Unai Emery

[LeeB]

No, but it's one game less in an already tight schedule that week. It's one way of looking at it.

Luton and Forrest are games we should be winning easily too, so the European games should take priority selection wise in that period. I agree not having another game to juggle players for is probably a positive. (Might change my mind if we aren't top of the group and getting 6 points in the league too)

The second we take that attitude to Luton we'd be nailed on to be the first team to lose to them, and Forest are no mugs either, unlucky to lose at both Arsenal and Man Utd and gave Citeh more of a game than most last week as well.

[AV84]

No, but it's one game less in an already tight schedule that week. It's one way of looking at it.

Luton and Forrest are games we should be winning easily too, so the European games should take priority selection wise in that period. I agree not having another game to juggle players for is probably a positive. (Might change my mind if we aren't top of the group and getting 6 points in the league too)

The second we take that attitude to Luton we'd be nailed on to be the first team to lose to them, and Forest are no mugs either, unlucky to lose at both Arsenal and Man Utd and gave Citeh more of a game than most last week as well.

I'm not saying send out Olsen, Chambers etc. against them, I'm just saying I'd rather have those teams either side of European games than Man City and Liverpool.

[LeeB]

No, but it's one game less in an already tight schedule that week. It's one way of looking at it.

Only if you don't really like football and don't want to be successful.

Which I do and I do.

I want to win a trophy more than aything, but right now with how thin we're spread injury wise I'd be focusing on league games as priority.

We can argue the toss about what's more important but as other posters have pointed out, competing at the higher end of the table and qualifying for the Champions League would increase the chances of winning something as we'd be able to buy better players.

[Meanwood Villa]

This just in, losing games is a good thing

[Monty]

I don't blame Clampy for trying to see the bright side of what was, objectively, a wrist-slittingly awful performance!

[Clampy]

This just in, losing games is a good thing

Which no-one has said.

[London Villan]

Surely this goes back to not bringing in adequate cover in the transfer window.

We are well stocked with central defenders, midfielders and attacking midfielders, where you should be able to pick any two from the following and not see a drop in quality

Mings, Konsa, Carlos, Torres
Kamara, Luiz, McGinn, Ramsey
Ramsey, Zaniolo, Diaby, Bailey

Right back, keeper and upfront is a problem.

[OCD]

'Unai Emery has earned 61 points from his first 31 Premier League games in charge of Aston Villa, the same number that Pep Guardiola managed in his first 31 Premier League games in charge of Manchester City.'

Great stat.

[Rigadon]

We are the only genuinely big club that has never played in the modern day European Cup.  That, more than anything (including cup wins, which would be ace) is what I think the club needs to do in order to move forward.  We have a genuine chance this season with Emery in charge, some of the other clubs not being as good as they have been in the past and 5th being enough to qualify.  It's the best chance we've ever had (again, in the modern era), and I include the O'Neill years in that too.

[AV84]

We can argue the toss about what's more important but as other posters have pointed out, competing at the higher end of the table and qualifying for the Champions League would increase the chances of winning something as we'd be able to buy better players.

It is quite funny that having Champions League football would make us more attractive to players, but they'd also have to possibly play away to Mansfield Town on a wet Tuesday night in late October.

[ChicagoLion]

The 1st team is not as good as the one that finished last season, add Mings,Moreno,Ramsey ,Buendia and we would not have lost 4 games already.
The new signings do not compensate for those injured.

[Meanwood Villa]

I know these debates are raging across various different threads at the moment but seeing folks talk about CL qualification in comparison to cup success has given me pause for thought. I agree that qualifying for the CL would probably mean more for the club's long term prospects than winning any of the three cup competitions. I guess one of the reasons why I get so cheesed off with the cup exits though is that they seem so much more of an achievable goal. I think even now that CL qualification seems pie in the sky, whereas winning four one off games and a two legged tie, hoping for favourable draws, seems eminently doable.

[OCD]

Agree with CL. This season feels very transitional. If we can get these players bedded in and then get those players back, we'll start to look really strong.

[ChicagoLion]

Agree with CL. This season feels very transitional. If we can get these players bedded in and then get those players back, we'll start to look really strong.

sadly I think we are a long way from the latter and we need the former asap.

[olaftab]

We can argue the toss about what's more important but as other posters have pointed out, competing at the higher end of the table and qualifying for the Champions League would increase the chances of winning something as we'd be able to buy better players.

Spurs have disproved this theory time and time again.

But seriously  agree with you. Consistent better teams win stuff.