fairwarrior
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Really enjoyed reading through this. Looking forward to seeing what's next!
Aston Villa - Returning The Villains to glory
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How do you manage at the olympics? Never knew you could
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fairwarrior
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Afaik you can get offered to manage a national team while at a club and you just manage both at the same time.
The Olympics happen every 4 years (2016, 2020, 2024 etc). You have to keep an eye open (subscribe to the Olympics themselves), wait for the draw at the end of the season, and then go to the job centre and nations needing an Under-23 manager will/should be there. Apply and see what happens!
fairwarrior
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First Team - New Season Preview.
A look at the changes to the first team for the upcoming season.
29th July 2020
After the departure of a number of first team players, the club management have made the decision to promote from within, with several young players given the chance to fill the gaps within the first team.
New Arrivals
The club are delighted to announce that we have agreed deals to sign a number of new players to the Young Villain squads. The management and the club's board are dedicated to the development of young players at Villa, and we are constantly looking for some of the best young talents to bring into the squad. We are delighted to be able to welcome a number of new players to the Villa family.
- Pedro Villca - A 19 year old Bolivian fullback, signed from Sport Boys Warnes in his native Bolivia. A pacey, determined young player, he is seen as being one of the best players of his generation. Signed for less than £200k, the player has joined our feeder club, Litex, on loan for the season.
- Sebastiaan Martens - A 16 year old Dutch fullback, who joins from PSV Eindhoven.
- Luís Sousa - A versatile defender from Portugal, signed from Lusitans in Andorra. The 16 year old is capable of playing anywhere along the back four, but is most comfortable in central defence.
- Mohamed Reda Ghimouz - A 15 year old French/Algerian, who has come through the ranks at Lyon. Capable of playing at right back and centre back, will join the club in January after he turns 16.
- Zeljko Pavic - An 18 year old Serbia midfielder, joins from Partizan Belgrade. Already capped at Under 19 level, a tenacious and fierce tackler who is comfortable sat just in front of the back four.
- Sam White - A 17 year old English striker, known for his pace and finishing, joins from MK Dons.
- Valentin Stoilov - A 16 year old striker, sign from Levski Sofia. The Bulgarian is also comfortable playing on the right wing.
The club are delighted to announce that the decision has been made to promote a number of academy graduates and young players to the first team squad for the upcoming season.
- Easah Suliman - The 22 year old has been at Villa since the age of 8, and has seen his fair share of first team action. He made his debut in the first team under the guidance of James Clark, and has since made 59 first team appearances. With game time limited, he has spent time on loan with Millwall and Burnley, before two season long loans with Wolverhampton. He impressed whilst on-loan with Wolves, so much so that he made his debut for the England national team in this summers European Championships.
- Jasper van de Kamp - The 20 year old Dutch fullback has found his way back into the Villa first team. Thrust into first team action aged just 18, thanks to long-term injuries to a number of first team players, the talented fullback has made 20 professional appearances since joining from Ajax. He will provide cover and competition for Calum Chambers this season.
- Andre Green - Another academy product who will be given his chance to impress this season. The 22 year old winger, who has also been a Villain since age 8, has spent the last three seasons on loan in the Championship. A pacey winger, comfortable on both flanks, will look to impress and establish himself in the first team this season.
- Comrad Gempf - The Scottish midfielder had a very sucessful loan season with Crystal Palace last term, and was named Fans' Player of the Year in doing so. Having joined Villa aged 17, the now 21 year old playmaker has gone from strength to strength. A Scotish international, he will look to provide cover and competition for the Villa midfield.
- Sergio Rodríguez - Sergio will represent his home nation at this Summer's Olympic Games. A name that is already familiar to many Villa fans, the Mexican midfielder joined Villa in 2017. He spent the following two seasons on loan at Millwall, making 97 appearances for The Lions, before returning to Villa. He made 7 appearances last term for the club, and will be hoping to impress more this year.
- Jorge Ortega - Another Aston Villa Olympian, Ortega will represent the United States of America this Summer. The 21 year old, who is eligible for Mexico also, joined Villa aged 18 from New York City. He spent six months with Litex whilst the club secured him a work permit, before joining Millwall on loan. 22 goals in 45 games was enough to show Ortega has what it takes for English football, he will go into the season as the third choice striker for Villa this season.
Great career you have here 
Can't believe you got a Comrad Gempf too) Here's mine View attachment 139150View attachment 139149
Can't believe you got a Comrad Gempf too
) Here's mine View attachment 139150View attachment 139149
OLYMPIC UPDATE: Clark's Brazil lost their opening game vs. Nigeria 2-0, but beat Iran by 4 goals. Final game with Serbia will decide the group. Currently 1. Serbia 2. Brazil 3. Nigeria 4. Iran. Brazil can top group IF they beat Serbia.
19:30 PM - 10 Aug 2020
THE VILLA BLOG
Youth Spotlight - August
After the successes of last season, much is expected of the Young Villains for the upcoming season.
Who's up next?
The first player we will look at for the new season is a young player entering his third year with the club. Drew Oates, who joined Villa from MK Dons in 2018/19, will be looking to make the step up over the following season. A quick player, who is a real aerial threat as well, offers real physicality up front, as well as a genuine goal threat. The 19 year old has represented England at Under 19 and Under 21 level, will look to impose himself this season, before moving out on loan in the near future.
Next, we look to a recent addition to the Villa family. Kevin Betts, who has spent time with both Hartlepool and Middlesbrough, joined Villa in the Summer. A central midfielder, who is a fierce tackler and a great passer, will look for chances to slip into the Young Villains midfield for the new season. The 17 year old, who has already represented England at Under 19 level, will be eager to learn from some of the players already at the club. Big things are expected of the Newcastle born player, and he will relish the chance to prove himself.
Youth Spotlight - August
After the successes of last season, much is expected of the Young Villains for the upcoming season.
Who's up next?
The first player we will look at for the new season is a young player entering his third year with the club. Drew Oates, who joined Villa from MK Dons in 2018/19, will be looking to make the step up over the following season. A quick player, who is a real aerial threat as well, offers real physicality up front, as well as a genuine goal threat. The 19 year old has represented England at Under 19 and Under 21 level, will look to impose himself this season, before moving out on loan in the near future.
Next, we look to a recent addition to the Villa family. Kevin Betts, who has spent time with both Hartlepool and Middlesbrough, joined Villa in the Summer. A central midfielder, who is a fierce tackler and a great passer, will look for chances to slip into the Young Villains midfield for the new season. The 17 year old, who has already represented England at Under 19 level, will be eager to learn from some of the players already at the club. Big things are expected of the Newcastle born player, and he will relish the chance to prove himself.
Transfer News - The club can confirm that a deal has been agreed for the transfer of @DomSolanke to @LFC. We can also confirm that a deal to sign @Akhemtzyanov from @fcrk, subject to a work permit #GoodLuckDom #WelcomeRaf #RafTheVillain
09:00 AM - 25 Aug 2020
England striker Solanke latest to leave Villa
By Peter Gilbert
Last Updated: 25/08/20 14:15pm
Aston Villa confirmed today that a deal to allow former Chelsea striker Dominic Solanke has been agreed with Liverpool.
The 22 year old, who joined Villa initially on loan four years ago, set Villa back a fee of £12m. Four seasons later, Liverpool have parted with £25.5m for a player who has represented England on 6 occasions.
Solanke made 122 appearances in all competitions in his time at Villa Park, and scored 43 goals in that period. The fee has raised some eyebrows across the world, but it is another example of the business model being conducted by Villa manager James Clark.
So far this Summer, Villa have sold six first team players, and have yet to make a significant first team signing. They've also allowed eighteen players leave on loan, and two further players leave the club on permanent deals. Are Villa fans right to be worried about the future of their team, despite the reported £132m brought in through transfers?
Villa have announced the signings of seven players so far this season. However, the average age of these signings is just 17, and is a symbol of the new ethos of the club and board. DC United have announced their highly-rated American international Evan Vargas has agreed to join Villa in January on a free transfer, but his ability to qualify for a work permit will not ease the worries of Villa's fans.
The club have announced they have applied for a work permit for the Russian international Rafael Akhmetzyanov from Rubin Kazan, which should alleviate some fears. The club met the player's £22.5m release clause, and Clark has admitted he has been a long term admirer of the Russian, who has scored 14 goals in the 22 appearances for his country so far.
"We spotted Rafael a few years ago as a 17 year old, and we knew he'd be a great prospect. We watched him for nearly a year, before contacting Rubin about a possible deal. At the time they were reluctant to talk, which is completely understandable. However, it was brought to our attention that he had a release clause in his contract for teams in the Champions League, and we knew that Solanke might be leaving. We moved, and we hope to complete the deal as soon as possible."
What do people need to know about the Russian then? To start, the forward is comfortable playing as a lone striker, or just behind the front man, so will provide competition for Mauro Icardi or could form a solid partnership with the Argentinian. Secondly, Rafa, as the Rubin fans have called him since his debut, is as gifted technically as he is physically. A great dribbler, who possess fantastic vision, and is an aerial threat, who is as strong as he is fast, whilst being gifted with tremendous stamina. He provides depth, and at just 21 years old, will no doubt continue to grow and develop as the years pass. Finally, since making his debut aged 17, the forward has made 60 first team appearances for Rubin and has scored 28 goals. If you combine that with the 6 assists, and the 6 goals in 13 games he scored as a 16 year old for Rubin-2, the 4 goals in 4 Under 21 appearances for the national side, and the 14 goals in 20 appearances for the Russian national side, he has contributed a goal every other game. This is an impressive record for such a young man.
Time will tell whether the young players Clark has insisted he will blood this season will be good enough to make the step up, or whether the sales of so many influential players will harm Villa in the long run. The joy of his recent Olympic Final win in charge of Brazil has masked the poor start to the season for Villa so far, and the rumoured unrest of captain Timo Horn has not helped matters. Horn was dropped for the opening games of the season, with John Ruddy and Andy Bühlbecker preferred of the club captain, who has expressed his desire to move to a bigger club. Whilst bids were made, none came close to the £40m valuation the club have for the player, and as such, he remains at Villa Park. It isn't the first time the goalkeeper and manager have fallen out over this issue, and some will wonder how many more times must a player attempt to force his way out before the club will relent.
A second leg match against Marseille will be a season defining moment for Clark and Villa. A loss will be seen as a failure to secure Champions League football. A win, which looks likely thanks to their two away goals, will see them compete for the ultimate prize in European football for another season. Villa fans will remain hopeful their manager knows what he is doing. A Capital One Cup winner, Europa League winner, and now an Olympic Gold medal is an impressive haul for a manager who is not yet 32 years old. However, with just under two years left on his contract, and so many first team players moved on, are Villa fans right to be wary of the season ahead?