Realistic Expectations

[pauliewalnuts]

I am not a betting man and especially not on anything to do with Villa as it would be the ultimate kiss of death

But I took a look at the odds checker tool for the game against Spurs and even though I know they are a very decent team we are 12/1 to win the game - 12 to fucking 1 in an opening day fixture against a team that was promoted and on a high from Pre season.

As I said before, lump on that, it's free money.  We're riding the wave of the feel good factor and have played well in pre-season.  Harry Kane has never scored on the first day of the season either.  2-0 Villa.

We still owe them for that 3-0 humping at our place on the first day of the 86-7 relegation season.

[Damo70]

I am not a betting man and especially not on anything to do with Villa as it would be the ultimate kiss of death

But I took a look at the odds checker tool for the game against Spurs and even though I know they are a very decent team we are 12/1 to win the game - 12 to fucking 1 in an opening day fixture against a team that was promoted and on a high from Pre season.

As I said before, lump on that, it's free money.  We're riding the wave of the feel good factor and have played well in pre-season.  Harry Kane has never scored on the first day of the season either.  2-0 Villa.

We still owe them for that 3-0 humping at our place on the first day of the 86-7 relegation season.

What a letdown after we had bought Hunt and Blair in the March deadline and rallied to avoid relegation. We then 'strengthened' by buying Keown, Cooper and Thompson and things seemed to be looking up. Didn't Clive Allen get a hat-trick that day and go on to score 49 goals that season?

[Small Rodent]

Apologies if this has been posted already but this is the Graun's piece on the forthcoming season.  They have us finishing 15th.  Plenty of discussion BTL too but it's perhaps best avoided by those easily offended.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jul/29/premier-league-201920-preview-no-2-aston-villa#comment-131501930

There's a Leeds fan on there having a blub about "diving" Grealish. Repeatedly.

[garyshawsknee]

Seems a pretty fair analysis, though life is too short to read btl.

[robbo1874]

Not sure whether the link below deserves its own thread, but the guardian writers’ average of their predictions of where we will finish, seem to match the current poll results in this thread. Fairly well balanced piece, I thought:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jul/29/premier-league-201920-preview-no-2-aston-villa

[SamTheMouse]

If the likes of Watford, Brighton and fucking Bournemouth can stay up, we most certainly can.

I actually think a lot of the teams in the Premier League are not much better than Championship sides, there's such a gulf in class between the rich Champions League lot and the rest.

[cdbearsfan]

Man City and Liverpool are a class above. Not sure about the rest. Man U look very average to me. Obviously we will lose to them home and away regardless of how badly they play.

[Three Spires Villa]

Not sure whether the link below deserves its own thread, but the guardian writers’ average of their predictions of where we will finish, seem to match the current poll results in this thread. Fairly well balanced piece, I thought:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jul/29/premier-league-201920-preview-no-2-aston-villa

I agree with most of the article, think we will stop up, we will, I think have a couple of difficult times and finish a respectable 12th

[SoccerHQ]

Not sure if it's been posted but there was a preview on the Reddit forum. Had Kalinic as number one, Tyrone Mings as left back and Bjarnsson playing the number 10 role with Grealish seemingly in the impact sub role this year....

Even with all that they guy still had us finishing 12th. Two places higher than I predict.

[Meanwood Villa]

Not sure whether the link below deserves its own thread, but the guardian writers’ average of their predictions of where we will finish, seem to match the current poll results in this thread. Fairly well balanced piece, I thought:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jul/29/premier-league-201920-preview-no-2-aston-villa

I agree with most of the article, think we will stop up, we will, I think have a couple of difficult times and finish a respectable 12th

Good article I think. Been reading the comments and there's a fair few having a dig at us including some Leeds prick obsessed with us stealing a point by bullying Bielsa into giving us a goal. What a radish as someone once said.

In the more reasoned posts there's speculation on the 5 teams who will finish below us if we do end up 15th. The usual suspects are named but I'm surprised no-one is mentioning Watford. I think they're due a bad year and ended last season terribly. They were distracted by a cup final but they got twatted in that and we know from.experience that can be a bad omen. Anyway, they're my tip for an unexpected fall that we can capitalise from. Incidentally I reckon Southampton will have a good year and if we finish above them we'll have done very well.

[Towser]

Just saw this don't know if its been posted here previously but makes hard reading in places https://sport.bt.com/the-script/the-script-how-aston-villas-2019/20-premier-league-season-will-pan-out-according-to-google-opta-and-squawka-S11364379101551

[chrisw1]

I’d take 17th as is would guarantee another year of PL cash and the continuation of the project.

To be honest I’m concerned about the quality of our signings.  Hopefully they will all gel quickly but I’m not convinced they will. 

I also think that a lot of people are seriously underestimating the likes of Bournemouth, Watford and Southampton who are all established, experienced and have some very decent players. 

Maybe everything will click and we’ll fly, I desperately hope so.  But I think it’s more likely we’ll be in the scrap of our lives.  So yeah, I’d bite your hand off for 17th.

[Meanwood Villa]

Just saw this don't know if its been posted here previously but makes hard reading in places https://sport.bt.com/the-script/the-script-how-aston-villas-2019/20-premier-league-season-will-pan-out-according-to-google-opta-and-squawka-S11364379101551

Staying up and beating Man U and Arsenal? Ta very much!

[ChicagoLion]

I’d take 17th as is would guarantee another year of PL cash and the continuation of the project.

To be honest I’m concerned about the quality of our signings.  Hopefully they will all gel quickly but I’m not convinced they will. 

I also think that a lot of people are seriously underestimating the likes of Bournemouth, Watford and Southampton who are all established, experienced and have some very decent players. 

Maybe everything will click and we’ll fly, I desperately hope so.  But I think it’s more likely we’ll be in the scrap of our lives.  So yeah, I’d bite your hand off for 17th.

I agree your comments of people underestimating Bournemouth Watford etc.
We are going to be putting a team out with very little experience of the Prem.
Every point is going to be hard fought.

[Chris Smith]

I’d take 17th as is would guarantee another year of PL cash and the continuation of the project.

To be honest I’m concerned about the quality of our signings.  Hopefully they will all gel quickly but I’m not convinced they will. 

I also think that a lot of people are seriously underestimating the likes of Bournemouth, Watford and Southampton who are all established, experienced and have some very decent players. 

Maybe everything will click and we’ll fly, I desperately hope so.  But I think it’s more likely we’ll be in the scrap of our lives.  So yeah, I’d bite your hand off for 17th.

I agree your comments of people underestimating Bournemouth Watford etc.
We are going to be putting a team out with very little experience of the Prem.
Every point is going to be hard fought.

I see it the same and think that it could be a few weeks before some of the new signings are deemed to be ready for English football. I think we’ll be fine in the long run but anything better than the bottom third will be a bonus.