BrainOfLevy
Michael Carrick
A team they couldn't afford and they are still paying the price for today. Besides, 5th back then was the same as 7th now after our rise and City's oil money.
They could have kicked on if a better (richer) owner had come in. Or if they had qualified for Champions League, though for all their pushing Everton for 5th, they were still a way off 4th.
It was a false dawn, papered over poor financial management. Was always going to collapse.
No doubt good times for Villa fans, but they were never headed into the same direction as we've gone. I'm not even sure it could be possible without London location.
Or they could have kicked on had they planned properly for the long-term, established a base, and exploited their advantages. Which is the case the article makes. We really were in a similar position to them and it really shows what a fantastic Chairman we have.