No sooner had we packed our bags and headed off on our Bert & Ernie-style summer holiday together than the one piece of news we'd been waiting for came to pass. Just days after the end of Aston Villa's dismal relegation season in the Premier League, it was announced that the club was to be taken over by Dr Tony Xia's Recon Group, a Chinese investment vehicle with big intentions.
Of course, Villa being Villa the whole thing's gone a little murky since then. Questions over Xia's wealth, means and plans have provided the media with a fruitful backdrop to the void left by the formal processes of the takeover and the question of Villa's new manager looms large as pre-season (we presume) approaches.
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May 17, 2016
Aston Villa Review: Episode 155 - end of season review
And with that, it was all over. 38 games done, the last of them a limp 4-0 loss at the hands of Arsenal, and Aston Villa are essentially now a Championship club. In the last show of the season Chris and Steve revisit the supporter questions asked in The Independent over the weekend, which Chris provided answers for; now it's Steve's turn.
There's also our annual review of Villa's players. Over the years we've tended to give each one a grade but this year we haven't bothered because, well...F. Nevertheless we rasp our way through the full squad, single out the bad 'uns, try to find some good 'uns and generally just have a good old whinge about the season just gone.
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There's also our annual review of Villa's players. Over the years we've tended to give each one a grade but this year we haven't bothered because, well...F. Nevertheless we rasp our way through the full squad, single out the bad 'uns, try to find some good 'uns and generally just have a good old whinge about the season just gone.
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May 9, 2016
Aston Villa Review: Episode 154 - one game to go
After what feels like an eternity it's almost over. Aston Villa's drawn-out relegation is one match away from being in the past. It's been a difficult season for everyone concerned except, apparently, for some of the players responsible in large part for making it happen, but it'll soon be behind us all. Next week's visit to Arsenal will end the misery and who knows what the future will bring?
In this week's show Chris and Steve have a quick chat about the weekend's goalless draw against Newcastle United, who look increasingly likely to be joining Villa and probably Norwich City in the Football League. We also cover a few other topics from around the Villasphere over the past couple of weeks, and there's a good word or two for Rudy Gestede.
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In this week's show Chris and Steve have a quick chat about the weekend's goalless draw against Newcastle United, who look increasingly likely to be joining Villa and probably Norwich City in the Football League. We also cover a few other topics from around the Villasphere over the past couple of weeks, and there's a good word or two for Rudy Gestede.
Listen to the show:
Click to play / right-click to download (MP3)
Import to podcatcher of choice (feed)
Subscribe in iTunes
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