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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,...
Aston Villa Cap off Pivotal Fortnight as Arsenal Keep Being Arsenal
The Good Bad and Ugly of Villa's Last FortnightWith the matches coming thick and fast GBU has to wait until there's something bad to...
Five Reasons To Be Cheerful as Villa Lay Waste to Champions League Rivals
Five Reasons to be Cheerful as VillansCity WinThe performance against City was one of the most complete performances that fans would have witnessed in...
Five Reasons to Be Cheerful as Aston Villa Face Title Gauntlet
Five Reasons to Be Cheerful as VillansEuro SuccessAston Villa were few millimetres of white paint away from Bailey’s chip securing top spot in their...
Aston Villa Outlast Angeball as Legia Warsaw Throw a Tantrum
The Good, Bad and Ugly of Spurs and LegiaAnother week in the headlines for Villa, first as the villains against Spurs and then as...
Five Reasons to Be Cheerful as Owners Set Sights on January Window
Before reading this, I would like to ask that you spare a moment to pause and spare a thought for Bentancur and his bruised...
Aston Villa Get Back on Track as The Gates of Hell Open in the Loan Market
The Good, Bad and Ugly of Fulham and the International BreakIs it safe to come out yet? Is the water torture that is watching...
Five Reasons to be Cheerful as Aston Villa Enter Crunch Month
Five Reasons to be Cheerful as VillansAnother week and two more notches to add to Unai Emery’s bedpost with wins against AZ Alkmaar and...
After their Failings at Forest, Aston Villa Go Double Dutch
The Good, Bad and Ugly of Nottingham Forest and AZ AlkmaarVariety is the spice of life, or so they say. In a week where...
Five Reasons to be Cheerful After Aston Villa Suffer Champions League Setback
While Aston Villa clearly cannot and will not win every game, the limp manner in which Nottingham Forest shrugged off an in-form Villa side...
Emery’s Home Bankers, Toxic Old Trafford Threat and Untouchable Aitken
The Good Bad and Ugly of Villa's WeekWhat's the difference between your average football pundit and Aston Villa at home? One is a banker...
5R: Aston Villa Player’s Improvement, Injury Return and Luck
Five Reasons to be Cheerful as VillansAnother win in Europe and a comfortable performance against Luton Town have resulted in Villa being well-positioned in...
The Villa Engine is Finally Here and it’s Chewing Teams Up
The Good, Bad and Ugly of West Ham and AZWhat a week it has been for Aston Villa. Too many times in the past...