My Old Man Said — An Aston Villa Podcast

Two away wins in a row and two clean sheets in a week raise the question this episode asks: has Aston Villa's defence turned a corner, or has it only met two weak sides? Villa beat Newcastle United 1-0 at St James' Park, showing plenty of resilience, as Johan Manzambi’s header from a João Gomes cross in the first half gave them the win.The show weighs the evidence as to whether Unai Emery has fixed his defensive issues: Matty Cash's late recovery to stop a clean-through forward, Zion Suzuki's save, Victor Lindelöf's growing seniority, Tyrone Mings against the high balls, Boubacar Kamara looking like himself again and a calming cameo from Leon Goretzka.It also marks where it still frays. Ross Barkley's timing, despite positive displays, Ibrahim Mbaye and Nicolas Jackson both failed to square for a teammate, and the left side is thinning with Aaron Wan-Bissaka's hamstring, Matteo Ruggeri out and Ian Maatsen only just back in training.Speed Demon and Lazy B*stard return, with a new Villa season record. Unai Emery has his 100th Premier League win, and the show makes its case that the rebuild is ahead of schedule, before Viking and Manchester City ask harder questions.UTVRestock on discounted Adidas Originals stock and last season’s shirts – Use code MOMS10 for an extra 10 % off here

Aston Villa beat Fenerbahçe 6-0 at Villa Park in the Champions League league phase. It was Villa's biggest European win and Unai Emery's biggest as Villa manager. Johan Manzambi opened the scoring on his 21st birthday, Nicolas Jackson added two, Ross Barkley scored twice inside a five minute spell, and Tammy Abraham made it six at the death.The post-mortem starts with the clean sheet. After weeks of worry about how Villa defend at home, Emery's own half-time talk about the mid and low block is a good place to begin, and the show asks why this team looked so much better in transition once the second half got going. It also looks at Fenerbahçe's lively start, the saves from Zion Suzuki that kept it goalless, and why an older side faded.Jackson gets the attention, his brace supporting the argument that he is the replacement Villa hoped Ollie Watkins would be. Plus, Manzambi's role and his impact as a hybrid forward who can move between positions is covered.The rest is about depth: Barkley, Abraham, Alysson, Aaron Wan-Bissaka at left-back and Leon Goretzka's Villa debut.A great night at Villa ParkUTV

Aston Villa drew 2-2 with Brentford at Villa Park in the Premier League, leaving them still without a league win at home this season. Unai Emery went with Tyrone Mings over Pau Torres to deal with Brentford's set pieces, which seemed the right move in the first half, as the long throw-ins rained in, until a misplaced pass put a question mark over Villa's ability to play through Brentford's press.Brentford certainly arrived with a plan to rough Villa up, the referee let it happen, and Villa's attempts to fight fire with fire keep looking petulant. Nicolas Jackson and Johan Manzambi impressed despite being up against it, as Brentford swamped them, before Ibrahim Mbaye's pace off the bench hinted at a better balance.Most of the worry though sits further back: Boubacar Kamara still looking off the pace after injury, an Ezri Konsa-shaped hole in the defence, no fit left-back and Taylor Harwood-Bellis not even on the bench. Leon Goretzka, still absent, could be the answer to the defensive balance of the team or a complete red herring - hopefully, we'll get a chance to find out soon.There is also the Speed Demon and LB segments, and North Stand musings.UTVRestock on discounted Adidas Originals stock and last season’s shirts – Use code MOMS10 for an extra 10 % off here

Aston Villa host Brentford at Villa Park in their first game after the extended international break, still looking for a first home league win of the season. With the Bees currently fourth in the Premier League table, built on set pieces, and with a decent recent record against Villa, it'll be a good test of where this new Villa team are at.There's a look at how the break went for Villa's new signings and who is still missing: Matty Cash's dead leg for Poland looks like a scare rather than a problem, but Leon Goretzka remains absent and is ruled out for this one.Champions League ticket pricing takes a proper hammering, as the price point fails to sell out to members for the first two home games. Emery's Clipboard turns to EA FC 27, where Villa's squad rating has dropped off, but the metrics involved tell several other stories.The Three Points cover the Football Leaks whistleblower still waiting on his crowdfunder, a Highland League club's thank-you to Stephen King, and a Concacaf Nations League match in which a footballer's hair took two opponents with it. The show also gives its verdict on Manchester City's guilty finding, with firm opinions on the punishment, and the MOMS Pools panel disagree three ways.UTVRestock on discounted Adidas Originals stock and last season's shirts - Use code MOMS10 for an extra 10 % off here

Aston Villa's international break has produced progress on some fronts and raised a few new questions, and this catch-up takes stock before a full main show lands ahead of Brentford at Villa Park. The headline event was a 3-1 friendly win at Sevilla in the Antonio Puerta Memorial Trophy, played in honour of the Sevilla midfielder who died in 2007 and also a tribute to Unai Emery's three straight Europa League wins with the club.The friendly offered something a friendly rarely does: a strong midfield, a proper trip, and goals from Garnacho and Barkley plus an emphatic third from Max Jenner. Brian Madjo is back and the show wonders if Emery will make provisions to use him alongside Nicolas Jackson, when suitable to. Leon Goretzka remains a ghost-like figure in terms of the Villa set-up, he has trained with the group but hasn't played with his teammates yet in any friendlies.There's also the question of Zion Suzuki and the Asian Cup, with the Japanese international potentially missing eight games in the new year.The second half of the catch-up turns to Manchester City, found guilty on all charges bar one by an independent Commission and are now appealing. It covers what the verdict means for Villa in practice, why punishment that only arrives retrospectively can't repair a decade, and why Villa's own history means the grievance has a ceiling.Restock on discounted Adidas Originals stock and last season's shirts - Use code MOMS10 for an extra 10 % off here

The Mad Few Listener Q & A is back in the first of a planned recurring format: 30 minutes, no more, answering listener questions from Match Club and the Mad Few Facebook group.The questions range wide: who succeeds John McGinn as captain once his generation moves on, with no obvious heir yet established among the new arrivals; how last season's alumni have fared since leaving, and why Zion Suzuki's long passing is being read as a deliberate tactical answer to high pressing rather than a novelty; and where Alejandro Garnacho actually stands in the pecking order, with his contract's exit route still unclear.There's also a proper run through Villa's identity: a case for a long-overdue club museum built around the fact that Aston Villa effectively founded the Football League, a debate about renaming the new North Stand, and the surprising origin story behind the "Crazy Train" walkout song. Plus: the Emery-to-Manchester-United speculation gets tackled....two-footed.