Pongotastic

Barcelona had a buy back clause on Traore.

They never used it 

21 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

That's absolutely the difference.

Bruce was ok last season because we had a very good defence. So building from the back worked most of the time. No it wasn't perfect and at times it wasn't pretty, but it was pretty effective.

This season we didn't have that good defence (Bruce's fault by the way) yet he didn't change his approach. He still tried to be defensive and it was never going to work with our personnel.

 

You're right, Smith realises that our squad is top heavy and to make that work you have to play to those strengths.
It'll be interesting in January if we do reinforce at the back, which you'd assume we will, if Smith changes his approach at all to be any more cautious, or just keep things as they are and rely on the better players at the back to plug the holes.

Hopefully the latter. A stronger back line will give the attacking players more licence to express themselves. This is the first time I can remember where all of our midfielders/attackers have a goal in them. Going forward we are a massive threat to any defence. Just those jitters at the back. 

Chester was clearly not fit and I'm sure if there was strength in depth he wouldn't have played. 

This to me is the key difference between Steve Bruce and Dean Smith. DS realised that we do not have the players at our disposal right now to set up defensively so we have to head forward to attack. One goal leads, he realises, aren't enough so we have to push forward and extend the lead.

Bruce on the other hand would have set us up defensively not to lose and we would have been absolutely steam rolled by Adams and Jutkiewicz

If Zola could go there and destroy the 2nd of the two clubs I dislike most* I would be so very happy

*Albeit Baggies are a distant 2nd

Rumours of disharmony in the dressing room. The 'old guard' who got them in the sh!t in the first place have taken umbrage to the fact that the 'new guard' are getting paid more than them. Also a couple of loan players that have disappeared off the radar Lord Lucan style.

Yes, it really is a circus over there.

Empty seats my lord

Fully guarantee that our lowest home attendance of the season will be more than their highest.

I think we can safely say that this will be a much tougher game than Rotherham. Huddersfield are clearly no mugs as evidenced by their victory at Newcastle.

Saying that, although it was one win, there was a certain feel good factor around the place for the Rotherham game. I think we will scrape it by the odd goal with a few nervy moments inbetween times. No doubt more high jinx from Dr Tony too.

Free Radio reporting that he has died.

Terrible news if so. A true Villa legend. 

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum 

This is something that was first done about 6 years ago by Millwall fans when West Ham were relegated. It was funny at the time..... but now it is obsessive and unoriginal. A bit like Blues in general.

I did have the displeasure of having a look at their forum earlier (small heath alliance). They really are all inane morons on that site. The crowing will soon die down if we get new owners and they are left with that jail bird in charge.

Sent back to Arsenal after failing to impress at Barnsley.

He looked a player in the game I saw against Everton in the league cup... thought we had lost a good one there. 

Says it all about them that Gary Rowett, who always seemed like a decent bloke, has taken it upon himself to start acting like a complete bell end.

I thought I would briefly dip into the bin dippers site (SHA) yesterday and there was a thread marked 'Favourite Vile f*ck up'. They weren't great in quantity, mostly focussing on the 8-0 vs Chelsea or the cup semi against Bradford. 

Turning the tables it did get me thinking about my favourite Blues screw up (not related to games against Villa - agent Ridgwell and the 5-1 are too obvious), albeit there are far too many to mention.

- Three premier league relegations.

- Endless play off heart ache.

- 8-0 at home to Bournemouth.

- Kidderminster.

- Altrincham

- 7-1 at home to Liverpool when the players stopped trying.

- 5-0 at home to Barnsley.

What does everyone here reckon?

I stopped taking the Stoke forum seriously when I read this (from Mailman)

 

 

I think Villas transfer activity between now and the end of the month should be interesting. They have been suffering from under investment for years. I can't see how Traore on his own amounts to anything without a few more upgrades around the rest of the team.
 

Well I'd rather have snails than a pie,

Well I'd rather have snails than a pie,

Well I'd rather have snails

Rather have snails

and Delph can get f**ked cos we've got Gueye.

Héros et méchants obtenir vos fanzines de villa

Wasn't the character who played Mrs Doyle a Villa fan in real life?

Leicester is much like Coventry.

A little known fact is that the residents of Leicester were the inspiration behind the movie 'The Hills have eyes'.

@F8Piraux

Francois Pireaux, a French journalist, says it's a done deal.

I don't think it is Veretout. I think it's an old photo of Michael Boulding from 2003. I can see his tennis racquet in the background.

Veretout tout tout tout

Plays a through ball to Ayew

........That's about as far as I've got with my version of Agga-do.

At least two Leicester fans on Foxes Talk think it's Gestede.

Crisps aren't good for the brain kids.

Newcastle are a big club and it's always funny seeing big clubs get relegated. Also Newcastle fans are still extremely bitter about the way we took the piss when they went down. They really want us to go down as shown by their behaviour up there when we lost in February. For this reason it would be hilarious if they were to go down again. (in reply to blandy)

Seconded

 

I've warmed to Steve Bruce over the years (notwithstanding his Blues connections and those criminally and heartbreakingly late goals he scored against Sheffield Wednesday). He seems like a decent bloke.

 

I hope they stay up.... but think that has more to do with the fact that I really want Newcastle to go down.

 

omg that was such a heartbreaker. i think we were top at the time and played out a 0-0 draw with spurs and then we heard at the ground that it was still 1-0 to Wednesday. Two goals in injury time and that was how Fergy time originated. 

 

I think it was Coventry, mate. Then United beat Coventry on easter Monday and I think we drew. Our title challenge fell apart from there.

Who could be their next saviour?

Jimmy Nail

Sting

Geoff from Byker Grove