VTID – The Tale of Two Villa’s
By Jonathan Northall
Following the turnstile fiasco and drainage issue that undermined supporters’ potential enjoyment of the opening game at Villa Park of the season, the club sent an email to attending fans. It was full of vague promises, but the one word that was most needed was omitted: “sorry.” Potentially that was avoided, because it’s legally considered an admission of guilt? Pretty much any other entertainment venue would be issuing refunds, if similar poor planning and incompetence had led to its patrons missing part of a show. And that’s not to mention the disgrace of the toilet situation that greeted them, once they got in.
As the dust settled on the actual game, the 2-0 home defeat to Arsenal, it became clear that it wasn’t as bad as the circumstances off the pitch. Two clinical moments from Arsenal overshadowed two big missed opportunities from an arguably under-prepared Ollie Watkins. He perhaps needs more games before we can enjoy improved performances from him.
Rogers Rise
On a brighter note, Morgan Rogers delivered another stellar performance. Out of seven take-ons, he succeeded in five, earning him the nickname ‘The Messi of B6’…well, a 6ft3 version. Rogers, full of confidence, has been a delight to watch. Since his two goals at Walsall, his form has been top notch through preseason and into the opening two games. It’s going to be really interesting to see how he fairs in the Champions League.
Champions League Draw Expectations
Speaking of which, the Champions League fixtures are nearly out, and it’s like Christmas for fans. The prospect of facing Bodø/Glimt away is drawing closer. When the fixtures are revealed, the focus will be on securing enough points to finish in the top eight, which would qualify Villa directly for the knockout phase. It’s a tough challenge, but there’s hope that the team can find their rhythm and slip in. More realistically, Villa will finish between 9th and 24th, which would still allow them to qualify for the pre-knockout round. Anything below 25th would be a failure. I think we are in the top 24 teams in the competition, but we do have to prove that.
The loan deals for Àlex Moreno and Samuel Iling-Junior aren’t surprising. As Unai Emery continues to evaluate his squad, it’s clear these players aren’t in his immediate plans. Iling-Junior, in particular, represents future potential that needs more time to develop. Of the current loan players, how many will eventually secure a spot in the first team? Louie Barry? Josh Feeney? Kaine Kesler-Hayden? Lewis Dobbin? It’s possible not many will make the cut and they could instead just end up as balancing transactions for PSR, FSR…creative accounting.
Foxes Hope
Looking ahead to the next Premier League game, Aston Villa faces a very winnable match against Leicester City. That said, the ‘Vardy factor’ can’t be ignored, despite his nearing 38. Jamie Vardy has scored five goals against Villa. His 0.45 goals per game is pretty tidy when you consider his better records against Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Spurs. Vardy even has a goal against Emi Martinez from his Arsenal days. Despite the danger up front that Leicester could pose, Villa should be too good. I expect a similar performance at Leicester to the West Ham game and pick up three more points on the road.
Until next time…UTV!
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