WakefieldVillan

Getting nervous already, just hope we do ourselves justice - If we approach it in the right manner, keeping it solid at the back with no individual mistakes, but start on the front foot with an attacking impetus then we have a great chance for 3 vital points. Goodison Park can be a tough place to go with the crowd on top of you so the lack of atmosphere in this one is a big plus for a team with our away record. I personally would stick Davis up top in place of Samatta, but it's debatable either way, I just think Davis has a better all round game and will be more of a handful for the Everton defence. Targett in for Taylor (who's probably out anyway) And the rest as you were. I think this one is all down to how our two centre halves play - if Konsa and Mings can nullify the threat of Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison we will win this - Think this will be the key battle and who comes out on top will walk away with the three points. UTV

I personally would love to see you go up, the games I have seen you play have been very enjoyable and since the re-start you have been on fire and are at least making the top 2 work for automatic promotion. I can't see any of the current top four dropping any more points (excluding tonight's game between West Brom and Fulham) therefore if Fulham win tonight, you're up on GD. Congratulations

No worries at all, I agree the wins will all be irrelevant if we do drop out of the league and it's been a tough season . I just feel that although looking at the table it doesn't appear that we're in a 'better place with the same points difference and one game less, I'm looking at the bigger picture which is the games that are left to play and us actually winning our first game since lockdown and hopefully the confidence that it may bring in the final three games

I've said for a long time 36 to 38 points gives us a fighting chance, I think 36 may not be enough, 37 may just do it, we can't mathematically get 38, so let's aim for 39

The fact that we're all still debating our survival chances at the end of today speaks volumes...

Thank you

I understand how relegation works mate. If us and Bournemouth had BOTH lost today it would have been pretty much over for both of us. The fact we both won means we've both a fighting chance. I would've took that at the start of the day. We're going to need 7 points anyway, more than likely, regardless of the Bournemouth result tonight! I obviously would have preferred Bournemouth to lose but it's not the deal breaker. The good thing is that they have City next so hopefully they should come back down to earth quickly. And also there is now extra pressure on the two W's. By the way, I'm not enjoying the relegation scrap and would much prefer to be sat mid table planning for next season but unfortunately we are where we are. Will still enjoy the wins though or what's the point if you can't get some enjoyment from it?!

Because at the start of the day we were 7 points behind now we're 4. Yes it's the same as before the weekend started but our relegation rivals just played arguably their "easiest" game left to play. Bournemouth and Watford both have City to play and West Ham have United to play. Sorry that you don't see it as a good day, I try to look on the positive side and today's result was a positive, it was a good win and nice to see us win a game again. You sound deflated that we won! For the record, Bournemouth winning has put a little dampener on it but at the moment we're not chasing them we're chasing the teams ABOVE the relegation zone so not the end of the world. Key was us winning today and that's what we did. Enjoy it.

We all should know by now that predicting football matches is an extremely difficult task because there is always (at least) one result that no one expects, buuuuuuut, it's been a good day (so far) and we've given ourselves a chance, so here's my two penneth. If Bournemouth lose this, and you can't see them getting anything against Man City, then the most points they can accumulate is 34 points (with wins against Southampton and Everton). I could see 4 points from that MAXIMUM which would leave them on 32. Down for me. Watford currently on 34. West Ham currently on 34. I would like to write off games they have against City and United. Which leaves West Ham facing us and Watford facing Arsenal. Both those games scare me, us playing the hammers for obvious reasons, could be one of the biggest game in our history, but I have a sneaky feeling that Deeney n co could bully an Arsenal team all over the field and nick the 3 points. I hope I'm wrong. It's obvious we need at least 2 wins. I think I'm more confident of us at VP against Arsenal than I am against Everton to be honest. I think we will have 33 points after those games. So my theory would require Watford beating WHU so that come the final game of the season the latter are on 34 and we're on 33 and it's win or bust. To be honest I would take that if offered now. Ideally though, WHU beat the hornets go full on beach mode for our game, then the latter lose to City and Arsenal and we secure 2 out of 3 wins (in fact f*** it, 3/3)! UTV

Summed up perfectly

I'm not sure why people were writing us off, we're still in this, just the lay out of the fixtures was always going to give us this deficit to overcome. The hardest part is the physiological aspect of being adrift but hopefully the win and clean sheet gives us the confidence to at least make a fight of it.

Poor first 45. Very good 30 minutes in the second half and average last 15. Close call for MOTM, Trez obviously the hero with the goals but Elmo had a great game throughout and probably just edged it for me. The difference today was Palace are NO Liverpool or Man Utd so of course we looked better and the scoreline reflects that.

Not played well at all really and if we don't improve we will still lose this. I would be very surprised if we kept a clean sheet. Can't fault their effort. It's there. Just there's a serious lack of quality. Some of the comments in the match thread do make me laugh though but I suppose it's a place to vent your frustrations. I would get Davis on for Samatta, then probably look at El Ghazi for Trez though the goal may have given him a lift. He works hard but he's so poor but then has that nice side foot finish, similar technique to the one against Leicester.

Hahaha I read this at the precise moment he scored n thought, bet he scores

I understand fully that there is little, if no sympathy in football, and I understand some fans will want him gone. I just don't get the name calling. Shows a complete lack of class. I would hope we as supporters would be better than that.

How old are you, like 12? Fair enough if he fails to keep us up, it's a massive shame, but it wouldn't be for the want of trying. A man that is Villa through and through. Who recently lost his dad to dementia yet was back to work straight away and doing his best to keep us up. Not forgetting he got us promoted in the first place. Will always have my respect, shame can't be said for you.

As I said in the post match United thread, we are the most fragile team in the league and the current lack of goals in our team means once we go behind our heads drop considerably and the very little confidence we have disappears totally. Our key players are not performing and we really are in last chance saloon territory come Sunday afternoon. The thing is, I think just one win, one bloody win and the impact it could have on us going into the following 3 games could still be massive. I'm not giving up yet, call me delusional, and I sure hope the players aren't either - We ALL expected to lose the last two games and although we did, there were positives (mainly Liverpool and 30 mins against United). The four games we have IMO are all WINNABLE. We knew that, it's time for the players to step up. Like I said, I may be mad but I don't think it's over................. YET! Up the f***in Villa

Apologies if this is a daft question, but when they are reviewing the decisions from Stockley Park, are they also listening to the SKY commentators or just judging the incidents with no sound? I ask purely because of last night's penalty against us (which I'm still not over!) - Gary Neville was talking absolute bullsh*t through the incident (obviously being a red) and I just wonder does that influence the decisions at Stockley?

Feels bad coming on this thread but coming to terms with it day by day, and with VAR decisions like last night, no crowds, extra subs ETC, it may not be as bad as we think. I honestly don't think we would need a complete overhaul and I feel it would be the wrong thing to do - I would keep Smith and review the situation in December and see where we are in the league. If we are fighting for automatic (which we should be) then continue as we are. I can see why fans want him out, maybe I'm clouded by the fact he's one of us - I just think personally he has been a victim of his own success and maybe we got promoted a year too early - Anyway that's for another thread. If we do go down, I hope we can keep the likes of Heaton, Mings and Luiz. Basically sell Jack (which is inevitable) only. I get this is a tall order, but whether we are in the top tier or the second we are still a HUGE football club and have wealthy owners. I hope we can really set the tone for the season with some strong words and actions that we will be back. If Luiz and Mings go we just need to find some good replacements, I don't mind whether it be the loan market or players that have done it in the premier league or championship as long as they are the right fit for AVFC. I think we have a core of players that are good enough for the Championship but replacing Jack is going to be key. He was obviously the difference and why we are currently playing in a division above. I would like to see him being replaced by 2 or 3 different players. We need to change the mentality of being sole reliant on one player and gel a team to not just compete in the Championship but (hopefully) the Premier League in 2021-2022. I hope we can get the likes of Buendia, Eze (QPR) and Swift (Reading) to give us some real attacking impetus. I'd take Lolley, at 27 he's not past it, and you know he would run himself to the ground for the cause. He wouldn't be a starter but around the squad. I'd take Grant from Huddersfield too. We need pace up top and need strengthening in that area. And I would hope we can get a couple of loans from Premier league / Foreign buys that are right for us. Get a solid defence, a lot of creativity, players working hard for each other, good team spirit and a 20+ goalscorer and you are pretty much in a place to succeed.

Not going to write him off but he's been pretty poor so far. I think a lot of fans got carried away when we signed him, he looked relatively lively and scored a decent header in the cup final but looks far from Premier League quality. I hope, like with all our players, that they find form and prove me wrong but not seeing much evidence that he's got it in his locker.

Can't really comment too much. I switched off at HT. Was dreading it could be 6. For the part I watched, which I understand will be completely different to many other reviews, was that we were the better team for 30 mind and unlucky not to be 1 up with the Grealish miss and more so with Trez's shot off the post. I am not saying we would have won this game, its 'Villa v United' after all.. but that "penalty" was a complete game-changer and was an absolute joke of a decision, compounded by no overturning from VAR. F**king scandalous. But this is what the premier league has become. Then to go compound the misery we concede from our own fault (Mings) last kick of the half. Was so obvious that would happen. I thought Konsa was our best player (remember I only watched 45) but he put in 3 terrific crosses. And Luiz looked decent again. By all accounts he's the MOTM again. Fair play to him. I agree with other comments, be a shame to see him leave. What I've obviously missed in the second half is that the team showed no fight and no desire and basically that was that. That's very concerning but doesn't surprise me. We're the most fragile team in the league. 4 games left to save our season.

Once the second goes in I'm done. That is the worst decision I've seen for a very long time... well since Palace. F**cking JOKE. It was a foul on Konsa all day long. A yellow. Possibly a red. F**k var. F**k sky. F**k gary neville.

Was on the bench at Anfield

Ok, bored at work and nervous about tonight... Relegation; Worst case scenario is both West Ham and Watford beat Norwich and Newcastle respectively then draw with each other. We would either need to overhaul 8 points + GD so, 3 wins or 2 wins and 3 draws from our remaining 5. The above scenario but with a positive result in the game where they play each other would mean we need to overall 7 points + GD - So 2 wins and 2 draws. Best case scenario though is they both lose their next match and there is a positive result when they play each other. In that scenario we would be 4 points + GD behind, so effectively 5 points - 1 win 2 draws. Again, if they both lost but then drew with each other we would need to overturn 5 points + GD - So would need 2 wins or 1 win and 3 draws. My scenarios also presume that West Ham lose to Man Utd and/or Watford lose to both Man City and Arsenal which to be fair isn't inconceivable. There are obviously other conundrums to all this but the bottom line is when Watford play West Ham it will prove fruitful for our chances if the match doesn't end in a tie. We also will be "cheering on" the team who has more points going into this fixture. IE if West Ham beat Norwich and Watford draw with Newcastle, we need West Ham then to beat Watford to keep the target points tally down, but obviously this is common sense Also this doesn't take into account the results of Bournemouth who can't be completely ruled out, though they have looked worse than us recently and have Leicester and Man City still to play (after Spurs tonight) so fingers crossed they're not even in the discussion and we are by the time we travel to the Olympic Stadium. Anyway, is it 8.15 PM yet.......

To be honest I don't think Bournemouth winning is make or break. They have Leicester and Man City after this. I mean it would be nice that they lose but regardless it's Watford or West Ham that we still need to catch.