The Good Bad and Ugly – Quarter Finals Calling
If ever a season was summed up with Good, Bad and Ugly, it’s been 2024/25. Now with Aston Villa backing up an impressive win in Brugge with a league win at Brentford, will it finally stabilise?
The Good
Aston Villa’s hired guns, Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford, have added a new dimension to the season.
In Bruges, Villa were toiling, grinding out a draw. Rashford had held the width, but after Brugge equalised, it felt like a winner would only come from the hosts.
A quadruple substitution by Unai Emery introduced Marco Asensio to the fray, and within minutes, he forced a stunning save from Simon Mignolet.
The mood had shifted; the dice had been rolled. With Morgan Rogers now out wide, he found space to whip in a cross, leading to a Brugge own goal as their defender fluffed his lines.
Moments later, Matty Cash ventured into the box and won a penalty. Who steps up? Marco Asensio – a player who had only taken two penalties in his career, missing one of them.
Surely one of the other Villa players would take it?
No – because this is exactly why Asensio and Rashford were brought in at great expense. They are here to finish the job. Players with winning mentalities, who have always operated at this level.
With the FA Cup draw opening up and a home tie against Brugge ahead. Aston Villa are going all-in on this season.
Two world-class players, on loan for a specific purpose – the time to execute is now, and so far, so good.
Villan of the Week – Tyrone Mings
Welcome back, Mr. Mings. From a few post-injury performances that raised concerns about his long-term future at Villa to a commanding display in Bruges – what a turnaround.
One assist, one deft touch to prevent a certain goal, and countless headers and clearances completed his redemption arc after his horror show against Brugge in the league phase. Then, Mings backed it up with a solid performance to help Villa get a clean sheet against Brentford.
Like the rest of the Villa squad, consistency is now key.
Honourable mention to Robin ‘Clean Sheet’ Olsen.
The Bad
Villa’s battling performance at Brentford was a step in the right direction, but what happened recently against Crystal Palace? From the line-up decisions to the VAR controversy to the second-half collapse, it was a performance reminiscent of the later days of Steven Gerrard or Dean Smith’s reign.
Crystal Palace ended the game with their highest recorded xG in history – 4.3. Regardless of how much stock you put in expected goals (xG), when it sets a record, something has gone badly wrong.
Emery fielded a stronger lineup against Cardiff in the FA Cup just days later, making the team selection and approach at Selhurst Park all the more baffling and costly.
While all focus should be on the Champions League, the club’s financial model is built on qualifying for Europe every season.
If Villa flunk in the league and end up out of Europe and the cup, then as fun and lucrative as the European run has been, they will be in a financial hole under Premier League PSR regulations.
Aston Villa cannot afford any more performances as bad as the one against Palace – in any competition – for the rest of the season. Hopefully, with what is looking close to a full strength squad, Villa should finish the season strongly.
The Ugly
There’s still a sense that this season is all or nothing for Aston Villa.
From the signings of Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio to the exorbitant ticket prices, everything feels like it’s being treated as Villa’s one shot at glory.
It’s a shame that poor league results may ultimately leave fans wondering what might have been come May. But that’s the gamble you take in sport at the sharp end, particularly in the Champions League, where Villa have waited 42 years for a knockout game. When that opportunity finally arrives, you have to go for it.
While “death or glory” on the pitch is an understandable approach, the same mindset shouldn’t apply to financial planning.
The recent categorisation of Nottingham Forest as a Category A fixture is ridiculous, just as it was for the Brighton match in December.
The club’s commercial department has adopted the same attitude as the footballing side – “we may never get the chance to charge this much again, so let’s go for it.”
Ticket prices should, at the very least, be frozen or reduced depending on how the season plays out. But in reality, once fans pay a price once, clubs rarely lower them. The ugly truth is that Aston Villa, like every modern football club, is a business first and a football club second. Or, to be more specific, Villa is now increasingly a series of restaurants and hospitality offerings with a football club attached, as opposed to a football club with hospitality.
So the next time a big corporation treats you poorly or raises the price of something you love, ask yourself: Would you buy a half-and-half scarf with them on it?
UTV
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