Aston Villa kicked off their season with a goalless draw against Newcastle, but behind the clean sheet lies a more intriguing story - one of financial recalibration, tactical caution, and squad transition.

In this episode, we dive into the key takeaways from the Villa Park stalemate, including:

• The £40m Jacob Ramsey sale - smart business or soul-sapping necessity?
• Why Villa’s multiball fine and ban sums up modern football’s absurdity
• Bizarre debut: has Emery found a keeper he can finally trust?
• Our new Speed Demon and Slow B*stard stats feature (guess who’s who)
• Tactical tweaks, red card fallout, and what the draw really tells us about Villa’s squad depth

We also discuss what it means to juggle UEFA’s squad cost ratio, PSR restrictions, and supporter expectations — and ask: has Emery quietly solved a major squad weakness while the club trims the financial fat?

As mentioned in the show:

Retro Football Manager – 2025 Aston Villa Challenge

Relive the glory days of Championship Manager with Retro Football Manager, the free-to-play mobile game that ditches the fluff and brings pure football management nostalgia back to your fingertips.

Step into the shoes of Unai Emery and take control of Aston Villa in the 2025 season. With European football on the horizon and a squad brimming with potential, can you mastermind a route to glory? Balance the books, beat the big boys, and take Villa all the way to European greatness – without the annoyance of PSR.

Built for the true football romantic, Retro FM delivers the pixel-perfect thrill of old-school management with none of the modern-day nonsense.

Free to play download it here - https://rfm25.onelink.me/AFls/moms25

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Credits:

David Michael - @myoldmansaid 

Chris Budd - @BUDD_music

Phillip Shaw - @prsgame

My Old Man Said - https://www.myoldmansaid.com

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