It could have been a bit better.
The big news early in the week is also a bit unexpected. The North Stand will be closed for the whole of next season as part of our ground redevelopment (part three), with capacity down 6,000 while we’re doing it. Just one problem – the North Stand will still be intact when all human life on earth has been wiped out. You can’t touch it.
It turns out we’ll be getting 1,700 tickets for Forest. You can also watch in the Warehouse for £5.
We’re being linked with a couple of players for a change, Fulham midfielder Harry Wilson on a free and eighteen year-old winger Kerim Alajbegovic, who plays for Red Bull Salzburg. Milan are after him as well.
Porsche are selling Bugatti to HOF Capital, which wouldn’t have anything to do with the Villa but HOF are owned by Onsi Sawiris, brother of Nas. That would be an interesting shirt sponsor and a few club cars might be thrown in as well. It’s a long way from Steve Hodge drives Montego.
In other transfer news, don’t all laugh at once but Coventry City are reported to be after Pau Torres. And if that doesn’t get your sides splitting they want Conor Gallagher as well.
Down in the lower divisions West Bromwich Albion, now that they’re safe, have been deducted two points for breaking the rules and told not to do it again.
Talking of not doing it again, it’ll be for the best if we don’t repeat Saturday’s performance again this century. Not that it was anywhere near the Lambert/Sherwood/Garde glory days, but when we had the chance to sign, seal and almost deliver the Champions League, we managed to put in a performance of underwhelming proportions.
Lamare Bogarde replaced the injured-again Amadou Onana and the only thing that can be said is that he isn’t a replacement, direct or otherwise, at least not yet. Jadon Sancho and Leon Bailey, on the other hand, aren’t replacements for anyone, and never will be. Fulham are scarcely world-beaters and on Saturday afternoon they didn’t have to be. Just a bit sharper, a bit more direct and a lot more committed. They got a goal just before half-time and although we made a few chances after the break they were wasted, which was pretty much the story of the day.
We started the weekend fourth, could have gone third and ended up fifth. Eight points clear with four games left; it’s still looking good but it should be looking better. After the match Unai said he doesn’t know when Onana will be playing again. Next Thursday with a bit of luck. With a bit more luck Sancho and Bailey won’t be playing for us again ever.
Meanwhile, on another planet it came to pass that the FA Cup final, still the showcase occasion of the domestic season, will be between a club who got slapped on the wrist for lawbreaking and another club facing 115 slaps on the wrist some time after the North Stand is demolished. You sometimes wonder if we’re the only club who takes any notice of these rules.
