Alright, let’s talk about Aston Villa’s 23/24 season. I remember the buzz starting around pre-season. Emery had a full summer, some interesting signings came through the door. Felt like something good was brewing, you know?
So, I made a conscious decision. This year, I wasn’t just gonna be a casual observer checking scores on my phone. No, I was gonna dive in. Watch the games, really follow the team’s journey. I even looked into getting tickets for a few matches, but living a fair bit away and seeing the prices, I quickly decided watching from my sofa was the more practical approach. Got my streaming sorted, made sure my schedule was clear for match days.
Getting into the swing of it
The first part of the season? Absolutely electric. We were playing some fantastic stuff. That win against Man City at Villa Park, totally dominant. Then beating Arsenal too. Felt massive. I was properly invested, celebrating goals like I’d scored them myself. Had my little matchday routine – get the snacks in, tell the family not to bother me for 90 minutes. It became a proper thing I looked forward to.
- Early season form was brilliant.
- Big wins against top teams felt huge.
- Got really into the matchday ritual.
The Reality Check
But football’s never straightforward, is it? Things started getting tricky. Injuries piled up – felt like we lost a key player every other week. Kamara, Mings, Buendia… the list went on. Performances dipped a bit, some frustrating results crept in. That McGinn red card against Spurs felt like a turning point, momentum just stalled for a bit. The Conference League run was exciting, a good distraction, reaching a semi-final was decent, even though the less said about those two legs against Olympiacos, the better.
Here’s the thing though, the personal side of it… I found myself getting way too worked up. A bad result would genuinely put me in a foul mood for the rest of the day. I’d be snappy, irritable. Couldn’t switch off after late games. It reminded me of when I tried to get heavily into fantasy football years ago – spent hours tweaking my team, analysing stats, only to get stressed out when my captain blanked. It started feeling like that again.
I also started noticing how much time I was dedicating. Planning weekends around kick-off times, spending hours watching not just the match but the build-up, the post-match analysis. And the cost – not just the streaming subscriptions, but the odd shirt I bought on impulse after a big win, maybe a pint or two more than usual if watching down the pub. It wasn’t bankrupting me, but it was definitely adding up.
Looking Back
So, Villa’s 23/24 season? From the club’s perspective, incredible. Qualified for the Champions League. Emery worked wonders given the circumstances. Huge success.
From my perspective? It was an experience, alright. A lesson learned, maybe. I realised I’d let it consume a bit too much of my emotional energy and time. It’s great to have a passion, but when it starts negatively impacting your mood regularly, you’ve got to take a step back.
I’ll still keep an eye on Villa, definitely. Happy they did well. But that level of intense, every-kick-of-the-ball obsession? I think I’ll dial it back next season. Need something a bit less likely to give me palpitations. Maybe I’ll finally finish painting the garden fence.
