Holtecast - An Aston Villa Podcast

In a match that certainly wasn't for the weak-hearted, Aston Villa came from behind to hand Brighton their first home loss of the 2025/2026 Premier League campaign. Join Simon and Cole as they dive into the latest talking points from the Amex Stadium and look ahead to Arsenal's visit at Villa Park on Saturday.You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?Now that we can all take a breath, what did the lads make of the craziness at the Amex?What can be made of Villa's start and their response to going 2-0 down?Let's show Ollie Watkins some love!Marco Bizot steps up when it matters most!How could Villa setup against Arsenal on Saturday and can Emery's men keep the good times going?STAY CONNECTED:Email: holtecast@gmail.comX: @HoltecastPodThreads: HoltecastBluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.socialCole Pettem: @TalkAstonVillaSimon O'Regan: @SiOReganEPISODE NOTES:Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

It certainly wasn't pretty, but Aston Villa got the job done against bottom of the table Wolverhampton Wanderers at Villa Park on Sunday. Listen in as Cole, Seb and Simon reflect on a hard-fought win, attempt to put some perspective on the striker position at the club and look ahead to Brighton on Wednesday.You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?The importance of winning ugly.Emi Martinez's heroics and recent form.How will Unai Emery address the striker position with January right around the corner?Does xG (expected goals) really matter?Can Villa keep up the momentum against Brighton on Wednesday?STAY CONNECTED:Email: holtecast@gmail.comX: @HoltecastPodThreads: HoltecastBluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.socialCole Pettem: @TalkAstonVillaSimon O'Regan: @SiOReganSebastian Bacon: @SebastianBacon8EPISODE NOTES:Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

It's now 6 wins from Aston Villa's last 7 matches in the Premier League, so with that in mind, Cole and Simon return to talk through a hard-fought win away at Elland Road that now has Unai Emery's men sitting in a Champions League spot.You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?A rough first half and a redeeming second; what can be made of the result away at Leeds?Emi Martinez's mixed performance.Is Donyell Malen the best super sub in the Premier League?Morgan Rogers' improving form as Villa head into a busy period of the season.Can Villa keep up the strong form, with Young Boys and Wolves heading to Villa Park in the coming days?STAY CONNECTED:Email: holtecast@gmail.comX: @HoltecastPodThreads: HoltecastBluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.socialCole Pettem: @TalkAstonVillaSimon O'Regan: @SiOReganEPISODE NOTES:Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

Another international break has come and gone and with that in mind, Cole and Simon had the pleasure of sitting down with The Athletic's Aston Villa writer, Jacob Tanswell, for a catch up on Aston Villa's season thus far and what lies ahead for Unai Emery's men.You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?What has Jacob made of Aston Villa's season thus far?How big of a concern is Ollie Watkins' form and could the striker position be addressed in January?Where does Harvey Elliot's future lie?Jacob gives us the lowdown on the proposed new squad cost rules.STAY CONNECTED:Email: holtecast@gmail.comX: @HoltecastPodThreads: HoltecastBluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.socialCole Pettem: @TalkAstonVillaSimon O'Regan: @SiOReganGUEST: @J_TanswellEPISODE NOTES:Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

An Unai Emery masterclass led Aston Villa to a convincing 4-0 victory over Bournemouth at Villa Park on Sunday and it feels as though Villa are picking up form at the perfect time. Join Tom, Seb and Simon as the lads walk us through all the talking points with Cole.You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?What can be made of such a fantastic performance?Did Unai Emery give Andoni Iraola a tactics lesson on Sunday?How many more positive things can we say about Emi Buendia at this point?!Ollie Watkins' positive performance and Donyell Malen's clinical nature off the bench.STAY CONNECTED:Email: holtecast@gmail.comX: @HoltecastPodThreads: HoltecastBluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.socialCole Pettem: @TalkAstonVillaSimon O'Regan: @SiOReganTom Nightingale: @tdnightingaleSebastian Bacon: @SebastianBacon8EPISODE NOTES:Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

Happy Friday and welcome back to another edition of "Under The Lights" as Cole, Seb and Simon are back to reflect on Aston Villa's return to winning ways, securing a 2-0 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League.You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?With headlines off of the pitch creating plenty of controversy prior to the match, Simon shares his experience going to the match at Villa Park.Is Ian Maatsen making the most of his starts?Does Harvey Elliot have a future at Aston Villa?Given Ollie Watkins' scoring struggles, how important is Donyell Malen going forward?STAY CONNECTED:Email: holtecast@gmail.comX: @HoltecastPodThreads: HoltecastBluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.socialCole Pettem: @TalkAstonVillaSimon O'Regan: @SiOReganSebastian Bacon: @SebastianBacon8EPISODE NOTES:Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

Aston Villa's struggles at Anfield continue and it certainly feels like a missed opporunity! Listen in as Cole and Simon chat all about a frustrating loss to Liverpool and look ahead to the Europa League clash against Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday.You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?A promising start, but Villa are punished for sloppy play - how much of a missed opportunity was Saturday's loss?Emi Martinez's gift to Mohamed Salah and fan frustrations.Should we be seriously concerned about Ollie Watkins lack of attacking output?How confident are we all heading into Thursday's Europa League clash?STAY CONNECTED:Email: holtecast@gmail.comX: @HoltecastPodThreads: HoltecastBluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.socialCole Pettem: @TalkAstonVillaSimon O'Regan: @SiOReganEPISODE NOTES:Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

Aston Villa certainly bounced back from a poor showing on Thursday and in some style too! Join Cole and Simon to discuss a complete performance against Manchester City at Villa Park.You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?Could we have asked for a more complete performance?Just how important is Ezri Konsa to Unai Emery's system?Amadou Onana, a physically dominant performance.Has Matty Cash well and truly silenced his doubters now?Are Villa heading to Anfield at the perfect time?STAY CONNECTED:Email: holtecast@gmail.comX: @HoltecastPodThreads: HoltecastBluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.socialCole Pettem: @TalkAstonVillaSimon O'Regan: @SiOReganEPISODE NOTES:Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/