Will we qualify for the CL?

[Monty]

Aim for the Europa, no shame in that. We're doing better than Newcastle did when they were thrown into the CL. I'd like to be pulling up a few more trees but you also have to be fair and realistic.

Fail to make CL and you've got Kamara, Watkins, Martínez' etc. agents (probably Rogers' too, the cheeky upstart) touting their clients to teams in Big Cup next season. We don't want another summer of unrest.
I still haven't recovered from Joachim, Ehiougu and Southgate all wanting out in June 2000.

There aren't enough clubs in Europe who would both want and be able to afford them, and the ones that can would be able to sign them from us whether we were in the Big Cup or not. We're not losing Kamara to Napoli or Leverkusen.

[ez]

Unlikely unless we see a big upturn in performances. A pity really as the opportunity to do so is staring us in the face,   we just aren't taking it.

[ChicagoLion]

No chance.

[Des Little]

Not a prayer. Our defence needs completely rebuilding, we are a bomb scare at the back.

[kippaxvilla2]

Absolutely not.

[dorsetvillian]

Don't think so. We have been pretty poor in 2024. There are too many other teams playing much better than us, without Europe for us to catch even if we did go on a winning run. Can't see that happening. 7-10 position maybe Conference League.

[Steve67]

I wouldn't mind another crack at the Conference League because we have knowledge of it and could win it. 

[PeterWithesShin]

Days like today can make it feel like we're worse than we are. We're unbeaten in 11 at home and our last 10 league games is W5 D3 L2. We need a couple in but it's far from over.

[Olneythelonely]

I think it’s getting more unlikely by the week. We’re not losing much ground but we should have made a lot of ground these last few weeks.

[Villan82]

Not sure where to put this.

2023 was probably the best year I've ever had as a Villa fan. Yes, the 90s were great but 2023 was just exhilarating and came after a period where we were in a renaissance after the horrors of the 2010s.

But 2024 wasn't quite right in some ways, especially off the field. It felt like just as we got a great team and manager we stopped being a classy club off the pitch and communication broke down completely. it definitely put a dampener on what should have been the best of times.

This season has been very stop start. Moments of class and moments of really awful stuff. But keeping within touching distance of where we want to remain. But there has been a bit of a mood around the place, almost like the off the field nonsense is affecting the whole operation. Questions over recruitment and planning (buying left backs galore but ending up down to one fit CB ahead of a massive game FFS) and even the way the tactics are so different from what we saw in the previous seasons.

Hopefully it is just 'one of those seasons' and we fix it in the summer. But I just don't have that feeling of certainty that 'this is it', that I had for the first two years with Emery and that is a bit worrying

[Footy-Vill]

Bowen and West Ham doing so well but Chelsea have equalised 1-1
There's still all to play for in the league for 4th and 5th
Not only that never know if win the tournament this year given the signings and added experience and quality have.

Up The Villa!

[Rigadon]

I'm trying to not get too carried away, but I think the last part of this season could be very special indeed.  We have added new dimensions to the first team and have serious strength in depth in attacking positions.  If we get the centre halves back soon, I think it could be a season for the ages. 

[Dave]

I'm trying to not get too carried away, but I think the last part of this season could be very special indeed.  We have added new dimensions to the first team and have serious strength in depth in attacking positions.  If we get the centre halves back soon, I think it could be a season for the ages. 

I think that getting through in the top eight has now lifted a lot of the pressure* - it felt like through December / January there was that weight hanging over us and it was playing on their minds.

Even if we do go out in the next round (and there's no reason to think that we will) we've already achieved more in the Champions League this season than most people would have expected us to.

So while not everyone will be as awful as Spurs are, I'd hope to see a return to us playing a bit lighter like we were in the days when the Champions League was a fun thing that was going well, rather than the thing that we were on the verge of chucking away which I think has been an underlying "thing" in our performances since Brugge.

(*usual collapse in the game straight after notwithstanding)

[Demitri_C]

Well we look good up top thats definitely  top 5 material. If we can sort the defence out. Why not?

[Rigadon]

I'm trying to not get too carried away, but I think the last part of this season could be very special indeed.  We have added new dimensions to the first team and have serious strength in depth in attacking positions.  If we get the centre halves back soon, I think it could be a season for the ages. 

I think that getting through in the top eight has now lifted a lot of the pressure* - it felt like through December / January there was that weight hanging over us and it was playing on their minds.

Even if we do go out in the next round (and there's no reason to think that we will) we've already achieved more in the Champions League this season than most people would have expected us to.

So while not everyone will be as awful as Spurs are, I'd hope to see a return to us playing a bit lighter like we were in the days when the Champions League was a fun thing that was going well, rather than the thing that we were on the verge of chucking away which I think has been an underlying "thing" in our performances since Brugge.

(*usual collapse in the game straight after notwithstanding)

I reckon you're onto something there.  I just have a feeling it's going to get really interesting.