Bristol Villan - Vital Villa Interviews 2019

When did you become a Villa fan and why?

My old man was a Manc, so as a child I was a Manchester United fan! I played in goal until I was a teenager, so my hero was Peter Schmeichel. I started following the Villa when he arrived in 2001 and fell in love with the club.

What is your favourite Villa moment of all time/most treasured memory?

Having missed out on attending our Wembley trips since, probably the 2010 League Cup final. Although the result didn’t go our way it was the first final I’d seen us play since becoming a supporter and I was proud to see the team playing in a showcase match with a charitable sponsor in Acorns. A great away kit, too!

If you could bring back a former Villa player into this team (at his peak) who would it be and why?

There’s a few that I could choose from but with Tammy likely staying back at Chelsea it would have to be Benteke in his prime, absolute goal machine in a bang-average team.

How do you rate head coach Dean Smith’s time in charge so far?

10/10. Took a little while to get us going but I think few of us expected to be a Premier League team at the first time of asking, especially considering the state we were in when he arrived. Good to have our Villa back!

Best and worst moments of last season?

The worst – Preston at home. Not sure if the result or the cabbage-throwing were more embarrassing but the club was completely toxic. Thankfully that all feels a world away now.
The obvious best would be the final, but I might go for the home game against Derby instead. After two really disappointing results in the games prior, to put four past a promotion (and ultimately playoff final) rival with a fan in the dugout and a fan wearing the captain’s armband…it suddenly felt like maybe it could still happen. And it did!

Your opening opinions on Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens?

Great to feel like we’re going to have a measured approach at last and not throw money around, getting ourselves back into financial difficulty. Good to know that we’ve got wealthy owners but I’d be very happy to see us use those resources more wisely than we have in the last decade!!!

Tyrone Mings has arguably been the standout loan signing, but we only have a matching offer clause. Would you break the proverbial bank to secure his signature or do you go for Tammy Abraham?

Mings all day. Huge thanks to Tammy and I’d welcome his return but it seems as though his heart is set on Chelsea, so good luck to him. Tyrone clearly loved his time here and was an absolute colossus at the back; we should be doing whatever we can to make sure he’s in a Villa shirt next season.

Jack Grealish has proven himself to be a key man, how do you rate his development?

If he continues to pop up with a few goals in the Premier League like he did at the back end of last season we have some player there. The fact that he’s Villa can maybe make the best of us a little biased but he’s really starting to look like the real deal. Think the major criticism he had was the fact that he didn’t find the back of the net often enough but it seems like he’s finally got the confidence and added that to his game. Excited to see just how far he can go.

Player of the Year?

A few worthy candidates but it has to be SJM, hands down.

All time favourite Villan?

Tough one but probably Olof Mellberg!

Hope’s for the coming campaign?

To play exciting, attacking football and hopefully end the season comfortably safe. Would be nice to finish above Wolves!

One Bit Of Non-Football Wisdom For Us?

Don’t eat the yellow snow.

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