Aston Villa v Olympiacos - Post-Match Thread

[Rory]

Bozzie watching the game last night

https://x.com/iantaylor7/status/1786476531021230158?s=46

We felt the same joy and mostly anguish

Nice to see, but if he cares that much he could always have not left. I was a goalkeeper as a kid and him leaving hit me harder than Yorke, without a doubt.

[Percy McCarthy]

Are water companies releasing steroids into drinking water or something? There have been so many niggly little arguments between posters lately.

Edit.

[Toronto Villa]

Bozzie watching the game last night

https://x.com/iantaylor7/status/1786476531021230158?s=46

We felt the same joy and mostly anguish

Nice to see, but if he cares that much he could always have not left. I was a goalkeeper as a kid and him leaving hit me harder than Yorke, without a doubt.

Man U at the peak of their powers came calling as they did with Yorke. We as we have for numerous other players couldn’t provide an environment for sustained success. He can still care deeply even if he addressed his career by leaving us.

[Rory]

Deleted

[Rory]

Bozzie watching the game last night

https://x.com/iantaylor7/status/1786476531021230158?s=46

We felt the same joy and mostly anguish

Nice to see, but if he cares that much he could always have not left. I was a goalkeeper as a kid and him leaving hit me harder than Yorke, without a doubt.

Man U at the peak of their powers came calling as they did with Yorke. We as we have for numerous other players couldn’t provide an environment for sustained success. He can still care deeply even if he addressed his career by leaving us.

No, I fully understand. Still doesn't mean I don't resent him for it.

[PeterWithesShin]

He was 27 when he fucked off and he barely played again, fuck him.

[Pat McMahon]

I’m still flat after last night too, but we had a good chat on the drive back to London last night.

Haven’t seen any highlights yet - haven’t seen a link - but a few points that come to mind:

Disappointed Torres didn’t start - presumably he can’t do two games in a few days so needs to be managed
Our passing was woeful and inconsistent, starting with that horror pass across his own box by Dougie after 2 minutes
Our high line didn’t feel fine tuned last night. Similar to Lille at home, who could have had 3 goals in first half
We were slow and indecisive in our passing, and struggled to move the ball through the middle
Errors, errors - Ollie losing the ball for their second, Lenglet for some reason shepherding the ball out for the corner that lead to their third, Dougie’s handball, giving the ball away cheaply for their fourth, falling for niggly stuff to delay our penalty…..

If we finish 5th and go out in Athens we would still have had a brilliant season, so I’m not whinging, but I think the autumn Villa would have done much better against Olympiacos last night. Given our away performances in Europe I’m not expecting a turnaround, but that 10-20% hope is still there. I was in Warsaw and reckon the game next week will be a madder atmosphere. It would be one of the greatest nights in our history if we turned this around.

[Rory]

He was 27 when he fucked off and he barely played again, fuck him.

Yep, fuck everyone who has ever chosen to leave us when we still want them. Players come and go; I support Aston Villa.

But Bosnich fucking off was tough for me, as a kid.

[edgysatsuma89]

He was 27 when he fucked off and he barely played again, fuck him.

Yep, fuck everyone who has ever chosen to leave us when we still want them. Players come and go; I support Aston Villa.

But Bosnich fucking off was tough for me, as a kid.

Were you any good as a keeper as a kid? My older brother was a keeper, just Saturday/Sunday stuff, but you need to be a bit tapped. I was a rapid right back, think Kyle Walker but paler and less likely to get his cock out in pubs.

[Rory]

He was 27 when he fucked off and he barely played again, fuck him.

Yep, fuck everyone who has ever chosen to leave us when we still want them. Players come and go; I support Aston Villa.

But Bosnich fucking off was tough for me, as a kid.

Were you any good as a keeper as a kid? My older brother was a keeper, just Saturday/Sunday stuff, but you need to be a bit tapped. I was a rapid right back, think Kyle Walker but paler and less likely to get his cock out in pubs.

At first I was just the fat kid stuck in goal, but I was okay. I had decent reflexes and was good at closing down space and defending one-on-ones. But I couldn't catch a ball to save my life.

As soon as puberty hit (13ish?), I was too short so switched to right back from then on. I could cross a ball and intercept, but the running up and down killed me.

I was hurt worse playing at RB than in goal, by a mile. Never had a single boot in the face as a 'keeper, or clash of heads. As soon as I moved to RB it was like fucking UFC. Everything was elbows in the ribs and studs down the ankles.

I got used to it and became one of the 'tough lads', but I never played dirty. I could just take a dirty tackle, is all. That was kind of my job: to attract their 'Roy Keane' and stand up after.

There is a satisfaction in having a dirty ****** foul you as best he can and you just smile and carry on, but doubt my significance was anything to do with football.

In the end, I was physically sturdy, but a very limited footballer.

[KevinGage]

He was 27 when he fucked off and he barely played again, fuck him.

Yep, fuck everyone who has ever chosen to leave us when we still want them. Players come and go; I support Aston Villa.

But Bosnich fucking off was tough for me, as a kid.

There's always a strategic element to a football career.

Neither Bosnich or Yorke were Villa fans/ had Villa connections until the early 90s obv. So it's prob unfair what we expected from them.

But Yorke in particular seemed to form a bond with the club - and not just when he was quite good and highly rated from the Brian Little era onwards. Could have gone to Juventus or whoever at his peak. Went to the Red Wanks instead.

If it's good enough for Doug Ellis, ditto Yorke, Bozzie and others. I'm sure they all love the Villa in their own special way.  But a true Villa fan wouldn't buy shares in the B-lose or Wolves, or kiss the Yanited badge as Yorke did in 1998 and then witter on about SHA being the biggest club in the city.

In fairness to Bozzie he said very little since we've started competing again good or bad. To listen to him you'd think he only played for Chelsea and Yanited.

I can leave them or leave them.

At least Bosnich isn't kicking off about missing out on the Villa manager's job every time it becomes available.

[Malandro]

Bozzie watching the game last night

https://x.com/iantaylor7/status/1786476531021230158?s=46

We felt the same joy and mostly anguish

I thought it was Eamonn Holmes.

[ChicagoLion]

Bozzie watching the game last night

https://x.com/iantaylor7/status/1786476531021230158?s=46

We felt the same joy and mostly anguish

I thought it was Eamonn Holmes.

Next season David Platt will be seen at VP with a half and half scarf.

[LeonW]

Bozzie watching the game last night

https://x.com/iantaylor7/status/1786476531021230158?s=46

We felt the same joy and mostly anguish

I thought it was Eamonn Holmes.

Next season David Platt will be seen at VP with a half and half scarf.

He still needs to apologise for that April fools stunt in Shoot in 1995.

[astonvilla82]

When we got to 2-2, I thought we’d win 4 or 5 but we have really lost any kind of solidity defending for a long time. Weird really as it was a real strength in Unai’s first 12 months.

I thought they were very average, no better than Legia, and we’d have beaten them easily earlier in the season.

Lots of comments on the ref I agree with, but the one that really got me was in the first half when we were breaking down the right and he called it back to give free kick for us in our half and wagged his finger at their player without booking him.

I know it's almost treading into conspiracy theory territory and that is never good, but something still doesn't sit right with me about that officiating the other night.  I could understand if he'd been incompetent and as equally bad for both sides, but he clearly wasn't.  He just seemed to almost manage them through the game, giving them favourable decisions when they most needed them. 

That decision to not play advantage that you mention only to then not book the player was awful and it just kept happening at times when they needed something during the game.  Was it really wise to have Italian officials in a game when there is still an Italian team in the competition and Italian football benefits in general from that team doing well in that competition?  I doubt very much we would see an English referee appointed to a game in those circumstances to be totally honest.

Unfortunately, I fear that officiating in the 2nd leg is going to be even worse.

Normally I am the same, but I looked who was the referee during  the match and guessed it was Italian looking at the name, there were other incidents during the game, I am not into the Eurovision song contest thing but it had vibes of it, you could stick Adele in it and we still wouldn't win, although that was no excuse for the performance