Aston Villa's most dedicated purchaser of merchandise, Dan Bardell, nurses a delicate Gregg Evans through the latest edition of The Athletic's weekly word on all things Villa.

The European Super League dominated the headlines throughout a crazy week and Villa manager Dean Smith provided one of the most articulate rebuttals of the ill-fated venture.

Dan and Gregg reflect on that, as well as the clash with champions-elect Manchester City. The match couldn't have started better for the Villans, so what went wrong?

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Aston Villa die-hard Dan Bardell isn't a happy man as he sits down to dissect the club's week on this Athletic podcast with writer Gregg Evans.

In his humble opinion, the side showed too much respect for Liverpool at the weekend. The Reds may be defending champions but, despite clear progress, Villa are finishing the season with a whimper and it certainly won't be making the list of Dan's Top 3 PL seasons (for entertainment value).

There may be deeper concerns, too, with our midfield men struggling to hit the high standards of performance that they have set themselves in the past. There wouldn't be any room for complacency in our Villa boyband, that's for sure.

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Megafan and international brand Dan Bardell quizzes club correspodent Gregg Evans on the Athletic's Aston Villa podcast.

The bench did the business for Villa at the weekend, so we asked Dan to pick his top three substitutes.

Plus, the latest on Jack Grealish's injury and another woeful foray into the world of film.

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The Athletic's Aston Villa correspondent Gregg Evans joins Dan Bardell to dig through another week of club-specific news and analysis.

It's round two of listener questions and we address the Jack Grealish issue we dodged last week and Ross Barkley's recent wobble in form.

There's news of a familiar face getting involved again behind the scenes and the lads expose their ignorance when it comes to cinematic adaptations of young-adult fiction.

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Arch-Villan Dan Bardell and The Athletic's Gregg Evans look back at a great week for Ollie Watkins who scored on his England debut against San Marino.

It's reasonable to look at that moment as the vindication of a move to focus on domestic signings. This came after a less successful spell recruiting in the Belgian market, which Gregg has been writing about this week.

With Jack Grealish and Tyrone Mings already involved, and the likes of Ezri Konsa an outside shout, there could be plenty of interest for Villa fans come the European Championships. Plenty of chat on that, and all your questions in a mailbag special feature.

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Are Villa lost without Jack Grealish? Dan Bardell considers the importance of the figurehead on The Athletic's Aston Villa podcast with club correspondent Gregg Evans.

A disappointing performance away at Newcastle yields a single point despite Villa taking the lead late in the game. What does Dean Smith need to do to revive the team's fortunes?

If he can do it, European football is still be a realistic target. We consider the club's transfer strategy and Dan picks his top 3 foreign imports.

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The form's not great but, with Spring approaching, Villa are safe in mid-table and Dan Bardell is a happy fan as he sits down with The Athletic's Gregg Evans.

Perhaps more than any other Premier League club, Villa will be keen to hear about Gareth Southgate's next selection announcement. Might we see Ezri Konsa partner Tyrone Mings for the Three Lions?

Plenty of chat about that, Jack Grealish, Dean Smith's best midfield, and Dan's top three Villa books.

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Dan Bardells hosts The Athletic's Aston Villa podcast with correspondent Gregg Evans.

Another midweek defeat, this time to the Premier League's basement dwellers Sheffield United. Are Villa doomed to defeat every time they go behind?

With that in mind, it's a good thing the Emi Martinez has been in such good form, but will the Argentinian make it into Dan's Top 3 custodians?

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Superfan Dan Bardell grills The Athletic's Aston Villa correspondent Gregg Evans after another disappointing result against Leicester City.

Will Dean Smith respond to that defeat by rotating the squad against Leeds? We take a look back at his selection policy so far this season.

Dan picks out his top three graduates from the Villa academy and there are mixed emotions for both our hosts as we relive The Athletic's Villa quiz night.

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The Athletic's Gregg Evans reports on the weekend's South Coast stalemate in conversation with Dan Bardell.

Has Ross Barkley been unfairly singled out in what was an uninspiring performance from the whole team?

Dan takes on his toughest top 3 yet; who are his best Villa strikers? And, we mark a year of football without fans.

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