A Week of Youngs Boys and Dogheads
The latest My Old Man Said podcast opens with the Lovers Walk Unlimited Orchestra summing up the recent Villa happenings in the show’s intro song. Once the music fades, the show dives straight into the big talking points.
Villa are winning games, yet the xG police have spent the week lighting flares about underperformance. In this episode, the numbers finally get put back in their box.
Villa have adjusted their attacking identity this season. There is less frantic penalty box traffic and more deliberate mid-range control. Emery is shaping a side that looks for better long-range opportunities, but the xG models have not adapted. They undervalue everything. So the narrative that Villa are slipping is built on misread data, not reality. It is a tactical evolution, not a warning sign.
Something for the Weekend
The show also looks back on the Young Boys win in Europe. A professional result delivered without ever hitting top gears, but the pattern continues. The European Thursday brings the Sunday question mark. Villa often look a touch hazy when returning to league action, and with Wolves up next, this one has all the hallmarks of a test, considering Villa’s recent record against the Dogheads. Ollie Watkins needs a spark, and Emery may have to ponder utilising Donyell Malen as his central striker more seriously.
Beyond that, the episode takes aim at the Premier League’s new Squad Cost Ratio idea, Sky Sports attempting to appeal to female football fans via TikTok, and Ronaldo’s magic disappearing ban. It is part football analysis, part cultural commentary and part therapy for a fanbase living inside an Emery-era project that refuses to stand still.
If you want the full breakdown of the xG wars, the Young Boys aftermath and the Wolves warning, listen below:
Listen up
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Credits:
David Michael – @myoldmansaid
Chris Budd – @BUDD_music
Phillip Shaw – @prsgame