OutByEaster?

What's he ever done for them anyway?

No, Ronny Johnsen.

In the meeting there was talk about the commonwealth games and stadiums and the club don't believe there's a central role for Villa Park. However, we can also rest assured we won't be moving to a soulless 40,000 seat bowl somewhere off the M42 that the council need a tennent for.

That fella with the dodgy knees from Man Utd did okay.

There's three ways to win a youth game, physicality, ability and organisation. City were bigger, stronger and fitter than our boys, they were also a much better side - I'm guessing the City team have been put together for a small fortune, if they have, it's money well spent. I don't think we've got anyone that would keep Jadon Sancho out of our first team, let alone our youth side. Their number 9, Brahim Diaz was impressive and their number 5, Ed Francis looked a good player, but across the whole pitch they looked a quality outfit. That we stuck with them for 86 minutes is a testimony to the mental strength and the organisation of our group - they never stopped doing their jobs, they never stopped working hard, they had a shape and a confidence to keep coming back - if you beat one of them with a trick, it didn't phase them at all, they'd be straight back at you, if one found themselves up front alone with four defenders, he'd fight for the ball like he was favourite for it. I wondered where all our luck had gone - now I know. City hit the woodwork four times, blazed three or four very good chances over the bar and deserved the result, but our lads can take a lot of personal pride, not necessarily in how good they are with a ball, but in the personal qualities they brought to the game, their resilience and their determination. Individually, i thought the two that stood out for us were Jack Clarke in the middle of the park and Johan Abdoul* who is down on the team sheet at number 3 but wore 5 with the number 5 wearing 4 and the 4 wearing 3 - something like that anyway - regardless, not the fella who scored the goal for us, but the centre back - our keeper also made a couple of cracking saves and managed to shout "Oh shit sorry" loudly enough to hear from the expressway after possibly his only poor kick of the game. I've seen better Villa youth teams, but this lot can hold their heads up high, there was some quality of character out there and some strong minded young men. Nice also to see Messrs Bruce, Round, Wyness and most of the coaching staff watching the game and particularly to see Bruce happy to talk to fans for a few minutes at half time. *EDIT - Johan Abdoul WAS wearing number 3 - so it wasn't him - the team sheet said number 5 was James Finnerty, so I've a feeling it was Mitchell Clark.

Well, at first reading, they're a reasonably straightforward retelling of the meeting. If I'm being critical (and I am) then I think there's something in the tone of the meeting that isn't quite captured - I'll have a moan, and it's a slightly strange moan: The club, in this case personified by Keith Wyness and Luke Organ are completely focused on the future - they're going to push us into a world with great loyalty schemes, great fan experience, great facilities, great merchandise, great this and great that, we're going to be leaders and we're going to be innovative and bold - they're determined and they're completely focused on this club being better and different in the future. They're so focused, that right now (and more importantly six months ago) seems to have dropped off their radar a bit - the question asked about AVTV is a good example, they did take on board that it would be nice to expand the feeds into the AVTV, but I don't think they got that people who have already paid for the content on AVTV are disappointed they didn't get it. I don't think AVTV is part of the future. Hospitality is sort of the same, they listened to the complaints about the service on the first game, but they seemed to bounce off, the focus isn't on that game or the now, it's on what hospitality will be, on how good our future service will be. VIllacash is dead, it's not part of the future, they've told us and they appear to be a bit confused as to why we're asking. The frozen season ticket price guarantee from last season (someone mentioned it here, I haven't imagined it have I?) is from another world. This season's season ticket was described as having a lot of wooly benefits - but for some of the people that bought them, those benefits were important, the chance to get a mascot opportunity for example, AVTV and exclusive content, Villacash - all of these were present in the season ticket package - and like most people when we buy things we expect to get the things that are agreed - I think there's a bit of that floating about, there's some on this thread - I'm not sure that the club have quite picked up on that. There's a focus, a real, genuine focus I believe, on the season ticket holder, on loyalty and on rewarding the long suffering supporter and season ticket holder - I don't see any of the things above being much more than a hiccup - and I'm hopeful that this group can deliver on all of the things they're promising for our bright future - but it's a difficult time in a way - the new season tickets are on sale, but we don't yet have the information on the loyalty schemes and the benefits that will go with them - there's likely to be a narrow window between finding out about those things and renewing for the price you can today - the club are asking us to trust them, they're asking us to put a bit of faith in their idea of the future and buy into it before we've quite seen it. That's made more difficult when there's a feeling that some of this season's promises haven't been delivered upon, and indeed to an extent are no longer all that important. Again, there's a really difficult balance between changing things that aren't working as quickly as you can, midseason, mid-agreement and mid-expectation - and limping to the summer before changing those things - the club have made that decision, they've been bold, they've been innovative and they've pushed toward the future - in a way they've suggested that the faith to buy now is justified, there will be action because there is action. I think that some of these things could have been better communicated - an acknowledgement that in a period of change some of the things that were part of the season ticket package and have been ended before the season is had to be changed and that they appreciate that it's not going to please everyone. To an extent with Villacash, they've acknowledged that and they are looking at communication. In short, I guess it's a question of faith, there are issues with being a season ticket holder this year, not massive ones, after all 99% of buying the season ticket is about watching games, but issues nonetheless, the club are genuinely looking at changing things for the better, and I think to some extent they're asking us to understand that, live with it and put a little trust in them. For my part, I renewed on Sunday.

Gents, I went straight from work to the reserve game and have only just had chance to put these up. Now I'll have a read of them.

@Eastie, apologies, the club haven't got the notes out yet - but this was raised, I asked the question directly to Mr Wyness on a couple of occasions - I'll be interested to see if the club have written an answer into the notes.

Ha! Quick learner.

Brilliant stuff.

Cracking game.

I hope Stones brought his exercise book - he's getting an education here.

Don't FOX own SKY news?

What's all this doing for FOX's subscriber numbers? Surely at some point, being attached to this nutcase has to be hurting their reputation (such as it is). Also, seeing as how FOX and SKY are essentially the same company, has SKY's editorial line on Trump been similarly generous (albeit in a more subtle way)?

I quite like Czechlad's side. If Hogan was fit I'd go two up top with Grealish behind them in a diamond, but with only one striker available I think it's really suited to brining in Green to play wide. Going on our current luck: We'll lose 2-0, the first goal coming at the end of the first half when a throw in gets caught on the wind, hits Darren Bent on the back of the head and deceives our keeper from 30 yards, the second a more standard goal once all of the hope and belief has left us (usually on or around the hour mark). Lansbury to be sent off - a straight red for an accidental trip triggering a four match ban to include the one for a million yellows, Adomah to suffer a bout of gout late on due to an issue with the tightness of his socks putting him on the sidelines for a month. Grealish to miss a penalty after pausing in his run up to adjust his hair.

If anyone wants me I'll be in the bath. Cutting myself.

Ross McCormack was the last player to score a winner for us.

is it over yet?

I want to be a refulsr!

If it wasn't for bad luck we'd have no luck at all.

Gabby's injured. RHM is injured. Green isn't on the bench today - if he's injured then it'll be Keinan Davies.

Bring in Trump. He's the only person I can think of that this might make sense to. Bugger. Hogan hurt.

Christ. Here comes Gardner.

I'm not in favour of an immediate sacking, but didn't Benitez join Newcastle on a temporary contract until the end of a season.

We always look a bit livelier to me with Adomah on.