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Regular My Old Man Said columns
Five Reasons to Be Cheerful as Aston Villa’s Preseason Begins
Five Reasons to be Cheerful as Villans - Preseason BeginsAfter arguably the best season Aston Villa have enjoyed in a generation, Unai Emery's squad has returned to Bodymoor Heath after a well-earned summer break. They've barely had time to unpack the sun cream before the squad has already undergone some serious surgery, and there's every chance more arrivals and departures are still to come.With...
World Cup Villa Reflections – Konsa Scapegoating, Villa Injury Woe and Ex-Villa Hero
The Good, Bad and Ugly of World Cup 2026 So FarWhile Aston Villa fans are either enjoying a summer off or worrying about UEFA cost spreadsheets, there's a World Cup on. It's a good chance to remember what football was like before the Premier League made it a product, or is it?The GoodUp to the quarter-final point, it's been a surprisingly entertaining World Cup,...
Summer Transfer Price Reality as Villa Fans Consider Europe or Brexit
The Good, Bad and Ugly of BournemouthAn International break that for once was not a time for a massive reset for Aston Villa, other...
Five Reasons to be Cheerful as Villans After Two Months in 11th
Five Reasons to be Cheerful - Post Hammers/Pre CherriesBy Armen MirzoianWith twelve games remaining, Villa embody the term ‘mid table’ with thankfully no chance...
The Missing Ingredients of Emery’s Villa Despite Midfield Improvement
The Good, Bad and Ugly of Villa Life Post West HamA point away at West Ham’s tax-funded stadium is always a positive one, but...
Emery Gets Pragmatic in Honing His Tactical Approach With Villa, While Cash is King
The Good, Bad and Ugly - Post Crystal PalaceYou could say the game against Crystal Palace was one for the purists, but the most...
Five Reasons to be Cheerful as Villa Fans After the Palace Grind
Five Reasons to be Cheerful - Crystal PalaceBy Armen MirzoianBack-to-back wins, back-to-back clean sheets, what's not to like? Well, it wasn't too pretty -...
Five Reasons to be Cheerful as Villa Fans After Break Losing Streak
Reasons to be Cheerful After Goodison Park WinBy Armen MirzoianAfter a 2-0 win at Goodison Park broke a consecutive run of three defeats, it's...
Ollie Watkins Silences Doubters, as Leon Bailey is Under Review
The Good, Bad and Ugly - EvertonIt’s not just Birmingham City that has the blues when they play Villa, Everton can now count Aston...
Five Reasons to be Cheerful as Villa Fans After Three Consecutive Losses
Five Reasons to be Cheerful After 4-2 Arsenal Home DefeatBy Armen MirzoianAnother game and another defeat. The new manager bubble may have burst but...
Unai Emery Points his Finger at Martinez as Fingers Begin to Point Back
The Good, Bad and Ugly - Post Arsenal FalloutA blockbuster lunchtime kick-off at Villa Park produced more twists, turns and emotion than most Hollywood...
Aston Villa Miss Key Defensive Attribute as Jack Grealish Turns Ugly
The Good, Bad and Ugly - Post Manchester City AwayThe Etihad Stadium is referred to as the ‘Emptyhad’ because of a lack of Cityzens....
Five Reasons to be Cheerful as Villa Fans Despite Citeh Loss
Five Reasons to be Cheerful as Villa FansBy Armen MirzoianWatkins' Current RunSince Danny Ings’ surprise move to West Ham; Ollie Watkins is featuring for...
GBU – Top Half Comes and Goes as Playing from the Back gets Exposed
The Good, Bad and Ugly - Leicester City LessonsFor a brief moment against Leicester City, Aston Villa fans could allow themselves to glance at...