Is This Really Aston Villa?

Villans are buzzing as the club climb into 6th for at least a moment. We may not be throwing around the M-word just yet, but it’s getting hard to keep it in the bottle. What a far cry from Gerrard’s disastrous and thankfully brief tenure at the helm.

West Ham vs Aston Villa: Will This Meeting Be Different?

The philosophy equals the points. The philosophy, the club mentality is the pathway. That’s Emery’s pre-match message: You establish the philosophy, and good things follow. That means he’s less concerned with Europe than he is with foundations. It’s also true that Unai will be looking at the run-in and thinking we should be in with a shout in all of them.

Welcome, Unai Emery: Here’s To Vindication

Emery is viewed by almost everyone as a statement signing, as it’s hard to disagree. Probably the most experienced and successful manager Villa could’ve brought in at this point in time. And you probably couldn’t pick two managers more different than Gerrard and Emery. One inexperienced and arrogant, the other very experienced, tactically astute, and an actual coach on the training ground. Emery also seems likable and self aware.

Gerrard: Should He Stay or Should He Go Now?

With Sawiris and Edens in town to watch, Villa battled against Chelsea, and on another day would’ve had a goal or two for their troubles. Perhaps they wouldn’t have either made or been punished for the two decisive errors. Could’ve had a result. Alas, ’twas not be. But losing to Chelsea was never the marker by which Gerrard’s body of work is going to be judged.