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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,...
Five Reasons to Be Cheerful as Villa’s Season Enters Final Stretch
Seven months on from the start of the new season, the Villa players find themselves in a position that they would have dreamed about,...
The VTID: Emery Needs to add some Magic to his Method
The VTID ReturnsBack in 2017, My Old Man Said had a monthly column called 'The VTID', written by a national newspaper journalist, who was...
Has Aston Villa’s Sinister Seven Results Shaken Unai Emery’s Confidence?
The Good, Bad and Ugly of Tottenham HotspurSumming up how most Villa fans feel after the Spurs performance, or lack of performance is no...
Five Reasons to Be Cheerful as Toothless Lions Regain Bite
On the whole, it had been a frustrating few weeks for Villa fans as Manchester United completed the double over Emery’s men, making it...
Aston Villa Have Bounced Back Well Since Red Devil Disappointment
The Good, Bad and Ugly of United and Double RedemptionWhy oh why is it always Manchester United? Bogey team isn't even a phrase you...
Five Reasons To Be Cheerful as Villa Reboot in Style
Five Reason to be Cheerful as VillansAfter a limp spell for the club, Aston Villa stomped over Sheffield United to re-assert its claim for...
Aston Villa’s Jurassic Problem and 50 Up for Ollie Watkins
The Good, Bad and Ugly of Chelsea and NewcastleThe time had to come. Aston Villa were destined to lose at home for the first...
Five Reasons to Be Cheerful as Villa Aim to Build on 2023 Progress
If the second half of the season can live up to the levels of the first, then Villa fans are in for a treat...
New Year Big Picture on the Pitch, Short Term Vision off it
The Good, Bad and Ugly - New Year EditionWelcome to 2024 Villans, a nice festive break after the busiest winter period most Villa fans...
Five Reasons To Be Cheerful as Villa Approach 2023 Finale
Five Reasons to be Cheerful as Villans After Poor Christmas WeekUnai Emery will have an important week ahead to regroup and prepare the team...
Aston Villa Lose Control as Old Trafford Opens Up Old Wounds
The Good Bad and Ugly of Sheffield and Manchester UnitedIt's cliche time this week on GBU, after a 2023 that exceeded all Villa fans'...
Five Reasons To Be Cheerful as Villans After A Christmas Robbery
Despite weeks of cheer and positivity, Villa fans will feel aggrieved with the manner of the 1-1 draw at home to Sheffield United. The...