The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Our memorable, once in a lifetime, never to be forgotten anniversary match is going to be even more memorable. There’ll be refreshments, drink, a special programme and shuttle buses, all for the bargain price of £1.50 each. Anyone saying all that stuff’s bound to run out 1 hour 50 minutes before kick-off should be ashamed of themselves.
Jhon Duran’s being charged with improper conduct after getting sent off. You’d laugh if it wasn’t so, er, laughable.
The final game of the year sees Villa doing much like they’ve done for most of 2024, with added cold. There were a few eyebrows raised when Tyrone Mings didn’t start again but he didn’t take long to come on after Pau Torres was injured, by which time we were a goal down. Ollie Watkins equalised with a penalty and things got better a couple of minutes after half-time, when birthday boy Watkins set up Morgan Rogers for our second. There should have been a third and probably a fourth but the chances weren’t taken and when that happens you know what comes next.
Brighton equalised after making their subs while we waited until they’d scored, which wasn’t the right order to do things. Watkins had a chance to get a late winner but yet again it was wasted. Another corner turned, another dead end blundered into. That was 2024.
Not that 2025 starts any differently as Louie Barry’s injured even before he returns. Then there’s a few days of speculation about him going somewhere else. Lewis Dobbin’s also back and he’s already gone again, to Norwich for the rest of the season.
Pau Torres has got a broken metatarsal, which I think used to be a toe and which means two months out. At least.
The transfer window opens in its usual way, with a report that we’ve bid for Dortmund forward Donyell Mallen. We’re also selling Jhon Duran to at least ten clubs.
Then along come Leicester to show that there’s always someone worse off than yourself. Once again it was freezing but at least there’s the prospect of a scintillating Villa performance against a team who’ve lost their last four matches. With our two most potentially scintillating players out suspended it was a slim chance admittedly, but something, anything to warm up a capacity-ish crowd would have been nice. Instead we got 45 minutes of forgettable dross with the added drawback of John McGinn going off injured after nineteen of them.
The second half started better and the newly-reinstated Ross Barkley put us ahead with a neat twenty yarder. Then we decided that the prospect of a straightforward win was too easy and let Leicester get an equaliser. Fortunately this set of substitutes were better and Ian Maatsen made an immediate impact, setting up Leon Bailey for what proved to be the winner. It wasn’t pretty but it was three points, and it keeps us in touch. It also showed, yet again, where we need to invest.
And to prove once more that some things never change regardless of what the calendar says, McGinn’s got a hamstring injury and he’s out for at least a month. At least.
