skarroki

I'd drop McCormack as I don't think we should be playing with a number 10 position. Westwood Jedinak Tshibola Kodjia Ayew Gestede I think that will start to get us results. We could have Kodjia up top with Adomah on the wing or try McCormack somewhere in that team but I think this is the best way to get us a win. Sure up the midfield, leave the big man up front with pacey, unpredictable players behind him, to drift out wide and into the middle.

I'd have 5 of the 7 on the bench on the pitch, and the other 2 told to stay at home

I could see us winning, losing or drawing this game 50/50/50 really

Just put this in the Grealish thread but it may be more appropriate here.

I think the 4-3-1-2 formation is the best one for our players at the moment. I would argue it's best to play Grealish in the 3 man midfield, Tshibola - Jedinak - Grealish Ayew Gestede - Kodjia This would be my preferred line up as things stand, although I imagine Westwood would play due to the constant injuries to Tshibola. Gestede would probably be replaced by McCormack too. I'd rather have Gestede on current showing. Could also play: Tshibola - Jedinak Kodjia - Grealish - Ayew Gestede I think that team is balanced and strong. Could swap Kodjia to up front and have Adomah on the right wing instead. So effectively what I'm saying is that the problem is McCormack, although that's not what I thought when I started writing the post.

Do you mean the Rotherham highlights? I mean I was at the game not tearing my hair out as Gestede was on form and we looked comfortable. Every other game has been difficult to watch at times.

I think most our fans need to stop obsessing over the Newcastle game. Be glad once it's finally out the way, in the next 5 games it is the only one that isn't winnable on paper so I'd like to remain positive and hope for 10-12 points from the next 15. I'm off to Deepdale as my old man supports Preston on the 1st October, if we're in a similar position and are once again unlucky I'll start to be concerned but I won't be judging our league position or how many points the team has picked up till then. So I won't judge the manager or the quality of our new signings either till that point. (As a side note, we now have an identical for and against record with PNE now, their top goalscorer is Robinson, who we released in the summer. I imagine he wouldn't make our bench if he was still here)

I always go along Long Acre or Plume Street. About a 15 minute walk but free to park and every man and his dog bumps his car up onto the kerb on both sides, reducing the chances of yours being the one to be broken in to.

I know what you're saying, and I agree with the sentiment. I do think we will start to win games, hopefully starting tonight, but 27 shots at goal is a terrible stat for me. We've got the most expensive, most proven championship strikers options, they've had 27 shots and scored twice? It's absolutely shocking, every game I've watched or been to, bar Rotherham, I've been tearing my hair out wondering how we can waste so many opportunities

Bunn De Laet Elphick Chester Amavi Westwood Jedinak Tshibola McCormack Ayew Kodjia Bench: Steer, Baker, Richards, Bacuna, Gestede, Adomah, Grealish If we need to push for a win I'd take off Ayew, McCormack and 1 of the middle 3 and go 4-4-2, Grealish and Adomah either flank with Kodjia and Gestede throwing their heads at every cross we get in.

McCormack is in the same category as Ayew for me. Best position: on the pitch. Don't really know where either of them should be playing to get the best out of them. You'd want to build a team round them ideally so they are in their most effective place on the pitch but I have no idea where that is for McCormack. He's the championships Rooney

I think he's a bit naff but he's also not one of the large amount of useless players we had leading us comfortably to defeat after defeat last season. There was a hell of a lot of deadwood to clear this summer and some key areas needed addressing, one being CM. We bought 2 players for this position in. I'm sure in another universe We'd have sold Gardner and kept Gana and our midfield would look much stronger today. But we are a championship squad that failed miserably last season and there had to be some players from last seasons squad making up the numbers this year and he is one of them. Jedinak will be back by midweek and Gardner will have to show he's improving in training to stand a shot at the first team again.

I can't help but feeling we are light in every area of the squad, except full backs and forwards. I think this is partly down to the fact that I'm used to us having such a big premier league squad that having trimmed it down a lot it looks a little too thin. However, lots of teams, like Burnley for example, have operated in this league with a small squad quite successfully. Di Matteo said in his first interview he wanted about 8 players in and to make sure the squad was smaller than before. So a big tick from me, just need to get through a couple of months to feel reassured we have enough options. I'd like to add that I'm very happy with the amount of young players being sent out on loan. It's never really happened at Villa but many people have said in the past our younger players should be out getting experience. Think players like Toner could be pushing for a place in the starting XI if he performs well in league 1.

I think that will be what Steve Round will bring to the table. Instill a way of playing, a philosophy at Villa. So when we sign players, change coaching staff, we replace like for like every time. Similar to how Southampton looks to be run, or Swansea. I think it's a good design for the lesser clubs to continually generate profit and move forward, even if there are setbacks. Imagine how a team like Swansea would do with a fan base the size of Villas and an owner as rich when they were in the championship. I think that's the route we're taking.

That Bristol City fan view article, you could just swap out the price tag, division and the name for Christian Benteke and it would read how I'd describe him. Always offside, we were a stepping stone, should have squared it more. But essentially an absolute beast of a player. If we have a championship standard Benteke in our squad now I am very excited.

Gonna win the league

I believe Adomah took 20

Was about to say the same thing Also he wore the number 22 shirt at Bristol last season. I'm thinking maybe took 17 instead left by Veretout?

I've heard and seen many a manager complain about an employee when they don't pull their weight, via social media too at times. Do you know what happens in the real world? You get sacked for being useless and lazy in the workplace. And the contract and weekly wage are flushed down the toilet along with your employability. Seeing as football is so far removed from the real world of work, and lazy players like Gabby are protected in an inexplicable way, I would suggest that taking public shots at him and humiliating him, airing what he is doing whilst being our top earner, is acceptable in this business model.

Where does he go from here suggests to me that he's off someone other than Reading. Not in a cryptic way, in a half hopeful, half can't believe he would get an offer and not leave way.

Adomah will not be an option off the bench, he's still playing for Middlesbrough, I doubt he'd give that up to sit on Villas bench

Double deal for Assombalonga and Lansbury? Would both walk into our side at the moment I'd say, would both be brilliant. If we were gonna pay £20mil for Hernandez, I think we could sign those 2 for the same price

You've just described Jordan Ayew

I would have liked Solanke the most but apparently his attitude stinks, he's refusing to sign on again for less than £60k per week or something mad and thinks he's good enough to be picked every game wherever he's shipped on loan. I'd imagine Chelsea demand that a player is played a certain amount before sending them out on loan. Di Matteo doesn't seem the sort to touch that kind of deal.

Someone needs to get Con and his heat maps out of retirement. Can he adopt Westwood as his new Villa son?