By Ben Tattoo (26/12/25)
Above: Villa pre-match against West Ham this season Photo: Aston Villa FC
In the next os his series, Ben Tattoo spoke to author, podcaster and Aston Villa superfan, Freya Taylor-Hall about the upcoming transfer window.
Can you tell us how your journey into football fandom began?
I grew up in a Sunderland-supporting family and went to a lot of the men’s games.
I moved to Birmingham for university and one of my friends there went to Villa’s Academy. She said I should come to a game sometime, which I did when they were still at Bescot Stadium, and I haven’t looked back.
I started going along to matches and meeting the other supporters, it’s just such a lovely atmosphere. You go for the football, but you go for that social aspect as well, which has been great.
There are some teams that you support because there’s a feeling, and it just feels right. Villa is one of those clubs.
What did you make of Villa’s pre-season transfer business?
When Lynn Wilms, the Dutch superstar, was then announced, we thought how’s that happened? It was incredible!
We’ve seen a shift in Villa behind the scenes, especially from this season. It feels like they are striving for more and striving for better.
We signed Ellie Roebuck, I think that’s only going to solidify and secure her chance at getting back in the England squad, so it’s fantastic for her to compete with Sabrina D’Angelo.
I like the fact with Villa that we have always brought in names that are either underrated or unknown, and we are able to then showcase them to the world.
The one that’s really surprised us in the best possible way has been Lucia Kendall, from Southampton.
She’s just gone from strength to strength, and we’ve seen what she’s done for the senior Lionesses as well over the past few winter breaks.
Do you think that signings like Wilms were a show of intent?
Yeah, definitely, and it shows some good business as well, because throughout the WSL we know how big the gaps are between the top four usual ones and the bottom end.
What Natalia Arroyo is really keen on is bringing that youth throughand I think that’s what Villa is starting to do very well, because there was a time where we were letting a lot of our youth go.
George Mullet went out on loan, but now she’s back with us, and getting minutes in the starting lineup, Rachel Maltby as well is doing incredibly well.
Another signing, Maya Hijikata, the young Japanese international, we didn’t know much about her, but she’s been a superstar already after arriving injured.
It is definitely a statement of intent from Villa.
What’s your impression or feeling about the season so far?
It’s a strange season, because you’ve got the gaps starting to take place already, in the WSL, you’ve got City way ahead on 30 and Villa on 13.
Villa are still comfortable in that mid-group. I don’t think it’s that they’re playing badly. I just think other teams have levelled up and are on a good run.
I think what Villa needs to do in order to push on, because fifth was their highest place finish a couple of seasons ago, is bring in those signings and the support system as well.
Systems that are actually going to keep us up with those clubs, and really compete, because we’ve seen what’s happened with Liverpool and West Ham.
If you take your eye off the ball for even a second, other clubs are going to leapfrog over you. I don’t think we’ve been playing badly at all.
I just think we’re a team that need to be a bit more clinical. We need to take our chances a bit more. But, ultimately, are the club willing to invest in that future to keep us up there?
Are you expecting many players to leave in January?
No, I’m not expecting any to leave at all, which is quite a nice thing to say.I don’t think we’ve got anyone who isn’t getting game time and I think everyone is pretty happy with where they are.
The only question I would have is, maybe, about Ebony Salmon, but there isn’t much of a push there. I think that’s just purely whether she is still in the right space for her, because she hasn’t been on her best form lately, but I think that would purely be a personal thing, it’s not technical.
I think everyone else is pretty happy, because if you look at Villa’s bench for most of the time, we don’t have that many people, so, if anything, a couple may be coming in.
What areas do you think that Villa need to strengthen, and who would you bring in?
I know there’s a lot of players in the Swedish League that have come to the end of their contract, because the Damallsvenskan has finished for the winter now.
We need another defensive midfielder, because Lucy Staniforth, as amazing as she is, with injury, she’s been in and out, so I think cover for her, because ultimately only got five registered midfielders and that’s probably our weakest area.
We’ve lost Jill Baijings to ACL, and Miri Taylor’s been dropping back in defence and doing a very good job, but she’s been all over the place, a bit like a Rachel Daly, this season.
With Staniforth out, we’ve got three active midfielders at the minute, so everyone’s kind of doing a bit of a patchwork position sometimes. So midfield is an area to look at.
What do Villa need to do to climb the table?
We’ve got a pretty solid defence and the midfield is better than it ever has been – I think it’s just that final bit in front of goal.
I think a couple of goals will turn it around and winning the games that when we go in front, or if we’re holding out for a draw, that we see it through.
We’re seeing far too many times that we’ll take an early lead and then lose. Consistency is really what we need.
If you could sign any player for Vila who would it be?
I would love Ellie Carpenter. I just think she’s phenomenal – the speed on her is just incredible. Jess Park has been doing wonders since she moved to United. She’s a little firecracker, just all over, creating chances and we need that.
I want Kenza Dali back, because I think that was what we were missing – a creative ‘10’. I don’t think she’ll come back, but it’d be quite nice as she still loves the team, and she says she misses the fans.,
So, someone who’s a creative 10, like Kenza, someone who’s going to really link that midfield together and push on if possible.
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