the belief Villa will win a trophy this season most likely a domestic cup.
However our priority is the Premier League so I expect Top 4 I don't discount the title if it all comes together and certainly be there challenging the 4th and higher positions. I'm sure others want t believe if beat Arsenal again next Saturday !
Champions League - Quarter Finals and some wonderful nights!
Up the Villa!
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Odd as it sounds, I was very optimistic 12 months ago. We did big business in summer 2023 after finishing 7th.
I don't like that we are starting this new season about two players short of where we would be ideally. We haven't replaced Diaby and, I know memories are short, but he started last season on fire and was a big part of our early season form in August- October time. I feel we now lack that sort of x factor player.
I also think we need that new defender to come in and be an upgrade on Carlos. Still time of course but it's annoying that we go into our first game with a few question marks.
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Hopes: 1st and any silverware.
Expectations: 7th to 12th and no silverware.
For me the squad is weaker than what we ended the previous season with and we have done poor transfer business.
*Opinion is subject to change based on any potential transfer activity until the window closes.
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No way the squad is weaker, I was much more confident with the bench today than at any point last season and that is with some still to come back.
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After 5 games in a great position where looking to remain top 4 and more.
Certainly my expectations aren't dampened league wise and dare to dream of winning the title.
I feel Emery dreams more of the Champions League when he has talked about dreaming.
However regards Prem I think We finish 4th or higher and that's a clear aim.
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I'd be delighted with top 6, last 8 of Champions League and winning the FA Cup. That would be a dream for me.
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Top 4 and back to back seasons in the Champions League has to be a priority. This season qualifying for the Champions League knock out stage also a high priority, this will enable more lucrative commercial sponsorship deals and grow the turnover .
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I really need to see Villa win the FA Cup just once at least. That's my priority. However every Villa win and success is a joy.
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Im not sure. I still think we dont have the depth ti get top 4 again. If 5th qualifies we might have a chance. Id say top 7.
With cups i think carabao will be low priority so we probably go out 4th round or when we draw a decent team.
Fa cup id like to see us take it seriously this year. No .ore humiliations please
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Think we need the get lucky in defence until January, then that right side needs sorting with quality depth both at both right centre back and right back. Carlos and the young lads at right back either aren't good enough or aren't ready yet. Mings and Kamara both come back the same player too.
The above lines up and I'm not writing anything off.
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I think the priorities will be staying in the champions league as long as possible and finishing top four again. I can't see us taking the domestic cups too seriously which unfortunately means our chances of silverware are reduced.
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Five games in, four wins, joint top. Outplayed Arsenal, but didn't get the win despite being the better team.
No doubt Unai would say we take one game at a time. But should we be aiming for the title? Can we do it?
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We should be aiming for it, as should half a dozen other clubs, but we won't win it this season.
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Much too early.
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Jinxed it now, kid...
Also, I think "outplayed Arsenal" is a reach. We had the better chances not taken, they controlled the game for long periods. They also defend immaculately, we do not. Still, I'll be more than happy with 2nd or 3rd.
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He doesn't mean it, oh mighty gods of football jinx.
Fuck's sake.
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As long as Man City have Pep and have the immense depth of talent and experience we will be on the outside of the title race. You can see just how hard it's been for Arsenal to crack it and Liverpool only did it once in Klopp's years. If Man City get done for their charges and by some miracle get booted out of the league or just relegated it opens it all up. But as it stands, right now anyway, we are the best of a host of sides trying to secure 4th spot.
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He doesn't mean it, oh mighty gods of football jinx.
Fuck's sake.
We just about get away with LeeB tormenting the gods, and now this.
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As I’ve said in the post match thread I think he still working out his starting XI and getting a balanced team.
But his game management is wonderful!
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He doesn't mean it, oh mighty gods of football jinx.
Fuck's sake.
We just about get away with LeeB tormenting the gods, and now this.
nah, Unai's one of the God's. He balances it all out now and makes sure we don't suffer jinxes.
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Delete or merge thread please. We already have "hopes and expectations", don't need this jinxy bollocks.
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Being honest the domestic cups will take 2nd place.
Knockout/Last 16 of Champions League and stay in the mix at or around Top4. Will be more difficult this season as Chelsea aren't as crap.
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Well I vote keep it. Even with the T word included, I think this is an excellent thread for discussion.
I think it's a sign to where we are.
I planned to launch a similar one in October when I resume my creative thread-starting role for discussion.
I was thinking of how to phrase the contender thread for Champions League and more 24/25, was still figuring out how to word it think this dare to dream thread is just the ticket!
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Five games in, four wins, joint top. Outplayed Arsenal, but didn't get the win despite being the better team.
No doubt Unai would say we take one game at a time. But should we be aiming for the title? Can we do it?
Super thread ! Worth discussing as expectations are to be in around top 4 and may at times be top of the league.
Ignore those who seem aghast to this thread debate because had exactly same issue with people when I created Champions League contender thread last season.
People take their time to believe.But hopefully people have learnt from last season not to be rude to those who think are a contender
And Emery said dare to dream so let us again enjoy having serious discussions on winning the league!
Up The Villa!
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Merged. No need for a separate topic.
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Merged. No need for a separate topic.
Well done.
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Another 60 point + season combined with CL quarter finals would be a superb effort. Being greedy I want a good league cup run aswell.
The true test will be November which is our hardest month on paper with the fixtures and then December we're playing pretty much every 3-4 days so if we're still in top 4/5 come Jan that will be a fantastic first half of the season.
We're doing what we were 12 months back, getting the points on the board before the schedule becomes more taxing and beating who we should be beating while others drop points like Man. United and Newcastle did.
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Merged. No need for a separate topic.
Thank you.
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Thanks for merging.
Our form only dropped off last season when we lost key players. Before that we were the best team in the league.
I’d be more than happy with a top 4 finish and the league cup, however i expect Unai wants more…
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Well this topic is fine if merged then so I respect moderators call to merge
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It feels like we are struggling this year but we are 3rd, lost one game and won 4 and are flying. That old Villa feeling of the bubble about to burst is surely a monkey on the back when in actual fact we are doing superbly well. That struggle is more in my mind than on the field.
Remembering 8 years ago when we were in the championship when we would have sold our souls to be mid table and boring but secure in the PL. How nice it is to be looking up the table and not fearing the relegation scrap of old.
A great time to support Villa, at least on the pitch anyways!
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It feels like we are struggling this year but we are 3rd, lost one game and won 4 and are flying. That old Villa feeling of the bubble about to burst is surely a monkey on the back when in actual fact we are doing superbly well. That struggle is more in my mind than on the field.
Remembering 8 years ago when we were in the championship when we would have sold our souls to be mid table and boring but secure in the PL. How nice it is to be looking up the table and not fearing the relegation scrap of old.
A great time to support Villa, at least on the pitch anyways!
I feel its hard to judge because the only real test we lost and should have beaten the rest of the sides.
We have manure for next home game thats going to be a challenge and give us a better idea. We also have some tough games in October too.
Defensively i think we have been a shambles which is disappointing when i thought this issue would be addressed this year. I do think a major problem has been onanas been abit inconsistent but mainly its due to right back. We really have to address this area in summer
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We look like a team built to win things
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I'd love a trophy but in all honesty a decent run in the CL and qualifying for it again would do for me. It's all about building - both the squad and our finances. Too many teams get to the verge of competing with the chosen 6 and then fall away. We have a generational manager, what I want first is for us to establish ourselves as an elite club that can compete regularly with the top teams on and off the field. We'll never compete on the balance sheet, but we can narrow the gap a bit. We've taken the first step. The second step is consolidating that success whilst FFP tries to do it's job and fuck us over.
It may seem like a soulless attitude, but I think this way is better for the medium and long term and trophies will surely follow (unless you're called Spurs).
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I broadly agree with what Chris has posted above. If we were to win a trophy in the next year or two this would be my order of preference.
Champions League
Premier League
World Cup (Ireland)
Sam Maguire (Roscommon)
FA Cup
Club World Cup
Carabao Cup
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Current Top 6
1.Man City 13pts
2. Liverpool 12pts
3. Aston Villa 12pts
4. Arsenal 11pts
5. Chelsea 10pts
6. Newcastle 10pts
Matches impacting top positions this weekend Saturday
Newcastle v Man City
Chelsea v Brighton
Arsenal v Leicester
Wolves v Liverpool
On Sunday Man Utd play Spurs they are both on 7pts
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My Footy Forecasts on up coming hopes and expectations next 3 months and race for the title:
Take note! For it's dreams and belief!
Overtaking Liverpool and being ahead of them by November before we play them at A field:
In 3 games time Liverpool have a run of fixtures where they have to play Chelsea , Arsenal , Brighton and us in a row.
There's a good chance in this period to go above them by time the fixture comes round on November 9th.
At start of November more people we start to see us Aston Villa challengers if not Title Contenders
I'll campaign again for a Title thread/Top 4 contention in November given likelihood of being 2nd or 3rd position and nearest challengers to Man City given all top 4/6 fixtures in October.
I now expect us to soon be moving into 2nd place certainly come end of October.
Man City fixtures are quite straightforward so difficult to overtake them by that time.
Top at Christmas?!
However, the last fixture before Christmas Day is Man City coming to Villa Park. Let's hope to be having the present of beating them again and leading us to be top at Christmas. It's very possible!
And I suspect around Christmas time people we want to believe Unai Emery has made us into title challengers and contenders in the top 4 that I say we definitely are.
There's the Christmas* everyone wishes for.
*With respect to all who don't recognise Christmas or celebrate it.
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Footy, I know you're a man of God. I'm a man of gods, and I really wish people would stop poking mine with big sticks.
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The title talk started earlier than I expected. As I suspected November as outlined in my forecasts.
But it's happening people!
BBC sport recognition
If Villa are to challenge for the Premier League title this season then the 32-year-old Martinez continuing his magnificent form will be key.
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Footy, it's a Sunday. Must you parade your paganism right in my face on this special day?
-
My Footy Forecasts on up coming hopes and expectations next 3 months and race for the title:
Take note! For it's dreams and belief!
Overtaking Liverpool and being ahead of them by November before we play them at A field:
In 3 games time Liverpool have a run of fixtures where they have to play Chelsea , Arsenal , Brighton and us in a row.
There's a good chance in this period to go above them by time the fixture comes round on November 9th.
At start of November more people we start to see us Aston Villa challengers if not Title Contenders
I'll campaign again for a Title thread/Top 4 contention in November given likelihood of being 2nd or 3rd position and nearest challengers to Man City given all top 4/6 fixtures in October.
I now expect us to soon be moving into 2nd place certainly come end of October.
Man City fixtures are quite straightforward so difficult to overtake them by that time.
Top at Christmas?!
However, the last fixture before Christmas Day is Man City coming to Villa Park. Let's hope to be having the present of beating them again and leading us to be top at Christmas. It's very possible!
And I suspect around Christmas time people we want to believe Unai Emery has made us into title challengers and contenders in the top 4 that I say we definitely are.
There's the Christmas* everyone wishes for.
*With respect to all who don't recognise Christmas or celebrate it.
Footy forecasts not looking so hot tbh
#foresight
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We look like a team built to win things
Is the correct analysis - bravo.
-
My Footy Forecasts on up coming hopes and expectations next 3 months and race for the title:
Take note! For it's dreams and belief!
Overtaking Liverpool and being ahead of them by November before we play them at A field:
In 3 games time Liverpool have a run of fixtures where they have to play Chelsea , Arsenal , Brighton and us in a row.
There's a good chance in this period to go above them by time the fixture comes round on November 9th.
At start of November more people we start to see us Aston Villa challengers if not Title Contenders
I'll campaign again for a Title thread/Top 4 contention in November given likelihood of being 2nd or 3rd position and nearest challengers to Man City given all top 4/6 fixtures in October.
I now expect us to soon be moving into 2nd place certainly come end of October.
Man City fixtures are quite straightforward so difficult to overtake them by that time.
Top at Christmas?!
However, the last fixture before Christmas Day is Man City coming to Villa Park. Let's hope to be having the present of beating them again and leading us to be top at Christmas. It's very possible!
And I suspect around Christmas time people we want to believe Unai Emery has made us into title challengers and contenders in the top 4 that I say we definitely are.
There's the Christmas* everyone wishes for.
*With respect to all who don't recognise Christmas or celebrate it.
Footy forecasts not looking so hot tbh
#foresight
Wrong. It's looking good and would look even better but it's
because we drew with Ipswich and Man Utd and I expected a draw for Chelsea at Liverpool.
If we had won one of Ipswich or Man Utd that's an extra two point and be 3rd then come weekend go into second when Arsenal v Liverpool draw and we beat Bournemouth .
Instead we could go 3rd if that happens and that's what I said by end of October for the likelihood of 2nd or 3rd position.
Let's see shall we come final October games
I think very accurate likelihood thank you Corey.
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Wrong. Always and forever.
-
I think if Watkins and Duran had been paired up together more often these objectives may have been achieved by now, but that's a little discussed option.
-
Wrong. Always and forever.
What's wrong ?
That Villa won't be second or third come end of next matches?
I could be I guess more because I think Liverpool are being over rated and that Arsenal could beat them
But then again Arsenal haven't been seriously impressive in some games.
Really there's nothing to fear from those two and even Man City when we play them ourselves.
-
I think if Watkins and Duran had been paired up together more often these objectives may have been achieved by now, but that's a little discussed option.
It does irks me that people aren't wanting to discuss that more especially on a thread I specifically created for discussion.
It can tally up here too I guess as a hope and expectation
-
I think if Watkins and Duran had been paired up together more often these objectives may have been achieved by now, but that's a little discussed option.
It does irks me that people aren't wanting to discuss that more especially on a thread I specifically created for discussion.
It can tally up here too I guess as a hope and expectation
I know what you mean mate. I keep trying to get a proper discussion underway about Bible John in a WhatsApp group I'm part of and nobody's interested. They reckon it's not relevant to the topic of 'Justin's surprise birthday party'. They don't know what I'm planning.
-
Wrong. Always and forever.
What's wrong ?
That Villa won't be second or third come end of next matches?
I could be I guess more because I think Liverpool are being over rated and that Arsenal could beat them
But then again Arsenal haven't been seriously impressive in some games.
Really there's nothing to fear from those two and even Man City when we play them ourselves.
Everything is wrong. I've never agreed with a single word written. Ever
-
Wrong. Always and forever.
What's wrong ?
That Villa won't be second or third come end of next matches?
I could be I guess more because I think Liverpool are being over rated and that Arsenal could beat them
But then again Arsenal haven't been seriously impressive in some games.
Really there's nothing to fear from those two and even Man City when we play them ourselves.
Everything is wrong. I've never agreed with a single word written. Ever
Sorry to hear if you're not feeling it today as there's a lack of zest and zeal in your contributions! That always helps me when I write and not feeling good or I can be inspired by others who write with zest and zeal themselves. And that use to be you.
I know you have previously so do try if you can but clearly today something else is happening so wish you all the best for the week!
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Wrong. Always and forever.
What's wrong ?
That Villa won't be second or third come end of next matches?
I could be I guess more because I think Liverpool are being over rated and that Arsenal could beat them
But then again Arsenal haven't been seriously impressive in some games.
Really there's nothing to fear from those two and even Man City when we play them ourselves.
Everything is wrong. I've never agreed with a single word written. Ever
Sorry to hear if you're not feeling it today as there's a lack of zest and zeal in your contributions! That always helps me when I write and not feeling good or I can be inspired by others who write with zest and zeal themselves. And that use to be you.
I know you have previously so do try if you can but clearly today something else is happening so wish you all the best for the week!
Shove your condescending bollocks up your fucking arse
Twice
You're not even a real person.
Zest my arse
-
I think if Watkins and Duran had been paired up together more often these objectives may have been achieved by now, but that's a little discussed option.
It does irks me that people aren't wanting to discuss that more especially on a thread I specifically created for discussion.
It can tally up here too I guess as a hope and expectation
I know what you mean mate. I keep trying to get a proper discussion underway about Bible John in a WhatsApp group I'm part of and nobody's interested. They reckon it's not relevant to the topic of 'Justin's surprise birthday party'. They don't know what I'm planning.
Add Justin to the group, he's something of an expert. He's listened to three podcasts on the issue.
-
I think if Watkins and Duran had been paired up together more often these objectives may have been achieved by now, but that's a little discussed option.
It does irks me that people aren't wanting to discuss that more especially on a thread I specifically created for discussion.
It can tally up here too I guess as a hope and expectation
I know what you mean mate. I keep trying to get a proper discussion underway about Bible John in a WhatsApp group I'm part of and nobody's interested. They reckon it's not relevant to the topic of 'Justin's surprise birthday party'. They don't know what I'm planning.
Add Justin to the group, he's something of an expert. He's listened to three podcasts on the issue.
Justin, if he were a real person, is a Bible John sceptic. He thinks - if he could indeed think - it was all to do with George Soros.
-
Wrong. Always and forever.
What's wrong ?
That Villa won't be second or third come end of next matches?
I could be I guess more because I think Liverpool are being over rated and that Arsenal could beat them
But then again Arsenal haven't been seriously impressive in some games.
Really there's nothing to fear from those two and even Man City when we play them ourselves.
Everything is wrong. I've never agreed with a single word written. Ever
Sorry to hear if you're not feeling it today as there's a lack of zest and zeal in your contributions! That always helps me when I write and not feeling good or I can be inspired by others who write with zest and zeal themselves. And that use to be you.
I know you have previously so do try if you can but clearly today something else is happening so wish you all the best for the week!
I agree, Footy.
-
Wrong. Always and forever.
What's wrong ?
That Villa won't be second or third come end of next matches?
I could be I guess more because I think Liverpool are being over rated and that Arsenal could beat them
But then again Arsenal haven't been seriously impressive in some games.
Really there's nothing to fear from those two and even Man City when we play them ourselves.
Everything is wrong. I've never agreed with a single word written. Ever
Sorry to hear if you're not feeling it today as there's a lack of zest and zeal in your contributions! That always helps me when I write and not feeling good or I can be inspired by others who write with zest and zeal themselves. And that use to be you.
I know you have previously so do try if you can but clearly today something else is happening so wish you all the best for the week!
Shove your condescending bollocks up your fucking arse
Twice
You're not even a real person.
Zest my arse
REPORTED!
that's vile and I'm sick of the insinuating STOP IT
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I think if Watkins and Duran had been paired up together more often these objectives may have been achieved by now, but that's a little discussed option.
It does irks me that people aren't wanting to discuss that more especially on a thread I specifically created for discussion.
It can tally up here too I guess as a hope and expectation
I know what you mean mate. I keep trying to get a proper discussion underway about Bible John in a WhatsApp group I'm part of and nobody's interested. They reckon it's not relevant to the topic of 'Justin's surprise birthday party'. They don't know what I'm planning.
Add Justin to the group, he's something of an expert. He's listened to three podcasts on the issue.
Justin, if he were a real person, is a Bible John sceptic. He thinks - if he could indeed think - it was all to do with George Soros.
Ha! That's ridiculous. As if George Soros is a real person. Justin's a fucking idiot, the imaginary twat.
-
I think if Watkins and Duran had been paired up together more often these objectives may have been achieved by now, but that's a little discussed option.
It does irks me that people aren't wanting to discuss that more especially on a thread I specifically created for discussion.
It can tally up here too I guess as a hope and expectation
I know what you mean mate. I keep trying to get a proper discussion underway about Bible John in a WhatsApp group I'm part of and nobody's interested. They reckon it's not relevant to the topic of 'Justin's surprise birthday party'. They don't know what I'm planning.
Add Justin to the group, he's something of an expert. He's listened to three podcasts on the issue.
Justin, if he were a real person, is a Bible John sceptic. He thinks - if he could indeed think - it was all to do with George Soros.
Ha! That's ridiculous. As if George Soros is a real person. Justin's a fucking idiot, the imaginary twat.
I hate Justin and I'm glad he's dead.
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"Justin's Surprise Party" > Group info > Change group name > "Justin's Surprise Wake"
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"Justin's Surprise Party" > Group info > Change group name > "Justin's Surprise Wake"
Original name still applies IMO.
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Are we going to get into Bible John or not?
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Are we going to get into Bible John or not?
You may if you must, but I would advise use of a robust prophylactic, if rumours are true.
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Bible John is Bruno Fernandes. Prove me wrong.
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I’m laughing aloud. Thank you chaps.
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I've compared the fixtures we've played so far this season to last season and looked at those games where the results were different.
Substituting the three promoted clubs for those that were relegated, these are the games where we got different results
West Ham A +2
Arsenal H -3
Man U H +1
Ipswich A -2
Bournemouth H -2
So 4 points worse off compared to the same fixtures last season.
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I've compared the fixtures we've played so far this season to last season and looked at those games where the results were different.
Substituting the three promoted clubs for those that were relegated, these are the games where we got different results
West Ham A +2
Arsenal H -3
Man U H +1
Ipswich A -2
Bournemouth H -2
So 4 points worse off compared to the same fixtures last season.
Thanks and i would argue fixtures have been easier. Dont think we have scored as many either
For me tough ask for top 4 again i think mainly because we leak too many goals
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I've compared the fixtures we've played so far this season to last season and looked at those games where the results were different.
Substituting the three promoted clubs for those that were relegated, these are the games where we got different results
West Ham A +2
Arsenal H -3
Man U H +1
Ipswich A -2
Bournemouth H -2
So 4 points worse off compared to the same fixtures last season.
Look at our results from Jan-May. We actually weren't very good aside from winning three straight in Feb/March so we should be stronger in the second half of the season with the squad we now have.
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Top 4 again
Last 8 Champions League
League Cup or FA Cup win
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That would be a unbelievable season for us
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When we were knocked out of the League cup by Man Utd and Everton the past two seasons I strongly defended Emery on the basis it was all about the league.
It's funny, now that we have 'done the top 4 thing' I sort of want us to go for the league cup. It's the one cup competition where the whole thing is really done and dusted over basically a handful of games and you still have a couple of months to concentrate on the league after the final. Some silverware is overdue
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When we were knocked out of the League cup by Man Utd and Everton the past two seasons I strongly defended Emery on the basis it was all about the league.
It's funny, now that we have 'done the top 4 thing' I sort of want us to go for the league cup. It's the one cup competition where the whole thing is really done and dusted over basically a handful of games and you still have a couple of months to concentrate on the league after the final. Some silverware is overdue
I know it may be different for some older posters, and I do think continued CL qualification is important for the growth of the club, but if offered, I'd absolutely take Europa League next season and a League Cup over Champions League qualification and no trophy.
I started properly following us during the '96-'97 season, when I was 7 years old. I'm now 35 and I haven't seen us win anything.
Consistent European qualification is a big deal, and the Bayern game was amazing, but for a club of our size, I think we have a trophy-shaped monkey on our back. So for next season alone, I'd be delighted to accept a League Cup win in exchange for being able to hear a bit of knock-off Handel before a few matches.
CL qualification boosts our income and profile massively, makes us more competitive, more attractive to transfer targets, more likely to win trophies in future etc. I know. But, personally, I just want one under our belt and in our trophy room sooner rather than later.
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Completely agree Rory.
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I've compared the fixtures we've played so far this season to last season and looked at those games where the results were different.
Substituting the three promoted clubs for those that were relegated, these are the games where we got different results
West Ham A +2
Arsenal H -3
Man U H +1
Ipswich A -2
Bournemouth H -2
So 4 points worse off compared to the same fixtures last season.
Thanks and i would argue fixtures have been easier. Dont think we have scored as many either
For me tough ask for top 4 again i think mainly because we leak too many goals
Will continue to say this every time I see this same fixture comparison post on here: this is a fools errand given that the relative quality, personnel and form of the teams played changes significantly from season to season. Even more so when you're subbing in totally diffferent teams who have been promoted. It also doesn't account for fixture runs, post-European matches, when in the calendar the corresponding fixtures occurred (e.g. over Xmas/NY) or how good a form we were in when we played them. It's not Football Manager, fixtures don't happen in the abstract.
Not saying everything is perfect but this specific issue is really not worth hand-wringing over.
On top of this, you'd also expect that with the extra squad depth we now have (and just a little bit more luck with 1/2 less injuries in the New Year) players will be less tired for the run-in and we'll outperform our PPG across the final 15 or so fixtures in comparison to last season, across which we were 9th in the league last season and really not good.
Between 1.8-2 points per game (which is what we've averaged with Unai across his entire tenure thus far) and it'll see us on between 68-76 points, which will certainly be good enough for 5th place unless we're in a freak year. We're currently on track for that and have had a better start than all of our rivals for 4th/5th. Relax.
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Top 5 is what I think we are aiming for and I am still confident we can get it. The next 2 games will tell us a lot.
I expected 5 points from Fulham (1), Bournemouth (3), Spurs (1) and Liverpool (0) and I think that's what we will get.
Although that makes it 7 points from 18, it should leave us in the top 8 still, with a couple of the trickier games out of the way.
I still can't believe there are people claiming Man City aren't on a different level to us. Totally absurd (and wildly incorrect) viewpoint. Same goes for Liverpool and probably Arsenal if we are honest. (The fixtures they have had compared to us have been far more difficult.)
5th and CL qualification, along with a trophy of any kind would be amazing and certainly not impossible.
Really, REALLY need to beat Palace twice in the next few weeks.
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Yeah, the last four games have seen me check my ambitions a bit. Top five target, get back in the CL. Try and do something crazy in it this season. Improve the right hand side in the summer.
We're still progressing at a phenomenal rate, but consolidation and improvement when you get to a certain level are fine too. Newcastle more than once, Everton, Leeds, Leicester and others have all failed to do that.
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I said 7th in league and i still think thats where we will finish thia year
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I said 7th in league and i still think thats where we will finish thia year
Why tell us again then? :D
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I said 7th in league and i still think thats where we will finish thia year
Why tell us again then? :D
As i havent changed my mind. Was hoping i would but i cant see us finishing top 5 unless our home form improves and we stop leaking goals. We are conceding way too many goals at the moment
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3rd or 4th I reckon. I can't see who's going to displace us. We are still better than Spurs, Newcastle and Chelsea.
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Discounting Chelsea, we haven't really lost any ground this weekend.
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I said 7th in league and i still think thats where we will finish thia year
Why tell us again then? :D
As i havent changed my mind. Was hoping i would but i cant see us finishing top 5 unless our home form improves and we stop leaking goals. We are conceding way too many goals at the moment
We're 4th now?
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I think it’s symbolically important that we finish in the top 4 again. Doing something once can look like a fluke, but the more times you do it the less it can be put down to luck. We as a club need to be spoken about as a constituent part of a Big 4/5/6.
Being part of a “Big Top Half of the Division” is no good, we need it so that 4* Champions League spots are just assumed to go to Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal, and us. That’s not so far from reality - the first 3 of those will almost certainly qualify for the CL in most people’s eyes. We need that to get bigger sponsorship deals, attract the very best players, and generally act like a club that belongs where we currently are - in the top 1% of club teams in Europe, and so therefore the world.
* let some lucky competition winner have the occasional 5th place - I don’t want us to be reliant on how other clubs do in Europe
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I said 7th in league and i still think thats where we will finish thia year
Why tell us again then? :D
As i havent changed my mind. Was hoping i would but i cant see us finishing top 5 unless our home form improves and we stop leaking goals. We are conceding way too many goals at the moment
2 goals against in the last 5 games is not way too many.
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I think it’s symbolically important that we finish in the top 4 again. Doing something once can look like a fluke, but the more times you do it the less it can be put down to luck. We as a club need to be spoken about as a constituent part of a Big 4/5/6.
Being part of a “Big Top Half of the Division” is no good, we need it so that 4* Champions League spots are just assumed to go to Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal, and us. That’s not so far from reality - the first 3 of those will almost certainly qualify for the CL in most people’s eyes. We need that to get bigger sponsorship deals, attract the very best players, and generally act like a club that belongs where we currently are - in the top 1% of club teams in Europe, and so therefore the world.
* let some lucky competition winner have the occasional 5th place - I don’t want us to be reliant on how other clubs do in Europe
Agreed and a good point. I was quite pessimistic before the season that we could replicate it again but I have been pleasantly surprised with our start and that it looks like another top 4 push is on the cards. An improved Chelsea is a worry but I am hopeful Arsenal or Liverpool may yet falter and we look to have maintained our superiority over Tottenham, Newcastle and Man Utd.
Like you say, the aim is for us to be in the CL running as the norm rather than an exception.
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I've thought for a while now that we will get better as the season goes on, the opposite of last season. With a fair amount of (managed) upheaval over the summer, and with plenty of players coming back from injury, I thought we'd start slowly and grow into the season as new signings got used to playing under Unai, and as those coming back from injury got fit again.
I think that's still the case. I think our performances so far this season have been okay - not brilliant, but not awful. Our results have been generally decent, but we haven't played many good teams yet. Individually, I would say that only a few players have been playing above what is expected of them (Tielemens and Duran - maybe Digne?) whereas the rest have been just okay. Players like Ramsey, Rogers and Bailey have an extra gear to go up - Ramsey and Bailey in terms of general performance, and Rogers in terms of converting good displays into more goals and assists.
I'm feeling pretty positive about everything, even though I think we are maybe higher in the table than our performances suggest. The fixture list has been kind to us so far, but we have some much tougher games coming up and I think we may find ourselves slipping down the table a little. That's not the end of the world though, because I can see us finishing very strongly after Christmas.
We're fourth in the league (top of another one) and I don't think we've got going yet. There is plenty of room for improvement.
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This next couple of weeks will be a good indicator of where we are.
Not too fussed about Palace midweek, as it just adds more demands on the squad, but if we get past them with a skeleton crew, then I guess it's time to start taking it seriously.
The Bournemouth setback could be just what we needed with Spurs and Liverpool away coming up. IMO, we're a better drilled outfit than both of them, and I'm optimistic we can beat Spurs and at least get a draw out of Liverpool...... Just depends on how we fair against Brugge.
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CL qualification again - which could be 5th place - is pretty much essential to keep the squad together and for the obvious financial implications of NOT finishing in a CL spot. Not getting in the CL next season will see far more upheaval than we had this summer.
Unai will want to go deep in the CL - we are on for a top 8 finish and with a good draw we could reach the quarter-finals - then it's a lottery.
We won't win the league - we just aren't quite ruthless enough, as Saturday showed.
So then we have the two domestic cups. These have to be of higher importance now. We "should" win on Wednesday, but Unai, so far, has not been overly bothered by the League Cup and FA Cup.
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We've only conceded twice this month, haven't we? Carlos is proving he isn't shit after all and Mings is on his way back too. In fact we're all on our way, we're on our way.
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I said 7th in league and i still think thats where we will finish thia year
Why tell us again then? :D
As i havent changed my mind. Was hoping i would but i cant see us finishing top 5 unless our home form improves and we stop leaking goals. We are conceding way too many goals at the moment
We're 4th now?
Yeah but im referring to long term.
I think we are going to drop out of the top 5 before December due to the tough games coming up.
If we are still in top 5 by the December games come up i will fancy our chances
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Can 5th get us Champions League again this year?
By that I mean, I know it depends da on a loads of variables. But isn’t possible ?
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Can 5th get us Champions League again this year?
By that I mean, I know it depends da on a loads of variables. But isn’t possible ?
At the moment 5th is looking good for CL. We are top of coefficients by a distance mainly because everyone except manures results in europe.
Banker chelsea will win conference league too which will help. 4th or 5th doesn't matter as long as top 5 get Cl
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* let some lucky competition winner have the occasional 5th place - I don’t want us to be reliant on how other clubs do in Europe
Unless we win the league, or qualify as holders, we would be reliant on how other clubs have done in Europe. England only has four Chamlions League places because of consistent high performance in Europe by English clubs. Obviously we can now affect that ourselves while we are in Europe, but only a bit.
I wouldn't hesitate to take fifth place and the Champions League again if offered it now.
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I said 7th in league and i still think thats where we will finish thia year
Why tell us again then? :D
As i havent changed my mind. Was hoping i would but i cant see us finishing top 5 unless our home form improves and we stop leaking goals. We are conceding way too many goals at the moment
We're 4th now?
Yeah but im referring to long term.
I think we are going to drop out of the top 5 before December due to the tough games coming up.
If we are still in top 5 by the December games come up i will fancy our chances
We finished 4th last season? A quarter of the way through this one, we're 4th?
We have 6 games a season against sides better than us in the league. Anybody watching last night or saw the performance against Arsenal earlier in August, will know it's not by very much either, that "better".
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I said 7th in league and i still think thats where we will finish thia year
Why tell us again then? :D
As i havent changed my mind. Was hoping i would but i cant see us finishing top 5 unless our home form improves and we stop leaking goals. We are conceding way too many goals at the moment
We're 4th now?
Yeah but im referring to long term.
I think we are going to drop out of the top 5 before December due to the tough games coming up.
If we are still in top 5 by the December games come up i will fancy our chances
We finished 4th last season? A quarter of the way through this one, we're 4th?
We have 6 games a season against sides better than us in the league. Anybody watching last night or saw the performance against Arsenal earlier in August, will know it's not by very much either, that "better".
But as ive said consistently at start of season i dont think we are as strong as last season. We have more squad depth but i think the squad looks defensively worse and we are not as much as a attacking threat as we were when we had diaby and luiz.
Of course this is only 9 games in we could go opposite to last year and start slower and get better as season gets on. But i have my reservations on that
The next 4 will show me if i am wrong or right as we have some toughies
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I think I’d just not bother watching football anymore if I felt like that about Villa, now.
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I said 7th in league and i still think thats where we will finish thia year
Why tell us again then? :D
As i havent changed my mind. Was hoping i would but i cant see us finishing top 5 unless our home form improves and we stop leaking goals. We are conceding way too many goals at the moment
We're 4th now?
Yeah but im referring to long term.
I think we are going to drop out of the top 5 before December due to the tough games coming up.
If we are still in top 5 by the December games come up i will fancy our chances
We finished 4th last season? A quarter of the way through this one, we're 4th?
We have 6 games a season against sides better than us in the league. Anybody watching last night or saw the performance against Arsenal earlier in August, will know it's not by very much either, that "better".
But as ive said consistently at start of season i dont think we are as strong as last season. We have more squad depth but i think the squad looks defensively worse and we are not as much as a attacking threat as we were when we had diaby and luiz.
Of course this is only 9 games in we could go opposite to last year and start slower and get better as season gets on. But i have my reservations on that
The next 4 will show me if i am wrong or right as we have some toughies
We've gained Maatsen, Ned, Mings and Kamara defensively. Who have we lost that's made us defensively worse?
We've lost 1 game in 13. We're also 4th. How have we started slowly?
I am trying to understand why you think we'll finish 7th and gut feeling is fine, but you're presenting the opinion as being driven by something else- it doesn't appear fact based to me.
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I said 7th in league and i still think thats where we will finish thia year
Why tell us again then? :D
As i havent changed my mind. Was hoping i would but i cant see us finishing top 5 unless our home form improves and we stop leaking goals. We are conceding way too many goals at the moment
We're 4th now?
Yeah but im referring to long term.
I think we are going to drop out of the top 5 before December due to the tough games coming up.
If we are still in top 5 by the December games come up i will fancy our chances
We finished 4th last season? A quarter of the way through this one, we're 4th?
We have 6 games a season against sides better than us in the league. Anybody watching last night or saw the performance against Arsenal earlier in August, will know it's not by very much either, that "better".
But as ive said consistently at start of season i dont think we are as strong as last season. We have more squad depth but i think the squad looks defensively worse and we are not as much as a attacking threat as we were when we had diaby and luiz.
Of course this is only 9 games in we could go opposite to last year and start slower and get better as season gets on. But i have my reservations on that
The next 4 will show me if i am wrong or right as we have some toughies
We've gained Maatsen, Ned, Mings and Kamara defensively. Who have we lost that's made us defensively worse?
We've lost 1 game in 13. We're also 4th. How have we started slowly?
I am trying to understand why you think we'll finish 7th and gut feeling is fine, but you're presenting the opinion as being driven by something else- it doesn't appear fact based to me.
Im basing it on the defensive performances we cant keep clean sheets in the league often enough. Right back is the key area we never strengthed.
We have lost only 1 but you have to look at who we have played only arsenal and fulham i would say are the tricky sides. We scraped past everton after battering kast year a prime example.
No im not basing it on fact at all its just my opinion. I do think that diabys a bigger miss than people think. When we had diaby we broke so well now we look pretty bad on the counter. Youris been doing great so that helps with luiz but luiz scores more so again i feel these two players added something last year.
I do hope you are right and im wrong for the record!
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The lack of pace, with Bailey being off form and Diaby gone, is a problem. Rogers has a lot of positive attributes, but he's not scoring regularly based on the chances he is getting(yet).
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"Look at who we played"- we find it very difficult to play sides better than us. I echo what Arne Slot says, they're all supposedly tough games, so why does anybody get a free ride based on fixtures?
I'm not less expectant of beating Tottenham away than I am Bournemouth at home.
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This next couple of weeks will be a good indicator of where we are.
Not too fussed about Palace midweek, as it just adds more demands on the squad,
This is so sad. 3 ties from Wembley and our one realistic trophy and people don't care about it.
I do. I want a trophy more than anything and on top of that, we have a whole team of players that need gametime. Makes no sense whatsoever to disregard the League Cup. Especially not with the squad we have.
Otherwise, what's the point in football if not to try and win a trophy?
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The lack of pace, with Bailey being off form and Diaby gone, is a problem. Rogers has a lot of positive attributes, but he's not scoring regularly based on the chances he is getting(yet).
I agree with this. We look slower as a team going forward since diaby left
Jadens had a mixed start so far. Diaby hit the geound running straight away before hitting poor form towards end of season. Think fatigue played a role in that
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... 3 ties from Wembley and our one realistic trophy ...
Why is it our one realistic trophy? - we're still in four competitions.
I'd love to win a trophy but I'm not quite as fatalistic about it as you seem.
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... 3 ties from Wembley and our one realistic trophy ...
Why is it our one realistic trophy? - we're still in four competitions.
I'd love to win a trophy but I'm not quite as fatalistic about it as you seem.
If you think winning the Premier League and/or the Champions league is realistic then I think you need to take your claret tinted glasses off.
I'm not being fatalistic, I am being realistic.
As for the FA Cup, which we haven't won in nearly 70 years, I will mark that down as realistic when/if we reach the latter stages.
Beat Palace and we are into the last 8, in a tournament the top teams often play weakened teams in. It's there if want it.
Just to be clear, you are saying that it's realistic we will win the league or CL this season?
If so, I respectfully disagree.
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The lack of pace, with Bailey being off form and Diaby gone, is a problem. Rogers has a lot of positive attributes, but he's not scoring regularly based on the chances he is getting(yet).
I agree with this. We look slower as a team going forward since diaby left
Jadens had a mixed start so far. Diaby hit the geound running straight away before hitting poor form towards end of season. Think fatigue played a role in that
He wasn't fatigued, he struggled with the physicality here. I don't think we miss him half as much as we do Bailey's form of last season.
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... 3 ties from Wembley and our one realistic trophy ...
Why is it our one realistic trophy? - we're still in four competitions.
I'd love to win a trophy but I'm not quite as fatalistic about it as you seem.
If you think winning the Premier League and/or the Champions league is realistic then I think you need to take your claret tinted glasses off.
I'm not being fatalistic, I am being realistic.
As for the FA Cup, which we haven't won in nearly 70 years, I will mark that down as realistic when/if we reach the latter stages.
Beat Palace and we are into the last 8, in a tournament the top teams often play weakened teams in. It's there if want it.
Just to be clear, you are saying that it's realistic we will win the league or CL this season?
If so, I respectfully disagree.
The Champions League is more likely than the Premier League. There's absolutely no way we're going to end up with more points in the league than all of Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal.
The Champions League is unlikely, but possible. If we qualify for the last 16, and then get some favourable ties, who knows? We can beat anybody on our day, which is entirely different to getting enough points to win the league over 38 games.
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... 3 ties from Wembley and our one realistic trophy ...
Why is it our one realistic trophy? - we're still in four competitions.
I'd love to win a trophy but I'm not quite as fatalistic about it as you seem.
If you think winning the Premier League and/or the Champions league is realistic then I think you need to take your claret tinted glasses off.
I'm not being fatalistic, I am being realistic.
As for the FA Cup, which we haven't won in nearly 70 years, I will mark that down as realistic when/if we reach the latter stages.
Beat Palace and we are into the last 8, in a tournament the top teams often play weakened teams in. It's there if want it.
Just to be clear, you are saying that it's realistic we will win the league or CL this season?
If so, I respectfully disagree.
The Champions League is more likely than the Premier League. There's absolutely no way we're going to end up with more points in the league than all of Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal.
The Champions League is unlikely, but possible. If we qualify for the last 16, and then get some favourable ties, who knows? We can beat anybody on our day, which is entirely different to getting enough points to win the league over 38 games.
I agree it's possible to win the CL, it's just not realistic which is what my original post was about, whereas the Carabao Cup absolutely is realistic and we should do everything we can to win it. 28 years is far, far too long.
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... 3 ties from Wembley and our one realistic trophy ...
Why is it our one realistic trophy? - we're still in four competitions.
I'd love to win a trophy but I'm not quite as fatalistic about it as you seem.
If you think winning the Premier League and/or the Champions league is realistic then I think you need to take your claret tinted glasses off.
I'm not being fatalistic, I am being realistic.
As for the FA Cup, which we haven't won in nearly 70 years, I will mark that down as realistic when/if we reach the latter stages.
Beat Palace and we are into the last 8, in a tournament the top teams often play weakened teams in. It's there if want it.
Just to be clear, you are saying that it's realistic we will win the league or CL this season?
If so, I respectfully disagree.
The Champions League is more likely than the Premier League. There's absolutely no way we're going to end up with more points in the league than all of Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal.
The Champions League is unlikely, but possible. If we qualify for the last 16, and then get some favourable ties, who knows? We can beat anybody on our day, which is entirely different to getting enough points to win the league over 38 games.
I agree it's possible to win the CL, it's just not realistic which is what my original post was about, whereas the Carabao Cup absolutely is realistic and we should do everything we can to win it. 28 years is far, far too long.
One person's realism is another's pessimism.
I'm certainly not optimistically deluded but your earlier was so definitive I felt it needed challenging.
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... 3 ties from Wembley and our one realistic trophy ...
Why is it our one realistic trophy? - we're still in four competitions.
I'd love to win a trophy but I'm not quite as fatalistic about it as you seem.
If you think winning the Premier League and/or the Champions league is realistic then I think you need to take your claret tinted glasses off.
I'm not being fatalistic, I am being realistic.
As for the FA Cup, which we haven't won in nearly 70 years, I will mark that down as realistic when/if we reach the latter stages.
Beat Palace and we are into the last 8, in a tournament the top teams often play weakened teams in. It's there if want it.
Just to be clear, you are saying that it's realistic we will win the league or CL this season?
If so, I respectfully disagree.
The Champions League is more likely than the Premier League. There's absolutely no way we're going to end up with more points in the league than all of Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal.
The Champions League is unlikely, but possible. If we qualify for the last 16, and then get some favourable ties, who knows? We can beat anybody on our day, which is entirely different to getting enough points to win the league over 38 games.
I agree entirely with you mate, but how much of a grin inducing thought is it to be able to seriously consider winning the European Cup?!
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... 3 ties from Wembley and our one realistic trophy ...
Why is it our one realistic trophy? - we're still in four competitions.
I'd love to win a trophy but I'm not quite as fatalistic about it as you seem.
If you think winning the Premier League and/or the Champions league is realistic then I think you need to take your claret tinted glasses off.
I'm not being fatalistic, I am being realistic.
As for the FA Cup, which we haven't won in nearly 70 years, I will mark that down as realistic when/if we reach the latter stages.
Beat Palace and we are into the last 8, in a tournament the top teams often play weakened teams in. It's there if want it.
Just to be clear, you are saying that it's realistic we will win the league or CL this season?
If so, I respectfully disagree.
The Champions League is more likely than the Premier League. There's absolutely no way we're going to end up with more points in the league than all of Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal.
The Champions League is unlikely, but possible. If we qualify for the last 16, and then get some favourable ties, who knows? We can beat anybody on our day, which is entirely different to getting enough points to win the league over 38 games.
I agree it's possible to win the CL, it's just not realistic which is what my original post was about, whereas the Carabao Cup absolutely is realistic and we should do everything we can to win it. 28 years is far, far too long.
One person's realism is another's pessimism.
I'm certainly not optimistically deluded but your earlier was so definitive I felt it needed challenging.
It is quite clearly not realistic that we will win the league or Champions League this season. I think that is an objective truth, rather than just my opinion.
That is not to say it's impossible, just that it's not realistic.
The Carabao Cup however, is realistic and that was my only point. Nothing pessimistic about that whatsoever.
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The strange conundrum of modern football. The League Cup is the easiest to win on paper but we give ourselves the slimmest chance by playing the reserves. Not saying it's not the right decision, just that it's odd.
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... 3 ties from Wembley and our one realistic trophy ...
Why is it our one realistic trophy? - we're still in four competitions.
I'd love to win a trophy but I'm not quite as fatalistic about it as you seem.
If you think winning the Premier League and/or the Champions league is realistic then I think you need to take your claret tinted glasses off.
I'm not being fatalistic, I am being realistic.
As for the FA Cup, which we haven't won in nearly 70 years, I will mark that down as realistic when/if we reach the latter stages.
Beat Palace and we are into the last 8, in a tournament the top teams often play weakened teams in. It's there if want it.
Just to be clear, you are saying that it's realistic we will win the league or CL this season?
If so, I respectfully disagree.
The Champions League is more likely than the Premier League. There's absolutely no way we're going to end up with more points in the league than all of Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal.
The Champions League is unlikely, but possible. If we qualify for the last 16, and then get some favourable ties, who knows? We can beat anybody on our day, which is entirely different to getting enough points to win the league over 38 games.
I agree it's possible to win the CL, it's just not realistic which is what my original post was about, whereas the Carabao Cup absolutely is realistic and we should do everything we can to win it. 28 years is far, far too long.
One person's realism is another's pessimism.
I'm certainly not optimistically deluded but your earlier was so definitive I felt it needed challenging.
It is quite clearly not realistic that we will win the league or Champions League this season. I think that is an objective truth, rather than just my opinion.
That is not to say it's impossible, just that it's not realistic.
The Carabao Cup however, is realistic and that was my only point. Nothing pessimistic about that whatsoever.
The draw defines how realistic it is. If we beat Palace and then draw Man City away, its probably not realistic anymore.
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I thought we’d start slowly compared to last season, and I think that’s been borne out, albeit not quite how I imagined. Performances have been up and down, often within a single game. We’ve not yet put in 90 minutes of domination - aka “giving someone a twatting” - that I can recall.
But we have nonetheless accrued points at quite a lick and, quite impressively, avoided defeat for the most part.
Whereas last season we came into late November/early December on fire (only to smoulder rather than burn for the rest of the season), if we can pick up results in the next few league games, it seems that we could get to that same period while actually growing in strength, in absolute terms and relative to our opponents.
Lastly, our form in Emery’s first half season was top 4ish. Our actual results last year were top four. We’re in the top four after a quarter of the season this year. In other words, we’ve been there for two years non stop. It’s not a fluke.
That’s why I’m pretty confident that we have what it takes to finish fourth, or better.
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I get prioritising the league and I always defend it.
That said, as a club, we have a serious trophy itch at the moment and I would be happier if I saw us go all out to win a trophy sooner rather than later.
Yeah, I get it we're going to win the league/Champions League etc. But seriosuly, a league cup win would be massive for the fans
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I get prioritising the league and I always defend it.
That said, as a club, we have a serious trophy itch at the moment and I would be happier if I saw us go all out to win a trophy sooner rather than later.
Yeah, I get it we're going to win the league/Champions League etc. But seriosuly, a league cup win would be massive for the fans
I'm the same, but then you look at someone like Ten Hag who won the FA Cup five months ago (his second trophy with them) and he's out on his ear. I don't think many managers get the sack for going out of domestic cup competitions quite early.
I wish we took every competition seriously, and tried to win everything we enter, but I also accept that this is an unrealistic expectation.
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I get prioritising the league and I always defend it.
That said, as a club, we have a serious trophy itch at the moment and I would be happier if I saw us go all out to win a trophy sooner rather than later.
Yeah, I get it we're going to win the league/Champions League etc. But seriosuly, a league cup win would be massive for the fans
I'm the same, but then you look at someone like Ten Hag who won the FA Cup five months ago (his second trophy with them) and he's out on his ear. I don't think many managers get the sack for going out of domestic cup competitions quite early.
I wish we took every competition seriously, and tried to win everything we enter, but I also accept that this is an unrealistic expectation.
I understand that, I got pelters last year and the year before defending The selections against Man U and Everton. I just felt that having achieved the CL promised land at last we could next focus on a trophy. Win 2 or 3 games in the league cup and all of a sudden you are near the business end. An FA Cup run is way more tricky to manage.
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I wouldn’t read much in tonight’s performance. It’s disappointing, but we treated a bit like a friendly.
I think my broader niggle is that in the league I think our form, in spite of our position, is pretty modest. Across the season we’ve been quite porous at the back, and going forward we’re often not particularly ruthless. The fixtures we’ve had have been very kind on the whole and now it’s where it starts to get tricky. Hopefully we’re going to kick into gear, but we need to hit a consistently better level than we have done.
Champions League has obviously been brilliant and I have complete faith in Unai (well duh!), just hoping we raise our level a bit in the league in the coming weeks.
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We all saw how knackered we looked towards the end of last season. We have to pick our fights, and tbh I can't see either of the domestic cups being fights that it's worth us picking right now. (Clearly the League Cup wasn't anyway!).
IMO neither are really worth the effort for us. There's probably 8-10 very decent teams who - if they decide to put out a strong side - we will only beat if we also put out a strong side and play reasonably well. Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle, Manc Utd, Spurs, Brighton, Fulham, Bournemouth.
I'd argue that in reality, we're as likely to do well in the European Cup as we are in the FA Cup, provided we finish in the top 8. We'd get a bye in the first knockout round, and be seeded in the Last 16, so would be favourites to get to the quarter-finals. Of course, we might also get to the quarter finals of the FA Cup but at that stage, we're still going to have to end up being better than teams like Manchester City, Liverpool, and Arsenal to win it ... so why not go for the bigger prize?
I don't like the way the FA Cup has been downgraded to such an extent as it has. It's wrong. However, the hard facts are that finishing 4th in the Premier League is better for us than winning the FA Cup - better financially, better competitively, better for European qualification .... it's wrong, but that's the way it is. We have to concentrate first and foremost on the League, and then on Europe. If our stiffs do well enough in the domestic cups, great. That proves we have a squad strong enough to compete on multiple fronts. But we mustn't sacrifice the things that are going to give the club a material advantage in the future for them.
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My view on cup competitions is a bit old skool I'm afraid. I can remember what we won in 1981,1982, 1994 and 1996. I struggle to remember our increased turnover between 2006 and 2010 when we always qualified for Europe under O'Neill. MoN got blasted for the side against CSKA. I don't say Emery should but that bench was rather "experimental" last night.
Moreover, i can also remember who won the League cup in 2010 [when we were stitched in the final] and worst of all who won it in 2011.
If the aim is Europe every year under UE then I thought domestic cup competitions qualify you for the same.
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Geting shot down for suggesting we maybe, just maybe, aren't at Man City and Liverpool's level, might be looking a bit ridiculous given our recent form. (Not that it wasn't a batshit mental suggestion beforehand)
1 point and 1 goal in 3 games against the Sky 6, out of the cup and drawing with Ipswich and Bournemouth, is objectively not title challenging level.
We are a good side, no doubt about that, but top 5 would be a great finish and i still believe we can end the season there.
Big week ahead.
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I think 22/23 Emery's Villa and 23/24 Emery's Villa would comfortably beat 24/25 Emery's Villa.
The structure isn't as good, the finishing isn't nearly as good, the defending has been very iffy. I don't know if there is a bit of fatigue at play, mentally? Or if the recruitment is questionable but it is a real shame after giving it such a right good go for two years.
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It’s the same as I said before. In the league we’ve had benign fixtures and up to today were about par for results. But our performances are continually really sloppy at both ends of the pitch and the midfield gives us no control. Today has been coming and something needs to change as our level is below what it needs to be.
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Today was a dent in expectations. How big a dent remains to be seen.
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Today was a dent in expectations. How big a dent remains to be seen.
Nah. Today was a dodgy second half and an incompetent referee.
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Today was a dent in expectations. How big a dent remains to be seen.
Nah. Today was a dodgy second half and an incompetent referee.
Sorry mate but we cant blame the ref for today. That was all on us. A pretty pathetic display that second half.
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I think the form Bailey had last is a huge loss - he was a brilliant creative outlet.
Also people might have been frustrated with him, but Diaby’s pace and directness gave us something different. If Rogers isn’t on the pitch we don’t really have players to drive at the opposition, it makes it easy to recover against us.
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Today was a dent in expectations. How big a dent remains to be seen.
Nah. Today was a dodgy second half and an incompetent referee.
Sorry mate but we cant blame the ref for today. That was all on us. A pretty pathetic display that second half.
I can and will blame the ref for allowing Udogie and Bentancur a free license to kick our players for about 75 mins before booking one of them. They did this for the majority of the game, and could have had 2 red cards. The Udogie one at the start set the tone.
The 2nd half was just lacklustre. It happens and against a team like Spurs, if you miss chances you should score (Watkins X2) and fuck up great attacking situations with a poor final ball then you are liable to conceding.
There were lots of people saying we were fucked for 4th after they did the same shit to us last season. I will wait to see what happens this time too.
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I think the form Bailey had last is a huge loss - he was a brilliant creative outlet.
Also people might have been frustrated with him, but Diaby’s pace and directness gave us something different. If Rogers isn’t on the pitch we don’t really have players to drive at the opposition, it makes it easy to recover against us.
Diaby was a big loss and Bailey turning to the old Bailey has compounded the loss of Diaby.
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I think the form Bailey had last is a huge loss - he was a brilliant creative outlet.
Also people might have been frustrated with him, but Diaby’s pace and directness gave us something different. If Rogers isn’t on the pitch we don’t really have players to drive at the opposition, it makes it easy to recover against us.
I agree with the doaby part of your post. Was saying this same thing when we sold him. I really wanted to be wrong but so far it seems this is one of our biggest attcking flaws this season
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Diaby suddenly appears to be a far better player now that he’s gone.
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Diaby suddenly appears to be a far better player now that he’s gone.
Diaby was never a bad player for us. He hit a bit of bad form towards end of season but was still creating chances for us. Look at his stats last season. Very impressive for a players first season in england
Was gutted when we sold him then and still am now.
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Diaby suddenly appears to be a far better player now that he’s gone.
Nope he offered something different to what we have and from memory he was involved in 13 goals in the league. He wasn’t perfect but he had an important impact.
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I'm not giving up on it yet but for the first time this season I am having doubts that we'll improve on last season’s league position.
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I'm not giving up on it yet but for the first time this season I am having doubts that we'll improve on last season’s league position.
Pretty certain we won’t.
We would need to get on a good run, I keep looking back to the period we beat Arse and aciteh, we are nowhere near that level.
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We'll win the CL.
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We'll win the CL.
YES Smirker!
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I'm not giving up on it yet but for the first time this season I am having doubts that we'll improve on last season’s league position.
We were obviously not going to close the chasm between us and the top 3 by selling 2 of our better players and failing to improve a poor defence.
I still think we can get 5th but 6th/7th is more likely imo.
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I think we will do well if we finish in the top 6 this season. Also, if we get to the last 16 of the CL or beyond, that will also be a very good achievement.
I don't think we will win the FA Cup; the League Cup was the most tangible opportunity this season.
From the equivalent fixtures last season, we would have been on 25 points this season - swapping Ipswich and Leicester for e.g. any two from Luton, Burnley and Sheff Utd.
I know you can't necessarily compare all like for like fixtures against teams from last season, but it is an indication that we are tracking behind last season's achievements. We are also currently in a much tougher phase of fixtures.
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I don't want to be all 'modern fan' - I'm too old for one thing - but I don't want our next trophy to be the League Cup.
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We have already dropped points vs last season (Spurs A and Arsenal H) and our current home form is patchy... I feel the return of Kamara is key to our season being brilliant or just average.
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I don't want to be all 'modern fan' - I'm too old for one thing - but I don't want our next trophy to be the League Cup.
I don't think you'll have to worry too much about that with Emery in charge.
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I don't want to be all 'modern fan' - I'm too old for one thing - but I don't want our next trophy to be the League Cup.
I don't think you'll have to worry too much about that with Emery in charge.
Ha! Very true.
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I don't want to be all 'modern fan' - I'm too old for one thing - but I don't want our next trophy to be the League Cup.
Ill take anything 😂
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I don't want to be all 'modern fan' - I'm too old for one thing - but I don't want our next trophy to be the League Cup.
It's been long enough since we won the League Cup. If you want to win a different trophy first, I suspect you'll be waiting a lifetime.
I would take any trophy going and the League Cup is always the most likely by far.
Sadly, we've thrown that possibility away again.
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I don't want to be all 'modern fan' - I'm too old for one thing - but I don't want our next trophy to be the League Cup.
It's been long enough since we won the League Cup. If you want to win a different trophy first, I suspect you'll be waiting a lifetime.
I would take any trophy going and the League Cup is always the most likely by far.
Sadly, we've thrown that possibility away again.
Agree accent guy we need a trophy it doesn't matter which one
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I don't want to be all 'modern fan' - I'm too old for one thing - but I don't want our next trophy to be the League Cup.
Ill take anything 😂
This isn't the 'Dating' thread.
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I don't want to be all 'modern fan' - I'm too old for one thing - but I don't want our next trophy to be the League Cup.
Is right.
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I'd prefer the FA Cup of course but that's far harder to win. I reckon our next trophy will be the LC, just hope it happens in the next decade as we have waited far too long.
You never know though, maybe we will win the FA Cup in that timeframe.
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I don't want to be all 'modern fan' - I'm too old for one thing - but I don't want our next trophy to be the League Cup.
Ill take anything 😂
This isn't the 'Dating' thread.
Just when i was going to let you buy me a drink as well.
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Given who our manager is, our next trophy being the Europa League doesn't seem a bad bet.
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Given who our manager is, our next trophy being the Europa League doesn't seem a bad bet.
And I'd absolutely take it.
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Given who our manager is, our next trophy being the Europa League doesn't seem a bad bet.
That's not a bad shout. That or the Conference League, as we will more than likely be in one of them next season.
As long as we can improve on our recent form that is.
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Given who our manager is, our next trophy being the Europa League doesn't seem a bad bet.
That's not a bad shout. That or the Conference League, as we will more than likely be in one of them next season.
As log as we can improve on our recent form that is.
Yeah, current form is a turd.