My Old Man Said — An Aston Villa Podcast

Aston Villa face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup final at Stadion Salzburg on Wednesday 12 August — Europa League holders against Champions League holders. An unlikely win will lift Villa up a tier in English teams in terms of European royalty, as not many can boast two Super Cup wins to their name. This week's episode asks the question the squad list can't quite answer yet: is Emery's side actually ready, with the transfer window still open and noticeably weaker than in recent seasons due to injuries and World Cup returning player doubts.

The team-news picture is complicated. Lucas Digne's move to PSG has finally been made official, weeks after it was widely reported as done. Johan Manzambi is a confirmed absentee, having knee treatment with no return date given. And the three World Cup finalists — Emiliano Martínez, Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins — are only just back in training (we hope) after three weeks off, leaving Unai Emery to decide how much to risk from the opening whistle.

Villa have five players missing from the XI who started Villa's last competitive meeting with PSG — Marcus Rashford, Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Amadou Onana and Digne - and there hasn't been an upgrade on any of the positions. If nothing else, the game will provide an unflinching assessment of where the squad actually stands with just over two weeks to go to the new season. At best, Villa, with a bit of luck will carry on their proud unbeaten European final history.

Odds, history, and one very specific plan for Alejandro Garnacho — this week's episode has the full build-up before kick-off.

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Credits:

David Michael - @myoldmansaid | Chris Budd - @BUDD_music / Phillip Shaw - @prsgame

This Podcast has been created and uploaded by My Old Man Said. The views in this Podcast are not necessarily the views of talkSPORT
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Just over a fortnight out from the Premier League opener at Brighton, this week's episode asks the question Villa's midfield can't avoid: is it actually good enough for the Champions League and this season? Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers are both gone. João Gomes and, everyone hopes, Johan Manzambi are meant to replace them — not like for like, but as a different way of playing altogether.

The conversation works through the practical questions first. Is Gomes the same kind of deep-lying orchestrator Tielemans was, or something with more bite and less silk? Can Boubacar Kamara handle a full season without breaking down again, and would shifting him fractionally further forward protect him or just expose someone else? Where does Manzambi actually play — box-to-box eight, wide left, or as the ten Villa haven't reliably had since Rogers' best form — and does Alejandro Garnacho's arrival settle that question or complicate it further?

It broadens from there into the harder conversation underneath all of it: whether this is a refresh or a genuine rebuild, and whether a club can safely attempt one of those in the same summer it returns to the Champions League. There's also the cautionary tales of clubs like West Ham and Spurs, and indeed historic Villa, in terms of what can come on the heels of European glory.

No predictions or certainty — just an honest account of how much of this squad remains genuinely unknown with the season weeks away.

UTV

Subscribe to AVWTF - www.astonvilla.wtf Sharp and informative Villa writing for supporters who can spot the clickbait from the back of the Holte.
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Credits:

David Michael - @myoldmansaid | Chris Budd - @BUDD_music / Phillip Shaw - @prsgame

This Podcast has been created and uploaded by My Old Man Said. The views in this Podcast are not necessarily the views of talkSPORT
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The preseason catch-up show returns with the foundations of Villa's summer transfer business largely settled — Johan Manzambi, João Gomes and Alejandro Garnacho in, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne, and Morgan Rogers out. Also we reflect on Villa player's impact on the summer's World Cup.

From there it's Villa news — the North Stand rebuild, injury concerns and Brian Madjo's registration appeal success. The Three Points has a shirt theme, while Emery's Clipboard tries to unearth more Buendia's.

Subscribe to AVWTF - www.astonvilla.wtf Sharp and informative Villa writing for supporters who can spot the clickbait from the back of the Holte.

Become a MOMS Member for ad-free & extra shows - MOMS Membership

Join the show’s listener Facebook group The Mad Few.

Credits:

David Michael - @myoldmansaid | Chris Budd - @BUDD_music / Phillip Shaw - @prsgame

This Podcast has been created and uploaded by My Old Man Said. The views in this Podcast are not necessarily the views of talkSPORT
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aston Villa's summer took another turn this week: Morgan Rogers completed a British-record £117m move to Chelsea rather than Arsenal, João Gomes' switch from Wolves was announced, while João Palhinha's loan from Bayern Munich is less straightforward than it looked.

This week's episode goes back over the week that was and explains why Chelsea, not Arsenal, always made more sense once the pieces were on the table — Johan Manzambi's arrival, the timing of the announcement, and what it signalled about who Villa expected to be negotiating with. There's a breakdown of João Gomes' fit alongside Boubacar Kamara, an honest look at where the Palhinha deal actually stands, and the developing left-back competition between Pervis Estupiñán and Ian Maatsen.

There's also a proper explanation of Squad Cost Ratio, the rule that has replaced PSR this season, and why it changes the calculation on every sale Villa make from here. Plus: Emiliano Martínez's finger and Ezri Konsa's situation.

Check out the cracking sale on the Adidas Villa Original Icons range here

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Join the show’s listener Facebook group The Mad Few.

Credits:

David Michael - @myoldmansaid | Chris Budd - @BUDD_music / Phillip Shaw - @prsgame

This Podcast has been created and uploaded by My Old Man Said. The views in this Podcast are not necessarily the views of talkSPORT
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aston Villa's transfer window has gone from silent to frantic inside a week. Youri Tielemans has had his £35m release clause triggered to join Manchester United, Lucas Digne has had his release clause triggered to, as he's heading to join Paris Saint-Germain, and Johan Manzambi is arriving from SC Freiburg.

We look at what frames it all, the restrictive UEFA settlement Villa have in place and the fact they desperately need to refresh an aging squad, that is one of the oldest in the Premier League.

This week's episode gets into why Villa are moving on two influential, well-liked players in the same week, and why that's a rational response to the situation rather than a sign of panic. There's a breakdown of the numbers behind the Tielemans exit — the release clause nobody outside the club knew about, the pure profit it books, the wages it clears — and why Digne's move to PSG might be the cleanest piece of business Villa do all summer.

Then we get into what the incoming Johan Manzambi is all about.

There's also time for the parts of the summer that aren't about the pitch: the Visit Rwanda shirt sponsorship and the ethics around it, and progress on the North Stand rebuild.

UTV

Aston Villa are still selling sponsorless shirts here - https://aston-villa-store.sjv.io/6kdvWb - if you don't want 'Visit Rwanda' on it.

Get MOMS in your inbox every Friday, free. Sharp, funny, informative Villa writing for supporters who can spot the clickbait from the back of the Holte. No spam. Join the astonvilla.wtf newsletter →

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Join the show’s listener Facebook group The Mad Few.

Credits:

David Michael - @myoldmansaid | Chris Budd - @BUDD_music / Phillip Shaw - @prsgame

This Podcast has been created and uploaded by My Old Man Said. The views in this Podcast are not necessarily the views of talkSPORT
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.