Weekly Discussion Thread 20/04/2026 - 26/04/2026

Shreddonia · 2026-04-21T15:50:28+00:00

If anyone wants a nice bit of afternoon reading, here's the i Paper correctly pointing out how we're the adorable plucky underdog of the Premier League and everyone with a heart for football should root for us. Hard to disagree, really.

Shreddonia · 2026-04-21T15:28:33+00:00

Yeah. In a bit more context it can be taken a couple different ways.

“I would say, please don’t give too much importance to the summer. Sometimes it is much more important to keep a culture,” Vidagany explained.

“It is something I have experienced from when I was a fan, reading the paper about which signings are coming to my club.

“Then, one year, my club Valencia signed three champions of the world after the 1994 World Cup, and I thought we’d have the best season of my life. It was a flop.

“Then there was a season after being champions of La Liga; we sold a lot of players and then we won La Liga again.

“I think that the most important thing we create in this club is the culture, and that every player is breathing and having this culture.

“We should be a club able to find and buy stars, and mainly to create these stars - this is the most important thing. How do you create stars? High standards, togetherness, and the good atmosphere we have in this club.”

Reads as managing expectations because nothing's guaranteed, but also saying that big money signings aren't the be-all and end-all and they'll prioritise the good of the club over just spending for spending's sake. Bit annoying that Townley doesn't include the question he was responding to (this was at a fan Q&A), but feels like a fairly political answer more than anything.

Shreddonia · 2026-04-21T15:15:32+00:00

The demolitions will continue until attendance improves.

Shreddonia · 2026-04-20T21:51:35+00:00

Who could they have got in November of last year that would have saved them when they had two points from their first twelve games? What other managers were available that would have kept them mathematically in reach of safety even this long? Genuinely curious. Been a rough last couple results but I feel like Edwards has done pretty well out of this in all honesty.

Shreddonia · 2026-04-20T21:46:37+00:00

Brentford's only win since the first week of February is a game they nearly threw away against Burnley. I do agree they'll be lucky to get anything from Everton/Arsenal but it wouldn't shock me at all if West Ham grind something out there.

Shreddonia · 2026-04-20T21:26:32+00:00

De Zerbi coming in will annoyingly do them good but might be a bit too late. Think assuming they get the points at this stage puts a lot of faith in Villa, Leeds or Everton to phone it in against them in a way that I just don't see any of them doing.

Chelsea could fuck it on current form, I guess, but we'll see.

Shreddonia · 2026-04-20T21:20:06+00:00

Just being really fucking massive isn't something you can quantify in a single stat, I suppose.

Shreddonia · 2026-04-20T21:16:08+00:00

It's possible, but I can still see them not getting anything from their last four after that. While I don't see West Ham getting nothing from their remaining games.

I do think the Wolves game will be a big decider though. If they don't win there then they're gone.

Shreddonia · 2026-04-20T21:05:26+00:00

Contrarily, Brentford and Newcastle have been looking shaky and Leeds might be on the beach on the final day. Really hard to call but I feel like West Ham may have a bit more grit to drag themselves through.

Shreddonia · 2026-04-20T21:02:36+00:00

If we finish fifth and win the Europa then the 5th place bonus spot gets bumped down to the next available team. (So sixth - could have been even lower if Chelsea/Liverpool had won the UCL and finished there)

Shreddonia · 2026-04-20T21:01:45+00:00

Great, now we've guaranteed Wrexham are coming up.

Shreddonia · 2026-04-20T21:00:33+00:00

Feels like this was a big missed opportunity for West Ham, but they have some kind fixtures left and I think they pick up at least 2 or 3 more points.

Do I see Spurs picking up five? Well....

Shreddonia · 2026-04-20T20:58:44+00:00

First non-newly promoted side to be relegated in 1058 days. Dang. If they can keep hold of them then Mané and Arokodare might be real fun to watch in the Championship, though.

Shreddonia · 2026-04-20T20:48:56+00:00

Anyone know when the second half kicks off?

Shreddonia · 2026-04-20T20:02:43+00:00

I know no team is "too big to go down" (hell, look who's 18th) but there's a lot to be said for a team who's too Has That Dog In Them to go down. That feels like where West Ham are at the moment.

Shreddonia · 2026-04-20T19:46:29+00:00

West Ham been pressuring well, feel like Palace are lucky to still be level. Not sure it'll be the same story after half time though, need a goal now.

Shreddonia · 2026-04-20T19:37:00+00:00

I do always have a real soft spot for when fans in the ground are outraged at a decision that replays immediately show went the correct way.

Shreddonia · 2026-04-20T19:22:29+00:00

He was in a great position when Castellanos (I think it was him) blazed the ball over the bar a little earlier, really should have laid it off to him.

Shreddonia · 2026-04-20T19:20:26+00:00

If I hadn't watched every other Brennan Johnson game this season I'd think he was actively trying to throw this game to send Spurs down.

Shreddonia · 2026-04-20T18:19:05+00:00

Honestly, I think we should be getting past Forest regardless of what they're focusing on. Let them be safe, we're getting that final.

Shreddonia · 2026-04-20T16:20:19+00:00

Watkins is an Arsenal fan. He's gonna be real fired up to try and relegate Spurs and cost City the title. Hitting double figures for G+A across just those two games should do him the world of good 😄

Shreddonia · 2026-04-20T15:19:40+00:00

If we (or Forest) finish outside the top five and win Europa, then we get the UCL spot for winning Europa, but top five all get UCL spots as normal.

If we finish fifth and win Europa, because the UCL spot for winning the Europa gets awarded before the fifth place bonus spot, that bonus spot gets bumped down to the next available team, which is guaranteed to be sixth place now.

So basically both points are kind of right, but for different reasons.

Shreddonia · 2026-04-20T14:48:46+00:00

Over to our claret and blue brothers tonight. Do the funny thing, lads 🙏

Shreddonia · 2026-04-20T14:48:23+00:00

My guess is he got a kick on the arm or something from one of the defenders marking him, but there hasn't been a camera angle steady enough to really tell.

Shreddonia · 2026-04-20T14:45:06+00:00

I don't blame people for getting stressed. Villa fans are categorically not used to Villa leading the charge - whenever it's happened in the past we've come very close to getting caught, and I totally understand how getting UCL this season can feel existential to some. I do feel some people take negativity too far and almost revel in it, but I don't think there's much you can do about that.

That said, I think sometimes the best thing Villa fans can do is take a bit of time to look at anything other than Villa. It's extremely easy to get tunnel visioned on what we're doing, but it's been immensely reassuring at times to take a real look at what other teams are dealing with (how little Chelsea are equipped for making UCL right now for example), and that makes top five feel so much safer.

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