Two games unbeaten, but it hardly feels like a run worth celebrating. Against ten-man Sunderland, Aston Villa had over an hour to assert themselves and still contrived to look second best. Unai Emery called it “lazy” - and for once, the word fits.
From powder-puff defending that gifted the Black Cats an equaliser, to attacking play that never once forced their keeper into panic, Villa’s performance was a rancid watch. Possession stats may look healthy, but the reality was lethargic movement, predictable patterns, and wasted opportunities.
This week’s My Old Man Said Podcast digs into the identity crisis at Villa Park. Why, nearly three years into Emery’s reign, does the starting XI still resemble the one he inherited? Has Villa’s slick system simply gone stale? And why does every promising new signing need months to “learn the system” while results go begging?
We also cover:
- The missed chance to put ten-man Sunderland to the sword.
- Emery’s frustrations boiling over on the touchline.
- How ticketing shambles continue to test the patience of travelling supporters.
- Why Tony Pulis might just have been right all along.
Is this a bump in the road, or the first cracks in the Emery project?
UTV
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Chris Budd - @BUDD_music
Phillip Shaw - @prsgame
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