UEFA Europa Conference League - Alkmaar, Legia and Zrinjski

[LeeB]

I can’t deal with this all of this unbridled optimism. I’m too used to the inevitable disappointments that being a Villa supporter brings. Therefore, my brain expects us to lose to Brentford this weekend, likely from defensive errors made while trying to play it out from the back. We will then go on to finish 9th. Martinez and Kamara will leave (to manu and mancity respectively), and Emery will have health problems and retire a week out from the start of next season.

There, I feel less discombobulated already.

Someone mentioned Unai had a bit of a swollen cheek last night and I too started worrying that some health issue was suddenly going to strike him down, ffs.

[Toronto Villa]

I’ve gone for Europa. I’d be delighted if we simply achieved Conference. Next year I’ll be disappointed if that’s all it was.

[pauliewalnuts]

Someone mentioned Unai had a bit of a swollen cheek last night and I too started worrying that some health issue was suddenly going to strike him down, ffs.

My brother said EXACTLY that to me yesterday!

[Beard82]

I would be over the moon if we qualify for any kind of Europe - realistically we need to finish above Brighton, Spurs or Liverpool.  I think our games against them will be huge.  I’m just hoping we’re still in with a shout when we play Brighton at the end of the season

[Nii Lamptey]

Someone mentioned Unai had a bit of a swollen cheek last night and I too started worrying that some health issue was suddenly going to strike him down, ffs.

My brother said EXACTLY that to me yesterday!

I spotted that too! Hope it's nothing serious.

[Lsvilla]

I would be over the moon if we qualify for any kind of Europe - realistically we need to finish above Brighton, Spurs or Liverpool.  I think our games against them will be huge.  I’m just hoping we’re still in with a shout when we play Brighton at the end of the season

And they're in the cup final.

[Meanwood Villa]

Someone mentioned Unai had a bit of a swollen cheek last night and I too started worrying that some health issue was suddenly going to strike him down, ffs.

My brother said EXACTLY that to me yesterday!

I spotted that too! Hope it's nothing serious.

Great, now I'm googling health problems associated with swollen cheeks

[eamonn]

Fair enough.  Well let's qualify for it first and if we do I'll certainly be at all the home games at least and delighted to see European nights back at Villa Park.  As things stand Juve would be in the conference and who wouldn't be excited about playing them?  This fixture I really want back at VP though is Inter.   

And after we win, all back to Phil King's pub if he still runs it (somewhere in deepest Wiltshire, wasn't it?).

The Dolphin in Swindon.  I was working down there about 5 years ago and I went in knowing it was his pub but not expecting to see him.  Anyway, he is in there, comes over to talk to me and, clocking my accent, asks if I'm a Villa fan.  I say yes and he straight away mentions his penalty.  His wife looks over, rolls her eyes, and says he talks about that to anyone who'll listen.

Quality! What was he like?

[Smirker]

Someone mentioned Unai had a bit of a swollen cheek last night and I too started worrying that some health issue was suddenly going to strike him down, ffs.

My brother said EXACTLY that to me yesterday!

I spotted that too! Hope it's nothing serious.

Probably just bumped into the dugout/benches when ballooning around got our third goal. He's fine 

[Smirker]

We win our next two and Spurs win at Newcastle and table will look like this:

4th Newcastle 31 played- 56 points
5th Spurs- 32 played- 56 points
6th Us- 32 played- 56 points

How insane would that look?!

Brighton don't play league at weekend due to FA cup so they're going to be a bit adrift aswell (with some very difficult spare games).

That would be unreal. Could well happen too.

I'm excited.

[Villatillidie25]

do we get 6 points for beating Brentford?

[LeeB]

do we get 6 points for beating Brentford?

We should do for services to football, they're fucking Wimbledon in a shiny stadium and they employ Pontus Jansen.

[Smirker]

do we get 6 points for beating Brentford?

We're on 50 now, so if we win our next two we're on 56.

[paul_e]

I think 4-8th will get tighter over the next few weeks as I can see Newcastle, Tottenham and Man U all dropping points because Newcastle and Man U don't look particularly dangerous in attack right now and Tottenham have some serious defensive weaknesses.

On the prediction thing I did everything until the last 2 and had it that 2 wins would guarantee us 5th place and 1 win would mean 6th.

[Martyn Smith]

One thing that our fate would depend on is the unlikely but not impossible scenario of Sheffield Utd winning the FA Cup. That would reduce the number of places to be gained from league places to just 6. Another scenario is if Man U suffer a catastrophic run in and drop out of the Top 6, they would then take the Conference place by dint of their League Cup win. If both of these things happen, which normally we would want to see happen, we would have to finish 5th to qualify for Europe