Seven days, two games, six points. Only to be expected.
The stories about Maccabi being kicked out of Europe continue to gather pace. According to assorted news outlets Uefa are going to do it, they’re not going to, they’re putting it to the vote and Donald Trump says he’s won the Europa League.
Talking of decisions, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters says that one to change PSR is imminent. So is HS2.
Looking round the lower levels of football and well done to Barry Bannan for his part in helping Sheffield Wednesday get a draw against the next titans of world football, whose supporters weren’t too keen on him for some reason.
We’ve got more plans to add more seats, plus a new scoreboard. They’ll increase “overall matchday experiences” apparently. That’s corporatespeak for “cost more”.
Then on to De Kuip, and as is compulsory at this ground we had an early goalkeeping scare when Emi Martinez got injured warming up and a few conspiracy theories did the rounds while Marco Bizot got his unexpected chance. And of course he did well, making a few good saves when Feyenoord were beginning to get on top. They should have had a defender sent off and had a goal disallowed, then Evann Guessand hit the post as we began to take charge. Boubacar Kamara, back and on form, won the ball and found Emi Buendia, who put Villa into the lead.
Unai had to do something unorthodox so Buendia promptly went off, Donyell Malen came on and Pao Torres found him with a pass that split the Feyenoord defence. His run deserved a goal, but when he lost the ball it found John McGinn, whose performance all night was in the great tradition of Villa captains at De Kuip. That’s two games in Europe, the two most difficult-looking opponents beaten without much fuss and a load of our players looking the part.
Talking of Europe, another team left England on Friday night to give their all for St George. And so happy they were to be abroad that a random American stood with them and got over-excited.
Back on planet Earth Burnley came to Aston on Sunday for one of those matches that we used to worry about but now take in our stride. Goalkeeping Emi was back with his mate on the bench although to be honest for the first hour and a bit they both did the same amount of work. We were comfortably on top and when Kamara found Malen, who despite being closely marked still managed to score, there was a feeling that it was just the start.
Then in the second half Morgan Rogers laid on Malen’s second and we could have gone on to get more but didn’t bother. Instead Burnley got one back but that was almost the last time they got into our half. The only real taking point after that was substitute Emi getting laid out by a Burnley player doing what Burnley players do best who scarcely got a talking to about it while the other Emi got booked for enquiring when it was that assault became legal on a football pitch. And so the Aston Villa juggernaut continues rolling on.
