Satisfactory.
As fans, we must be more demanding of ourselves.
Loved pretty much every minute of it.
I remember watching us play in America last pre season v I think Brentford and thinking we were going to have a great season, the moves we were putting together and general team cohesion.
I wasn't thinking that 70 minutes into the opening day of the season mind.
I think that's important for context. No chance after losing 5-1 to a team who finished above us and also losing Mings and Buendia to season ending injuries was anyone really thinking a top 4 challenge was on the cards.
We played some great stuff from September-December. Beating Arsenal and Man. City got all the attention but you forget how good the football was beating Brighton and West Ham who were seen as serious competitors at the time. Also got cracking away wins at Chelsea and Spurs which were crucial for 4th place in the end.
The second half of the season has been more bumpy. Still beaten most of the bottom half but it's only been the odd performance like at Arsenal where we've played well v a top level team and defensively we've looked very vulnerable in most games so that needs to be addressed over the summer.
We have a World class manager and lots of top level players now so much more to look forward to.
Stat of the season must be at no point losing successive premier league games. Considering the general level of the league that is some achievement for me and shows our mentality is very good.
First in the top 6 mini-league this season. Haven't seen it mentioned yet.
Villa - 17
Arsenal - 16
Liverpool - 14
Man City - 12
Chelsea - 11
Spurs - 8
Bosh.
All I wanted this season was to beat Spurs goal difference so fair fucks Emery, much respect.
Man City have lost 1 of their last 45 games in all competitions. And we didn't just beat them, we battered them the whole game. That's the standout performance in a fantastic season.
And now we need to use this season as a stepping stone to better things.
Man City have lost 1 of their last 45 games in all competitions. And we didn't just beat them, we battered them the whole game. That's the standout performance in a fantastic season.
And now we need to use this season as a stepping stone to better things.
Didn't they lose in the CL, and League Cup?
LC was before us, CL was 2 draws and then pens. They lost the tie but didn't lose either game.
Incredible season.
At the outset I thought we’d get top six and have a decent run in Europe which given our relative resources would still have been a big step forwards.
The home wins against the cheats and Arsenal rank amongst the best performances of a generation. The Brighton 6-1 was a real “we’ve arrived” display and the win at Arsenal, for me, was the moment we clinched Champions League.
The biggest highlight though was our ability to triumph over adversity. I’ve spent most of my Villa-supporting life seeing a side crumble at the first sign of trouble, incapable of dealing with adversity. Not this one. Not this manager. The win at Spurs. The late winners at Luton and Brentford. The point at West Ham. Constantly finding a way to keep accruing points. Lose our key playmaker on the eve of the season? Our manager adapts. Lose our best defender in the first game? Our manager adapts. Lose players integral to the way we play seemingly every week (Moreno, Ramsey, Kamara et al)? No excuses, no sob story, he just finds a way.
Takes some getting used to as a Villa fan.
Next season will be different. Higher expectations, the very biggest stage. We have to collectively get used to every game having something riding on it (takes some adjustment, just for supporters). Teams will treat us differently. Clearly the squad needs work and evidently we’re going to need to evolve it while being hamstrung by regulation. We’ll likely have to change, or at least evolve, the fundamental way we play. It’s a lot of work.
And yet, none of it is daunting because we have just about the best team of people the game has to offer in place to get it done, led by one of the world’s very best managers.
Would you want to bet against us?
UTV
LC was before us, CL was 2 draws and then pens. They lost the tie but didn't lose either game.
Ah, I see. 45 games sounds like it goes back further than it does.
30 league games plus CL, FAC and CWC. The 45 games goes back 7 months.
At the start of the season, I told my bluenose mate that Emery is so efficient, we’d beat the teams we should comfortably, and that’s how we started. The big shift in my expectations came when we beat the teams we shouldn’t.
A magnificent season, beyond all expectations.
When you consider our injury list, it is amazing.
It was unreal at times, people saying 'Crikey! Aston Villa are doing well'. I wasn't used to hearing that, and it is still somewhat a novelty. I'm looking forward to next season and hoping we do it again.
Emery is all about doing just enough to beat teams - to protect the squad and conserve energy for the next game and the next game. It has come unstuck a couple of times, Everton and Chelsea in domestic cups, as well as a few of the European games. Yesterday was also an example of basically giving the squad a free pass.
It's been brilliant and sets a challenging expectation for next season, even higher than this season's.
Retain the Champions League spot
Compete in the Champions League
Win a trophy - a domestic one is the only chance - which puts even more pressure on the squad
Pretty daunting, but I trust Emry to put a plan together.