It seems a slightly sad end for Aston Villa’s all-time top PL scorer, but the Saudi sale will certainly represent good profit for the club for a player that turns 31 in December🤑
🚨🗣️ Gary Neville on Unai Emery’s recent squad building;
🗣️"Look, you have to take your hat off to Unai Emery. What he’s building at Aston Villa isn’t just a team having a good run; it’s a properly coached, elite-level setup. Every single player out on that pitch knows their job down to the exact millimeter.
You look at the business they’ve done—re-engineering that squad, bringing in real technical quality and pairing it with dynamic power and pace—it’s absolutely meticulous. When you play against an Emery side, you aren't just playing eleven players; you’re playing a system designed to trap you, draw you out, and hit you in the transitions before you can even react.
He’s made Villa Park an absolute fortress again, and honestly, I’m fascinated to see what he’s got in store for the Premier League this season. The top four know they’ve got a massive problem on their hands because he doesn't just want to disrupt the established order—he genuinely expects to beat them."
Aston Villa would like to reassure supporters that an unfortunate ticketing error with the club’s payment service provider is in the process of being resolved.
Over the period of the 21st August to 24th August, the provider has refunded a number of transactions after payment had been taken, an error the club were not aware of at the time and beyond our control.
Any tickets or memberships purchased during this time that have been ordered in good faith by supporters have since been held so that they can be repurchased.
Work with our providers to find an easy method for fans to pay for their transactions is already underway and the ticket office will be in touch with all affected fans shortly with further details.
We would like to sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused and assure supporters that we are working to resolve the situation as quickly as we can and will prioritise transactions for the matches in calendar order.
Any supporters who have attempted to purchase memberships will still receive the benefits of being a member, such as priority ticket purchase and ballot entry, while we are resolving these payment issues.
#AVFC
The fact all Villa (#avfc) have to do is submit a coherent argument to UEFA as to why they're trying to sign Nicolas Jackson? Tells you all you need to know about the idiocy and the absurd nature of the 45 day rule.
I've said it before and I'll say it again...
"UEFA needs a hard independent audit of its rules because they're absurd."
Nothing says 'end of your holiday' more abruptly than hitting the litter-strewn rumbling concrete M20 after covering ~600 miles on smooth French roads.
Unai Emery asked if the window should shut before the season starts: "Always. Not just now, always. We are one club who find it hard every year."
#AVFC
Unai Emery on changes: "The only thing that doesn't change is the supporters. The supporters from Aston Villa will be there always - they are the most important. Aston Villa supporters start as Aston Villa supporters and finish their life as Aston Villa supporters."
#AVFC
The NERDS are already calling the opening match at The Amex on Sunday “The negative net spend derby”…which could be even more acute if Konsa, Baleba and Minteh are added to the list of the departed players before the window shuts
Data from @valuball .
SCR doesn’t mean Squad Cost Ratio, it means Squad Cost Restrictions.
70% of £700m = £490m on player costs for those who have qualified for the Champions League regularly in recent seasons.
85% of £300m = £255m to spend for those clubs who want to join them.
Competitive Balance per SCR, to paraphrase Orwell in Animal Farm is “All clubs are equal in the Premier League, but some are more equal than others…”
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Football needs to reevaluate its rules on finances. Teams being forced to sell their best players damages everything that is good about the competition. It’s killing the hopes, dreams and ambition of every club except the elite.