MikeMcKenna

As a few have said, Jack wasn’t quite on the money tonight. Some great dribbles but he should have passed it sooner a few times rather than take it on. However, we still won and imagine how well we will do when he does click.

Pinch me!! Frustrating at times but we well deserved that. We are no flash in pan.

It’s a bit scary when Villa fans start talking about golden boots for Villa players. FWIW I think he has great potential, but.... we’ve been here so many times before!

Excellent post. Go back all the way to the 50s when Hungary were playing ‘total football’ and smashed England 7-1. English football was all about stamina back then and on into the 60s, 70s. Creativity was a dirty word and flair players were seen as luxuries. Now it is about players being ‘tactically and technically’ correct - in other words emulating the Germans. Creativity is still imo a dirty word for England managers like Southgate.

As it is black history month and this story is Villa Park history, hopefully it is in the right place. Mods, if not please move accordingly. From 1911-1947 British Boxing operated a colour bar. To fight for a British Championship, the boxer had to have two white parents. When the ban was lifted in 1948, a guy from Leamington Spa, named Dick Turpin who had a British Guyanese father and an Irish mother became the first Black British boxing champion at Villa Park in front of a 40,000 crowd. In 1951 his brother Randolph beat Sugar Ray Robinson becoming world middleweight champion. (Many consider Robinson to be the best pound for pound boxer of all time.)

Interesting times. I always begin every season as an optimist, more in hope than anything else. However, this season, I am a bit more hopeful than I have been for over ten years. I’ll stick my neck out and say that our current midfield is the best since 2007/8 (with Grealish probably better) Goals have been a huge problem for years and Watkins could become one of our most prolific goal scorers in decades. I still have some worries about the defence, particularly Matt Targett and because Mings tries to be to too clever. While i am not daft enough to forecast we will attain a high position, I reckon we will finish top ten, give a few more teams a hammering and prove the Liverpool result wasn’t a flash in the pan,

I am glad Jack didn’t play. We don’t to waste his talent of such a sh*tty competition. It will also drive Jack to do his utmost for Villa to show what England is missing.

FWIW I think Southgate is more egotistical than it would appear and Jacks success sticks in his craw. Southgate has build his position as England Manager as a pragmatist, playing solid if boring football while pretending to be a master technician. He was a solid, dependable, boring centre back who left Villa and went to M’Boro because they supposedly had ‘ambition’. He left because of the money! He subsequently failed them as a manager because he couldn’t look beyond the end of his big boring nose. Jack is everything that he isn’t. A massively talented player who loves football and looks forward to the next game

Considering how devastating Liverpool can be, it is incredible that Dean went with such an attacking midfield; Grealish, Barkley, McGinn and Trez! And it worked!!!

40 years ago to the day in 1980 we beat Sunderland 4-0 at VP and went on to win the title

Souness is absolute ****. Jack works hard EVERY week!!!

Watkins was absolutely superb tonight. Hold up play, running, and three goals!

I was there when we beat L’pool 5-1 in 1977. The first half of that game was the best I have ever seen. But tonight’s performance was definitely the best in the last 43 years. Absolutely destroyed the PL champions!!!

You got your wish

Liverpool press so hard I worry about our midfield and defence being able to cope. On the plus side we will play on the back and hopefully nick a goal or two. However, can only see a loss.

Lansbury played well for the first 60-70 minutes. Good energy, really wanted the ball, some great passes. Seems to have got fitter. Will never be automatic pick but we are a long way from having PL players throughout the squad.

I am on the fence. Like many I really want him to click but....

Most impressive things about his goal were that 1) he started the move 2) ran 60+ yards 3) ended the move to score He is much more than a poacher.

Given that it was his first game for a few months and first for us, I was very impressed with Traoré. We now have another skilful player. He will be frustrating but likewise will be able to do stuff that most of the rest (bar Jack) can’t. BTW it was a shot not a cross.

Great thanks mate. Glad the footie is back even though we are 1 down to the mighty Burton!!

Tremendous news. Jack signing up may also be a turning point for AVFC. We have had a torrid time for the last 10+ years.

Jack clearly loves Villa but..... Here is the issue. I have known quite a few people over the years who supported a club because they hero worshipped a certain player. As an example my son-in-law is from Leeds but supports Blackburn because as a kid he loved Shearer. For me that idea corrupts the whole idea of supporting your club. My old man brought me up as a Villa fan and this song sums it up everything he taught me many decades ago. “When I was young my father said , son I have something to say, Son you’ll be a Villa fan, until your dying day, He said son you’ll be a Villa fan, And that's the way to stay, Happy to be a Villa fan until your dying day...” Players, managers, owners come and go but your club is for life.

Have always been a big critic of CH but he has shown great heart since the return.

As a Villa player I love Jack and think he has been brilliant for us. However, if we survive and he ****s off...... IMO he can **** right off. AVFC is all that matters.

It’s not Davis’s day, need Samatta on.