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Regular My Old Man Said columns
Five Reasons to Be Cheerful After a Week of Mixed Emotions for Emery
Five Reasons to be Cheerful After Brugge Win and Forest LossA mixed week has seen Villa finally pick up their first win of the new campaign, after getting their Champions League season off to a winning start with a hard-fought victory in Bruges. The positive momentum proved short-lived, however, as Villa slumped to a late home defeat against Nottingham Forest in a game that...
Five Reasons to Be Cheerful After Villa Stalemate in Hull
Five Reasons to be Cheerful as Villans after Goalless Hull DrawWith the transfer window finally closed, Unai Emery can get back to doing what he does best: coaching players and building a team on the pitch. The performances against Arsenal and Hull have offered encouragement, even if the rather important business of putting the ball in the net remains unresolved.As Villa move on to...
The Good, Bad and Ugly of Aston Villa’s Transfer Window
The Good, Bad and Ugly of Aston Villa’s Summer Transfer WindowAfter another horror show against Crystal Palace, it was clear that Unai Emery’s squad...
Five Reasons To Be Cheerful As Villa Fire Blanks and the Transfer Window Closes
Five Reasons to be Cheerful as Villa FansThe slow summer transfer window has led to a troubled start to the new season, but reinforcements...
Five Reasons to be Cheerful as Villans After Bees Loss
With Aston Villa served up a relatively soft start to the season in terms of fixtures, they were hoping to get out of the...
What We Learnt as Villans After the Brentford Defeat
Another season kicks off — and this one already looks like it could get interesting for a whole host of reasons. So, what better...
Aston Villa Must Shake PSR Victim Tag and Roar Back on the Pitch
The Good, Bad and Ugly of Villa's Season OpenerThe first day of the season is traditionally the time when every fan up and down...
Five Reason To Be Cheerful As Villa Escape Opener With A Draw
Five Reasons to be Cheerful as Aston Villa Open 2025/26 SeasonThe dull summer transfer window was extended onto the pitch at Villa Park with...
Summer of Reflection and Regret as Aston Villa Prepare to Go Again
The Good, Bad and Ugly - Preseason Thoughts'Tis the Preseason of contemplation or so it seems at Aston Villa. The ramifications of the last...
Five Reasons To Be Cheerful As Preseason Begins in Earnest in the USA
Five Reasons to be Cheerful as Preseason Warms UpAston Villa's exciting 2024/25 season ended not with a bang but with something of a whimper,...
Aston Villa’s Spine Melts Again to Leave Summer of Uncertainty
The Good, Bad and Ugly - The Dust Settles after Old Trafford HumiliationA rollercoaster Aston Villa season is finally over. The final destination was...
Five Reasons To Be Cheerful After Disappointing Season Finale
Unlike last season, Unai Emery's men managed to hit some decent form in the final months of the season. Despite juggling three competitions to...
Aston Villa Keep Season Alive but Talk is Cheap Off the Pitch
The Good, Bad and Ugly – Full Force NeededAs the season reaches its final bend, Aston Villa are still clinging on. There's only one...
Fizzling Out or Fighting Back? The Defining Weeks for Villa and Watkins
The Good, Bad and Ugly – Fizzling Out or Fighting Back?Sometimes football is about feelings more than analysis, so the Good, Bad and Ugly...