How much will Coronavirus (COVID-19) impact Aston Villa's season?

[Rory]

Similarly, my parents were/are atheists but I went to Catholic schools. Like Judaism, it's a cultural thing that goes way beyond religion.

Absolutely. My parents are from catholic backgrounds but thankfully chose to allow me to make my own choices. I am not religious (though I am engaged to a protestant and have respect for people's beliefs) and for me, it is entirely cultural.

The most daunting experience of my life was visiting Ibrox (beautiful ground) on a non-match day, and the reaction I got was scary. It was as if the locals could see right through me. I was spat at on the street by old ladies.

No doubt it is the same the other way around, but that was enough for me. If just walking past Ibrox and looking the way I do was enough to make people spit at me, it was clear that the decision was made for me!

Anyway, sorry to go off-topic. Back to Villa and how we are definitely going to stay up.

(Spoiler: we are)

[Sexual Ealing]

It was your scab-free knuckles that will have done it. Don't go there again.

[OzVilla]

Well this is going to be played now regardless.

So although we are certainly the most disadvantaged clubs in respect of having the most amount of homes games left I also think the timing of the suspension suited us more than any other club in the bottom 8.  Lets face it, we were in absolute free fall while a few teams were starting to get their act together. Also Jack was looking really tired (physically and mentally) , defensively we were still a shambles and McGinn was still not back.

Now they've all had a rest and an opportunity to re-group and personally analyse where they're at, that includes the management team too.  They badly needed this time.  Jack has had a rest and McGinn will start on a par with everyone else fitness wise.

So im looking at it as a glass half full scenario.  If we play out the 38 and we aren't good enough then that's fair enough so long as the Championship do the same cant see we'd have any real complaints. 

Personally i'm more confident now we'll stay up than I was post Leicester.

[Brazilian Villain]

The most daunting experience of my life was visiting Ibrox (beautiful ground) on a non-match day, and the reaction I got was scary. It was as if the locals could see right through me. I was spat at on the street by old ladies.

Probably shouldn't have worn your Bobby Sands t-shirt and Republic of Ireland scarf.

Mom was from a mixed background in Northern Ireland but I'd have the same allegiances as you and SE. However I know two Glaswegian lads (1st cousins) whose 2 families are all Celtic but they support Rangers as they grew up in the 90s when Rangers were in the ascendancy. You can imagine their parents' disappointment.

[LeeB]

Yeah, take that you Jambo c**ts!

Why the dislike of Hearts? I had a soft spot for them when they not only wore similar colours to us but were also sponsored by Mita Copiers. I was disappointed when they blew the title on the last day that year. 1986?

I spent my teenage years in Edinburgh. Hearts draw their support from the west of the city and the surrounding former mining towns and villages. There's a (admittedly homeopathic) whiff of the Orange Order/Masons about them. Hibs fans are from Leith, which is, essentially, rock n' roll.

Nicely put, but I'm ashamed to say that I prefer Hibs/Celtic to Hearts/Rangers purely because ofmy Irish heritage and family allegiances. I dont pretend to understand the nuances.

Oh, mate, I have exactly the same prejudices, it's just that I didn't want to admit it!

It's nothing more than that for me also.

[chrisw1]

Well this is going to be played now regardless.

So although we are certainly the most disadvantaged clubs in respect of having the most amount of homes games left I also think the timing of the suspension suited us more than any other club in the bottom 8.  Lets face it, we were in absolute free fall while a few teams were starting to get their act together. Also Jack was looking really tired (physically and mentally) , defensively we were still a shambles and McGinn was still not back.

Now they've all had a rest and an opportunity to re-group and personally analyse where they're at, that includes the management team too.  They badly needed this time.  Jack has had a rest and McGinn will start on a par with everyone else fitness wise.

So im looking at it as a glass half full scenario.  If we play out the 38 and we aren't good enough then that's fair enough so long as the Championship do the same cant see we'd have any real complaints. 

Personally i'm more confident now we'll stay up than I was post Leicester.

Agreed.  Southampton and Leicester were horror shows.  McGinn was our major hope but I thought we were likley to go down at that point.

[Mister E]

Well this is going to be played now regardless.

So although we are certainly the most disadvantaged clubs in respect of having the most amount of homes games left I also think the timing of the suspension suited us more than any other club in the bottom 8.  Lets face it, we were in absolute free fall while a few teams were starting to get their act together. Also Jack was looking really tired (physically and mentally) , defensively we were still a shambles and McGinn was still not back.

Now they've all had a rest and an opportunity to re-group and personally analyse where they're at, that includes the management team too.  They badly needed this time.  Jack has had a rest and McGinn will start on a par with everyone else fitness wise.

So im looking at it as a glass half full scenario.  If we play out the 38 and we aren't good enough then that's fair enough so long as the Championship do the same cant see we'd have any real complaints. 

Personally i'm more confident now we'll stay up than I was post Leicester.

Agreed.  Southampton and Leicester were horror shows.  McGinn was our major hope but I thought we were likley to go down at that point.

McGinn may be one of the Villa players who will not risk his health by playing, if - as has been suggested on here - he is asthmatic.
Our staying-up depends almost entirely on whether Smith has managed to increase players' fitness and intensity levels and improve their flagging motivation, somewhat evidnet at Leicester.

[Big Ming]

I wonder if our 'Training' will be any more effective then it was before the Wuhan Virus came along and arrested our plunge down the League?

[algy]

It was your scab-free knuckles that will have done it. Don't go there again.

Completely off topic, but ...

I went to uni with a lad who was a Rangers fan, from Lanarkshire.  We got on well, but I tended to keep conversations away from politics as the few times it came up ... his views were different to mine.  Anyway, I mind once we'd been out disco dancing in Edinburgh, and were walking back down Princes St.  Started chatting away to this lad who we'd met as we were walking back, and it came out he was from Northern Ireland.

Rangers Fan: "So ... are you proddy or catholic?"
Northern Irish Lad: "I'm not in to that sort of thing"
RF: "Aye, but which are you?"
NIL: "Look, I don't do the whole bigotry thing.  It's not for me."
RF: "Naw naw, I'm not a bigot.  I don't care what the dirty tims get up to."

I was ... astounded.

[DB]

Similarly, my parents were/are atheists but I went to Catholic schools. Like Judaism, it's a cultural thing that goes way beyond religion.

Absolutely. My parents are from catholic backgrounds but thankfully chose to allow me to make my own choices. I am not religious (though I am engaged to a protestant and have respect for people's beliefs) and for me, it is entirely cultural.

The most daunting experience of my life was visiting Ibrox (beautiful ground) on a non-match day, and the reaction I got was scary. It was as if the locals could see right through me. I was spat at on the street by old ladies.

No doubt it is the same the other way around, but that was enough for me. If just walking past Ibrox and looking the way I do was enough to make people spit at me, it was clear that the decision was made for me!

Anyway, sorry to go off-topic. Back to Villa and how we are definitely going to stay up.

(Spoiler: we are)

West side of Scotland is stuck 300 years behind when it comes to religion. I spent a lot of time up there in the early 2000's and it was hilarious and a bit scary the way they see each other, most of whom only go to church for a wedding. Anyway, as you say, back on topic...

[ChicagoLion]

Back on topic yes please ( apparently Catholics and Protestants don’t like each other particularly in city’s with bad weather).

We seemed in free fall, after the Leicester game, rumors were  that Smith had Chelsea at home tO save his job.
We had put in some shocking performances Southampton Bournemouth and even when we did play well Spurs we managed to lose.
I still have doubts the season will get completed but I thought we were on our way down as teams around us seemed to be getting some form back.
This is a long way of saying I think we have a better chance of surviving this complete nonsense of playing the season out than we did 2 months ago.

[trinityoap]

Check the song Hearts of Glory by Craig Herbertson on You Tube.Possibly the best song written about a football club.The story of McCrae's Battalion is worth looking up.

[ChicagoLion]

Check the song Hearts of Glory by Craig Herbertson on You Tube.Possibly the best song written about a football club.The story of McCrae's Battalion is worth looking up.

Just did that, great song.

[David_Nab]

Back on topic yes please ( apparently Catholics and Protestants don’t like each other particularly in city’s with bad weather).

We seemed in free fall, after the Leicester game, rumors were  that Smith had Chelsea at home tO save his job.
We had put in some shocking performances Southampton Bournemouth and even when we did play well Spurs we managed to lose.
I still have doubts the season will get completed but I thought we were on our way down as teams around us seemed to be getting some form back.
This is a long way of saying I think we have a better chance of surviving this complete nonsense of playing the season out than we did 2 months ago.

Chelsea game , gave us a 2 week break to make a change.Very tough call to do it now with so much football in short space of time and who would come in .Like you say though take out a spirted FH against Spurs and some part of the cup final and we had been awful for weeks.

We are 20th in stats for every type of defensive stat shots conceded , clean sheets , goals from set pieces , goals conceded from headers etc it's poor coaching

[Meanwood Villa]

Does make me wonder whether there'll be any managerial changes if/when season starts again. It's not unheard of for teams to roll the dice with a handful of games to go. Or will the pandemic and the unusual circumstances give managers of underperforming teams a free pass I wonder.