Aston Villa News 24/7Writer: randy.stand 
Date:Tuesday May 6 2008
Time: 7:05PM
UK time is: 05:43:51
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A Good Season For Aston Villa
Well were at the end of another season and in my opinion a very good season indeed for everyone at Aston Villa.
We finished 11th last year, a considerable improvement on the previous year when we finished 16th under David O'Leary. Everyone was pleased with a good solid season.
At the end of this season, we are 6th, still challenging for 5th place in the table and by looking at how we have improved over the last 2 years under Martin O'Neill it shows that we are finally moving in the right direction.
We have a great board now who have transformed Villa Park and got the crowds flocking back in their numbers. We have sell outs every week, home and away and pundits finally talk about us as a very good team and see us as challenging for Europe which we haven't really been considered for many many years.
Even Martin O'Neill's signings have proved him right. Well most of them.
We have had:
Carson: Just a loan. Good job not permanent.
Knight: Proved that he is a better player than Cahill or Ridgewell in my opinion.
Davies: Really looked the business when he was fit.
Young: Quality. Worth double what we paid for him.
Reo-Coker: I think he has been a good signing. Really helped our team this year and looks a good signing to me.
Petrov: Didn't look good at all but last few weeks has looked brilliant.
Carew: Swapping him for Baros was one of the best piece of business Villa have done.
Harewood: Even Marlon has gone from zero to hero. Fans love him. Become a cult figure of some sort.
Routledge and Salifou we haven't really seen.
Overall Martin O'Neill's transfers have been good in my own opinion.
Now onto the reserves and a great season for them also. Kevin Macdonald has got his lads to win the title and they are also in the play off tomorrow night against Liverpool at Anfield.
Young players have helped in that team and the Reserves have looked brilliant all season.
And Under 18's, also won their league, won the play off on Sunday against Man City ( who won FA youth cup) and we also reached the semi final of the FA Youth cup against Chelsea where we were desperately unlucky to lose.
The future of the Villa looks good with some real prospects coming through the ranks. The likes of Nathan Delfounseso, Barry Bannan, Harry Forrester, Chris Herd and young Zoltan Stieber who has been out on loan at Yeovil this season.
We have had a really good season. Not just the first team, the reserves and the academy too and I think we should be thankful of where our football club is heading. Finally in the right direction.
Well done to Villa this season, and everyone involved. All the staff and players who have made this season very good.
And of course, we did the double over the Blues. How sweet.
Hopefully, with a few players coming in this summer we really will be challenging for the top four in the next few seasons and I firmly believe we will with Martin O'Neill in charge.
Up the Villa.
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Your Comments
Carson the only negative then? Our ability to bounce back in games has been great. On the downside, has been our appalling cup performances and games against the more direct, large teams with packed midfields.
tarzan
Well chuffed with the fight back after the mid season slump,gutted about Wigan game,totally gutted. We've been utter SH in the cups. If we would have had a keeper and a rightback that wouldn't have happened. Hammer the Hammers and bring on the transfers.
Dudley_Villa
Well said randy.stand,regardless of what happens on Sunday it has been a great season,full of so many great memories.Im really proud of the team and the special one.
Pking
Agree Randy Stand, and as for the comment on Knight being better Cahill, be warned, someone will argue that point. I reckon I agree with you on it though, Cahill was a dirty so and so when he played at Villa Park with Bolton. Knight is solid and makes the odd human error. He is cover for Davies and Laursen, and is fine. Bring on next summer and a year in Europe!!
young_jonah
Well we got 5.5m for Cahill and 2m for Ridgewell. 7.5m for players who wouldn't be getting on the bench. We would never have got that much for Cahill in summer. Nice defending by both of them at VP also. Knight is good for a back up and is better than both of them.
randy.stand
The Wisply Moustachioed Ridgewell scored more goals for us than half our squad and we sold him before the season started. LOL
Villan444
Carson, Salifou and possibly Routledge weren't required methinks. MON is aware of our need to grind out results against some of the more robust teams (Pompey, Wigan and Sunderland). As I say, lets hope we can get some cup action next year. Quite ironic that we may depend on the noses getting a result (I think they are already planning for the Championship as I can't see Reading slipping up against Derby). Ashley Young has been our most improved player this season. I know there's transfer thread on the way, but we need to get bodies in quickly this time round, and not wait until the roasters are back from Marbella.
tarzan
Randy.stand good read and nice to see someone looking at the bigger picture, the CLUB is moving fwd as a unit. A solid base for a solid future, no one who has both feet on the ground really expected Villa to break the top four this season, after another solid year you have taken a brilliant snapshot of where we are now. Good Artical Good Read.
col8
well it was a 5year plan! this is nearly 2 out the way now and we are sitting 6th in the best league in the world! new training ground! atmosphere is 1000000% beter our away support is fantastic! team is full of young english lads! reserves won the league under 18s won theres like you say!! beat the scum twice and maywell of sent them down
say what you like if we miss out on 5th but ask yourself at the start of the season would you of took what has happend??!
i def would
good times 2 be a villa fan UP THE VILLLLAAAAA
aaron_villa87
I think Martin has you close to achieving a trphy next year
codbater
I think Villa are going to win the quadruple next year.
los_angeles_villan
Oh and What channel is the game being televised on? I need to find a way to watch it here in the states!
los_angeles_villan
Good article Randy, fully agree with your overall assesment that we are indeed moving in the right direction..... I think YJ was referring to me on the Knight vs Cahill debate though, Cahill is a much better player although I can see the sense in keeping Knight who is happy to sit on the bench and cashing in on Cahill who wanted 1st team football.
DeanoVilla
Dean you are not the only one who rated Cahill, but as you have said, he wanted first team football, and with Laursen and Davies playing well, it was never gonna happen. Also I find the saying, last summer you would be happy with 6th a little patronising. Factors and things have changed in the last year, like us dropping points against Fulham, Sunderland and Wigan. Therefore last year YES 6th would have been good, now this year, i wish were sat comfortably in 5th. We cant change it so, we now have to go and win at West Ham and see what happens.
young_jonah
H.A.P.P.Y to be a Villan. There's only one Randy Lerner. Just a shame about Wigan/Sunderland/Middlesvilla (H) & Fulham (A). Apart from those little hiccups no one could have realistically asked for more.
Adam Deuce
Great write. Prefer Cahill to Knight though.
krfeskivilla
Our acadamy has been performing wonders for years under Tony McAndrews and Sid. It has been another good year for them and this time with some support from the Club and Manager, something they never enjoyed in the past.
Hoss The Villain
I love reading positive posts. It is so much better than some of the negative drivel spouted by the minority. We are a club moving in the right direction, both on and off the pitch. Many of us said when Randy and M'ON took the reigns, that there would be many ups and downs, that would be the case even if we had the best players in the world at VP. Randy and M'ON will make mistakes . . . it happens, but is obvious that they are learning from the few that have been made. It is also worth bearing in mind that only Manure of the top 5 managed to beat us on their own ground. Arsenal and Redscouse got late equalisers. Chelsea were down and out before Knight was sent off. We are not far off challenging the top 4. However as a note of caution I still believe we need to establish ourselves at the top end of the table and ensure that we do not finish 5/6th one season and then mid table the year after. So I think that 5 or 6th next season would not necessarily be a bad thing, especially if we also have European football in the equation.
voiceoftheholte
Very good article randy.stand. An article one would expect from a Great Barr boy. Its been a very good season, a thoroughly enjoyable season, and more importantly, a season of genuine progress and development. By Sunday evening I will have attended 37 of our 38 premiership games, and I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I've exited a stadium and not been happy with what I'd seen. Haven't been able to say that for many a year. Roll on 2008-09.
glensider
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