Aston Villa: Are Expectations Being Managed This Season?

As the season progresses, questions arise about Aston Villa’s performance and whether they are living up to expectations. Are they truly making strides since last season, or are they flattering to deceive? In the latest episode of the Claret and Blue podcast, hosts Dan Rolinson and John Townley delve into Villa’s recent form and what lies ahead.

DAN: Aston Villa’s two-points-per-game average is promising, with 14 points gathered from the first seven matches. If this trend continues, we could finish the season with 76 points, which would be a commendable achievement. However, isolating the recent match against Bayern Munich—considered a different competition—reveals a mixed bag in our league performance. Drawing against Ipswich and Manchester United, both lower-half teams, is disappointing; ideally, we should have secured six points from those matches.

The Bayern match provided some context, as it was an exhilarating experience that created great memories. Yet, it may have negatively impacted our performances against Ipswich and United. It felt like we took our foot off the gas against Ipswich to focus on Bayern, and against United, we struggled to find our rhythm.

JOHN: I completely agree. Emery mentioned that we are still building our mentality, which resonates with me. Adjusting to the rigors of Champions League football is a process. Matches against top clubs like Bayern and Juventus can have a significant impact on our performance in subsequent games. Last season, we managed to bounce back more easily after facing teams like Legia Warsaw and AZ Alkmaar.

This is a challenge we must navigate. The top clubs in the world manage these situations effectively, and it’s something we need to learn as well. I don’t want to criticize the players at this stage; it’s still early in the season. If we had beaten Ipswich, Bayern, and United without showing signs of fatigue, I would confidently predict a fourth-place finish this season.

For now, I’m focused on ensuring Villa stays in the top seven each week. If we secure another Champions League spot, fantastic! But if we finish fifth or sixth and qualify for the Europa League, that’s great too, especially with Unai Emery’s track record in that competition.

I want us to progress in European tournaments and eventually secure some silverware. We’re currently fifth and in a good position overall. However, I must acknowledge that the fixture list has been relatively kind to us this season compared to last, which featured tougher opponents.

We faced Newcastle, Liverpool, and Chelsea away last season, and at this point, we have one more point than we did last year. Our recent matches included home games against Wolves and Everton, along with newly promoted teams like Leicester and Ipswich. Every Premier League match is challenging, but our start has met my expectations; I anticipated we would at least match our current points tally.

JOHN: I share some concerns. While we played well against Arsenal, we ultimately lost. Injuries have compounded our issues early in the season, and it seems we haven’t fully found our rhythm, even against teams we should beat. For example, we won against Wolves late, relied on a stunning goal from Jhon Duran against Everton, and the win over West Ham was solid. Still, I feel we need to consistently deliver strong performances.

As we approach matches against Tottenham, Chelsea, and Liverpool, I’m eager to see us perform well, especially against Tottenham, where we had success last season. If we struggle in those games, it may force us to reevaluate our expectations.

I entered this season hoping for European football and a strong run in the Champions League, and I stand by that. However, at the beginning of the season, it’s essential to position ourselves close to the top four. Given our current form, I’m not seeing the indicators that suggest we can replicate last season’s fourth-place finish. This isn’t meant to sound negative; rather, we need to see more from the team to prove we can be contenders for that top spot again.