Advertise on podcast: My Old Man Said — An Aston Villa Podcast

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. Become a MOMS Member for ad-free & extra shows -  MOMS Membership Join the show’s listener Facebook group The Mad Few. Credits: David Michael - @myoldmansaid  | Chris Budd - @BUDD_music / Phillip Shaw - @prsgame This Podcast has been created and uploaded by My Old Man Said. The views in this Podcast are not necessarily the views of talkSPORT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the international break in full swing and there still being two weeks until Aston Villa return to action, this main show takes stock of the potential upside to the squad that Unai Emery was actually built. Six of the summer's ten signings started together for the first time against Tottenham, and this episode digs into what that means going forward. There's a proper look at Zion Suzuki, whose passing range is framed by Emery himself as a specific tactical response to how Premier League teams are evolving. There's a closer look at the Manzambi-Jackson combination that clicked against Spurs, and the search for a third attacking outlet to turn a promising pairing into a genuine front three. Johan Manzambi is also compared to a late Villa great. There's also a considered look at where Leon Goretzka actually fits once he's fit and why this young, multilingual squad is being framed as an all new fresh start rather than a repeat of last season. Villa news covers the Carabao Cup fourth-round draw away at Bournemouth, injuries, Champions League ticket pricing, and Villa reaching a new top flight milestone. Three Points brings a shirt withdrawn over an unfortunate design coincidence, a Pope gifted a Sunderland shirt, and a Benfica falconer's alleged double life. Also, My Old Man Said joins Jürgen Klopp in sponsoring the home and away shirts of Hout Bay United in South Africa. UTV As mentioned on the show: Hout Bay United Legacy shirt Hout Bay United FC Site Restock on discounted Adidas Originals stock and last season's shirts - Use code MOMS10 for an extra 10 % off here Become a MOMS Member for ad-free & extra shows -  MOMS Membership Join the show’s listener Facebook group The Mad Few. Credits: David Michael - @myoldmansaid  | Chris Budd - @BUDD_music / Phillip Shaw - @prsgame This Podcast has been created and uploaded by My Old Man Said. The views in this Podcast are not necessarily the views of talkSPORT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aston Villa won 3-2 away at Tottenham Hotspur for their first Premier League win of the season, after leading 3-0 and then conceding twice late. It came at a timely moment: three weeks of international-break stewing would have felt a lot longer stuck in the bottom three. This post-mortem starts with Johan Manzambi, whose first Premier League start brought a goal and an assist in a free role behind Nicolas Jackson. Jackson also bagged his first Premier League goal for Villa, while Emiliano Buendía returned to scoring bangers (again, against Spurs) to make it 3-0. After pointing out Zion Suzuki's distribution in previous shows, it's time to turn our attention to his shot-stopping, as Tottenham tested him throughout the first half, and the Japanese international ultimately laid the foundations for the away win. The show also does't ignore the late wobble, as no doubt Unai Emery won't: two avoidable goals from a 3-0 lead, substitutions that felt like changes for the sake of changes, and the game-management theme that links this the game to the Forest one at Villa Park. There's also this week's Speed Demon and Lazy B, a look at what "Emery 2.0" actually means with six of the ten summer signings starting together for the first time, and a reframing of a stodgy start: three away wins in three competitions, perfect starts in the Champions League and Carabao Cup, and out of the bottom three in the Premier League. UTV Restock on discounted Adidas Originals stock and last season's shirts - Use code MOMS10 for an extra 10 % off here Become a MOMS Member for ad-free & extra shows -  MOMS Membership Join the show’s listener Facebook group The Mad Few. Credits: David Michael - @myoldmansaid  | Chris Budd - @BUDD_music / Phillip Shaw - @prsgame This Podcast has been created and uploaded by My Old Man Said. The views in this Podcast are not necessarily the views of talkSPORT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aston Villa travel to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday for the early kick-off, with both clubs still chasing a first league win of the season. Both teams will want to be heading into the international break outside of the bottom three, with Villa needing the win to achieve that. The preview looks at Tottenham's big-spending summer: a squad of ready-made signings, an ownership that has chosen to back its manager after Daniel Levy's departure, and a side that keeps creating chances without finishing them. It sets that against Villa's very different rebuild — younger, higher-ceiling, and still without a settled first XI due to various fitness and availability issues. With Ian Maatsen out for six to eight weeks and Pau Torres missing, the full-back positions and the balance of the midfield could decide the game, and there's a case for João Gomes' defensive bite being essential against Spurs' new midfield set-up. . Also, a light is shown on the reality of Villa's Champions League league-phase ticket pricing, not having any impact on bridging the gap with the Sky Six, including Tottenham. UTV Restock on discounted Adidas Originals stock and last season's shirts - Use code MOMS10 for an extra 10 % off here Become a MOMS Member for ad-free & extra shows -  MOMS Membership Join the show’s listener Facebook group The Mad Few. Credits: David Michael - @myoldmansaid  | Chris Budd - @BUDD_music / Phillip Shaw - @prsgame This Podcast has been created and uploaded by My Old Man Said. The views in this Podcast are not necessarily the views of talkSPORT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We look back at a fairly routine Carabao Cup win against Coventry City, but a game nonetheless that was important in the scheme of things for the season to come. Also, will the Carabao Cup play a more important part to Villa's season than first expected? UTV Restock on discounted Adidas Originals stock and last season's shirts - Use code MOMS10 for an extra 10 % off here Become a MOMS Member for ad-free & extra shows -  MOMS Membership Join the show’s listener Facebook group The Mad Few. Credits: David Michael - @myoldmansaid  | Chris Budd - @BUDD_music / Phillip Shaw - @prsgame This Podcast has been created and uploaded by My Old Man Said. The views in this Podcast are not necessarily the views of talkSPORT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aston Villa lost at home to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, a result that leaves Unai Emery still searching for a first win in his career against Oliver Glasner. This post-mortem show of the My Old Man Said podcast starts with the moment that shaped the whole second half: Nicolas Jackson hooked off at half-time as a yellow-card precaution, with Alysson brought on ahead of Alejandro Garnacho and Johan Manzambi — a change that left John McGinn shunted out to the left and the team's shape compromised before Forest had even sensed the opportunity. There's a look at exactly how Forest bullied their way through Villa's midfield and defence in the second half, and why MOMS think Villa's longstanding reluctance to match physicality is a structural and attitude issue rather than bad luck on the day. Elsewhere, this week’s Speed Demon stats reveal some surprises. There’s also a frank discussion about what this heavily rebuilt squad can realistically be judged on at the moment. Gomes’ return remains the only genuinely positive development heading into the Coventry City cup game and the trip to Spurs in the final league game before the international break. Restock on discounted Adidas Originals stock and last season's shirts - Use code MOMS10 for an extra 10 % off here Become a MOMS Member for ad-free & extra shows -  MOMS Membership Join the show’s listener Facebook group The Mad Few. Credits: David Michael - @myoldmansaid  | Chris Budd - @BUDD_music / Phillip Shaw - @prsgame This Podcast has been created and uploaded by My Old Man Said. The views in this Podcast are not necessarily the views of talkSPORT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aston Villa host Nottingham Forest at Villa Park in the Premier League on Saturday, looking for a first league win of the season. The game comes off the back of Villa's first win of their Champions League campaign, a 3-2 victory away at Club Brugge. This week's Villa News starts with the additional benefits of the win beyond the three points. There's a proper look at Forest under new manager Oliver Glasner, who inherits a back-three system and a Villa Park record that has been anything but kind to visitors from the City Ground in recent seasons. Yet, Unai Emery has faced Glasner seven times in his managerial career — every one of them against Glasner's Crystal Palace - and has never won, losing five. No manager has played Emery more often and stayed unbeaten. Saturday has added motivation for the Villa boss to get Villa's first three league points of the season. Elsewhere: the distance-covered numbers that explain why Boubacar Kamara keeps getting substituted for Ross Barkley, whether or not the online reaction likes it; the ongoing case of George Hemmings starting ahead of three considerably more expensive summer signings; and two stories that have nothing to do with Villa at all but earned their place anyway - Manchester City's baffling influencer-marketing push and a non-league goalkeeper who's about to become an actual king. UTV Restock on discounted Adidas Originals stock and last season's shirts - Use code MOMS10 for an extra 10 % off here Become a MOMS Member for ad-free & extra shows -  MOMS Membership Join the show’s listener Facebook group The Mad Few. Credits: David Michael - @myoldmansaid  | Chris Budd - @BUDD_music / Phillip Shaw - @prsgame This Podcast has been created and uploaded by My Old Man Said. The views in this Podcast are not necessarily the views of talkSPORT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aston Villa have finally scored a goal(s) and got their first win of the season, beating Club Brugge 3-2 away in their Champions League league-phase opener. Villa raced into a 3-1 half-time lead, before holding out in the closing stages in a genuine test of nerve. This post-mortem covers a landmark night for John McGinn, who scored his twelfth European goal to become Villa's all-time leading scorer in continental competition, and a complete performance from Pau Torres, who set up two of Villa's three goals before digging in defensively as Brugge pushed for an equaliser. It also covers the growing case for Zion Suzuki's distribution as a genuine tactical weapon rather than a novelty, and an unconventional piece of game management from Emery that worked out, even if it broke a few unwritten rules along the way. With Nottingham Forest at home up next in the Premier League, this is a show that celebrates the official start to Villa's season and dares to look at the seeds of hope that might evolve into a big surprise for anyone who isn't a Villa supporter. Now, has anybody seen Johan Manzambi? It's time for him to join the party. UTV Restock on discounted Adidas Originals stock - Use code MOMS10 for an extra 10 % off here Become a MOMS Member for ad-free & extra shows -  MOMS Membership Join the show’s listener Facebook group The Mad Few. Credits: David Michael - @myoldmansaid  | Chris Budd - @BUDD_music / Phillip Shaw - @prsgame This Podcast has been created and uploaded by My Old Man Said. The views in this Podcast are not necessarily the views of talkSPORT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aston Villa open their Champions League league account away at Club Brugge, a fixture Villa know well from their run to the competition two seasons ago and a genuine litmus test after an underwhelming start to the Premier League season. Europavision — the podcast's dedicated European show— returns to look at what has changed with Club Brugge since Villa's last encounters with them. This preview covers Bruges's recent record as one of European football's most consistent Champions League "gatekeepers," a rebuilt attack led by a new-look front three, and the kind of two-way trading model that's kept them competitive on a fraction of the budget of Champions League sides in the bigger leagues. It also covers a genuine surprise: Unai Emery's omission of both Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Brian Madjo, from Villa's Champions League squad entirely. Expect a look at Villa's likely lineup, the case for and against throwing in some of the summer's more attacking new faces, and where this fits into a season still waiting for its first properly convincing performance and result. UTV Guest appearance: Armen Mirzoian - @VillanArmen Become a MOMS Member for ad-free & extra shows -  MOMS Membership Join the show’s listener Facebook group The Mad Few. Credits: David Michael - @myoldmansaid  | Chris Budd - @BUDD_music / Phillip Shaw - @prsgame This Podcast has been created and uploaded by My Old Man Said. The views in this Podcast are not necessarily the views of talkSPORT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aston Villa were held to a goalless draw away at Hull City in the Premier League, a result that flattered the hosts on the day. Villa finished with the better expected goals (1.74 to 0.58), thirteen shots to Hull's four, and three big chances missed to Hull's two — but only one shot on target across the whole ninety minutes was enough to explain the scoreline. it's the same one shot that they've had in all of their three games so far this season. This My Old Man Said post-mortem episode centres on Unai Emery's approach of not throwing new signings in, Buendia's missing out on his chance to be a main man, and how Ross Barkley, at least, is giving Villa some semblance of control in games. The show also looks ahead to a Champions League trip to Club Brugge, and explains a squad-registration decision that's raised eyebrows: why Taylor Harwood-Bellis, one of Villa;s deadline day's headline signings, isn't in Villa's European squad at all. New Adidas Originals collection and away kit out now Get extra months free and huge savings on a two-year NordVPN plan here Become a MOMS Member for ad-free & extra shows -  MOMS Membership Join the show’s listener Facebook group The Mad Few. Credits: David Michael - @myoldmansaid  | Chris Budd - @BUDD_music / Phillip Shaw - @prsgame This Podcast has been created and uploaded by My Old Man Said. The views in this Podcast are not necessarily the views of talkSPORT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the transfer window shut and 10 new summer signings now on the books, this week's Main Show turns its attention to one man in particular: Taylor Harwood-Bellis. The centre-back needs to be quietly competent rather than spectacular if this rebuild is going to hold together. The show works through his winding route to Villa Park — loan spells, a relegation at Southampton, an England call-up earned along the way, and the awkward parts of his reputation. Villa News covers deadline day itself, including Leon Bailey's move to Olympiacos finally getting the wages off the books, and the Three Points segment takes in UEFA's new Champions League debut-patch trading cards, a Lazio supporter boycott, and the yearly tradition of playing football in a Gloucestershire river. The show closes by looking ahead to the trip to Hull City and the aim of trying to avoid being mauled by the tigers, who currently sit third in the Premier League. UTV New Adidas Originals collection and away kit out now Get extra months free and huge savings on a two-year NordVPN plan here Become a MOMS Member for ad-free & extra shows -  MOMS Membership Join the show’s listener Facebook group The Mad Few. Credits: David Michael - @myoldmansaid  | Chris Budd - @BUDD_music / Phillip Shaw - @prsgame This Podcast has been created and uploaded by My Old Man Said. The views in this Podcast are not necessarily the views of talkSPORT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aston Villa lost 1-0 at home to Arsenal in the Premier League, a game settled by one clinical moment from the league's most functional side. It's a result that leaves Villa without a shot on target for the second match running, but there's plenty of mitigating circumstances for the season's slow start. Zion Suzuki made his full Villa Park debut in goal and was the standout performer with his distribution impressing. Nicolas Jackson also started, similar in profile to Ollie Watkins but still finding his feet after a couple of training sessions. In the stands were Villa's two deadline-day transfers, Ibrahim Mbaye and Taylor Harwood-Bellis, who sat next to Leon Goretzka and Johan Manzambi, who both weren't at full fitness yet. Hopefully, some of the new boys will be in the squad for the trip to Hull City, though. This Post-Mortem covers the contentious penalty decisions, a familiar team structure, checks out who the Speed Demon was, and builds the case for why a repeated no-shots-on-target scoreline doesn't yet mean what it might look like from the outside — a squad still waiting for the version of itself that's actually finished being built. UTV New Adidas Originals collection and away kit out now Get extra months free and huge savings on a two-year NordVPN plan here Become a MOMS Member for ad-free & extra shows -  MOMS Membership Join the show’s listener Facebook group The Mad Few. Credits: David Michael - @myoldmansaid  | Chris Budd - @BUDD_music / Phillip Shaw - @prsgame This Podcast has been created and uploaded by My Old Man Said. The views in this Podcast are not necessarily the views of talkSPORT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aston Villa's great big summer rebuild continues as nine new incomings have been confirmed as the transfer deadline approaches. The latest MOMS main show catches up on the latest news, Three Points and Emery's Clipboard, before looking at the centre-forward and goalkeeper position, which could be key to the season ahead. UTV New Adidas Originals collection and away kit out now Get extra months free and huge savings on a two-year NordVPN plan here Become a MOMS Member for ad-free & extra shows -  MOMS Membership Join the show’s listener Facebook group The Mad Few. Credits: David Michael - @myoldmansaid  | Chris Budd - @BUDD_music / Phillip Shaw - @prsgame This Podcast has been created and uploaded by My Old Man Said. The views in this Podcast are not necessarily the views of talkSPORT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aston Villa's Champions League league-phase opponents are confirmed: Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, Fenerbahçe and Viking all visit Villa Park, while Villa face trips to Barcelona, Club Brugge (again), Galatasaray and Slavia Prague. We assess what lies ahead for the rebuilt Villa team, fixture by fixture: from the reality of an away day at a two-thirds-rebuilt Camp Nou to the banana skin potential of an organised Viking side at Villa Park. Could another European away day to Brugge actually be a blessing in disguise? There's also a third trip this year for Unai Emery's boys to Istanbul.  None of it is straightforward to call. This is a Champions League campaign where it is hard to judge expectations of a team we haven't seen play yet, as the players are still being signed and coming through the door. Despite that factor, we judge the difficulty of what lies ahead and what's needed to progress. UTV New Adidas Originals collection and away kit out now Get extra months free and huge savings on a two-year NordVPN plan here Become a MOMS Member for ad-free & extra shows -  MOMS Membership Join the show’s listener Facebook group The Mad Few. Credits: David Michael - @myoldmansaid  | Chris Budd - @BUDD_music / Phillip Shaw - @prsgame This Podcast has been created and uploaded by My Old Man Said. The views in this Podcast are not necessarily the views of talkSPORT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aston Villa's 2026/27 Premier League season opened with a 4-0 defeat away at Brighton, a result that owed as much to what wasn't on the team sheet as what happened on the pitch. No recognised striker started. Ezri Konsa was long gone, while Emiliano Martínez remains missing, training alone and potentially bomb squaded along with Leon Bailey. And Ollie Watkins — absent from training, his locker cleared at Bodymoor, and deep in talks with Al Hilal — was nowhere near the squad at all. This post-mortem covers the collapse in detail: the mix-up that gifted Brighton their opener, four goals conceded in twenty-three first-half minutes, João Gomes seeing red, and a Villa side with no shots on target across the 90 minutes. It sets out why the Watkins situation looks unrecoverable, what three years of dismantled combinations actually costs a squad entering the Champions League, and what's genuinely needed before the international break arrives. New Adidas Originals collection and away kit out now Get extra months free and huge savings on a two-year NordVPN plan here Become a MOMS Member for ad-free & extra shows -  MOMS Membership Join the show’s listener Facebook group The Mad Few. Credits: David Michael - @myoldmansaid  | Chris Budd - @BUDD_music / Phillip Shaw - @prsgame This Podcast has been created and uploaded by My Old Man Said. The views in this Podcast are not necessarily the views of talkSPORT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.