Aston Villa is a very strong candidate for my future squad. They possess a deep history as they currently are in their 148th season since formation. Villa has the second most time spent in the top English league, only behind Everton. They won the European Championship in 1982 thus the single star on their logo. They are currently the highest candidate on the table, sitting in at 11th in the Premier League. Villa also has a ladies team, go women! Considering that I refused to consider any of the Big Six teams (Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham) that's essentially a top five standing. While not a member of the Big Six, Aston Villa would still tout the "big club" moniker. The club was recently purchased by American Wes Edens.
Not only does he hold a majority stake in Villa, but he also is an owner of my favorite NBA team: the Milwaukee Bucks. Connections to the US will likely be a strong variable throughout this decision-making process. Along the connection to the Bucks, Villa was the team of former USMNT goalkeeper Brad Guzan, one of the better American players of the past 20 years but unheralded due to the large shadow of Tim Howard. Villa does not currently tout any American players, but they do have a goddamn treasure of a human in their current keeper.
The current keeper and captain of "The Villains" (sick name) is Argentinian hero Emiliano Martinez. The winner of the golden glove in the most recent World Cup, he's simply the man. His outlandish celebrations and trash talk is nothing short of hilarious, not to mention the fact he is legitimately one of the best players in the world. Gotta love a team with a fun goalkeeper. He is one of the bright spots for this Aston Villa team. They also feature former Barcelona prospect Coutinho. As a self-proclaimed casual EPL fan I can't tell you much else about their players at the moment. They will likely be middle of the table with an occasional blip. As miserable as
the relegation battle is, at least they're playing for something. This is likely a cold take by an ignorant American, but I can't help but think there would be some loss of entertainment value stuck in the middle of the table. Luckily though with the Leicester City run from a few we know anything can happen. With the current ownership group, I think villa will trend upwards and maybe peak around consistent Europa League. That being said there's still a good chance they end up close to relegation.
I think AVFC has a nice aesthetic to it. I really enjoy the color combination if it wasn't clear from the fact three of my ten options have it. They are said to have originated the claret and light blue combo. Their kits aren't bad but nothing extraordinary. The name Aston Villa also just has a nice ring to it, feels classy. Like I said earlier "The Villans" is a pretty sweet nickname. They're also called "The Lions" based off their crest. The club motto is "prepared" which also used to be featured in the logo. They boast Ozzy Ozbourne and Tom Hanks as notable supporters. Their home city of Birmingham is one of the largest in the country. One of their best players is Swedish which is a major con.
That's a brief overview on the club. Overall, a strong candidate with some high upside. Very unique connection with the Bucks, but other than that they lack a ton of emotional connection and appeal. They check all the boxes with few cons, I just wonder will they be enough to really hook me in.
This is the first of ten articles about these teams so strap in. If you're joining me on this journey, feel free to do more research as there's only so much, I can write about.
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