Villastine

Baker FFS just clear it

Such negativity. The Forest result was a decent point considering the 2nd half performance and the results elsewhere. We're actually only 9pts from the playoffs so it's already a slight improvement. Win tonight and it's a full on new manager bounce. I like the lineup and fancy us to win it.

Gardner good effort!

Oh Hutton, woeful cross

Think the lineup reflects the fitness levels of some of our players. Hopefully Gardner finally takes his chance in a Villa shirt.

Seems a few of our fans are questioning McCormack. I think he wonders what the other 9 outfield players offer. He spent so long screaming at them to press and close down. Looked like he was fit to kill them for long periods. Have to say I fully agreed with him. A lot of the blame rests with our starting full backs. Two dreadful players

Hmmm I think that's a little harsh. I think a very fair comparison is Ross McCormack. I don't doubt eithers ability in this division.

Where would you put it on a scale of 1 to Balaban?

We're 19th. I would say anything less than promotion form over the remainder of the season could be seen as a failure. To quantify, that's requires finishing within 10pts of the playoffs.

If he gets us promoted he will have earned his wages and no doubt a significant bonus. if we then sack him he will have earned a pay off. If we get promoted, plenty of our players will be treated the same way. It is self evident that certain managers and players can excel in the championship but are not good enough for the Premier League.

Here is the positive: Steve Bruce has won promotion from the championship more times than any other manager, including twice in the last three seasons. We want to get promoted from the championship. We have hired Steve Bruce. As Watford have demonstrated, sacking him immediately upon promotion is an option.

I'm sorry what? If Wagner is the next AVB then we have missed out massively. AVB is so far out of our league he wasn't even linked with us.

He's no longer fat

You've obviously never heard of Sunderland

That's exactly what Watford done with Slavisa Jokanovic. It worked out fine for them.

Well you can have a long term plan and continually change manager. A lot of people believe 3 years should be a managers max, something Pep follows. Watford use short term targets in their long term view. The Watford board would hire the likes of Bruce or McCarthy, fund them to get promoted and then sack them immediately.

In fairness to Bruce he's managed to win promotion from the Championship twice since 2011. Louise Taylor the journalist is a good read but she is often way off the mark even though her specialist subjects are Newcastle, Sunderland and Andy Reid. He is the only manager to win Promotion 4 times. As an aside, only 4 foreign managers have ever won promotion Jokanovic and Karanka in the last 2 years. Before that Tigana and one RDM! Personally I want Wagner but if the Board go with Bruce I can see the logic in him being a safe bet to achieve promotion which has to be our primary goal. We are only 10pts off the playoffs.

I’ll be honest, I wanted McCarthy or Bruce in the summer. My view was either/or would get us promoted and we would then let him go. A bit of a Watford style approach. However, at this stage and with this squad I would now go for Wagner.

I don’t think hiring Wagner is as big a risk as people are making out. Football is always evolving. We are at the point now where most if not all successful teams are moving to a game plan built around powerful running and pressing. This is the thinking that shaped Peps Barcelona back in 2008 and has since shaped the likes of Atletico, Dortmund and most recently Spurs and Liverpool in England. This is also central to Wagners system. It may be a bigger risk to not move with the times.

Looks like Wagner is top of our list. I think with our squad it's a huge opportunity for him. Hopefully too good to turn down.

David Wagner would be my first choice.

FFS the club has undergone massive changes from ownership, board level, backroom staff and playing staff. We were a complete mess and are gradually getting back on our feet, taking baby steps and for some reason folks on here think we should sack our manager after 10 bloody games!! People need to cop on. Give the man a chance.

I wouldn't be too concerned about the party but you have the question Jacks intelligence when he gets caught AGAIN!

YES Well deserved

BUNN Has he ever kept a clean sheet, even for 45mins?