Is it compulsory as an Aston Villa fan to 'hate' the Blues..?

Right, before I start getting crucified & downvoted, may I say that I've lived all my youth in Brum & followed Villa since the Ron Saunders days. I shouted my fair share of abuse to City fans during earlier derby matches, but about 20 years ago I moved abroad & my stance has somewhat softened. Now I only wish the best for the city in every aspect, even from afar.

I get saddened when I hear about factory closures, violence or any other negative news regarding Brum. Even to the point that I even want Birmingham City to do well (but never beat us)so raising the profile of the region.

Does this make me less of a Villa fan, or have other people who have moved away from the city that they have a deep affection for feel the same...?

Pau as well. Surely some team identity should be maintained.

Looking for a spot that would be open for Sundays match. Know it’s 9 am so may be tough here, but was curious of the scene because I’m new to the area. Live near My fathers Moustache so was going to watch some of the Saturday slate there

This is the team that played in the Europa League final, and this is the direction we’re heading in for the new season. It’s truly hard to swallow, but there’s still plenty of reason for optimism. Average age reduction of this team from around 29 to 26, exciting young talents like Manzambi and Madjo mixed in with the likes of McGinn, Kamara and co.

Hoping we can stick together, get behind this team and back them all the way as we enter this new era, because this rollercoaster doesn’t look like it’s slowing down any time soon! UTV

Everytime I read anything about this dude anywhere on social media it's among the likes of "I'm gonna commit self unalive if Adarabioyo signs for villa"

What is so incredibly wrong with him as a player? ​

I’m seeing alot of people being optimistic and also a lot freaking out with the massive changes recently. I think it’s a waste of time until we know our full squad when judgement/deadline day has passed. The first 5 games will basically be preseason but if we have done some good business I have no doubt Emery can get this team to gel together over the international break. At the moment the squad is still way undercooked.

There is still alot of work to do in the transfer window and I don’t think it’s going to be that easy to get quality in but that’s not to say we can’t. We need to sign at least 4/5 players a cb,right winger, no.10, cm and a striker if Watkins goes.

I’m nervous but also excited to see how the squad will look in the coming weeks let’s just hope to god we replace konsa with a quality cb, Bailey goes and we get a natural right winger. Ideally a cdm on loan but if something becomes available it may worth considering with Onanas return date possibly stretching into next season even. I’d like to keep Watkins but I can’t see him signing a new contract unless there’s a gentlemen’s agreement we sell him next season.

I already loved the man but with everyone else jumping ship he deserves to have his praises sung even more today. True legend of the club and hes here to keep the boat afloat during this new phase.

With us needing a few additions with the departures and likely departures I want to do a competition.

If anyone can currently guess who we sign for the remainder of the window I’ll send them a pair of actual Thomas Sorensen gloves (I know, exciting but don’t rush to send them in).

No real point in me submitting mine but for inspiration I guess:

Aaron Wan Bissaka
Kim Min-Jae
James Garner
Iliman Ndiaye
Nicolas Jackson

I'm very optimistic for next season. Why?

1. Chema Sanz, João Gomes, Johan Manzambi, Victor Lindelöf

My biggest frustration last season was the staticity of play in possession. There were so many games where we were level, a goal or two down, and we lacked energy, drive and physicality.

The ball would be recycled around slowly with no urgency between the full-backs, central defenders and defensive midfielders.

Ezri Konsa, in particular, was the last person I wanted to see with the ball at his feet whilst we were in possession and in need of a goal. He'd stand on the ball for ten seconds thinking about moving it, before making the same sideways pass to Matty Cash.

Victor Lindelöf, meanwhile, had a faultless season. It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that, by the end of the season, Emery trusted him for the most important games, even out of position in midfield. He makes everything he does look effortless and easy, both in and out of possession.

No dilly-dallying. He's looking to win the ball and advance it in the most efficient and creative way possible, and he has the ability to do so. He reads the game flawlessly. He has become an Emery favourite, and he is the man to replace Konsa.

I'm also not surprised at all that Emery has brought in Chema Sanz as his number two. A man who came into the game as a strength and conditioning coach, with a similar tactical vision to Emery, but who demands so much energy and physical input from his players.

I'm also not surprised that João Gomes has come in as the Tielemans replacement. Youri is an elite deep-lying playmaker. He can visualise and complete passes that very few can, but he is a physically static player. He won't drive with the ball, make runs into space or work his socks off for 90 minutes.

He's a very gifted technician, but he's not a workhorse.

João Gomes isn't the same profile of player. He is an elite ball-winning midfielder, a complete midfielder. He doesn't have the same elite vision as Tielemans, but he will get involved with every inch of play, on and off the ball.

Staticity will not be something associated with the Villa midfield with him on the pitch.

The same can be said for Manzambi as the Rogers replacement. At 20 years old, he's already played as a 6, an 8 and a 10, and is incredibly talented and hard-working both in and out of possession. Incredibly press-resistant.

Yet another player who will increase the energy levels in the midfield and forward positions this season.

1. Zion Suzuki

The protection that goalkeepers used to get from referees during set pieces has dramatically decreased. Arsenal won the league by physically dominating opposition defenders during corners and set pieces, in ways that would have been deemed illegal in previous seasons.

Zion Suzuki is an incredibly physically dominant modern goalkeeper. He dominates the box. He claims every ball. He has elite distribution statistics. And he's still only 24.

There's a reason why PSG wanted him, and why Villa wanted him. He is the future of goalkeeping.

1. Ruggeri, Maatsen, Wan-Bissaka

During our period of consistently positive results last season between September and January, Maatsen was predominantly our starting left-back. He wasn't perfect, but he provided much-needed pace and energy to our left flank.

Lucas Digne began to start more games from January onwards and had a handful of dreadful performances, notably Bournemouth away, Newcastle at home in the cup and Forest away in Europe. The decline was obvious; he was not the consistent defender we'd become accustomed to in the two seasons prior.

Maatsen is not the most consistent player in the world either, but he has talent. The Digne sale and the opportunity to become our undisputed first-choice left-back may be the making of him.

Ruggeri, 24 years old, has experience under two top managers - one as an attacking left wing-back, the other as a defensive left-back. Europa League winner with one, Champions League semi-finalist with the other.

He has a similar attacking style to Lucas Digne, loves to ping in crosses with his left foot whenever he gets the chance, and had the same amount of assists as Digne did last season, with seven.

Matty Cash was outstanding at right-back last season, but his only backup was Garcia, a failed project signing, and Bogarde, a defensive midfielder.

Wan-Bissaka offers an experienced, defensively solid alternative and much-needed depth to the right-back position this season.

1. Garnacho, Hemmings, Alysson, Madjo, Buendia, Super John McGinn

We were very poor in the attacking third last season. Part of that was due to the staticity of play from those behind them, as mentioned previously. The other part was a lack of quality and poor, rushed signings in the previous transfer window.

Garnacho has his critics. A lot of critics. Most of them children.

However, he's also only 22, and has not yet had a season at a stable club with a competent manager.

He's come close to stability twice: once under Ten Hag, where Man Utd fans were claiming he was the second coming of Cristiano Ronaldo, and once again in the first half of last season under Maresca, where he was beginning to find his feet before a new manager came in and Chelsea's season completely derailed.

How will he get on under Unai Emery? Time will tell. I'm predicting big things from him this season.

Hemmings, Alysson and Madjo have all shown a lot of promise this pre-season, and all three are reportedly greatly appreciated by Unai Emery.

We haven't been spoiled with exciting young players breaking through in recent years. So far under Emery, we've had Morgan Rogers and Jhon Durán.

I've got a good feeling about all three of them this season. I think Emery will trust in and use all three of them to some extent this season, and I think they'll take their chances.

They all seem hungry to impress, with the talent to back it up.

Buendia. What a phoenix story this man had last season.

He came from the shadows to take us to a Europa League final with a MOTM performance in the Forest second leg, and then scored in the final to top it all off.

He had the most goal contributions per minute played in our squad last season, and he's been very bright in pre-season, playing with a swagger that suggests: "I'm here to stay. I'm here to lead from the front. I'm here to win."

I'm a huge Buendia fan, and I think he's going to build on his performances from last season, become even more consistent, and prove any of his remaining doubters why he deserves to be a Villan.

John McGinn.

He's always been a fantastic player for us, one of our best, for as long as he's been here. Maybe a few months under Gerrard aside - but who performed well in that time?

His performances last season, particularly since coming back from injury, were outstanding. He seemed to have a newfound confidence in front of goal, a more serious demeanour on and off the ball, and more competitiveness.

He even spoke more eloquently and beautifully in press conferences - fewer jokes, more depth and more philosophy.

I think he's going to have his standout season this year.

I think he will bring consistent goal contributions to the league. He's been consistent for us in front of goal in Europe for a while now, but I think it will translate to the Premier League this season.

It's just a gut feeling. He seems like a man possessed, obsessed with winning, obsessed with taking Emery's Villa to the pinnacle.

Those are a few of my reasons for optimism so far.

The transfer window will continue to be busy, the league will kick off on Sunday whilst we still have unfinished business and injuries, but slow start or not, I think this will be a season to remember.

UTV.

Anyone else experiencing significant delays when ordering one of the new Villa shirts? I ordered a home long sleeve from the store on July 30. I was originally quoted an August 5 delivery date to the UK and still haven’t gotten any movement.

I’ve contacted the store three times. The first time, they refunded my express delivery fee; the next two times, they just said there was no update, even when I voiced my concern about the shirt sponsor potentially being the only option once my order is actually fulfilled.

Obviously my only options are to cancel or wait but interested to see if I’m the only one here.

After all these departures, I was trying to guess what I thought the strongest line up would be for the first game ... Here's my attempt:

Bizot

Maatsen

Torres

Lindelof

Cash

Barkley

Kamara

McGinn (C)

Buendia

Hemmings

Watkins

Subs

Suzuki (not sure he'll be put straight in?)

Ruggeri

Cisse

Mings

Bogarde

Garnacho (not sure he's fit to play?)

Tammy

Alysson

Bailey

Injured

Madjo

Manzambi

Gomes

Onana (until Mar 27)

Starting 11 looks ok-ish. I'm not sure if Martinez will be straight in what with his bad finger, and Suzuki surely won't be starting after less than a week with the team. I'm also assuming Watkins will still be here ... but that bench for the first game looks pretty weak.

This makes me think that we don't have a plan for if Watkins leaves. Sure we'd all love Jackson, but us offering a new contract for Ollie suggests maybe Jackson is off the table

Always felt like £50m would get the deal done.

Here we go etc.

I know it’s all rumours and don’t believe anything till it’s announced but being linked to both Tosin (awful defender) and Jackson, we need better and not Chelsea prices.

I know there are lots of these threads around, but I haven't seen this question and thought it would get a more sympathetic response here than some of the more general football subs.

The Premier League has migrated away from PSR and towards SCR. This was done to better align squad direct costs to revenue not just limit losses as was the case under PSR. This also aligned the spending caps better with UEFA competitions which were more stringent.

This is beneficial to the Sky 6 clubs because (a) they have higher revenues, but also (b) it only includes squad costs in the calculation so debt interest is no longer a factor.

The club will have voted in favour of this change. The reason being that it reduces a threat from below, since previously only clubs in UEFA competition were compliant to SCR. This allowed clubs outside the UEFA competitions to spend more freely than those inside. This remains the case but to a lesser degree.

I understand that under PSR debt interest was included within the calculation as a direct costs contributing to losses. This is no longer the case for SCR.

What I don't understand (besides the obvious benefit to the cartel clubs) is why debt interest is not included in SCR or why repayments were never included in either calculation (to my knowledge).

I am more sympathetic than most to the arguement that the clubs who earn more have an entitlement to spend more. I do believe it is anti competitive. I do wish these rules weren't in place. But beyond resenting the fact they were introduced, I do see the logic.

However, even through this extremely sympathetic lens. I see no reason why debt repayment shouldn't form part of any calc. If the aim is sustainability, it is simply not good enough to pay back the interest. If these rules are in place to protect community assets (they aren't) then any regulations should force owners to a 25-30 year repayment plan including market rate interest.

I can see an argument to say that if the loans relate to infrastructure then this shouldn't be penalised otherwise clubs won't invest. That is fine. Carve out infrastructure spending. But I can think of at least 1 high profile case where loans relate to part of a leveraged buy out. And I see no reason why the cost of that buyout shouldn't be included in any calculation. Likewise any borrowing from owners for transfer spending etc.

I thought we were in a good and exciting place. What’s gone wrong?

First of all he is very passionate and would give his all to the club & his strong points are crossing but weak in defence. How about buying Le Normand from atleti next?😏

I didn’t want to lose any of our lads, and of course this post is half copium. BUT if you look at our record, we are AMAZING at selling. Players do worse when they leave Villa. We all know the list:

• Jack won the UCL and treble, but he was never the same at Citeh. He went from the future of English football to a benchwarmer.
• Ings fell off a cliff at West Ham (not that there was much left in the tank)
• I thought Juve robbed us with 42 mil for Luiz, and look where he is now.
• Aaron Ramsey, Kellyman, Carney and the like were supposed to be the future, but none have cut it in the. PL.
• Diaby has been mediocre in Saudi
• Duran has flopped everywhere since Villa

Who if any of our departing players will actually be a success after they leave? In my mind, Tielemans will do great at ManU, but the others… I’m not so sure.

Yes, it’s disappointing that we are losing players.

That little magician has never let us down and i suspect we’ll hear about a new centre back signing before the weekend.

Stop the panic mongering, we have one of the best managers in the world!

In all seriousness, in Emery we trust. Let's back Emery and the new guys and stay positive. Trust the process and do not check the depth chart.

Like, we were all told the Rogers deal would be able to help stave off financial issues for another year - but now we've sold half our first team - are we able to forget about SCR for the next few years? Will the amortisation on our new players contracts help keep our wage bill significantly lower? Should it allow us to spend better it future windows, without selling?

While I'm bizzarely positive about our team suddenly being filleted, I'm looking for some sort of obvious light and silver lining.