Reviving sleeping giants (chapter 2): Aston Villa

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August 2027: 3 years in a row?!

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As I mentioned previously, Wonderboy was first signed to go out on loan so there he goes. He'll be going to Germany, Schalke more specifically. It should be a decent club for him to progress at but if he's not getting any game time, then I will absolutely bring him back to the club.

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The media reckons we've been given an easy group. I would say Inter are the best side in this group for sure other than us but I might agree that they're not the best either. We beat them 5-1 last season so I can definitely see us getting a good result again this year. Benfica are a good side too but we should be able to deal with them and Panathinaikos well, they'll have been put in the group of death in their eyes.
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We've started the league off really well with 3 wins from 3 games and some very good individual performances already.

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A world class performance from Mbappé and just a great team performance all round earns us a win at the Emirates. A great way to end August and really kickstart our season with 3 very solid victories.

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All the other teams in the league have a game in hand other than Arsenal, so this table means nothing but to start off with 3 wins is always a great thing. Tottenham will be hoping they can get a result themselves otherwise they could be going down!
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#1 Jordan Pickford
33 years old
Goalkeeper
English

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Dumitriu had a few decent performances this month but I decided to give the Villan of the Month to Pickford. He's been one of the longest serving players at the club since I became manager and one of the best performing as well. He might retire soon enough but at 33 years old, it's crazy to see him still performing this well. These 3 games this month have taken his tally for Villa to 255 games (in the league that is) and just 204 goals conceded, shows you how good he's been in recent years!​
 
Hey everyone, just putting this on hold for a little while as I get into my Spurs story a little more. I'm probably going to finish my first season in that story and then maybe put out a few updates for this story, I'll see. Hope you understand!
 
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September 2027
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Not too sure what happened to Giles who suddenly became the most tanned Welshman I've ever seen, but he scores 4 goals in 15 minutes against Inter to give us a 5-1 win and start off the Champions League in the best way possible. What a dominant performance from the lads! I hope it continues like that in the CL because then the contenders might be a little worried!

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A disappointing game against Chelsea to be honest. As two-time Premier League holders, I want to win every game and we just couldn't do that which is a big shame. A 0-0 draw still isn't so bad though and it should allow us to keep some pressure on the new leaders... Chelsea!

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Could I have asked for a better start in the Champions League? A 5-1 win at home against Inter and now a 4-0 win against Panathinaikos with a completely rotated side other than some key players like Mbappé, Vidal and Giles.

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An almost perfect month in September. We only drew one game and conceded just one goal in 6 games as well, which really does show how hard our defence works to perform week in week out. We're top of our group in the Champions League after 2 games and look like the favourites to make it out of the group in 1st, while we're just behind Chelsea in the Premier League and just above Everton in what has been a very tight start to the season.

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Kylian continues to be the shining star of this team with another Villan of the Month award. I can't even tell you how many he's won now, but he's one of the best players in the world and it shows. He's now got 3 goals and 7 assists in 10 games, with an average rating of 8.29 from 10 games which is just an insane start, especially considering how good Giles has been himself!
 
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October 2027

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What a performance! I was definitely worried about this match against one of the best teams in England and Europe in Manchester City. Fernando Vidal is finally performing up to his potential, which is absolutely fantastic to see considering how world class he is!

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Another fantastic performance in the Champions League in what is turning out to be a very, very easy group. Giles is now on 9 goals in just 3 games, so with the record being 17 for most goals in the competition, he could break that by the group stages! Laurent Giles is a God amongst men, honestly. I don't think I've ever seen someone as good as him. I mean, he's on his third season of scoring more goals than he's played games! I guess having Cristiano Ronaldo in the coaching staff has helped after all...

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A disappointing draw against Liverpool, despite them being a good side. Our incredible unbeaten run continues which is great but I just wish we would've gotten all 3 points tonight to continue our good title defence in the league.

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Bad news as Tavares gets injured for 6 weeks. At 26 years old, he's in his prime so it was crucial to keep him fit so he can reach his potential but I guess it wasn't to be. He joins the injury list with van der Meer, who's out for another 2 months following his injury in September (which I forgot to mention in the last update).

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Draws against Wolves and Liverpool were the two disappointing results of the month in an otherwise pretty stellar October! Big wins against West Ham, Manchester City, Newcastle and Benfica means we're basically through to the next round of the Champions League and are the current leaders in the Premier League as well, just above Chelsea.

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Some great form from Vidal who earns the Villan of the Month for October. He really did play well in the CL especially and it was good to see him get back on track after two disappointing games against Liverpool and Newcastle. The 25-year old can be here for years to come and as he enters his prime, it should be an incredible time having him here.
 
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November 2027

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Another good win in Europe, this time away from home as we secure our spot in the next round. We will probably finish top of our group considering our form but Inter are a good side and anything could happen in our next game against them. Exciting prospect Ross getting a red was really disappointing to be honest, especially because I really do want to play him more often so he can develop but he'll miss our next European game.

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A second red card in a row in the Champions League for us means Cook is the one who'll miss our next European game... A really disappointing result against Inter as well, as that man advantage really helped them out in the 92nd minute when they scored the winner. Nevertheless, it will be Inter and Villa through to the next round, let's just hope we can get a good result against Panathinaikos to secure 1st place in the group.

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At 30 years old, Tierney announces his international retirement with the Scottish national team. He had an 11-year career with his national side, which is definitely something to be proud of! They'll definitely miss him but I guess that means he'll be able to stay 100% fit just for us so I won't complain! Speaking of Tierney, I completely forgot to tell you in the last update that his goal against West Ham was his first league goal for the club!!! In over 250 games! He is a left-back, I know, but even Steven Sessegnon and Joe Gomez have more than one goal in less games...

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We'll be without Mbappé for almost half of December due to his injury, which is a real shame as he was in great form up to this point. With Van der Meer coming back from injury in the next few days, I guess we'll be able to rely on the Dutchman instead!

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How about that then? In possibly my longest ever save in any FM game, I'll be in charge of my 600th match for Aston Villa. We've won an incredible 24 titles in that 11-year period now which is just crazy considering we started off in the Championship. It's also crazy how not a single player from the team I started with is at the club anymore, despite a few of those players not being retired yet! I guess Villa moved on to new heights after 2 seasons back in the Premier League, which explains all those moves.

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Those dropped points against Southampton at Villa Park were a big disappointment and might actually have a more long-term negative impact on our title defence as Chelsea can edge in front of us in the league if they win their game in hand. Nevertheless, being a point behind them wouldn't be too bad. We're set to finish top of the group in the Champions League as well with our last game against Panathinaikos, let's hope we don't mess about and get the result we need though.

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With 6 goals and an assist in 5 games, Giles looks set for another year of more goals than games played. He did it 2 years ago when he scored 69 goals in 62 games (47 in 38 in the Premier League!) and last season when he scored 68 goals in 57 games. He's now at 23 goals in 21 games so far, with 11 in 13 in the Premier League. This man will just never stop impressing me and will never stop his rise to become a Villa legend. What a player!
 
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December 2027

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We end our Champions League group stage campaign on a high as we smash Panathinaikos 5-0 and go through as group leaders following Inter's defeat against Benfica in their last game. We've been put up against Atlético Madrid in the next round, an all-familiar opponent for us considering the amount of times we've had to play them in my 10-year tenure at the club!

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What an insane game this was... I mean, we had 38 shots on goal for crying out loud!!! 38 shots to their 2 and we somehow drew 1-1 after 120 minutes and could only go through on penalties. I'll tell you what though, most of the side I put out today were backup players or rotation options other than a few starting 11 players, so I'm really happy with the outcome.

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Another crazy performance from the lads in front of 50,000 fans at Villa Park as we smashed Manchester United for the first time in my Villa career! We've beaten them in the past, but never that convincingly and comfortably. This really might be the start of a new era in the Premier League dominated by Aston Villa.

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We unfortunately lost Nav Dhanjal, who I'm sure many of you thought had been sold on! To be fair, we signed the man for a total of £95 million back in the 2024/25 season and he's only played 24 league games for us. He's a lad with a lot of potential, so I might look to start him in the side ahead of Bjelanovic, even though our Croatian star has really been incredible since his arrival halfway through the 2025/26 season for just £17 million.

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I really thought Giles had the Ballon D'Or in his pocket, but instead it's some random striker from PSG, Decoster, who won it ahead of him. I'm a little heartbroken for Laurent considering how good he's been in the last few years but he wins the World Footballer of the Year and the World Player of the Year to make up for it I guess...

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After a rough patch in the last 2 years where Jordan wasn't playing much because of Früchtl or now Mile Svilar, our number one goalkeeper for the last 8 and a half years wins the Goalkeeper of the Year ahead of veteran ter Stegen and two-time winner Rajkovic. I mean, the lad is 33 and he's still performing! Conceding just 26 goals in almost 50 games is a pretty crazy achievement, especially considering he also managed to keep 27 clean sheets in those 47 games.

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Pickford, Vidal and Giles are arguably the 3 best players at the club right now and I guess it showed as we had all 3 of them in the World Team of the Year, with Mbappé and star centre back Rodríguez on the bench. I mean, what a team we've built here!

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I knew we were onto a great player when we signed Wonderboy!! He wins the African Young Footballer of the Year after just 13 appearances at Schalke and just a few months spent in Europe, which really does leave me excited for his return to the club in the next few months. Iwobi is the one notable player who's won the award in previous years and well, fair to say his career didn't turn out as promising as it could've been as he left Arsenal in 2021/21 to play for Everton and then moved to London rivals Chelsea in 2023/24, where he spent 2 years before moving to Ajax where he still plays. He's 31 and will definitely look back on some great clubs that he's spent time at, but I want a much better career for Wonderboy than that!

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Just two goals conceded and some incredible results in December means we're top of the league with a game in hand, are in the Champions League 1st knockout round and have a Carabao Cup semi-final to look forward to against Norwich in January as well. This team really is turning out to be a powerhouse and I hope we can win as many trophies as possible this year. The big achievement I'm looking forward to now is finishing the league season unbeaten, which we've done so far! After 19 games, we're yet to lose which is a personal best for me. Let's hope we can keep it that way.

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At 26 years old, Tavares has enjoyed the last 3 and a half years at the club for sure but there he is asking for a transfer now. We signed him for a then record fee of £90 million, so you can be sure I won't take anything under that for a permanent transfer away from the club. He wins the Villan of the Month for his good performances in December, perhaps an attempt for him to drive up interest and hope he gets a move away from the club? We'll see in the January window I guess...
 
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January 2028

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Probably my most insane game in charge of Aston Villa. Another world-class performance from Giles and the rest of the lads allows us to win 6-3 against Arsenal and continue our great form at the top of the league. I don't mind conceding so much if we stay unbeaten that's for sure!

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I have to say, I was a little worried about this game as they got all the way to the semi-final and must be a good side, but they were no match against our Villa side. Alli played ahead of Vidal in a, once again, pretty rotated side but we win 6-0 away from home and effectively are through to the Carabao Cup final, our 3rd in the last 5 years. We last won the competition in 2025/26 and I'm determined to win it again this time around.

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Chelsea have been really close behind us in the league for as long as I can remember now but a fantastic second half at Villa Park in front of a packed stadium got us all 3 points as we win 2-0 and continue our incredible form, now being almost 50 matches unbeaten and winning 11 games in a row. This must be a dream!

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As expected, we win the second leg comfortably as we go through to the final with a 9-0 aggregate win. In the other semi-final, Derby County were playing Cardiff and it's Derby who won the tie 3-2 on aggregate, meaning we'll be playing another Championship side in the final! The last time a team outside of the Premier League was in the Carabao Cup final was in 2012-13, so 15 years ago, when Bradford City played against Swansea and lost. Considering our result against Norwich though, I'm really not worried as our previous opponents are doing a lot better in the Championship than the finalists Derby...

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We really look destined to win all the competitions we're in this season as we smash Manchester United yet again, this time in the FA Cup! A 3-0 win means we're through to the 5th round where we'll play Stoke. There are a couple of good teams left in the competition and I definitely don't expect some easy matches if we are to get to the final, but we have a pretty good chance that we've knocked out Manchester United!

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Five new contracts at the club and I believe only 3 players actually got pay rises! Ross, Hope and Gomez were the ones who got a little more money but Cook and Alli, probably realising that their time at the club is coming to an end, asked for pay cuts instead. Really nice gesture from them. To think we signed all these players (except Ross) for a combined £103 million and that they're now worth, combined, £180 million is crazy to me. A lot of these signings we made in the past have turned out to be incredible investments, unlike some players more recently where we paid £90 something million for them...

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Sadly, two of our key players in van der Meer and Tavares requested to leave. I've been at this club for over 10 years now so fair to say that my reputation with the players and the atmosphere at the club is almost always perfect, so when these two started destroying all of that and making it a nightmare for me to manage this squad, I just couldn't do anything other than sell them on. We made a £50 million profit on van der Meer but lose almost £10 million on Tavares, who's gone to a divisional rival as well. It's a shame to see them go but to be honest, with Sebastian Ross on the rise and Alistair Ferris finally becoming incredible after a few loan spells, I'm really excited about the younger players at this club who have never complained and are happy to be here.

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I did decide to sign one player to directly replace Tavares though. Enter Horemans, who I've had my eye on for a really long time (since he played in the Netherlands actually, almost 8 years ago now). For just £30 million, this was a no brainer. He has Premier League experience, is a natural as a Segundo Volante and has a lot of potential on top of already almost being in his prime! Losing Tavares is a shame, yes, but to be able to sign a player as good as Horemans for just £30 million might make the loss of Tavares worthwhile.

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Just the one arrival for us in the winter transfer window, as City spent over £130 million to make it further up the league and maybe look to challenge us for the title. We made £173 million from just 2 players and spent only £30 million of that, which seems like great business considering we have players in van der Meer and Tavares' positions who can do a job.

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A perfect month in January with 3 goals conceded in 8 games, all of which came in the same game. We also scored an average of 4 goals a game, scoring 6 goals in 3 games consecutively which is just insane. On top of that, we're also top of the league and a win in our game in hand would put us 10 points clear. Fair to say that things could not be going any better this season!

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Kylian gets the Villan of the Month yet again as he makes 10 assists in 8 games, scoring a goal as well. At now 29 years old, Mbappé really is in his prime and constantly looks like he's improving somehow! He's not a goalscorer for us anymore but more of a creative player which is just fantastic considering how, quite clearly, good he is at that!
 
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February 2028

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For the first time this season, we're really held quiet by another team. City spending £83 million on our former star man Tavares was a statement enough, I guess this should really make us worried about them. It was even Tavares who scored the opening goal just a minute in and he celebrated like he won the Champions League, that ungrateful lad! We equalised halfway through the second half thankfully and that'll be enough for us to continue our 49-match unbeaten streak!

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An incredibly dominant performance from us, as it's another former Villa player who scores just a minute into a game! Our former star striker Schick scored the opener which turned out to be one of their 3 goals, despite having just 5 shots all game. I am somewhat disappointed as we really could've gotten a better result from this match but 2 away goals to work with at Villa Park is definitely good news.

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Derby might've scored the opening goal just 15 minutes in on their only shot of the whole game, but we came back after the break and hit them really hard at Wembley, as we win 3-1 and I'm hailed as a "true Aston Villa legend" by former fan favourite Shaqiri! What a day this was for us and what a great way to win the trophy after so much drama throughout the competition. We now have to move on and focus on the Champions League, FA Cup and the league though.

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Three key players got injured throughout February, which wasn't a good look for us considering the importance of the games we had to play but we got through it pretty easily in the end and I'm delighted that Tierney will be back soon. Vidal is already back and Mbappé is the only one out now. A little worrying that he's constantly getting injured though...

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After a late offer in the winter transfer window and heavy interest from PSG, I decided Giles absolutely needed a new contract to drive off any big European sides and thankfully, he accepted our offer straight away. He wanted over £300,000 at first, but his love for the club made him accept the same wage he's on now. That was a close one!

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We're still top of the league with just 11 games to go. We'd also be 11 points clear if we won our game in hand which is fantastic. We have a great chance of making it to the next round in the Champions League with a good result at home against Atléti, and we're through to the FA Cup quarter-final against MK Dons after beating Stoke 2-0. All is well so far! MK Dons however, beat Chelsea in the last round so they'll be a threat for sure. If we make it past them, the only two real big teams left are Liverpool and Manchester City, so we could really be in with a chance of winning the FA Cup.

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No Giles or Mbappé as the Villan of the Month this time around! It's Andrei Dumitriu, who we signed on a free 4 and a half years ago now and who has been incredible ever since he's been getting game time. Since last season, van der Meer's injury had kept Dumitriu in the team and he really started to shine on the left wing, putting Mbappé down in right wing and it's been a blessing for both players, as they are both world class in their positions now.

[TABLE="class: cms_table_cms_table_cms_table_cms_table_cms_table_cms_table_cms_table_cms_table_grid, width: 500, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]Challenge[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]What is it?[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Completed?[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]Brexit (kind of) means Brexit[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Can only sign a maximum of 2 players not from the UK per season (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) -UNLESS A NON-UK PLAYER IN THE TEAM IS SOLD, THEN AN ADDITIONAL SPOT FOR A NON-UK PLAYER FREES UP[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Yes
2017/18
2018/19
2019/2020
2020/2021
2021/2022
2022/2023
2023/2024
2024/2025
2025/2026
2026/27[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]Ah millennials...[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]At least 5 players from the academy or U-21 must play at least 10 games each every season[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Yes
2017/18
2018/19
2019/2020
2020/2021
2021/2022
2022/2023
2023/2024
2024/2025
2025/2026
2026/27[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]The good old days[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Win every trophy that Aston Villa has won in their history (lower league trophies like the Championship or League 1 can be disregarded once we make it to the Premier League)[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]No
Carabao Cup (2020, 2021, 2023, 2026, 2027, completed!)

FA Cup (2020, 2022, 2024, 2025, 3 more to go)

Premier League (2022, 2024, 2026, 2027, 3 more to go)

Champions League (2026, completed!)

Europa League (2020*, 2023*)

Sky Bet Championship (2018*)

UEFA Super Cup (2020, 2023*, completed!)

Community Shield (2020, 2024*, 2025*, 2026*, 2027*, completed!)

* = not needed[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
 
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March 2028
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What a result! After losing 3-2 in Madrid, I knew we could get a result at home but I wasn't expecting THAT good a result! New man Horemans is the man of the match in a world class performance as we win 4-0 and go through 6-3 on aggregate, what a result for us. We go through to the Champions League quarter-final now, where we'll face Juventus. We've faced the Italian side many times before as well, so it should be an interesting tie.

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Jesus this game had me worried... We went 1-0 down right when the second half started and just when I thought that was it, I remembered the Carabao Cup final and how we came back to win 3-1 and we did just that tonight, with one less goal. A 2-1 win against MK Dons is definitely not impressive, especially when you consider the fact that we missed a penalty in the 83rd minute and they went and missed one in the 89th minute! We'll be playing Birmingham in the semi-final, as Liverpool will face Manchester City in the other semi-final. If we do make it to the final, it clearly won't be an easy game.

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Speaking of the Carabao Cup, we're now the most decorated team in the competition's history, leaping over Liverpool! To think that the club had just 5 titles before I arrived and now has 10 is insane, but I'll take it!

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Another record broken by this incredible team. To go unbeaten for any set amount of time is impressive, but how about 50 games unbeaten? What a record we've just broken...

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Our dominance in the league allows us to qualify for the Champions League and guarantee a top 4 finish with almost 10 games to spare, as the board has decided to give me £60 million to spend next summer. Considering we just sold over £170 million worth of players, I was expecting a little more to be honest but £60 million is still a really decent amount so I'll take it.

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March is always pretty quiet due to the international break, and this year, it was no different. Our decent form in the league means we've won our 23rd and 24th match of the season and are yet to lose a game after 29 matches in the Premier League! I don't want to jinx it, but I seriously think we might be able to finish the season unbeaten! We could be the first team since Arsenal in the 2003/04 season to do that, and that would be one **** of an achievement.

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Another good month for Giles who once again looks like he'll end the season with more goals than games played. It's more realistic to say now since we're getting closer to the end of the season and to be honest, I don't see how he could just stop scoring all of a sudden. He's an incredible player and I'm hoping that form continues throughout April and May.
 
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April 2028

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A fantastic win at home in our Champions League first leg against Juventus might have just put us through to the Champions League semi-final. Juve are a great side, and I'm even more worried about playing them at home but I think if we play like we did today, we should make it through.

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A disappointing defeat against Juventus but it doesn't matter as we get a 7-5 aggregate win over the Italian champions and make it through to the Champions League semi-final! It's another incredible performance when you think about it, because a 4-1 win for Juve would've sent the game to extra-time!

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It's been a while since we had a proper, local derby in the Second City derby and boy did it feel good to smash Birmingham! A 3-0 win away from home means we're in the FA Cup final and will face Liverpool for the title. Vidal was outstanding once again, as Dumitriu also joined in on the goalscoring. What a game this was.

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We were drawn against PSG for the Champions League semi-final as Manchester United would play Dortmund, and a 1-1 draw away from home is definitely a good result. PSG are a great side so to get an away goal is crucial. I just hope in front of 50,000 at Villa Park we can get the job done.

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Speaking of getting the job done! A 91st minute winner from club legend Laurent Giles wins us our 3rd successive Premier League title, a first since Manchester United between the 2006/07 and 2008/09 season! What a fantastic achievement and how about that for a title win. Against Manchester United at Old Trafford! Incredible...

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With an impressive 9 GAMES played in April, May will be just as exhausting a month. However, we just went through one **** of a month with mostly wins so I'm really confident. The league is settled already, so we can rotate the side a little bit. The FA Cup final is waiting for us in late May, so all we really have to focus on now is the Champions League semi-final.

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Of course it was always going to be Giles winning the award once again. With 60 goals in 57 games this season, it takes his tally in all competitions in the last 3 years to: 176 games, 197 goals scored and 32 assists so a 229 goal contribution in 176 games! That's Messi or Ronaldo levels, honestly... He's already on 15 goals in the Champions League so with just 2 more in the semi-final/final if we get there, he would equal Ronaldo's record of 17 goals from 2013.

[TABLE="class: cms_table_cms_table_cms_table_cms_table_cms_table_cms_table_cms_table_cms_table_cms_table_grid, width: 500, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]Challenge[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]What is it?[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Completed?[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]Brexit (kind of) means Brexit[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Can only sign a maximum of 2 players not from the UK per season (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) -UNLESS A NON-UK PLAYER IN THE TEAM IS SOLD, THEN AN ADDITIONAL SPOT FOR A NON-UK PLAYER FREES UP[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Yes
2017/18
2018/19
2019/2020
2020/2021
2021/2022
2022/2023
2023/2024
2024/2025
2025/2026
2026/27[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]Ah millennials...[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]At least 5 players from the academy or U-21 must play at least 10 games each every season[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Yes
2017/18
2018/19
2019/2020
2020/2021
2021/2022
2022/2023
2023/2024
2024/2025
2025/2026
2026/27[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]The good old days[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Win every trophy that Aston Villa has won in their history (lower league trophies like the Championship or League 1 can be disregarded once we make it to the Premier League)[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]No
Carabao Cup (2020, 2021, 2023, 2026, 2027, completed!)

FA Cup (2020, 2022, 2024, 2025, 3 more to go)

Premier League (2022, 2024, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2 more to go)

Champions League (2026, completed!)

Europa League (2020*, 2023*)

Sky Bet Championship (2018*)

UEFA Super Cup (2020, 2023*, completed!)

Community Shield (2020, 2024*, 2025*, 2026*, 2027*, completed!)

* = not needed[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
 
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May 2028 & end of season

​
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We're in the Champions League final!!! We'll be playing against Manchester United at the Stade de France later this month after beating PSG 3-1 on the night and 4-2 on aggregate. After winning the Carabao Cup and the Premier League, we have two more trophies on the line and I couldn't be prouder. And how about breaking yet ANOTHER record, this time in the Champions League? What a season this has been...

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Heartbreak for Pickford who'll miss the end of the season and the EURO 2028 in Spain this summer. Mile Svilar will be our number one keeper for the last few games of the season, including the FA Cup and Champions League finals.

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A great win as our second to last game in the Premier League. Giles continues his incredible season with 2 more goals to add to his tally, which just keeps growing and growing every game.

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We set 3 new Premier League records with the longest unbeaten streak in Premier League history, the most wins in a season and the most points in a season, a record which we had set ourselves of 96 points which we've just broken this season by getting 102 points. I'm so incredibly proud of this team and to see Pickford as the Golden Glove winner yet again and Giles as the top goalscorer yet again just makes me so happy. We had an incredible season and on top of all these records being broken, we're only the 3rd team in the English football league history to finish a season unbeaten. Talk about an incredible side who will be remembered in the history books!

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Some lads at the club win individual awards, I win Manager of the Year and we get 4 players in the Players' Team of the Year. Considering the season we had, I'd say just 4 players is a little unfair but clearly the other lads in this team have done really well too, so credit to them.

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Promising youth prospect Nicholas Marsh, who we got this year in the youth intake, can apparently become as good as Pickford! That's what my scouts are saying at least. If so, I'm really excited to have him here. He could have a 20-year career at the club if he wanted and at the top level as well, so if he can be Pickford and Svilar's replacement, that would be incredible.

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As if this season hadn't been incredible enough, a fantastic 2-0 win against Liverpool in the FA Cup final earns the club their 12th FA Cup. The record holders of the competition right now are Arsenal, who have 13 so if we win the next 2, we would be the most decorated team in FA Cup history! Talk about creating a legacy here at the club...

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And another incredible title!!! Thorpe might've been world class for Manchester United but it wasn't enough as we beat them yet again, scoring twice in the second half to earn the club their 3rd Champions League title and my 2nd, as well as the club's 2nd in the last 3 years! What an incredible achievement, what a team we have here, I just have no words anymore. That also makes it a quintuple for the season, incredibly enough. If you had told Villa fans 10 years ago that in 10 years they would be celebrating their club winning a quintuple, I'm not sure they'd believe you.

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Giles has come just one goal away from equalling the great Cristiano Ronaldo's record. He was so close, yet so far. At 26 years old, he's still easily got 6 years to break it and considering his incredible form and quality, he'll break that record without a shadow of a doubt. Five of our players are in the Champions League Team of the Season, as we also get the Defender of the Season, Midfielder of the Season and Forward of the Season awards. I'm lost in the middle of all these awards and titles!!!

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As a reward for all their hard work and impressive performances, as many as 14 of our players (or 65% of the whole squad) is going to Spain for the summer for the EURO! Best of luck to all of them, although I'd be pretty happy if England went on and won the whole thing. They won the World Cup last time around, so maybe Southgate can work his magic yet again.

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Despite an insane 65 goals scored this season, Giles is snubbed for the Fans' Player of the Season as it's Kylian Mbappé who wins it. We won every competition we played in this season, and this has got to be a historic season for the club. With the stadium 99% full, we only needed 22 players in the Premier League to do this well which is a scary thought considering we might need to get some backup players soon! The end of an incredible season was supposed to also mean Hughes retiring, but a clause in his contract means he's still got another year and the 33 year old will stay here next season! Considering he's played 418 games for the club in all competition, it would be a shame to see him go before he can reach maybe 450? Who knows when he'll decide to leave, he'll be a club legend regardless! By the way, just to give you an idea of how incredible Giles has been in the last few seasons: he's now at 272 games played in all competitions for the club, and 229 goals scored! Considering he scored a total of 27 goals in 109 games in his first 3 years at the club, I think his last 3 really showcase the quality that he has. I mean, how does one score 202 goals in his last 163 appearances?! Just incredible.

[TABLE="class: cms_table_cms_table_cms_table_cms_table_cms_table_cms_table_cms_table_cms_table_cms_table_cms_table_grid, width: 500, align: center"]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]Challenge[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]What is it?[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Completed?[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]Brexit (kind of) means Brexit[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Can only sign a maximum of 2 players not from the UK per season (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) -UNLESS A NON-UK PLAYER IN THE TEAM IS SOLD, THEN AN ADDITIONAL SPOT FOR A NON-UK PLAYER FREES UP[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Yes
2017/18
2018/19
2019/2020
2020/2021
2021/2022
2022/2023
2023/2024
2024/2025
2025/2026
2026/2027
2027/2028[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]Ah millennials...[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]At least 5 players from the academy or U-21 must play at least 10 games each every season[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Yes
2017/18
2018/19
2019/2020
2020/2021
2021/2022
2022/2023
2023/2024
2024/2025
2025/2026
2026/2027
2027/2028[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: center"]The good old days[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Win every trophy that Aston Villa has won in their history (lower league trophies like the Championship or League 1 can be disregarded once we make it to the Premier League)[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]No
Carabao Cup (2020, 2021, 2023, 2026, 2027, completed!)

FA Cup (2020, 2022, 2024, 2025, 2028, 2 more to go)

Premier League (2022, 2024, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2 more to go)

Champions League (2026, 2028* completed!)

Europa League (2020*, 2023*)

Sky Bet Championship (2018*)

UEFA Super Cup (2020, 2023*, completed!)

Community Shield (2020, 2024*, 2025*, 2026*, 2027*, completed!)

* = not needed[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
 
Hey everyone, I don't know who is following this story anymore and if anyone is enjoying it, but I've decided to stop monthly updates. I want to focus on my Spurs story soon and with a chairman game running as well, it's just not as exciting anymore. I'll be posting season updates for the next 2 years as we just need 2 FA Cups and 2 Premier Leagues to officially complete the challenge. What I do with this save from there is up to you if you're still following or me if no one really reads this anymore.

1. I could post the game save on here and anyone could continue the Jake Lewis legacy and post it on this thread

2. I could keep posting season updates for Villa for the next few seasons to see if our dominance continues

3. I could resign from Aston Villa and try to quickly bring a sleeping giant back to life (a team in Spain or Germany preferably, maybe go back to Parma like I did almost 2 years ago now in FM17?)

Whoever is enjoying/reading this thread anymore, I hope you enjoy the next 2 seasons and let me know what you want me to do with the save!
 
Linecoigne1998 said:

Whoever is enjoying/reading this thread anymore, I hope you enjoy the next 2 seasons and let me know what you want me to do with the save!
Click to expand...

Fantastic season mate, congratulations! I'm still enjoying the save, but if that's not the case for you, then you should wind it down.

In terms of suggestions -

1. Whizz through the next couple of seasons to complete all your challenges, and decide from there.
2. Sell all players and rebuild a completely new squad at Villa.
3. Leave it where it is and post the game file. I'd be keen to take over a team, but wouldn't want to tarnish that villa squad. I'd probably go for Birmingham and try topple you :):):)
 
I wish i had that game save.
That quintuple is a god like the good manager.
 
danjames101 said:
Fantastic season mate, congratulations! I'm still enjoying the save, but if that's not the case for you, then you should wind it down.

In terms of suggestions -

1. Whizz through the next couple of seasons to complete all your challenges, and decide from there.
2. Sell all players and rebuild a completely new squad at Villa.
3. Leave it where it is and post the game file. I'd be keen to take over a team, but wouldn't want to tarnish that villa squad. I'd probably go for Birmingham and try topple you :):):)
Click to expand...
Cheers for your suggestions mate, the second one is actually quite interesting! Although I don't know if I'd want to mess with that legacy I've created! I think I'll get through the next 2 or 3 seasons to complete the challenges and then post the game save here so people can just use it for their own pleasure if they want and I could just carry it on as a personal save, taking over whoever or doing whatever until FM19! I'll have to see...

MWPlayz said:
I wish i had that game save.
That quintuple is a god like the good manager.
Click to expand...
Hahaha as I said previously, I'll get through my challenges first then maybe post the game save here for anyone who wants to play with the Villa squad I created, who knows.
 
Amazing season mate, you've done amazing stuff with that Villa side.
I'd say if you're still intersted in playing the save, bring another European sleeping giant to the top, I'd personally like to see you manage Hamburg, Parma or Malmo, all could be interesting as you try and topple the Villa monster you've created.
Also I'm curious about your tactic, dont know if you've already addressed it but is it one you've created?
 
BillyMorton said:
Amazing season mate, you've done amazing stuff with that Villa side.
I'd say if you're still intersted in playing the save, bring another European sleeping giant to the top, I'd personally like to see you manage Hamburg, Parma or Malmo, all could be interesting as you try and topple the Villa monster you've created.
Also I'm curious about your tactic, dont know if you've already addressed it but is it one you've created?
Click to expand...
Cheers lad, I was thinking about doing that for sure. Parma sounds like a great option, Malmo seems interesting as well! I might just do that at the end of my Villa days... As for the tactic, yes it is one I've created! There's more of a breakdown of the roles and how the tactic works in my Spurs story if you're interested :) if you want a download link as well, let me know.
 
How about complete your targets, resign and just run the game for a number of seasons to see what happens to Villa without you?
 
Stuart 1971 said:
How about complete your targets, resign and just run the game for a number of seasons to see what happens to Villa without you?
Click to expand...
Thanks for the suggestion, I thought of just straight up resigning and simming but I figured I've gone so far into the future, I might as well resign and take over another club later!
 
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