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BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Aston Villa 0-0 Newcastle - the fans' verdict
We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Aston Villa and are some of your comments:Aston Villa fansPhil: Disappointed with Villa. They were sluggish in midfield, poor passing and not sure Watkins' heart is in it. The most obvious thing that summed up Saturday's game was the free-kick Tielemans put in - a superb cross and not one player went for the ball and then it went out for throw in to Lousy game and nothing positive to say other than a point was a bonus. Too many players didn't turn up and Konsa's schoolboy challenge almost cost us the match. Emery knows the size of the task and I think we all have to be realistic about the season Very disappointing. Seemed to have learned nothing during their preparation. Passing poor. I fear that they will struggle this season. Newcastle were the better team and should have A rusty performance and pedestrian transition with what seemed a lack of creativity and never seemed to be a threat. Nothing down the left side with Rogers clearly unhappy and lacking any quality. Cash and McGinn played well. Bizot was strong and decisive. A worrying start and clearly Villa are lacking a creative striker as Watkins seemed to lack vision, creating very little, but he wasn't serviced by the likes of Tielemans. I also felt a lack of atmosphere for the opening home match. On the flip side, Newcastle were equally as poor. Come on, Villa - we know you are better than Flat, flat, flat - disappointing with too many players off the pace. Rogers was non-existent and there was too much gifting of possession with stray passes. Where is the creativity going to come from?Martin: A very poor and disappointing performance. We are desperate for new full-backs. The midfield has got old, boring and has no creativity. This season will be a struggle without new fansBrian: The failure in the transfer market to recruit quality players is evident, it is not only the Isak situation that results in no goals for the Toon. The fault lies with the club management in all aspects and it needs to be corrected so we can have a team that can beat a 10-man opposition. The team still have a few good players but the under-performers should be moved on and quality brought in, and we need better management to do Very disappointed in Elanga. We should have signed Mohammed Kudus or Antoine Semenyo instead. Season of struggle if we don't get strikers in as we are toothless without Newcastle just showed that they would have been better prepared if they had not wasted their time, let Isak leave and brought in a replacement in time for this game. The result would have been I'd have taken a point before the game but, by the end of it, I was disappointed we didn't get all three. I think we looked rusty but then so did Villa and I don't think the elephant in the room/Swede on the pitch would have necessarily meant we would have won. Yes, we created chances but I didn't come away with the impression that Isak would have been the difference here. If we can keep the intensity of the first 35 minutes up for the whole game then I think we can still give anyone a game. That said, a new striker or two would be very I thought Newcastle were excellent. Villa is never an easy gig for us, and with all the negative noise around the club at the moment, the performance was all the more impressive. We could have had two or three goals in the first half but, overall, I'm happy with a point. Credit to Eddie and the Reasonable all-round performance but, as expected, we are definitely missing a striker. Don't understand why we bring on the only recognised striker with only minutes to play. Gordon will never be a striker. Another excellent display from Dan Burn.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Versatile' Tielemans the 'go-to guy' for Aston Villa
Of all the blizzard of statistics measuring Youri Tielemans' season for Aston Villa, this number particularly stands out. In the most competitive area of a squad growing in depth around him, Tielemans started 52 of Villa's 57 competitive games, more than anyone else except Morgan Rogers. Advertisement Until a minor injury finally interrupted his season in May, Tielemans had started every game except the two Carabao Cup matches, for which Unai Emery made more radical team changes. In arguably the deepest high-quality squad in the club's history, Tielemans was the go-to guy. "He's our best player by a mile this season," said John McGinn in a TNT Sports interview last month. "His first year was a bit stop-start, but he's a huge player for us and he's versatile - he can play as a 10, eight or six." Tielemans' status at Villa has transformed over the past 18 months. Advertisement After his arrival, he spent the first third of the Premier League season as a substitute. Then, after finally working his way into the first XI - starting both of the statement wins over Manchester City and Arsenal in December 2023 – a calf injury set him back for a month. But his status had been established, and once fit again, he was rarely left out. "Last year was very important in how he adapted to us, and how he was understanding how we wanted to build with him," said Unai Emery in January. "This year, he's playing consistently, again in different positions because he is a versatile player." Advertisement That word again: versatile. There is room for specialists in an Emery squad, but he has depended most heavily on players like Tielemans, McGinn and Rogers - footballing Swiss Army knives he can deploy in different roles as the situation demands. Villa's two full seasons under Emery have run to 56 and 57 games and, given the Spaniard's record in Europe - and the Europa League in particular - they could easily match that total again in 2025-26. The strength of Villa's squad comes not only from depth, but flexibility. But Profit and Sustainability Rules are not flexible. Like last summer, at least one top-liner will surely have to go if Villa are to limbo under the PSR bar again. Advertisement Tielemans' arrival as a "free" - in transfer-fee terms - would make selling him a profitable prospect. His record last season would command a significant fee. That same record, though, makes him perhaps the most difficult man in the squad to replace, and selling him the hardest to countenance. Tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Combat and creativity - the rise of Tielemans at Villa
"I think he's one of the leaders on the field," Unai Emery said of Youri Tielemans in April, with the Aston Villa boss describing the Belgian as "very important" to how his side plays. After struggling in his first season in the West Midlands, Tielemans had a point to prove in 2024-25. Advertisement And, although Villa missed out on Champions League football on the final day, the 28-year-old has made his presence felt in the heart of midfield over the past nine months. But how has he done it? [BBC] Nothing illustrates the change in his role more than the amount of time he has spent on the pitch. In his first season at Villa Park, he played just 1,620 minutes in the Premier League, waiting until November for his first Premier League start. Last season - despite featuring in just four more games - Tielemans nearly doubled the amount, playing 3,032 minutes. His versatility is a key asset, with Emery able to deploy him in several of the different central midfield positions and even occasionally on the left-hand side. Advertisement He even ended up as Villa's third top goalscorer despite scoring only three times, following the departure of Jhon Duran to Al-Nassr. Nevertheless, his influence in the final third focuses more on his ability to break down the opposition, and he created more chances (61) than any other Aston Villa player this season. That number put him ninth overall across all players in the Premier League and is a significant improvement on his first year at the club where he only created 18 opportunities. Add to that his 2,517 touches - again highest for his team-mates - and it merely emphasises his impact. Advertisement At the other end of the pitch, Tielemans has been just as impressive. Not only has he won possession the most times (145), but he also made the most tackles (84) across the entire season, with the latter number more than doubling his tally from the previous year. With his dual ability to play high up the pitch, and to drop deep to win the ball back, it seems pretty clear Tielemans' improvement has made him one of Villa's most important players under Unai Emery. If he were to leave this summer, it would be a damaging blow for hopes of a Champions League return next season.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tielemans leads Belgium to victory over Wales
Youri Tielemans supplied a goal and an assist as Belgium beat Wales 4-3 in a dramatic World Cup qualifier in Brussels on Monday. The Aston Villa midfielder was captaining his country for the fifth time and played a vital role in their victory, with club colleague Amadou Onana alongside him. Advertisement With Belgium already a goal up, Tielemans finished off after neat play down the left-hand side to double lead after just 19 minutes. Despite Belgium scoring again, Wales got one back before the break and managed to score twice after the restart to bring the game level. However, with just two minutes remaining, it was Tielemans' perfect cross in to the far post that set up the winner for Manchester City legend Kevin de Bruyne. The result marks Belgium's first victory in World Cup qualifying following a disappointing draw against North Macedonia in their opening game. Now 28, Tielemans has racked up 77 appearances for his country.
Daily Mirror
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Unai Emery dealt fresh blow as another star hints at Aston Villa transfer exit
Missing out on the Champions League for next season is set to cost Aston Villa heavily next season, with boss Unai Emery seeing several of his players admit their futures are uncertain Youri Tielemans has admitted that his future at Aston Villa is uncertain, despite sweeping the club's awards. Tielemans joined Villa in the summer of 2023 after scoring the winner for Leicester City in that year's FA Cup final. Having taken some time to adjust to Villa's style of play, the Belgian became a key player for Unai Emery. He featured in 53 games in all competitions, scoring five goals and notching 10 assists in the process. Tielemans started every match in Villa's run to the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The campaign ended in a tide of disappointment though, with Villa qualifying for the Europa League, rather than the premier continental competition. That has led to fresh concerns over Villa's compliance with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules. That means that sales could well be needed this summer to ensure Emery's men avoid receiving a points deduction. Star keeper Emi Martinez already appears to be on his way out. And Tielemans has admitted his future is also far from certain, despite having two more years to run on his contract at Villa Park. 'There's nothing definitive or ruled out about whether I'll stay or leave. But I feel good at Aston Villa; I feel a lot of confidence from the club and the manager,' he said while on international duty with Belgium. 'Of course, I was able to score five goals and provide 10 assists this season. But I was also influential in my team's play. I've been consistent and I think I've improved throughout the season." 'We're used to playing a lot of matches, recovering between games. So, I didn't feel tired in Skopje. It must be said that I spent 60 minutes on the bench [laughs]. But now I'm ready to play and represent the country this Monday." Tielemans was crowned both Supporters' and Players' Player of the Season at Villa's awards night following his impressive season. He admitted to being left 'frustrated' at the end of the season after missing out on the top five. He said: "Frustrating to end the season this way. Thank you for your support throughout the whole campaign, Home and Away you've been amazing." If Tielemans did depart, it would be another blow for Emery amid Martinez's expected exit. After the season concluded, the Villa boss admitted that major changes could be coming in the Second City this summer. "We will see about the team, the players, but of course, they are responding on the field. Of course, then we will see about everything, how we are going to try to get better for the next season," he said after the final day defeat to Manchester United. 'Frustrated today, but we are in the Europa League, we are in Europe. To be in Europe is important and being in three years in a row I think is something we are showing our consistency.'
