The Villa Blog

It's a friendly and means very little but Harry Kane dropping back so much could cost England if he does this in the competition. This isn't Germany or the Championship.

The biggest of smiles 😁

England have a 1-0 lead against Argentina in the World Cup semi-final and were largely in control of the tactical battle. With 30 minutes remaining, the head coach of England who is paid £5 million a year and entrusted with the task of delivering results against elite international opposition, chose to introduce a raft of defensive substitutes and parked the bus. England dropped deep, inviting sustained pressure, severing their own midfield supply lines and sacrificing the pace and threat of their counter-attacks. In the process, they handed Lionel Messi repeated licence to attack at England’s defence. A disastrous decision. It was arguably one of the most self-defeating tactical decisions in the history of the England national team.

Aston Villa can confirm that Youri Tielemans has completed a permanent transfer to Manchester United. Having joined on a free transfer from Leicester City in 2023, Tielemans leaves Villa a UEFA Europa League winner, netting a stunning volley in the final that set Unai Emery’s side on their way to victory over Freiburg in May. Captain of his national team at the FIFA World Cup, Tielemans was a fan favourite in claret and blue, with his stellar performances earning him both Players’ Player and Supporters’ Player of the Season awards at the end of the 2024/25 campaign. He made a total of 134 appearances for Aston Villa in all competitions, scoring ten goals. A popular and highly-respected member of the dressing room, everyone at Aston Villa would like to thank Youri for his service to the club and wish him the very best in his future career.