Five Reasons to Be Cheerful as Villans as Big Kickoff Looms

The arrival of a new Emery-ball season is inevitable as the summer comes to a close and the days get shorter. It’s time for the first Five Reasons for Villa supporters to be happy.

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It’s At Hand
Following a summer filled with PSR gaffes, more boring Gareth-ball games, and tiresome Felix antics, Aston Villa makes its competitive football comeback on the road against a revamped West Ham team. The desire for Premier League and Champions League football is not really satiated by Wimbledon or the Olympics, but thankfully, the wait is almost over.

Returning Comrades: During the preseason, Jacob Ramsey and Emi Buendia, two fallen troops, made a comeback. Both had excellent season finales that earned them football in the Europa Conference League, but they suddenly find themselves back in the starting lineup as Champions League contenders. The tremendous progress the team has made in their absence, even though Tyrone Mings and Boubacar Kamara’s recuperations are taking a little longer, must have all four players feeling quite fortunate.

To prevent any setbacks, all four should be allowed some time to acclimatise to playing competitive football again. Once they do, though, they can undoubtedly contribute significantly this season, and Villa will be stronger than when they finished the previous one.

What’s My Name?
Villa’s summer roster additions include a number of fresh faces and more height. Amadou Onana, Villa’s new central midfielder who broke transfer records, is one of the new faces. With Douglas Luiz leaving for Italy as part of the ‘Ozark’ PSR plot, the 6′ 5 in. Belgian midfielder, who is still only 23 years old, has given the Villa midfield more firepower.

Similar to the addition of Ian Maatsen, Emery seems to have identified the gaps in the squad from the previous season and hasn’t hesitated to fill them. With the guidance of Unai Emery and his coaching staff, Onana should be able to contribute in a way that not only benefits the team but also enhances his own skills on the ball. He possesses perseverance, strength, and skill. Most importantly, he will undoubtedly strengthen Villa’s defences.

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More to Come
Even with all of the new players signed this summer, it seems possible that Moussa Diaby might be replaced by one more attacking addition. After a summer of complaining and teasing with other teams, Jhon Durán is now probably going to stay put. However, the projected £15 million departure of Cameron Archer to Southampton raises the possibility that Villa will recruit another striker for the upcoming campaign.

Archer needs to be replaced as Villa’s attacking player, especially with the Champions League matches drawing near. Although this may be highly dependent on the sales of Diego Carlos, Leandro Dendoncker, Cameron Archer, and Alex Moreno to squeeze any additional players under UEFA’s Financial Sustainability regulations, Monchi certainly hinted this week in his TalkSport interview that the club is still working on new signings.

Clubs are subject to squad spending limits as a result of UEFA regulations. The cost control regulation caps expenditure on agent fees, transfers, and player and coach salaries at 80% of club earnings in 2024–2025 (it drops to 70% for the 2025–2026 season).

Eliminating Moussa Diaby’s salary would have been a significant step towards possibly creating space for a new player, and Archer’s departure will also be beneficial, just not as much.

The League of Exceptional Gentlemen
The Champions League Group Stage draw, which will take place in Monaco on August 29, 2024, is now less than two weeks away. Villa’s debut in the contemporary Champions League comes at the same time as an intriguing rearrangement of the league structure. Villa will now play four home games and four away games against eight different teams, all of which are participating in one massive thirty-six-strong league table, as opposed to playing against three teams twice in the customary six group stage games. As for me, I’m eager!

U.T.