An Unai Emery masterclass led Aston Villa to a convincing 4-0 victory over Bournemouth at Villa Park on Sunday and it feels as though Villa are picking up form at the perfect time. Join Tom, Seb and Simon as the lads walk us through all the talking points with Cole.

You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!

WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?

• What can be made of such a fantastic performance?
• Did Unai Emery give Andoni Iraola a tactics lesson on Sunday?
• How many more positive things can we say about Emi Buendia at this point?!
• Ollie Watkins' positive performance and Donyell Malen's clinical nature off the bench.

STAY CONNECTED:

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Cole Pettem: @TalkAstonVilla

Simon O'Regan: @SiORegan

Tom Nightingale: @tdnightingale

Sebastian Bacon: @SebastianBacon8

EPISODE NOTES:

Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.

Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

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Happy Friday and welcome back to another edition of "Under The Lights" as Cole, Seb and Simon are back to reflect on Aston Villa's return to winning ways, securing a 2-0 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League.

You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!

WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?

• With headlines off of the pitch creating plenty of controversy prior to the match, Simon shares his experience going to the match at Villa Park.
• Is Ian Maatsen making the most of his starts?
• Does Harvey Elliot have a future at Aston Villa?
• Given Ollie Watkins' scoring struggles, how important is Donyell Malen going forward?

STAY CONNECTED:

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Bluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.social

Cole Pettem: @TalkAstonVilla

Simon O'Regan: @SiORegan

Sebastian Bacon: @SebastianBacon8

EPISODE NOTES:

Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.

Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aston Villa's struggles at Anfield continue and it certainly feels like a missed opporunity! Listen in as Cole and Simon chat all about a frustrating loss to Liverpool and look ahead to the Europa League clash against Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday.

You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!

WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?

• A promising start, but Villa are punished for sloppy play - how much of a missed opportunity was Saturday's loss?
• Emi Martinez's gift to Mohamed Salah and fan frustrations.
• Should we be seriously concerned about Ollie Watkins lack of attacking output?
• How confident are we all heading into Thursday's Europa League clash?

STAY CONNECTED:

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Bluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.social

Cole Pettem: @TalkAstonVilla

Simon O'Regan: @SiORegan

EPISODE NOTES:

Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.

Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aston Villa certainly bounced back from a poor showing on Thursday and in some style too! Join Cole and Simon to discuss a complete performance against Manchester City at Villa Park.

You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!

WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?

• Could we have asked for a more complete performance?
• Just how important is Ezri Konsa to Unai Emery's system?
• Amadou Onana, a physically dominant performance.
• Has Matty Cash well and truly silenced his doubters now?
• Are Villa heading to Anfield at the perfect time?

STAY CONNECTED:

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Bluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.social

Cole Pettem: @TalkAstonVilla

Simon O'Regan: @SiORegan

EPISODE NOTES:

Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.

Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to the latest edition of "Under The Lights" as Cole and Simon return to discuss the fallout from Aston Villa's frustratingly wasteful performance against Go Ahead Eagles in the Europa League.

You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!

WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?

• From the perfect start to being punished for being extremely wasteful; what can be made of Villa's first loss in the Europa League this season?
• Were too many changes made to the starting XI?
• Where's Harvey Elliot?
• How should we expect Villa to react against Manchester City on Sunday?

STAY CONNECTED:

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Cole Pettem: @TalkAstonVilla

Simon O'Regan: @SiORegan

EPISODE NOTES:

Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.

Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy Monday and welcome back to the Holtecast! Join Cole and Simon as they react to Aston Villa's performance on Sunday against Tottenham Hotspur in North London!

You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!

WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?

• What a win! How important was Sunday's result?
• The goals - how good was Morgan Rogers' and Emi Buendia's goals?
• Amadou Onana's role within this Villa side.
• How are we all feeling heading into Thursday's Europa League clash in Deventer, Netherlands?

STAY CONNECTED:

Email: holtecast@gmail.com

X: @HoltecastPod

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Bluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.social

Cole Pettem: @TalkAstonVilla

Simon O'Regan: @SiORegan

EPISODE NOTES:

Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.

Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another dreadful international break is upon us, but before we all mentally unplug from the lovely world of Aston Villa, join Cole, Seb and Simon to reflect on a fourth win in a row for Unai Emery's men.

You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!

WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?

• So, how are we all feeling about Aston Villa these days?
• Are we starting to see the old (and much better) version of Emery's Villa?
• Just how impressive has Lamare Bogarde been?
• Donyell Malen and his role within this Villa squad.
• Can Villa keep up this momentum with some massive fixtures coming up after the international break?

STAY CONNECTED:

Email: holtecast@gmail.com

X: @HoltecastPod

Threads: Holtecast

Bluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.social

Cole Pettem: @TalkAstonVilla

Simon O'Regan: @SiORegan

Sebastian Bacon: @SebastianBacon8

EPISODE NOTES:

Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.

Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy Friday all and welcome back to the latest edition of "Under The Lights". Listen in as Cole and Dom return to discuss Aston Villa's third consecutive win, with Unai Emery's men beating Feyenoord 2-0 in Rotterdam.

You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!

WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?

• No Martinez, no problem! Just how impressive has Marco Bizot been since joining Villa?
• Has Emi Buendia been Villa's best player so far this season?
• What can be made of John McGinn's impressive form?
• Having that winning feeling back is lovely, isn't it?

STAY CONNECTED:

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Bluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.social

Cole Pettem: @TalkAstonVilla

Dom Phillips: @_domphillips

EPISODE NOTES:

Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.

Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aston Villa are starting to get their mojo back! Join Cole, Simon and Seb as the lads discuss Villa's first win of the 2025/2026 Premier League campaign and look ahead to the trip to Feyenoord on Thursday!

You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!

WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?

• What can be made of Sunday's performance at Villa Park?
• Did Fulham have one or two valid penalty shouts?
• Emi Buendia, proving his doubters wrong!
• John McGinn's ability to lead by example.
• Can Villa keep up the momentum heading into Thursday's Europa League match?

STAY CONNECTED:

Email: holtecast@gmail.com

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Threads: Holtecast

Bluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.social

Cole Pettem: @TalkAstonVilla

Simon O'Regan: @SiORegan

Sebastian Bacon: @SebastianBacon8

EPISODE NOTES:

Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.

Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy Friday everyone and welcome to a new feature on the Holtecast called "Under The Lights". Join Cole and Dom as they reflect on the good and the bad of Aston Villa's first win of the season against Bologna and look ahead to Sunday's match against Fulham in 25 minutes or less.

You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!

WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?

• A goal, a clean sheet and the first win of the season; how are we all feeling about Thursday's result?
• Evann Guessand, a bright light with potential.
• Can Morgan Rogers be played back into form?
• Just how good is Marco Bizot?
• Can Villa keep the momentum going against Fulham on Saturday?

STAY CONNECTED:

Email: holtecast@gmail.com

X: @HoltecastPod

Threads: Holtecast

Bluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.social

Cole Pettem: @TalkAstonVilla

Dom Phillips: @_domphillips

EPISODE NOTES:

Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.

Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aston Villa secured their first Premier League goal of the season, but failed to hold on for all three points against 10-man Sunderland. Listen in as Cole, Simon and Seb gathered to reflect on another frustrating performance, Morgan Rogers' poor form and try to figure out where Villa's identity has drifted off to.

You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!

WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?

• Are the alarm bells already ringing at Villa?
• Where has Villa's identity gone?
• What can be made of Emery's post-match comments?
• Are we putting too much hope in the Europa League being Villa's be-all and end-all?

STAY CONNECTED:

Email: holtecast@gmail.com

X: @HoltecastPod

Threads: Holtecast

Bluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.social

Cole Pettem: @TalkAstonVilla

Simon O'Regan: @SiORegan

Sebastian Bacon: @SebastianBacon8

EPISODE NOTES:

Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.

Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aston Villa's struggles infront of goal continue, with Unai Emery's men now failing to score a goal in their last 5 Premier League fixtures. Join Cole, Tom and Simon as the lads dive into all the latest Villa-related chatter. You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!

WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?

• Given Aston Villa's struggles this season, was a clean sheet and a point on the road a good result?
• Is it time to get over the Emi Martinez drama and move on?
• The midfield injury list continues to grow...
• More importantly, what has happened to Villa's scoring touch?
• How should Emery approach Tuesday's Carabao Cup clash against Brentford?

STAY CONNECTED:

Email: holtecast@gmail.com

X: @HoltecastPod

Threads: Holtecast

Bluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.social

Cole Pettem: @TalkAstonVilla

Simon O'Regan: @SiORegan

Tom Nightingale: @tdnightingale

EPISODE NOTES:

Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.

Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Only a few days remain until Aston Villa are back in action and with that in mind, Cole and Simon are joined by fellow Villa fan and UEFA B coach, Gemma Taylor-Whitehead, to discuss supporting the club from her point of view, inclusivity in football and how things are shaping up for Unai Emery's men ahead of Saturday's trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium. You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!

WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?

• From Gemma's perspective, what has supporting Aston Villa meant to her?
• Is it fair to say that the football club has done a good job in creating an inclusive environment?
• Is it also fair to say that there's still plenty of work to be done in football when it comes to inclusivity?
• Thoughts on the season thus far and how are we all feeling heading into Saturday's match against Everton?

STAY CONNECTED:

Email: holtecast@gmail.com

X: @HoltecastPod

Threads: Holtecast

Bluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.social

Cole Pettem: @TalkAstonVilla

Simon O'Regan: @SiORegan

Gemma Taylor-Whitehead: @coachgemmatw

EPISODE NOTES:

Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.

Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cole, Simon and Seb return for the latest episode of the Holtecast to discuss all of the fallout from the 3-0 loss to Crystal Palace on Sunday, Emi Martinez's future and Aston Villa's hectic transfer deadline day.

You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!

WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?

• Where has Aston Villa's goalscoring touch gone?
• Just how poor has the start of the season been?
• Is there a way back for Emi Martinez at Villa?
• Are Villa's deadline day moves enough to help refresh the squad?
• What's the best way to describe this transfer window as a whole for Villa?

STAY CONNECTED:

Email: holtecast@gmail.com

X: @HoltecastPod

Threads: Holtecast

Bluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.social

Cole Pettem: @TalkAstonVilla

Simon O'Regan: @SiORegan

Sebastian Bacon: @SebastianBacon8

EPISODE NOTES:

Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.

Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aston Villa claim their first loss of the young Premier League campaign, falling to a 1-0 loss away at Brentford. As a result, Cole and Tom got together to react to the performance and chat about what's really going on at the football club.

You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!

WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?

• What did the lads make of Saturday's performance against Brentford?
• Does this result show that a lack of width and pace isn't the only issue?
• Has/is Villa's squad getting stale in certain areas?
• Is it fair to say that Villa's PSR/SCR issues had seeped onto the pitch?
• Crystal Palace next weekend...what should we expect?

STAY CONNECTED:

Email: holtecast@gmail.com

X: @HoltecastPod

Threads: Holtecast

Bluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.social

Cole Pettem: @TalkAstonVilla

Tom Nightingale: @tdnightingale

EPISODE NOTES:

Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.

Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Newcastle match has come and gone and with that, Aston Villa have their first point of the Premier League campaign. Join Cole, Simon and Tom as the lads reflect on an opening weekend stalement at Villa Park, Marco Bizot's Premier League debut and Simon's encounter with Barry Bannan on a night out all those years ago.

You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!

WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?

• How are the lads feeling about Saturday's draw against Newcastle United?
• Is it a point gained or two points dropped from an Aston Villa perspective?
• Marco Bizot's impressive Premier League debut.
• Let's talk about Matty Cash's passing and Ezri's Konsa's red card, shall we?
• Donyell Malen's brief impact.
• In a new segment for this season, can the lads each muster up one positive from Saturday's result?

STAY CONNECTED:

Email: holtecast@gmail.com

X: @HoltecastPod

Threads: Holtecast

Bluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.social

Cole Pettem: @TalkAstonVilla

Tom Nightingale: @tdnightingale

Simon O'Regan: @SiORegan

EPISODE NOTES:

Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.

Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2025/2026 season is nearly underway for Aston Villa and as a result, Cole, Simon, Seb and Tom are back for their annual season preview show ahead of Saturday's match against Newcastle United. Join in on the fun and sign up for our FPL league, The Holtecast Cup, for your chance to win one of two prizes: https://shorturl.at/veEhE.

You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!

WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?

• Right then, how are we all feeling about Villa heading into the new season?
• Are we all happy with the looks of the squad?
• Is Villa in a better or worse position heading into this season compared to this time last term?
• What would be deemed as a successful season for the football club?
• Our 7 "Meatball-tastic" predictions are shared...let's see how this goes!

STAY CONNECTED:

Email: holtecast@gmail.com

X: @HoltecastPod

Threads: Holtecast

Bluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.social

Cole Pettem: @TalkAstonVilla

Simon O'Regan: @SiORegan

Tom Nightingale: @tdnightingale

Sebastian Bacon: @SebastianBacon8

EPISODE NOTES:

Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.

Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy Tuesday and welcome back the latest edition of the Holtecast! It's been a while since we've reflected on the latest Aston Villa news, so tune in as we have plenty of chatter in store for you.

You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!

WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?

• Boubacar Kamara may have signed a new contract back in July, but what does his and Lucas Digne's new deals mean going forward?
• Is this a make or break season for Jacob Ramsey?
• John McGinn, an irreplaceable meatball.
• Should we expect to see more transfer business before the window shuts?

STAY CONNECTED:

Email: holtecast@gmail.com

X: @HoltecastPod

Threads: Holtecast

Bluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.social

Cole Pettem: @TalkAstonVilla

GUEST: @VillaLamp

EPISODE NOTES:

Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.

Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aston Villa unveiled the signing of 24-year-old Ivory Coast international, Evann Guessand on Friday and as a result, Cole was joined by French football expert, Jonathan Johnson to discuss what Villa fans can expect from Guessand and how he could fit into Unai emery's plans.

You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!

WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?

• What kind of player is Evann Guessand?
• From Jonathan's point of view, what are Guessand's main attributes?
• Should Villa fans be concerned about Guessand missing time due to the Africa Cup of Nations?
• Could Guessand be the type of player to make an immediate impact or is patience a virtue with this signing?

STAY CONNECTED:

Email: holtecast@gmail.com

X: @HoltecastPod

Threads: Holtecast

Bluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.social

Cole Pettem: @TalkAstonVilla

GUEST: @Jon_LeGossip

EPISODE NOTES:

Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.

Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's been plenty of memorable players that have donned the famous Aston Villa shirt over the years, but what would a best XI look like from a tenured season ticket holder? Listen in as Cole and Simon run through Simon's best Villa XI from his time as a season ticket holder (beginning in the 1997/1998 season).

You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!

WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?

• Is Emi Martinez truly the best Aston Villa goalkeeper of the last 28 seasons?
• Have Villa lacked true quality in the full-back areas?
• Just how good was Paul Merson?
• Is Simon's front three spot on or are there any questionable omissions?

STAY CONNECTED:

Email: holtecast@gmail.com

X: @HoltecastPod

Threads: Holtecast

Bluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.social

Cole Pettem: @TalkAstonVilla

Simon O'Regan: @SiORegan

EPISODE NOTES:

Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children’s Hopsice.

Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.