Aston Villa news: Opinion – Mike Taylor on Villa’s prospects

“Mad… crazy… fantastic… unreal… Unai Emery is a god.”

Villa supporters tumbled on to the streets of Bruges last night intoxicated as much by the scale of their club’s achievement as by any refreshments. Those who stopped by a BBC Radio WM microphone gushed praise for the players and particularly their coach.

Back in the press room, their ‘god’ was in a more sober mood.

“I am happy but calm, getting balanced,” said Emery, “because I know there’s still 90 minutes to play. We are not in the quarter-final. I know how difficulties are in each match and how a match can change in 90 minutes. I know it.”

Fans are from Mars, and coaches are from Venus, maybe. But although their tone could hardly have been more different, actually they both had it right.

Tyrone Mings put his finger on it. Was he not excited about the possibilities lying ahead of Villa this season?

“Yes, absolutely, but the dreaming is really for you reporters and fans,” he said. “Our job is to promise the fans we will always stay consistent, and stay respectful and humble of the challenges that we have ahead of us. What that ends up with us achieving at the end of the season is something for the fans to dream.”

After the carnival of the previous 18 months under Emery, this has been a more turbulent season. Whether it can all be explained simply by the workload is debatable but there have been days when Villa appeared physically and mentally jaded. Too many points have been surrendered late in matches.

Yet with less than three months to go Villa are FA Cup quarter-finalists with an apparently favourable draw, on course for the last eight of the Champions League and not so far behind in the Premier League as to rule out a top-seven finish. Failing to reach Europe next season would be painful, but they still have three chances and their squad is arguably stronger now than at any previous point in the season.

They have not yet played consistently at their maximum – they did not last night – but they are now equipped to do so.

In Bruges, business and pleasure came in different forms depending on which side of the touchline you were.

“When you’re in it,” said Matty Cash, “you’re so focused on the game it’s hard to get caught up in it. For the fans, it’s a better day out, and we’re here to do a job and to enjoy it.”

And they all did.

Brentford v Aston Villa – commentary on BBC Radio WM, Saturday 17:03 GMT

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