Plan is easy, doing it is the hard part. We fought toe to toe with Galata at home, I am having serious doubts we can beat any CL team away from home.
Will we finish above Aston Villa?
- Thread starter Sparky Rhiwabon
- Start date
We couldn't even beat Galatasary at home. We're odds against to qualify.
Could have and should have had Bayern away.
Have a little faith man. We got screwed over that game by silly mistakes and a red card.
If we don’t beat Copenhagen away from home then the players need to retire.
I'm afraid we will have problems even at home...
Maybe, if we will get out of CL without slipping into Europa.
I’m confident we’ll score at least 3 tonight.
Why would we want that?
We barely won at home, just wait for the return leg...
I’m just identifying what our benchmark is. Last season it was Newcastle, and we did well to finish above them, however Newcastle are on an upward trajectory and have gone past us now, I think Villa is now a better benchmark
We aren’t even discussing top 4. It’s “are we going to finish above Villa”?
Only 7 points (and 17 goal difference) behind.
No.. 7th or 8th at best, 60 to 63 pts if we're lucky.
There is a fundamental problem at the club.
League cup on Wednesday we may well go out to Newcastle.. the games in the prem up till end of November are winnable on paper, unless they pick up max points it's uphill for 5th at least..
There is a fundamental problem at the club.
League cup on Wednesday we may well go out to Newcastle.. the games in the prem up till end of November are winnable on paper, unless they pick up max points it's uphill for 5th at least..
Boom!
A great weekend for us, with our win and Villa losing to Forest (lol) meaning that we’ve cut the deficit down to 4 points. The chase is on.
A great weekend for us, with our win and Villa losing to Forest (lol) meaning that we’ve cut the deficit down to 4 points. The chase is on.
We'll finish comfortably ahead of Villa. It's early November.
No complaints, we weren't good enough in both boxes today. Forest is a bit like Wolves, low scoring but a very good home record they've built (two prem losses in 14 months) so they'll be a banana skin fixture for any top half team as indeed they showed last season and they've got better quality in midfield this season.
Presumptuous to go top half but ok mate.
They were unbeaten v all of Liverpool, Arsenal, Brighton, Man. City, Us and Brentford last season at the City Ground so that's six out of last season's top 9 and I think they're stronger in midfield this season with Sangare a very good DM.
Loads of our fans were predicting big wins on our main forums but I didn't see it, thought it would be a banana skin like Wolves away and we slipped up big time.
I know you always beat them but that will be a tricky away fixture over the xmas period. Interested how they get on v Spurs aswell.
Fair enough. Early December now.
Villa unexpectedly dropped points at the weekend, drawing at Bournemouth whilst we expectedly lost at Newcastle. Advantage us or them? I’m not sure. Anyway…
Villa now have a 5 point advantage over us, effectively 6 as they have a +13 GD vs our -1
Big game on Boxing day.
We have Sheffield United and Burnley at home either side of that match.
We have Sheffield United and Burnley at home either side of that match.
Big win for us vs Chelsea
Massive win for Villa vs Citeh
Villa still with the 5 points advantage plus GD
Massive win for Villa vs Citeh
Villa still with the 5 points advantage plus GD
No
At the moment no but things can change.
Aston Villa will be a handful when we play them at Old Trafford but if we can get the win against them it will be quite big considering where we are right now and how Villa are going.
Aston Villa will be a handful when we play them at Old Trafford but if we can get the win against them it will be quite big considering where we are right now and how Villa are going.
Unlikely, they're flying at the moment.
They'll finish 7th after the Conference League kills them in Feb/March.
They're a better footballing side than West Ham were in a similiar position a few seasons back but I expect the same thing to happen.
They're a better footballing side than West Ham were in a similiar position a few seasons back but I expect the same thing to happen.
Yes we will, if no Europa League games.
Nobody will.
If we keep winning most games at home we'll be in the 70-75 point range so you're finishing higher than 7th with that haul.
I wouldn't say Europa Conference league kills you as much as the other competitions. Hopefully we get a point in Bosnia next week so we avoid the play off round in February. Then I think it's just six more games before a possible final so hardly huge workload. West Ham were just poor in the league from August last season so don't really think europa Conference impacted them much and they improved near the end of that season to get the wins they needed to stay up.
We also have some decent quality on the bench this season so can rotate in 2-3 positions as we're currently doing as last night Cash was unused sub, Ramsey and Moreno are usually regular starters but both returning from long term injury so easing back in and Diaby on the bench after a recent dip in form. Tielemans also been warming the bench for first 12 games before starting recently.
You're a Villa fan mate, i'd be writing exactly the same in your situation. Just chucking my prediction out there.
I wasn't talking about West Ham last season BTW - you're a much better side than that one.
No, but a second place finish isn't anything to be sniffed at
no reason why they can not, are Aston Villa not now the 3rd or 4th richest EPL club in terms of owners after the Oil clubs, certainly ahead of our useless clown Glazers. I feel Emery will really push to win the Europa Conference as he has a good record in Europe and that may hurt them at the backend of the season. But i think they are a rising force again and have done it a little under the radar. We will see them improve year by year now a bit like Newcastle. They are a proper big club though with more potential than the like of City.
I can see him binning off the conference if they are around where they are now when that kicks off - the lure of CL football would be amazing for Villa.
I do think they'll slowly slide down a bit though, I'm not sure they have the overall quality over a full season to match City, Pool, Arsenal and think it will be us, then, Spurs scrapping for 4th and 5th.
How deep is your squad?
Our midfield is stacked. Fixed trio of Kamara-Luiz-McGinn. Tielemans become started now and Ramsey can also play if required but more likely as LM/LW. Dendoncker still around and he played in some really good wins last season but I think we'll loan him out in January ahead of summer transfer, Everton interested and he'd suit them with his profile.
Even with Mings out for the season we also have four international standard CBs, Konsa, Pau, Diego Carlos and Lenglet who is just playing in europa. Two excellent LBs in Digne (this season) and Moreno. Think we'll target a new RB in January with Cash dropping to the bench for last few matches, don't think Emery was impressed by his first half performance v Spurs when he could easily have been sent off.
Upfront it's basically the bionic man Ollie remaining fit. Such a ridiculous fitness record. He's missed about four games for us in the premier league since joining in August 2020! That's where we'd struggle if he was out for a month or two, guess we'd try Diaby or Bailey as the CF but that would be very unproven.
World away from the Martin O'Neill days when we have a solid first 11 and the backups were overpaid but not very good and so we faltered from March onwards for overplaying the regulars. Emery has far too much nous for that and in any case our general tempo in games is more relaxed than what Newcastle and Spurs do so that should suit us when we hit the run in.
Stands you in excellent stead for the run-in then! I'm guessing you'll also fortify in the winter window if the opportunities arise, too?
Looks like you're in it for the long haul.
Dont give a rats where Villa finish, or spurs or Newcastle et al.
Just want to see our team play for the shirt like they did v Chelsea. Then we can call it progress.
Just want to see our team play for the shirt like they did v Chelsea. Then we can call it progress.
Yes, but only if we buy a striker who scores goals in January
Hopefully he scores goals from February to May as well.
I have serious doubts that we will. Could see them finishing 4th/5th, their side seems to be far more balanced than ours despite lacking in "big names", also Emery looks to be a level above ETH.
Right now I see the first three positions being strongly in the hands of City, Liverpool, and Arsenal, and fourth through seventh really up for grabs between us, Newcastle, Spurs, and Villa.
My gut still says Newcastle and us in fourth and 5th, with the order being up for grabs.
My gut still says Newcastle and us in fourth and 5th, with the order being up for grabs.
I think Villa will eventually slip but what an incredible job by Emery.