Goalless and winless in two, Villa have definitely not gotten off to a flying start this season. The concise version? Lethargic first halves followed by better second halves with little to show for it. Bit more nuanced than that, of course, but you get the idea.

Naturally, everyone’s asking what’s wrong. Since I’m not part of the squad, can’t say for sure. Some are pointing to selections and set-up, which can obviously be a factor. Some are pointing to certain players, which can also be fair. Some (me included) are wondering about uncertainty in the squad and the effect financial restraints leading to the sale of Jacob Ramsey.

Could be and probably is some credence to all of the above. Which brings me to some gripes.

First, we can all agree the financial restrictions are ludicrous. I’m sure none of us want to see clubs run into administration, but that’s not what these rules are about. That’s just the window dressing for keeping the non-Super League invitees from getting in on the action. NSWE could easily post collateral that would cover any and all expenses, but no one’s interested in actual solvency. Man Utd can carry a half-billion pounds in debt playing in a crumbling Old Trafford, no problem, and still trade on their revenue advantage. Villa, debt-free and every bit as well-backed, cannot invest. There are plenty of other examples.

So here we are, hamstrung, trying to just tread water, never mind improve while also suffering the indignity of being circled by ‘big-club’ vultures in what has turned out to be a window that demonstrates the forced inequality. While we still await word that SFA will ultimately be done about City’s blatant cheating, the banked clubs are buying everyone under the sun and once again weakening their competition by plucking away their best players while they try to comply with these rules.

It’s angered me more this season because it’s like having a door slammed in your face and being held to ransom to now stand outside the club to which you’ve just been denied entry. The issue being that it’s the only club. Villa, Palace, Forest, Newcastle and others should only be looking up based on what they’ve achieved rather than retrenching.

Then there’s the window itself, which I think needs reforming. I don’t think it should extend past the start of a league’s season for one. And if it keeps doing so, then only business/interests/negotiated initiated by some earlier point should be allowed. “Registered interest”, let’s call it. All the dominoes still falling while points are being played for, and clubs being left out of options to source replacements when the music stops. Clubs who do not have to or want to sell, but whose players are having their heads turned, their camps and preparations disrupted.

Of course it’s happening to others as well, and of course movement has always been part of the game. But I think it’s gotten out of hand. If you’re a player and you sign a contract, well, there you go. If you have express promises made that you’ll be able to leave if x, y, or z happens, then get it in writing along with, or in place of, a release clause. Otherwise, don’t sign the contract. The Grealish saga ended fairly quickly, for example. City were clear in their interest, met the price, got it over with. Everyone moved on with time to spare.

Again, I think all of this goes to explain a lot of what we’ve seen in Villa over the first two matches. Players don’t know who’ll be here, if they’ll be here, if Emery will keep putting up with it. Whether this is the end of the Villa comeback. And all down to Villa and the other 14 having their hands tied.

Which naturally means I wake up to stories of arrogant United—knocked out by Grimsby FFS and trying to decide what to do with Amorim—apparently returning for Martinez the day before the window closes and we host Palace. An irrelevant sh*tshow at the moment, only sowing chaos because they’re a mess, but a mess propped up by massive debt and entrenched revenue from a global base of plastic fans.

It’s farcical. And I didn’t even get to Brentford, but what’s there to say, really.

Anyway. Over to you.