sharkyvilla

4 hours ago, VillaChris said:

He's in the Poland squad. They could well be playing Wales so won't be too much travelling compared to Bailey and others (Italy are playing in US and Zaniolo remains in their squad).

Bailey isn't in the Jamaica squad, which is good for us, mental for them.  

What a game and should be good for us.

2 minutes ago, calcifer said:

karen carney, she is a bluenose, has no business doing commentary on our games, be like getting Gabby doing it on Blues games.... 

I'm pretty sure it wasn't her.  I've never really had any problem with her when she has covered our games.

1 minute ago, Digavilla said:

Maybe the first half formation was tactical. Played our weaker ones first ( Duran/Rogers) knowing West ham will be tired in 2nd half after playing Thursday, & than unleashed our stronger player ( Diaby / Zaniolo ) against later in the game. 

I think getting more height in the team was planned (it turned out to not really help with set pieces anyway).  We also don't know just how fit Ollie was and Unai might have felt he needed more of a strike partner to help out, plus Duran played well the other day.  Either way when we are so short of midfielders it's going to be tough whichever team he gets on the park.

With the automated offside technology the players have about 30 sensors each on them and a sensor in the ball, would they be able to detect where on the body the ball has hit them as well as their general position?  It might be able to make this kind of decision at the end of the game a lot quicker.  Either way I think more technology is the answer and less human VAR involvement.

Who was the lady commentating today?  Came across as a right bluenose, she was willing that goal at the end to be given.

It helped that Moyes took Antonio off and completely gave us the initiative, allowing Tielemans as much time on the ball as he wanted.  He will blame VAR but he gifted us a draw there.  It was a great pass to Diaby for his assist, proper eye of the needle stuff.

He's having to use the real depth of the squad, probably gone a bit too funky with it in the last two games.  On Wednesday I was dreading these two matches, to have thumped Ajax and then fought for a draw here is a very good effort.

Thank God Moyes took off Antonio and basically just let us play for the last half hour.  Completely **** West Ham.  Seeing Ward-Prowse coming on turned my guts to water, you just know he is going to do something, Cash gets MOTM for the block and some decent runs down the right.  I'll take the Ajax win and a draw here, Spurs loss gladly.

Just now, Genie said:

Defending for that goal was as bad as against Spurs, defenders just don’t want to throw themselves at the ball. 

I love Konsa but it does seem to me that he often gets the wrong side of his man.

Overall a bit of a shambles, we genuinely look like we have gone for a mental 4-2-4.  The defenders playing around with it with not much on and losing it.  Just bizarre, we need to change it up while it's still only 1-0.

A bold, almost a bit mad, XI that is.  UTV!

9 hours ago, villa4europe said:

Equal rights 

They get called a word removed or a clearing in the woods too 

Funnily enough I think the word 'word removed' over here is used very differently to in the U.S. or at least when I've seen it used on TV.  It seems to have a much more misogynistic use over there whereas I only use it towards males and wouldn't dream of saying it to a woman.  It's also been repurposed from being an insult to almost a friendly usage a lot of the time amongst mates, a bit like the N word or P words get used among groups of friends from the same race.

If we win this one it'll be one of our best of this season imo, albeit last night's game was a lot easier than I was expecting.  It depends on which version of West Ham turn up but I'm always worried about Bowen.

18 hours ago, MrBlack said:

Maybe if we hadn't changed manufacturer and badge. As per @NurembergVillan, these things delay the typical timeframe. 

Of course, Adidas being absolutely huge, very experienced, and probably a far more competent outfit than Fanatics may mean they can actually deliver on time. (I am aware Fanatics supply loads of sports clubs these days but I'm yet to be convinced they're actually any good at it).

Reading between the lines of @NurembergVillan's posts I think it is the badge they've trademarked, with the gold lion and the yellow one with the drop shadow used in some places online or whatever.  I'm also hoping he has designed the kit too.  Adidas seem to have released their template international kits so I suspect we will just get a claret and blue version of that.

19 hours ago, ender4 said:

No way are Easyjet going to give 9.8% but i guess its a bargaining tool.  Would most people be happy if they settled at 5-6%?

The thing is last year we got 15% plus skill pay, which for me made it 20% backdated to January, because negotiations dragged on until the summer holidays and we voted to strike.  It set a precedent, we're a bit further ahead in negotiations but not much, so I could see the same happening again.  Technically I work for DHL who provide ground crew for Easyjet, neither company is short of money at the moment so it wouldn't surprise me if we got 8 or 9%.

11 hours ago, paul514 said:

Dunno what they have done to him, it's me who was keen on him for a couple of years when he was at Stuttgart.

I didn't twig that it was him, he was absolutely munting last night.  I don't think I've seen a team in Europe with such bad body language really.  

I thought he looked good when he moved into central areas.  I'd maybe looking at playing him off Ollie and move Diaby left.

Job done much easier than I was expecting.  Shame West Ham cruised as well, could've done with them going to extra time.  

Our union is asking for the full 9.8% increase of the minimum wage, so far been offered 4% which is being balloted on and probably going to be 99.9% rejected (there's always one, isn't there?).  No doubt it'll drag on til the summer and easyjet will cave in to stop a strike and give us pretty much what we want.  Hopefully get full sick pay from now on too.

5 minutes ago, duke313 said:

If West Ham can knock Freiburg out, I think that would seal it.

Wishing for theirs to go to pens and a straightforward win for us.

Hahaha ha Pepe is really old, Pepe is really experienced, Pepe is really dirty hahaha

Shut the **** up about him for Christ's sake, Fletch

4 minutes ago, lexicon said:

Hard to say, really. We're never going to find complete consistency when each ref is able to interpret the game differently. I think if the ref has seen it and given a yellow card, then VAR isn't going to overrule the on-pitch decision but then again, they might. 

That Robinson one was upgraded from yellow to red by VAR and that was for Liverpool who are supposed to get preferential treatment.  Anyway all McGinn had to do was trip him up and pick up a yellow, he has to face the consequences of doing it the way he did.

Sounds like they're changing the rules then for the summer.  Hopefully good for us.

P.S. I really don't want a penalty shootout

Unai is really having to earn his wage at the moment, I don't envy having to choose teams for these next couple of games.  Really testing the squad to the limit.  Maybe go full strength and hope that attacking the Holte in the first half can produce a couple of goal margin to take the likes of Doug off at half time.  West Ham is a minging match to follow it up with too.