My Old Man Said - An Aston Villa Podcast

The most chaotic win of the season. And potentially one of the most significant.Three-one up and coasting. Then Sancho came on. Then it was three-three. Then Martinez stood up when it mattered most. Then Abraham scored the winner from a Digne cross that could have been measured with a ruler. Ten points clear of Chelsea. Champions League football confirmation is getting closer.The latest episode of the My Old Man Said podcast show unpacks the full emotional spectrum of a game that had everything — brilliant team goals, inexplicable defensive gaps, a substitution that nearly cost Villa everything, a goalkeeper save that may define their season, and a winner scored by the man whose bench time has been one of the running debates of the past three months.There is also a wider conversation about what this result means beyond three points. Spurs losing. Chelsea crumbling. The Premier League landscape potentially transforming. If Villa finish fourth and win the Europa League, two of the so-called top six miss out on

A 4-0 win on the night, 7-1 on aggregate. Aston Villa dispatched Bologna with comfortable ease to set up an all-English Europa League semi-final against Nottingham Forest. Villa were three goals up before half-time, Buendia was the player of the night in what may have been his most complete performance in a Villa shirt, and the second half became an extended exercise in managing minutes ahead of Sunderland on Sunday.In this episode of My Old Man Said, the show breaks down a night that confirmed Villa as legitimate Europa League favourites, and what it revealed about this team when everything clicks. The Bologna captain said after the game that his side simply could not lay a glove on a far superior team. That tells you everything.There is also a reassessment of the semi-final draw. How Porto flunked their quarter-final against Forest — missed chances, a man sent off inside ten minutes, hitting the woodwork twice despite being down a man. So are Forest lucky to be there? Plus: We discuss Villa's missed spot-ki

After Villa's first leg 3-1 win in Bologna, the second leg at Villa Park seems to be a formality, but Unai Emery will take in the lessons of Bologna's win in Roma in the previous round. Champions League football isn't quite in touching distance just yet.In this Europa Vision episode of the My Old Man Said podcast show, we take in the full picture: the Bologna second leg and what Emery needs to do tactically to see it out, the Forest versus Porto quarter-final that is poised far more delicately than expected, and what the rest of the draw means for Villa's route to Istanbul.On the other side: Freiburg dismantled Celta Vigo 3-0. Betis face Braga. Neither represents the sort of obstacle that has stopped Emery winning this tournament before. Villa's analysts were already spotted at the Braga versus Betis game. The show's read is clear - if Villa get their league business done in the next four games and arrive in Istanbul without Champions League anxiety, this could be the performance everyone has been waiting for

Villa drew 1-1 at the City Ground. The result was frustrating. The context is encouraging.Villa came away from the City Ground with a point that felt like less than they deserved. An own goal. A Morgan Rogers chance that clipped the bar. A Watkins one-on-one that should have been buried. A McGinn effort that forced a brilliant save. The xG may have said 0.98 to Villa, but the show's assessment is it should have been three or four.This Post-mortem episode of the My Old Man Said podcast show breaks down the three pivotal moments of the game — Rogers' contribution to Forest's equaliser, the recurring clinical edge problem, and the Emi Martinez situation that is becoming harder to ignore after a third warm-up withdrawal of the season.There is also a broader assessment of what the draw means in context. Meanwhile, in the Europa League, Porto's unconvincing performance against Forest in the other quarter-final has shifted the Europa League picture.Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts

The international break debrief — fixture analysis, form tables, and the stat that puts the West Ham win in optimistic context.Two wins. Momentum restored. Six points clear of Chelsea, five of Liverpool, with seven games remaining and destiny firmly back in Villa's own hands. The question now is simple: can they do it themselves and not have to rely on others?In this episode the show takes stock of where Villa are, where their rivals are, and what the fixture list actually looks like for the final stretch. We take a closer look at Chelsea's home form, with a double-header of Manchester City and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge in their next two games. Liverpool are juggling the FA Cup and a two-legged PSG tie. United have been the form team since Christmas but face both Chelsea and Liverpool before the season is out.Elsewhere: injury updates including the new recruits to sickbay and a Viking manuscript that has absolutely nothing to do with Aston Villa.Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you ge

The West Ham game was a non-negotiable. Once again, Chelsea and Liverpool had handed Villa the opportunity to take control of the Champions League race and unlike previous fumbles, this time they took it. A McGinn free-kick, a much-needed Watkins' goal, twenty-three shots, and a performance that looked more like the team that had won eleven games in a row than anything seen in the previous two months.In this episode the My Old Man Said podcast show we break down what actually changed — why the tempo was different, why Sancho suddenly looks like the player clubs have paid six figures a week for, and what McGinn's return means beyond the obvious.There is also a discussion of whether this is sustainable or whether it took a relegation-threatened West Ham side, forced into an unplanned formation after a warm-up injury, to make Villa look this good.Elsewhere: Watkins dropped from England and what that means for his remaining season, Tielemans' neat twenty-minute cameo, the Digne versus Madsen question, and why Vil

A controlled first half, a second half that finally came to life, and two goals that sent Aston Villa into the Europa League quarter-finals 3-0 on aggregate. Martinez's pinpoint clearance, Sancho's backheel, and McGinn's composed finish, the elements of a great opener, before Leon Bailey finished the tie off. We look back at the Villa Park conclusion to the Lille two-legged Europa League tie — including a first half at Villa Park so deliberately passive that even those in the ground were losing the will to watch — and discuss the highlights of a much improved second half performance.There is also a look at the quarter-final draw. Bologna are the opponents, but Porto, currently crushing the Portuguese league, having won 22 of 26 games, loom as the most dangerous side left in the competition. Nottingham Forest face them in the other quarter-final in Villa's side of the draw.Elsewhere: there's talk of croissant mutations, the Premier League £30 away ticket cap being extended, the Bologna quarter-final pricing th

A third consecutive Premier League defeat. Eight league games left. And a set of questions about structure, recruitment and ambition that will not wait until the summer.Villa's 3-1 defeat at Old Trafford was not a shock. It was, as this podcast noted immediately, an expected result, an expected performance... and an expected xG. What makes it significant is the context and manner of it - three consecutive league defeats, a Champions League place that is now being held by inertia rather than form, and a set of structural problems that are becoming harder to attribute to bad luck.In this episode, the show dissects the latest misery inducing trip to Old Trafford, including the moment that may have defined Villa's entire season. Then the post-mortem episodes broadens out into the harder questions about what has gone wrong, whose responsibility it is to fix it, and whether there is still time.The structure versus creation argument reaches crunch time. It's Lille in the Europa League second leg next, but then releg

France Has Fallen. Now for Old Trafford.Villa win 1-0 in Lille to take control of the Europa League tie — but the harder test arrives Sunday.In this double-header episode, the show analyses Villa's controlled but unconvincing win in France — the goal, the Watkins miss that should have killed the tie, and the moment John McGinn walked off the bench and immediately reminded everyone what Villa have been missing.Then it's forward to Sunday and a trip to Old Trafford, where the show sets out exactly why this fixture matters beyond three points, and why, despite United's impressive form under Carrick, this may be the moment Villa's season turns.Plus the MOMS panel prediction for Old Trafford, and a Tim Sherwood comparison that will not be retracted.UTVCheck out the best current deals on Aston Villa MerchandiseBecome a MOMS Member for ad-free & extra shows -  MOMS MembershipJoin the show’s listener Facebook group The Mad Few.Credits:David Michael - @myoldmansaid  | Chris Budd - @BUDD_mu

Aston Villa's Europa League last sixteen first leg against Lille on Thursday arrives at a critical moment in the season. With Villa sitting seventeenth in the Premier League form table over the last six games, the show discusses whether the Europa League now represents the most realistic route back to the Champions League, and whether the Lille tie can do for this season what the Bologna win did back in October.The show discusses the injury latest, with McGinn edging closer to a return, the squad selection dilemma for Thursday given the trip to Old Trafford follows days later, and whether Emery should rotate or go strong in France.Also discussed: Opta's supercomputer gives Villa an 80% chance of finishing top four, while the Bud 3000 is considerably less optimistic. The Tammy Abraham situation and Emery's Clockwork Orange-style process. Filipe Luís's remarkable and abruptly ended reign at Flamengo, and what it has in common with Ron Saunders. KSI's stake in Dagenham and Redbridge. The FIFA registration block

For a while, it looked like Villa might just make a fight of it against Chelsea at Villa Park.The opening goal was exactly what the team needed. Quick tempo, Douglas Luiz breaking forward, Bailey finally receiving the ball in space, and a sharp finish by Luiz to cap a rare moment of attacking fluency.It was the type of move Villa have been missing.Then came the moment that changed the night.Watkins thought he had put Villa 2–1 ahead after a brilliant breakaway move involving Morgan Rogers. The celebrations were long enough to believe momentum had shifted. Then the VAR check arrived, the goal was ruled out, and the momentum would soon shift in Chelsea’s favour.Chelsea scored before half-time and from that point the balance was gone.The second half exposed the structural issues Villa have been carrying for weeks. Chelsea repeatedly clipped passes in behind Villa’s high line, with Enzo Fernández dictating play and wide players stretching the defence. Once the pressure mounted, Villa’s resistance faded quickly.Th

This wasn’t just a bad night.It was a warning.Villa went to Molineux knowing exactly what was at stake. A six-point cushion. Chelsea next. Momentum fragile but intact. Instead, they produced a performance devoid of conviction and lost to a Wolves side that had won one game in twenty-eight  The tone was set early. Pau Torres, unmarked from a corner, headed wide when the script demanded a goal. From that moment, belief drained. Villa overplayed and hesitation set in. It was tension disguised as patience.The system didn’t shift. Wolves’ back three nullified Villa again. The midfield lacked line-breaking presence without Kamara and Tielemans. Barkley’s introduction brought little defensive awareness, with questions raised over positioning for the opening goal.And when Wolves scored, Villa folded.It was a zero-sum performance. No rhythm. No authority. No personality.The bigger concern is psychological. Villa are no longer chasing. They are protecting. And suddenly they look like a team feeling the weight

Aston Villa are third.Six points clear of the Champions League trapdoor and yet it doesn’t feel comfortable.This episode digs into the strange duality of Villa’s current position. On paper, the table looks strong. After 27 games, Villa sit on 51 points, three clear of Manchester United and six ahead of the Champions League drop line. Historically, that buffer matters.But performances tell a different story. The attack has stalled. The midfield spine is missing. The Molineux record is grim.Kamara, Tielemans and McGinn absent has stripped control from the centre of the pitch. Pau Torres’ progressive passing is badly missed. Villa are defensively solid, conceding just five goals in 2026, but they are not imposing themselves. Games are tight, tense and reliant on moments rather than dominance.And now comes Wolves away.Four games without a win at Molineux. The last victory came in lockdown. No witnesses. It barely counts  .Wolves may be near the bottom, but they have athletes, a back three Villa struggle

This is not about one result. It is about direction.Aston Villa remain in a strong league position, but the performances beneath it are raising legitimate questions. The defensive numbers are impressive. Only five goals conceded in 2026. Structure is there. Organisation is there.Fluency is not.Across recent weeks, Villa’s open-play chance creation has dipped sharply. The xG numbers now align with what the eye test has been saying for some time. Games at Villa Park have become tight, tense, and dependent on moments rather than patterns.There is also context. The midfield spine has been disrupted. Kamara, Tielemans and McGinn missing together strips out control and tempo. Yet Unai Emery has left Pau Torres benched, a player whose progressive passing underpinned last season’s best performances.But every contender has injuries.This episode asks the harder question: is this a temporary grind phase, or are we watching a team slowly stalling?The Wolves fixture looms large. Win it, and momentum returns. Lose it, and

After a quick look ahead to the game against an improving Leeds United team, the MOMS team takes a belated look back on the solid year of progress that was the year 2025. They profile the top five Aston Villa players of the year, look back at the year's high's and low's, as well as the surprises from the year and how Emery's Villa year rated compared to his others.UTVGet a Great NordVPN DealGet a cracking deal on NordVPN with four months FREE & a 30 days money-back guarantee here: nordvpn.com/momsGET AD-FREE SHOWS and JOIN MATCH CLUBGet ad-free shows and extra shows, and join My Old Man Said's 24/7 Villa community, Match Club.For more details and to become a member, click here: Become a MOMS MemberJoin the show’s listener facebook group The Mad Few.Credits:David Michael - @myoldmansaid Chris Budd - @BUDD_musicPhillip Shaw - @prsgameMy Old Man Said - https://www.myoldmansaid.comThis Podcast has been created and uploaded by My Old Man Said. The views in this Podcast a

The narrative to the FA Cup 4th round clash between Aston Villa and Newcastle United writes itself.Goalkeeper sent off. Game swings. Villa lose. End of story.Except it isn’t that simple.This My Old Man Said post-mortem episode pulls apart the FA Cup tie from the moment of the red card onward and challenges the assumption that it was automatically over. Yes, the dismissal changed the balance. Yes, momentum shifted. But knockout football is rarely decided by a single flashpoint.The discussion centres on what Villa did next. The shape change. The substitutions. The tempo. The psychological reaction. Did Villa protect the game properly? Did they give up too quickly? Were there moments to reset that went unused?There is frustration, but not hysteria. Context matters. The red card altered the task, it did not remove it. We look at the fine margins that separate resilience from resignation.The bigger question running through the show is this:When the situation turns against you in a cup tie, how long do you stay in

It was flat. It was tense. It was not one for the purists or season highlights.But it was three points.Aston Villa laboured past Brighton in a game that never quite caught light. Tempo was slow, rhythm inconsistent, and the usual midfield control absent. Large spells felt like two teams cancelling each other out rather than one asserting itself.Then came the decisive moment.A late corner, a near-post run, and Tyrone Mings making sure someone attacked the space properly. In a match short on incision, it took authority rather than invention to break it.The performance lacked fluency. Brighton limited Villa’s creativity and exposed the absence of key midfield leaders. There were groans at over-elaboration and impatience at predictable build-up. Even the atmosphere reflected it, with noticeable empty seats and tension around ticket pricing bubbling beneath the surface.But the table does not ask how.Villa are still third and the Champions League conversation remains real. And at this stage of the campaign, wi

This game depends on context.On the surface, a draw after taking the lead feels frustrating. Dig deeper, and it looks very different.Aston Villa went to one of the league’s most awkward away grounds, against one of the form teams in the division, without their key midfield controllers. What followed was not control or fluency, but resilience.Villa started brightly, moved the ball well early, and took the lead through Rogers with a cracking finish that hinted at a comfortable afternoon. It didn’t last. Bournemouth raised the tempo, flooded central areas, and turned the game into a sustained physical and tactical test.Without Kamara, McGinn, or Tielemans, Villa struggled to slow the game down. Possession became survival rather than dominance. Bournemouth piled on pressure, racked up shots, and forced Emi Martinez into a genuine man-of-the-match performance.This episode breaks down why the lack of midfield control was inevitable, why the goal conceded was frustrating but out of character for the defence in

With Aston Villa dealing with a mounting midfield injury list and a January window shaped more by constraint than ambition, this main show takes stock of where things actually are. Not where fans would like them to be. Not where narratives suggest they should be.The transfer window assessment is framed through damage limitation, PSR pressure, squad balance, and the reality that replacing key midfielders mid-season is close to impossible.That context feeds directly into the on-pitch discussion, starting with a battling draw away at Bournemouth. Down bodies, short of control, and under pressure for long spells, Villa scrapped for a point that looked more valuable the longer the game went on. It wasn’t fluent. It wasn’t comfortable. But it was resilient.The Bournemouth game is treated as a stress test rather than a failure. A measure of how this Villa side copes when structure is disrupted and energy has to replace cohesion. There’s frustration, but also recognition that these are the moments that define whethe

The 1-0 home loss wasn't about a lack of effort, it was about what was missing.Aston Villa had the ball, the territory, and eventually a numerical advantage against Brentford. What they didn’t have were the midfielders who usually turn control into pressure. Kamara. Tielemans. McGinn. Without them, Villa’s dominance stayed neat, predictable, and ultimately harmless.This My Old Man Said post-mortem episode focuses on how midfield absences shaped the game. Villa circulated the ball patiently but lacked aggression between the lines, runners arriving with intent, or anyone prepared to take responsibility in tight central areas. Brentford were able to retreat, organise, and wait.Even after the red card, Villa struggled to change the pattern. Possession increased, urgency didn’t. The disallowed goal only deepened the frustration, with VAR dragging play back to find a marginal infringement and draining what little momentum Villa had built.Brentford didn’t steal this. They controlled any potential chaos and Villa lac