{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/8d9a3cfe-9fbf-4fba-a5df-90859f80e19e/6a1d7c7e302b9e359cea7496?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"From Istanbul to the Transfer Catalyst — Aston Villa's 2025-26 End of Season Debrief","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/60ee25127b57990bc2e77e0a/1780316521688-8dae587b-5d58-4346-b47c-1704a8db35b9.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p><br></p><p>The season is done. The trophy is in the cabinet. The top-four finish is banked - literally. And now — with the confetti swept and the open-top bus parked — it's time for the honest debrief.</p><p><br></p><p>This week's episode is a free-form end of season conversation covering everything from the new 2026-27 home kit to Ollie Watkins' late-season renaissance, from the tipsy final day at Manchester City to the question that will define next season before it has even started: does this summer's transfer window signal genuine ambition or cautious consolidation?</p><p><br></p><p>There's also the numbers. A set of statistics on Emery's Clipboard that reframes the entire 2025-26 narrative, and they're not entirely comfortable reading despite the trophy and the top-four finish. When you look at how Villa performed against the teams they should be beating, the picture is rather different from the one the league table tells.</p><p><br></p><p>On pricing, the annual conversation takes a sharper turn. The normalisation of a 5% rise — supporters beginning to treat it as expected — is identified as the real problem, not just the percentage itself.</p><p><br></p><p>And the summer. What kind of signing changes the trajectory? What does a catalyst look like? Why does it matter for the players already in the building, not just the ones arriving?</p><p><br></p><p>Europa League winners. Fourth in the Premier League. A UEFA Super Cup against PSG on the horizon. The MOMS end of season conversation has a great starting point.</p><p><br></p><p>UTV</p><p><br></p><p><em>Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.</em></p><p><br></p><p><a href=\"https://aston-villa-store.sjv.io/AdJER\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Check out all the 2026-27 home kit options and new training range, here</strong></a></p>","author_name":"myoldmansaid.com"}