Europa Conference League 2023/4 | Page 368 | Vital Football

Europa Conference League 2023/4

CDX_EIRE said:
Realistically Emi might the only untouchable one in the squad. Ollie and Leon are close but even Dougie could be replaced and he's the best one in MF.
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Really? We're about to finish 4th and got to the semi finals of a European competition, but you'd be happy to tear the squad apart and start again?

Is that you Mr Ellis?
 
JW1985 said:
I saw a thumbnail for a YouTube clip of Jamie O'Hara on talksport with the title "do Villa deserve to get champions league" and nearly chucked my tablet out the window.
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Yes, I thought that clip was totally childish, one a Chelsea fan the other a spud, not exactly setting the world on fire, I feel it was an outburst of relief that we failed to win the cup as it would have shut them up. Onwards and upwards. UTV
 
Villan57 said:
None of us are exactly happy mate but we all deal with it in our own way.
We all know we've overachieved this season but losing is still disappointing as will finishing 5th after the season we've had. (should it happen)
Arteta will be gutted if he finishes 2nd but they've had a great season.
It's the way it is, you won't find Arsenal fans happy with second but they should be grateful after 20 years of not winning it.
In the big scheme, we all get we've done well.
I don't like losing and anyone who can shrug their shoulders and say oh well it doesn't matter we still had a great run is very different to me.
I boil for days until Monday when we play those scouse twat, then I'll be back.
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Who is shrugging their shoulders?. Just because I see a bigger picture, that’s the label?.

I’m absolutely gutted . Everyone knows I was saying we were winning this competition, from the first page of this thread I was saying it. It’s a huge opportunity missed to get some silverware under our belt for the first time in 28 years. I certainly don’t enjoy that last sentence being repeated as it was last night on SSN. But hey ho , it’s a tin pot cup, 4th is the new trophy init and Unai doesn’t care about it.

But, however gutted I am unlike others who simply can’t accept that we might lose, I can see a bigger picture. Some don’t have that ability it would appear. Each to their own .

Blues, Wigan, Spam. What have they got in common.
Won a trophy more recently than us and that fucking rankles and ain’t right. It’s embarrassing. So for those that don’t think this competition matters or mattered, then I give up.

Yay, great , we finish 4th, but the flip side is and the result of not winning the conference is that right here and now our chances of silverware next season are less than this season.

And I don’t care what Arsenal fans think or say nor Blues fans with this so called karma. You give it out and you take it is my motto on that. Not everyone can of course.
 
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Langoe66 said:
What’s he ‘spinning’ here? Every word is true.
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In your world yes but in mine he's hedging his bet just in case we fail to make the CL. ie pointing out pluses rather than negatives.
It's how the world works these days. They run courses on positive thinking, but my mind doesn't do that.


Sorry, we've had to amputate both your legs sir but the good news is the bloke in the next bed wants to buy your slippers!
 
Villan57 said:
Unai spinning it just in case as well, hope he can find a way to win both the last two games and send us off properly.
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Not spin. Just pragmatism really. He knows where we are and that we have over achieved.

Going to take a major turn round to lose 4th place now. We've lost one league game in 5 and Spurs have lost 4 on the trot and conceded 13 goals , yet the narrative seems to be that they will beat Man City and turn around a 9 goal difference. To me that's the height of pessimism. I even think they'll struggle to beat Burnley.
 
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sirdennis said:
Not spin. Just pragmatism really. He knows where we are and that we have over achieved.

Going to take a major turm round to lose 4th place now. We've lost one league game in 5 and Spurs have lost 4 on the trot and conceded 13 goals , yet the narrative seems to be that they will beat Man City and turn around a 9 goal difference. To me that's the height of pessimism. I even think they'll struggle to beat Burnley.
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The problem I see is people don't get how quickly the goal difference changes. When I ran a boy's side we were top, 3 points clear of second who we played the last game of the season, we had 12 goals on them, and their manager congratulated me on winning the league before we'd even played as there was no way they beat us 12 nil. for once in my life I shut up and never said anything as even I know it was only 6 they needed to make the goal difference level. I'd no keeper and only 9 fit players. We drew 4-4, then I told him!

I think Villa need to play to not concede as a couple of 2-0 defeats followed by Spurs beating the two Rabbits by more than 2 goals and it really does hinge on City.
That's how I hedge my bets, thinking the worst and then hoping for the best, rather than the opposite. Works for me.
 
DeanoVilla said:
Really? We're about to finish 4th and got to the semi finals of a European competition, but you'd be happy to tear the squad apart and start again?

Is that you Mr Ellis?
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I don't mean this in a negative way - but I do wonder if this squad of players has peaked.

I mean Ron Saunders dismantled a successful 1977 team - and sold some players that were untouchable - and it wasn't universally popular at the time but by 1980 you could see the wisdom.

In particular the defence - IMO Konsa would be the only one I would be really keen to hang onto.

This squad have done great - but can any more be squeezed out of them ?
 
sirdennis said:
Not spin. Just pragmatism really. He knows where we are and that we have over achieved.

Going to take a major turm round to lose 4th place now. We've lost one league game in 5 and Spurs have lost 4 on the trot and conceded 13 goals , yet the narrative seems to be that they will beat Man City and turn around a 9 goal difference. To me that's the height of pessimism. I even think they'll struggle to beat Burnley.
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Yeah interesting how the old mind works in different people. Spurs lose four on the spin and it's a thought of as being a foregone conclusion by some that they'll beat Burnley easily even though Burnley arent down yet. And yet if we'd lost four on the spin and were facing them, those same minds wouldnt be tipping us to definitely win. In fact it would be the opposite!
 
Platypus said:
What would Ollie have to do to become untouchable? Levitate?
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Andy Gray was sold by Ron Saunders and he was the best striker I've ever seen in a Villa shirt. We were fuming gutted etc Then we won the league with a donkey called Withe . Nobody not even Jack was untouchable and he was the best footballer I've seen in a Villa shirt.
 
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Langoe66 said:
Yeah interesting how the old mind works in different people. Spurs lose four on the spin and it's a thought of as being a foregone conclusion by some that they'll beat Burnley easily even though Burnley arent down yet. And yet if we'd lost four on the spin and were facing them, those same minds wouldnt be tipping us to definitely win. In fact it would be the opposite!
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Absolutely.
 
Villan57 said:
The problem I see is people don't get how quickly the goal difference changes. When I ran a boy's side we were top, 3 points clear of second who we played the last game of the season, we had 12 goals on them, and their manager congratulated me on winning the league before we'd even played as there was no way they beat us 12 nil. for once in my life I shut up and never said anything as even I know it was only 6 they needed to make the goal difference level. I'd no keeper and only 9 fit players. We drew 4-4, then I told him!

I think Villa need to play to not concede as a couple of 2-0 defeats followed by Spurs beating the two Rabbits by more than 2 goals and it really does hinge on City.
That's how I hedge my bets, thinking the worst and then hoping for the best, rather than the opposite. Works for me.
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Spurs have lost 4 on the spin though. It's not as though they are in prime form.

If we had lost 4 in a row you know full well that you'd be struggling to see us beat Burnley or Sheffield Utd let alone Man City.
 
Langoe66 said:
What’s he ‘spinning’ here? Every word is true.
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I turned off when the first goal went in because I knew the outcome and deliberately stayed off here last night because I didn't want too read the stuff slagging the team off that I knew would be posted. Unei is spot on, it has been a fantastic season,way beyond my expectations and ruined only by an horrendous injury list, that has befallen all the teams competing at the top of the table and in Europe, and they all went out before we did, with bigger squads. Next season will be tougher in a tougher competition but hopefully a better squad of players can rise too the occasion.We have already bettered last season and we are not finished yet. Liverpool too come Monday night, and the chance to finish on a high note and say thanks for a season competing at the right end of the table for a change. COYL
 
sirdennis said:
Spurs have lost 4 on the spin though. It's not as though they are in prime form.

If we had lost 4 in a row you know full well that you'd be struggling to see us beat Burnley or Sheffield Utd let alone Man City.
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They've lost the games we thought they'd lose Arsenal Chelsea and Liverpool, nobody has them down to lose to Burnley and Sheffield United. They are not likely to lose 6 on the bounce, any more than we are likely to lose 3 on the bounce under Unai.
We are blowing out of our arses, if we were playing well I'd expect us to get at least 3 points from our last two games but we aren't.
 
bar their game against Newcastle they've been not as bad as their results would suggest - gladly they've picked up less pts from the last 3 than you'd prob expect from their performances. We've sort of done the opposite a picked up a few more than our performances warrant (bar the Arse game).

They are a short price v Burnley and the dippers are odds on to beat us - goal diff can very easily disappear quickly.

I think we might still need a point and it's hard to see us getting that atm
 
BringbakMON said:
bar their game against Newcastle they've been not as bad as their results would suggest - gladly they've picked up less pts from the last 3 than you'd prob expect from their performances. We've sort of done the opposite a picked up a few more than our performances warrant (bar the Arse game).

They are a short price v Burnley and the dippers are odds on to beat us - goal diff can very easily disappear quickly.

I think we might still need a point and it's hard to see us getting that atm
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If your hero was in charge I'd be worried but Unai is a different matter.
 
remote said:
I don't mean this in a negative way - but I do wonder if this squad of players has peaked.

I mean Ron Saunders dismantled a successful 1977 team - and sold some players that were untouchable - and it wasn't universally popular at the time but by 1980 you could see the wisdom.

In particular the defence - IMO Konsa would be the only one I would be really keen to hang onto.

This squad have done great - but can any more be squeezed out of them ?
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Emi1 and Torres are also absolutely vital to the way we play. Get a good DCM in and we are back in business.
 
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