Sir Alex Ferguson: When Ex Man United Boss Accurately Analyzed Aston Villa’s Football in August

• Sir Alex Ferguson was spot on with his prediction about Aston Villa
• The former Manchester United boss praised the Villans in August 2023
• His comments came after Aston Villa lost 5-1 to Newcastle United

Sir Alex Ferguson’s comments about Aston Villa from August 2023 have resurfaced after the Villans qualified for Champions League football.

Unai Emery’s side is guaranteed a fourth-placed finish after their closest rivals, Tottenham, lost 2-0 to Manchester City on Tuesday, May 14.

Villa took a point off Liverpool a day earlier, which proved enough to secure a ticket to next season’s new-look European competition.

Celebrations got underway in the Midlands after Champions League qualification was confirmed, as it is the first time since 1982, they'll be competing in the elite competition.

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Perhaps one factor that makes Villa’s success this season sweeter is the fact that had made a torrid start to the campaign.

In their season-opening game, Emery’s side was humbled 5-1 by Newcastle United at St James’ Park. At the time, the defeat looked like a prelude to a difficult season for Villa, but one man retained his faith in the team.

What Alex Ferguson said

As reported by GOAL, former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson was thoroughly impressed by Villa’s style of play despite the heavy defeat.

Appearing on NBC Sports at the time, Fergie was asked who had impressed him.

"Honestly, Aston Villa played fantastic football, and just lost bad goals,” he said.

"It's a surprising game, football. You can play teams off the pitch and not score - that's what Aston Villa did."

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The 82-year-old’s comments did not sit well with fans at the time, as sections criticised him for failing to credit Eddie Howe’s side for the emphatic win.

Also, Fergie singled out Villa, a team that was bottom of the table, as the side that impressed him the most after the first round of matches.

However, the first glimpse of truth in what Ferguson said came in December 2023, when Villa edged Manchester City 1-0 to move to third on the log.

Months later, Emery’s team sits comfortably in fourth place and will play in Europe’s elite competition for the first time since the 1982/83 season.

What next for Aston Villa?

Villa will go into the final game of the season without any pressure. They visit Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on May 19.

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Mathematically, the North Londoners are not out of danger and could slip further down the log if results go against them.

Their best bet is to beat Sheffield United on Premier League final day.