Fixtures

[peter w]

Well I'll be outraged if home games against Rotherham and Huddersfield produce nothing better than one draw.

[SoccerHQ]

Sheffield Wednesday won't fancy us as their first game. It won't be the same Randy Lerner/Eric Black white flag waving, 3 points mailed in Aston Villa that we will see on August 7th.

In a funny way I'd actually prefer if we don't win the first game....only because we seemed to have the knack of doing that last few seasons (Bournemouth, Arsenal and Stoke) and it just leads to dismal seasons.

Whereas last good season we had 09/10 we started off with an awful 2-0 loss at home to Wigan.

Think it's more important we win the two back to back home games. We really need to get things going at VP and actually make it a difficult place for away teams to come to again. No excuse not to win 10-15 home games this season imo which would be a very enjoyable change from the norm.

We're no longer in the PL Soccer. Our expectations of this season need to be much, much higher. I want us to go out and have the attitude to win every single game and not consider for a second what happened last season or the past five seasons to what could happen going forward. I want us to stop being subservient and have a season that fills all of us with huge confidence again. We have become so used to losing. That has to stop.

Yes I know, in that post I did say a target for us should be to win 10-15 out of 23 homes. A 50% win ratio at VP near enough, that's lightyears away from the ratio last 5 years.

I just see it as perspective is needed. We could accumulate 100 points and still lose 10 games for example.

You know it will be meltdown on here and elsewhere every time we don't beat one of these "pub teams."

[Toronto Villa]

I do like this young man #FVC

[KevinGage]

Some tasty fixtures in there.

Wednesday away first up, hopefully with the sun out and another 3-2 victory. Just what the mysterious doctor ordered. 

Derby away in August, Forest at home in September and Preston away in early October. More attractive than Palace or Stoke away, and the usual gubbings against the Sky 4 lot.

[German James]

I was really looking forward to more midweek games (I work exclusively weekends) and not one of them is any good for me. Fuck it.

[Whiney MacWhineface]

Rotherham is first home game.  Haha.  Well done Randy - from Rotterdam to Rotherham!  I suppose it had to be...

Also: my first Second Division game with newly relegated Villa was the first home game of 1967 - Rotherham (August 26th). We won 3-1. We finished 16th...

[Tom_Mc9?]

Tough opener. Look forward to it though - should be fun.

[AV89]

If there had been no takeover, then I might agree.

However, given the new impetus Xia has brought and the funds that will be available to strengthen on top of players who are better than anything else down there in Ayew, Grealish et al,  then it has to be an automatic spot, as anything lower would be a massive under achievement.

We may well be a side the bumpkins cannot wait to play at first, but getting off to a flyer will soon have people looking at us as a write off bonus fixture.

Without wanting to sound like LTA, even with the takeover I wouldnt be rushing to the bookies to back us for automatic promotion just yet.  Yes it's fantastic that Lerner has gone, with the doctors ambitious plans offering some hope after the misery of the last few years, but the problems left by Lerner haven't suddenly gone away just because he's disappeared.

Lots of players need to be moved on and replaced with upgrades first.  Elphick is a good start, but there's still lots of work to do both on and off the field before we can start thinking about promotion yet.

The transfer activity over the next 5-6 weeks are crucial.

[darren woolley]

Looking forward to the new season Wednesday away tough game.

[ClarrieBlue]

Rotherham is first home game.  Haha.  Well done Randy - from Rotterdam to Rotherham!  I suppose it had to be...

Also: my first Second Division game with newly relegated Villa was the first home game of 1967 - Rotherham (August 26th). We won 3-1. We finished 16th...

Ha Ha. My first ever Villa game was also Wednesday at home but in 1965. We won 2 nil or 2-1 with Hateley and Woosnam getting the goals.

[olaftab]

As someone said before, it's a marathon not a sprint.

In 87/88 we only got 1 point from the first 3 games. People shouldn't get outraged if that happens again.

It's a test of endurance. We play 5 games in August in 20 days!

[Ads]

If there had been no takeover, then I might agree.

However, given the new impetus Xia has brought and the funds that will be available to strengthen on top of players who are better than anything else down there in Ayew, Grealish et al,  then it has to be an automatic spot, as anything lower would be a massive under achievement.

We may well be a side the bumpkins cannot wait to play at first, but getting off to a flyer will soon have people looking at us as a write off bonus fixture.

Without wanting to sound like LTA, even with the takeover I wouldnt be rushing to the bookies to back us for automatic promotion just yet.  Yes it's fantastic that Lerner has gone, with the doctors ambitious plans offering some hope after the misery of the last few years, but the problems left by Lerner haven't suddenly gone away just because he's disappeared.

Lots of players need to be moved on and replaced with upgrades first.  Elphick is a good start, but there's still lots of work to do both on and off the field before we can start thinking about promotion yet.

The transfer activity over the next 5-6 weeks are crucial.

I wouldn't disagree with you that our transfer activity is crucial, but that is the same of other teams too. The spine needs to be improved and the character of the dressing changed too, which seems to be the focus with the signing of Elphick.

That we've got more money to spend than anybody else and look to be one of the more glamorous propositions in that league, should give us intrinsic advantages over others.

I am not one to panic and generally have a lot of patience, however, my expectations, despite Lerner's best efforts, cannot be lowered beyond automatic promotion and why should they in any event? Its important we get off to a good start to exorcise some demons and the home fixtures we've been dealt should give us the opportunity to build confidence. Equally, I don't see why we should be worried about going anywhere, be it Derby or Wednesday.

[ChicagoLion]

Unless there is a major clear out we will achieve nothing.

[Witton Warrior]

I can't decide if I want automatic promotion after we beat the Blose at home or somebody at Wembley in the play-off final? Deluded - me?

[Dave]

Unless there is a major clear out we will achieve nothing.

If our squad doesn't change at all from now on we would still be able to put out a team capable of beating nearly everyone in the Championship.

Assuming the coaching and motivation were being done properly, anyway.