My Old Man Said - An Aston Villa Podcast

This should not have been complicated. Villa allowed it to be.

Knowing a win would guarantee a top-two finish and second-leg home advantage in the Europa League knockouts, Aston Villa approached the Salzburg game with management in mind. For too long, that drifted into passivity.

The first half lacked tempo and bite. Defensive concentration wavered and a young, fearless Salzburg side were given encouragement they should not have had. Villa looked like a team trying to coast a European night that demanded focus.

The second half changed when Villa did. 2-0 down and the tempo lifted, intent sharpened, and the physical and technical gap finally told. Once Villa switched on, control followed quickly and the outcome that mattered was secured.

This post-mortem looks at where Villa misjudged the night, why youth and energy became decisive, and how fine the margins are in Europe when game management slips into over-management.

Villa got what they needed. In the end.

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Credits:

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

My Old Man Said - https://www.myoldmansaid.com

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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This was never going to be a glamorous window, but certainly few would have expected such a twist.

With Aston Villa hit by a cluster of midfield injuries at the worst possible time, this transfer catch-up looks at the merit of the triple signings of former players, that were originally signed by Dean Smith. Are we upgrading? Gambling? Or is it just damage limitation?

The conversation centres on the loss of Kamara, Tielemans, and McGinn and why that trio underpins almost everything Villa do well. Defensive stability. Control. Goal contributions. Take all three out and you are not tweaking a system, you are protecting one.

That context frames the return of Douglas Luiz, the intrigue around Tammy Abraham, and the pragmatic reality behind Leon Bailey’s situation. None are presented as silver bullets. All are discussed as players at career crossroads, arriving not to transform Villa but to stabilise them.

The sentimentality that the trio brings makes the signings a cut above a punt on an unknown, and all three have proven already they can do a job in claret and blue.

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Credits:

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

Music production & creation - David Michael

My Old Man Said - https://www.myoldmansaid.com

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.

This was the kind of away win that changes perception.

Aston Villa went to St James’ Park, absorbed the noise, managed the pressure, and left with three points without ever losing control of the game. Not through survival. Through composure.

This post-mortem focuses on how Villa dictated terms in an environment that usually overwhelms visiting sides. Newcastle had the crowd and moments of momentum, but Villa had structure, discipline, and clarity in their decision-making.

There’s discussion of how Villa managed territory, why conceding space was part of the plan rather than a weakness, and how game intelligence across the pitch prevented Newcastle from building sustained pressure. Individual performances are assessed through the lens of control rather than volume.

Breaking the two decade St James’ Park hoodoo matters not because of history, but because of what it says about where this Villa side is now.

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Credits:

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

Music production & creation - David Michael

My Old Man Said - https://www.myoldmansaid.com

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.

THIS MATCH IS CRUCIAL wrote Unai Emery in the match programme notes for the Everton game. The players it seems didn't get the memo.

Everton came to Villa Park with a clear plan and left having disrupted the one area Aston Villa normally rely on for control. The midfield. Not through brilliance, but through physicality, timing, and exploiting a lack of cohesion caused by Villa's injuries and enforced changes.

This My Old Man Said post-mortem focuses on why Villa never established rhythm, why second balls kept going the wrong way, and how Everton repeatedly bypassed what is usually Villa’s strongest platform. Without stability in the middle, everything else felt reactive rather than controlled.

There is discussion of personnel issues, structural balance, and how quickly control can evaporate when familiarity is lost. This is not framed as a season-long flaw, but it is a problem in the present tense. One that matters if left unresolved.

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Credits:

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

Music production & creation - David Michael

My Old Man Said - https://www.myoldmansaid.com

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.

Some games are not about flair. They are about control.

As Everton arrive at Villa Park, this main show looks past form lines and reputations to focus on why Aston Villa are structurally well suited to matches like this. Patient play, physical resistance, limited space, and an opponent built to frustrate rather than entertain.

The discussion centres on Emery’s evolving approach. Positional discipline, intelligent rotation, and letting the ball do the work rather than chasing it. Villa are not running more than opponents. They are running smarter. The Opta data backs it up. Fewer pressures, fewer recovery runs, and a squad that is being preserved rather than burned out.

Everton are assessed honestly. Organised, stubborn, but limited. Short of goals, short of creativity, and reliant on attrition rather than incision. This is not a game Villa need to force. It is a game they need to manage.

There is also look at Villa's squad depth, Kamara’s absence and recovery timeline, Torres’ return, January transfer noise, and why Villa appear better positioned for the second half of the season than many of their rivals.

The show also steps back to take in the wider football landscape. Macclesfield’s record-breaking FA Cup shock over Crystal Palace. José Mourinho making his players sleep at the training ground after defeat. Austin MacPhee’s cheeky second-ball intervention and the fine line between marginal gains and gamesmanship.

There's also the Lovers Walk Unlimited Orchestra's Istanbul '26 remix of the Youri song ahead of Villa's Europa League game against Fenerbahçe.

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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

Music production & creation - David Michael

My Old Man Said - https://www.myoldmansaid.com

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.