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Regardless of what they say in public, both Cardiff and Fulham are fighting for 2nd. Their sights, hopes, dreams and ambition is 2nd. One will fail. That kind blow, particularly if it comes down to the last day, goal difference, etc, will play a mental part in the play offs. Hopefully us coming to terms with it over the next month will make us better prepared. We are heading for the playoffs, let's boss them.

Compare squad costs . https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/championship-squad-cost-2018-villa-1428254.amp Watch Fulham regularly as the village where I live we share a season ticket and they are fantastic to watch.. villa not so much.... Thats down to the choice of manager and the choices made by the manager....

Love these esp away kit would buy them both. Beautiful

Horrific scenes, Genie. That beer looks flat. Sympathies from rainy England.

Some people want to believe it because it fits a narrative they are personally and deeply invested in. How else to explain that ‘stop the war’ crowd outside Downing Street last night waving modern Russian and old Soviet flags screaming about not bombing Syria. Russian aircraft had flown over 30,000 sorties and hit 90,000 targets in Syria by summer 2017 alone, yet they wave the flags painted on those aircraft. Total cognitive dissonance.

I'm 26. Just going back 5 years, I'd say Gestede, Holt, Delfouneso, Bowery, and Helenius have been worse than both Davis and Hogan.

Things that piss me off Mrs T saying the same thing over and over again slightly differently when she has a had drink eg You have crossed the line now----------------there was a line there and you stepped over it -----------------------your my side of the line now because you have crossed it -------------the line obviously means nothing -------------------------do you actually know where the line is, I don't think you do because you just crossed it I reply shut TFU actually I say yes dear sorry

VT should start a GoFundMe for @Genie so we can send him some real ale and a UV lamp.

Absolutely and Mrs May is most definitely to blame.

Government continue to take very, very seriously the plight of senior citizens they are kicking out of the country: 'Downing Street has rejected a formal diplomatic request to discuss the immigration problems being experienced by some Windrush-generation British citizens at this week’s meeting of the Commonwealth heads of government, rebuffing a request from representatives of 12 Caribbean countries for a meeting with the prime minister. [. . .] The refusal has given Caribbean diplomats the impression that the UK government is not taking a sufficiently serious approach to the problem that is affecting large numbers of long-term UK residents who came to Britain as children. Some have been threatened with deportation to countries they left as children 50 years ago and have not returned to since. Others have been denied access to healthcare, lost jobs or been made homeless because they do not have sufficient paperwork to prove they have the right to be in the UK.' They have taken the very useful step of issuing 'guidance', which is just self-justifying cant: 'Late on Friday, the Home Office issued a guidance summary of what Commonwealth-born, long-term UK residents should do if they were concerned that they did not have the necessary papers to prove their right to be in the UK. The guidance acknowledges that problems are only now beginning to arise because of newly tightened immigration rules, and states: “Recent changes to the law mean that if you wish to work, rent property or have access to benefits and services in the UK then you will need documents to demonstrate your right to be in the UK. The government believes this is a proportionate measure to maintain effective immigration control.”' As usual, the government's recommendation is for these pensioners, who are being kicked out of jobs and homes, and denied access to benefits, to lawyer up: 'However, there was nothing new in the guidance, and charities working with people in this situation expressed frustration that the government continued to suggest that individuals seek legal advice. That is often prohibitively expensive for people who have been told they are not permitted to work and are not eligible for benefits.' https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/apr/15/no-10-refuses-caribbean-request-to-discuss-children-of-windrush This situation is a national disgrace.

Stat of the day: More than two thirds of the championship play off final winners have not finished in the top play off position in the league. We're capable of winning via the play offs but before we worry about who we may or may not play in the play off final we shouldn't under estimate the team we'll face in the semi final first.

If it is to be Villa vs Fulham then so be it. They have had the better of us at Craven Cottage of late in the same way we have a recent history of turning them over at Villa Park what would happen at Wembley is open to question. I don't accept that they are the better team. There won't be many points between us at the end of the season so it will be a case of who turns up on the day. Sure after a rocky start they have gone on a great run and we have had a couple of poor results that have cost us in what has otherwise been a consistent season of point accumulation. If we both reach Wembley and if we play anything near as well as we did at Villa Park against the champions when we get there then there can only be one winner - us.

Maybe it's a change in my own thinking, I definitely used to be win at all costs. Now we're outside the top flight, I do want to see some attractive football. If this was in the PL and we were grinding out wins, I would not have a problem. I now know certainly, that in this division, I'm bored to tears watching this "winning football" under this manager. It's Pulis/Sam/Bruce ball guff whenever Jack Grealish doesn't play well. No issue with the occasional smash-and-grab. Snoddy's winner at Bramall Lane, the topsy turvy match down the road at Hillsborough, gritty-ish derby win at home. Not dominant fantastic football displays, but don't care a bit, they were fun. I'd like more most of the time when we're the biggest club in the league with the best squad. Best season the 80s and all that, great, breaking records is good. We're in the division below, we probably should be setting records though? We've not been here since the 80s. It's been said to death and some agree and some don't, but using Brentford as they're floating around the last few pages... If we played like they do, with this squad, we'd be top of the league and monstering our way to the Premier League. Looking forward to Bruce leaving whenever that is.

I confess I still don't see the point of talking about style of play. I get that some posters on here don't like it, but really, so what? We can't change it now - to even attempt to do so at this stage would be disastrously stupid - so people might as well just get behind the team and create an atmosphere of positivity at this stage. Frankly, I couldn't care less if we won the playoff final by tripping Fulham's players up and launching 85-yard long balls onto Samba's head. Just as long as we win.

Fulham have last lost a game Dec 16, we lost that same day, and have lost 5 times since. The business end of the season. I think it's pretty clear their run has been better than ours, also they are above us, with a good shot at automatics still. Just watch them play... they are miles better than us... imho, sadly. So no I don't agree, there's plenty between us.

I am irritated that somehow we have spent 30+ mil on strikers and only one of those has done well (Kodjia) Hogan has scored some decent goals though and had some decent form for us, not enough granted but people on here seem to be treating him like he is the new Bosko Balaban. Get a grip people.

Stare at the middle for a spell and it can disappear into the background.

Lets hope it all blows up one day

3pm on a Saturday. What a stupid time for a kick off. The game’s gone.

Both colour fade ones are awful - totally rank. I just want to see something clean and classic, not gimmicky.

Whilst there are still some very good movies being released I do think the average quality has fallen quite a lot. The 70s stands out to me as the best decade for cinema. Francis Ford Coppola for instance went on one hell of a run.

some of the secret intelligence beginning to be leaked out

Looking at a few days away in August. Any one know what the weather is like in Majorca and can you get a decent pint

I'm much the same, I'll watch Fury fight, he's a good fighter and he's fascinating to watch. When he fights he's a fighter, when he doesn't he's not. I guess the same with Mel Gibson - would you watch Mel Gibson on Oprah? And if you did, would you expect her to ask the question about his anti-Semitism? As a boxer, Fury can't expect to use the media to sell his fights using his celebrity and then not expect the media to question his views in return.

I’ve got nothing!!! You’ve done me two footed from behind!!!

lol

So was this Operation Desert Stormy?

I just did my annual purchase of the 'i' newspaper, so the little 3773's can pick a horse in today's big one, and what do I see? Not sure if this is a regular occurrence but VT and @TRO have made the big time.

Jack’s goal is better because it was for Aston Villa.

It's both a blessing and a pity that he's not been media conditioned in the same way as other high profile sports stars - you know that Joshua would have used the question as an opportunity to talk about his regret for the remarks, his changes in thinking, the groups he'd spoken to and how he was working to change things. Fury's "No comment" on the other hand makes him look rude and ignorant - but it is at least genuine I guess, it is who he really is. You're never sure you get that with Joshua. I think there's public interest in Fury outside of boxing and I think a big part of that is the slightly unbelievable golden boy against the genuinely rude and ignorant oaf. It all helps sell the pay per view I guess.

It's debatable whether Nuno should be manager of the year but one thing where he and his coaching team have excelled is getting far more out of and improving their British core. Just watching now Conor Coady pinging 50 yard balls around the pitch effortlessly and Matt Doherty hitting in a great cross for the opener. These guys were just workhorses under the likes of Lambert, encouraged to get rid of the ball as soon as possible. Was reading an interview with Carlos Carvahal last week when he says any portguese manager starting out has to properly train up players due to lack of money whereas most British managers can just demand another 40m due to the TV income.

Yeah never been a big fan of the colours fading into each other like that. Certainly not on the home shirt, the away shirt I don’t mind as much.

Who is saying it does.....but unless you possess the best players who can execute champagne football you have to cut your cloth accordingly to organise wins. I think Villa have played some exciting football at times this season.....we are just short on consistency. My biggest concern versus our direct competitors is our ability to drop much lower in standards, when we have a bad day. but its all very subjective.

Blanket legalisation wouldn't, as I assume you're suggesting, solve the problem on its own. There is however, a valid argument that continuing to fight an unwinnable war on drugs in the way that we are, is more than a bit daft. There needs to be a change. Blanket prohibition hasn't and never will work. Your shop argument doesn't stack up for all drugs. Cannabis legalisation in the states is working. It's a culture thing too, not necessarily about getting the cheapest hit you can buy. If it were legalised here, you'd see a similar trend. It's already happening in the illegal market over here as well. I get offered half a dozen strains now when I see my guy, plus edibles (all packaged, with branding, ingredients, dosage etc etc), oils, syrups etc. It's not just about a cheap high. Wider consideration is needed on some of the harder stuff, but supply and (more importantly) demand continues to grow. Something different needs to be done.

To be fair we played them away without Grealish and matched them, perhaps even shaded them until they scored. After that we were chasing the game when they scored a second. Without home advantage and with Grealish we will have nothing to fear from them.

It was a rushed panic signing by the club and the fact it used up most of the budget for the following season makes it even more bizarre. Always risky spending big on an in form player in January.

The key to winning this year appears to be pitstop luck and staying out of Verstappen's way.

But they might do if he went on Loose Women. Fury chose to go onto ITV news, it wasn't a post fight interview on sky sports.

Is everyone going to wear kit 2 sizes too big?

He’s had one good spell in his career. It happens. Stop using it as a stick to beat Bruce with. We’ve scored 70 odd goals this season, only two other teams have scored More than us, we have other strikers who do just fine in this team with this manager. We are forward thinking. we are attacking. We score lots of goals. had Hogan scored lots of goals season after season then you may have a point. But he hasn’t. Hogan just isn’t very good. He works hard and has a good attitude, he just lacks quality.

Well played wolves. Best team all year. Just don't know whether we have enough to join them. Fulham looking likely to be third now. Cardiff well in the box seat. I don't know if we have the manager to beat Fulham in the play offs. If we are going to let them play.. they will smoke us. We need to do what Brentford did and take it to them. Their defense is their weakness. You can't beat Fulham sitting back.

I know they'll win the league comfortably but this made me laugh!

I'm past the point of caring who we come up against in the playoffs now really. If we play as well as we know we can, we'll beat any of them. Bring it on.

Quit my job yesterday, the plan is to move industry and city (back to Birmingham). My job has been utterly miserable this year, there's been a resource crisis that has not been addressed, it's just was no longer possible for me to plough on as I was, simply too much work and an awful work life balance at times, as a result my insomnia became unmanageable and have started to get an anxiety disorder, most days I'd go into the office with brain fog. Work just isn't worth all of that shite.

He's my POTS easy. He won't win it because he doesn't score goals (regularly!) and his name isn't John Terry, but he's actually been our best defender this season. He's played every minute, not made any major mistakes that I can think of and has been far more vital to this team than practically any player. Defenders rarely win plaudits but Chester should easily win the award, the reason Terry gets more praise is due to his reputation rather than what he's done this season in a Villa shirt. Tonight he was fantastic again.