Preston North End vs Aston Villa pre-match thread

[Beard82]

Which bright spark planned this as a lunchtime kick off on Mothering Sunday - wankers

[Somniloquism]

Ok, we couldn't have given consent. I read that we could, sorry.

We have to give consent that loanees can play in cup competitions which is usually made if the loan might be cut short.

But not this cup, where the organisers say that it's not allowed whether we're happy with it or not.

I meant for loan players to even be able to play in cup competitions, consent has to be given by the loaning club. If we had banned KKH from even playing in the cups at all then the twatty reporter might have had a semblance of a point to blame the Villa. But as we haven't banned him, the FA has, fuck knows what he is trying to do.

[Dave]

Ok, we couldn't have given consent. I read that we could, sorry.

We have to give consent that loanees can play in cup competitions which is usually made if the loan might be cut short.

But not this cup, where the organisers say that it's not allowed whether we're happy with it or not.

I meant for loan players to even be able to play in cup competitions, consent has to be given by the loaning club. If we had banned KKH from even playing in the cups at all then the twatty reporter might have had a semblance of a point to blame the Villa. But as we haven't banned him, the FA has, fuck knows what he is trying to do.

Ah yes, I'm with you now.

[VillaTim]

Which bright spark planned this as a lunchtime kick off on Mothering Sunday - wankers

the good news is it's not an ITV game

[Sexual Ealing]

Regarding the Guardian's deeply-held, diabolical agenda against all things Villa, we are playing the only non-PL club left in the FA Cup. There is a tradition that the media, and 'neutrals' in general, are unofficially on the side of the underdog in this competition. This is what happens. Nobody's against us. We will be fine. If we win 5-0, it will be reported as such. If Preston win, the media and the football world will be delighted, but for them, not against us.

We moan when we're not considered sufficiently 'big', we moan when we're treated as being sufficiently 'big'. Maybe the problem is the moaning rather than the media.

[Footy-Vill]

Some managers and coaches let players unwind and have a wild time over in Dubai during international breaks. Sometimes they lose control and players behave irresponsibly.

I think footballers in 2025 generally are expected to be true professional athletes and take job the most seriously as it’s even done in England.

Emery runs a tight ship when on these sort of excursions and training programmes so apart from the female company aspect I imagine he won’t allow for much shenanigans like drinking and partying.

[Somniloquism]

I'm sorry but the line "Surely Unai Emery is not afraid that his third-choice right-back is better than what he currently has in his squad, and would like to see what he can do to prove he has a long-term future at Villa Park." doesn't seem to be anything but a dig at Villa and Emery in particular for something totally out of his hands.

[cdbearsfan]

I don't think it's evidence of a great anti-Villa conspiracy, but it does seem fairly shoddy journalism not to bother his arse spending five seconds on Google to check what he said was vaguely accurate.

[Sexual Ealing]

I don't think it's evidence of a great anti-Villa conspiracy, but it does seem fairly shoddy journalism not to bother his arse spending five seconds on Google to check what he said was vaguely accurate.

It's hardly 'journalism'. It's a couple of paragraphs of filler that no-one reads.

[cdbearsfan]

I'd imagine he hopes people read it. He's a journalist, it's journalism. It's also not "filler" in the context of his previews of the weekend matches. It's literally all he has to say about our game.

[Dave]

I don't think it's evidence of a great anti-Villa conspiracy, but it does seem fairly shoddy journalism not to bother his arse spending five seconds on Google to check what he said was vaguely accurate.

It's hardly 'journalism'. It's a couple of paragraphs of filler that no-one reads.

I imagine an underpaid bloke reporting on council issues for the local paper still considers himself to be "doing journalism" even if it's not particularly important or widely read.

[PaulWinch again]

Will Unwin’s style is very like this, it’s not pointed at Villa. Sometimes it’s quite funny sometimes it’s tedious.

[LeeB]

Will Unwin’s style is very like this, it’s not pointed at Villa. Sometimes it’s quite funny sometimes it’s tedious.

Whereas Jamie Jackson gives the impression he uses crayons.

[Dave]

Will Unwin’s style is very like this, it’s not pointed at Villa. Sometimes it’s quite funny sometimes it’s tedious.

Nobody's really criticised his style. If journalists want to take the piss out of us, or any other club - crack on.

Just don't get the whole premise of your piece wrong while you're doing it.

[Somniloquism]

Will Unwin’s style is very like this, it’s not pointed at Villa. Sometimes it’s quite funny sometimes it’s tedious.

TBF the KKH being cup-tied is a point to take. Remove the ridiculous line of Emery being scared and it wouldn't have been controversial. So either it was included for the equivalent of click-bait or included because the pratt doesn't actually bother to research the rules of the game he is reporting on. Neither is a good look for him though.