John

Why is Premier League experience, specifically, important? What makes this league so special? I mean despite all the money floating around in it, were pretty shit in Europe. Those fancy inexperienced foreign managers appear to have our number. We took a risk appointing Tim given he had only had a few games in charge at Spurs. We would be taking a similar risk in appointing someone who has been not working as a manager for some time now. Garde may prove to be an inspired choice but I think given our present position we need to look at someone like Moyes who could hit the ground running, who knows the league well and who kept Everton near the top under similar budget constraints as he would face with us. I just think that appointment would be a lower risk to us. PL experience is not the be all and end all but I think it might help in our situation. John-I understand where you are coming from but Moyes took 2 years to get going at Everton. The second season was particularly poor which saw them fighting relegation. He had a slow start at Man U and has also been poor in Spain. I'm not convinced that he would hit the ground running here. We need some wins, we are not in a position to grind out draws to ensure safety. With the technical players that we have, I think it could be less of a gamble to go with Garde. If I'm honest, whoever we appoint will be a gamble but not as bigger gamble as sticking with Sherwood. We have a fighting chance with a new manager but a lot will also depend on how Newcastle & Sunderland shape up. Not all 3 of us are going to survive. You are right whoever we appoint will be a gamble and I worry that we have not got a great record when it comes to making such choices. Relegation wise Newcastle and Sunderland along with Bournemouth, Norwich and Watford are the five clubs who along with us I see in the bottom 6 at the end of the season. Three of those will survive and at present Corals have us at 4/9 to be relegated with only Sunderland as more likely to do so. Bookies are not often wrong but I hope they are this time. I see Stuart Pearce has said that we should go for Dyche on Talksport this afternoon who he rates as the best manager outside of our present division. .

Why is Premier League experience, specifically, important? What makes this league so special? I mean despite all the money floating around in it, were pretty shit in Europe. Those fancy inexperienced foreign managers appear to have our number. We took a risk appointing Tim given he had only had a few games in charge at Spurs. We would be taking a similar risk in appointing someone who has been not working as a manager for some time now. Garde may prove to be an inspired choice but I think given our present position we need to look at someone like Moyes who could hit the ground running, who knows the league well and who kept Everton near the top under similar budget constraints as he would face with us. I just think that appointment would be a lower risk to us. PL experience is not the be all and end all but I think it might help in our situation.

It seems that Garde fits the template with his Arsenal connections along with his willingness to promote young players,work on a tight budget and accept the sale of his best players. But his experience of the PL is less than that of our departed manager and he has been out of the game for some time now. I think we need an experienced PL manager now to try to turn things around. It would be Moyes for me if we could tempt him to join what appears to be a sinking ship and one where he cannot make the decisions on who we sign and who we keep. If not, Rodgers might consider an earlier return than he had planned but I think the decision has been made. We have a poor record when it comes to making such decisions in recent years but this one really needs to be the right one. Possibly the current Chelsea manager might see this as a suitable challenge should he become available shortly?

I was near to a 5 for Guzan and he did make a very good save Tom13 & RJW63 but his positioning at free kicks is a weakness that should have been sorted by now and that costs us points that we cannot afford to lose so I went for a 4. Gestede did as much as we can reasonably expect for a player that we signed for around 20% of the cost of the player he was expected to replace RJW63 although he was much nearer to a 4 than a 6 for me. I agree that Gana will prove one of our more astute signings LancsVillan and with your other observations RJW63. Thanks for your comments above one and all.

K-Mac would be OK for a week but not beyond that.

I actually thought we might win this one when we went a goal ahead with 28 minutes of this game left to be played. All we then needed was to do was to keep a clean sheet but we seldom do that do we? Up until then it had been our visitors that had looked the team most likely to break the deadlock and within 6 short minutes they were level. Inevitably our heads then dropped and we fell behind to a cruel late winner that spelt the end for our beleaguered former manager. This was another unusual team selection and the team selected did not really do enough to keep their manager in a job or to keep us off the bottom. A win or even a draw might have given Tim a chance to try to get another win at Spurs which might possibly have turned things around. But there was no guarantee of this given the poor run of results we have had this season. The parting of the ways and our relegation has looked increasingly more likely of late. Tim was not to be given as many chances to turn things around as was Lambert. Players brought in during the transfer window have yet to gel as a team so something had to change. If that change was not to be the owner it clearly had to be the manager once again. Another sad defeat was always going to be an ominous one for both manager and football club. So it has proved and we are back to square one and looking for someone to come in and rescue our season in the same way that Tim did 8 short months ago. Replacing managers is proving a costly business at Villa Park and it is certainly costing our absentee custodian more than his net outlay on players these days. In fact had we spent the money on players we have spent on paying off managers I doubt we would have been in our current sad, sad situation. Thanks for keeping the club up with the players you inherited last season Tim, for giving us our pride back albeit only fleetingly and for getting us to that Cup Final which is when it all began to fall apart. Good luck in the future at another club it is a pity it did not work out at this one for you and for us. Let us hope whoever is prepared to take over our football club given the position it currently finds itself in and the way it is being so under funded on the playing side that it faces an annual relegation battle can turn things around. Defeats like this one against a team that were themselves on a poor run before yesterday will not make the task any easier. The R word looms large at Villa Park again but is written even larger this season. We have given everyone else a head start and a point a game is unlikely to be enough to keep us up. We need clean sheets and to win games again. These are habits we have lost this season and need to regain quickly. My player ratings from a game that has left us with only 4 points from 10 league games and with one foot in the relegation trap door are: Brad Guzan – 4 – Made a splendid point blank save to deny Ayew on 62 minutes but then undid that with his poor positioning for a free kick from the edge of the box which cost us our lead. Sigurdsson lined up a free kick just outside the box and hit the ball over the wall and past Guzan who not for the first time had left too much space on the right hand side of his goal to be able to protect adequately. This cost us very dear and is a lesson he should have learned by now. Alan Hutton – 5 – Worked hard enough and was good enough up until it came to putting the ball into the box when his crosses were frankly woeful. Joleon Lescott – 4 – He continues to give more concern than would have been expected given his experience during games. Michah Richards – 6 – Stood out again as the best of our defenders and has a will to win that others do not demonstrate as often. Michah was head-butted on 33 minutes by Fernandez which it seems all the officials missed so our opponents were not brought down to 10 men as a result. Kieran Richardson – 4 – Again preferred to Amavi for a reason best known to the former manager. Wanted too much time on the ball at times and his lack of pace was exposed by the introduction of the speedy Barrow on 76 minutes. Leandro Bacuna – 5 – Battled very well to hold onto the ball and hit a cross on 48 minutes that just needed a touch on it that neither Gabby nor Gestede were able to get. Jack Grealish – 4 – The performance he gave yesterday and the one he produced in last season’s FA Cup semi final were as different as chalk and cheese. He can be a much bigger influence on and be much more involved in games than this. Gabriel Agbonlahor - 4 – Inexplicably given an opportunity to walk straight back into the side following injury that his recent performances did not merit by our now departed manager. Played a nice one-two with Gestede on 46 minutes before he picked his spot but this was unfortunately a couple of yards wide of the far post. Idrissa Gana – 5 – A reasonably solid performance. Jordan Ayew – 7 – MOTM – Got what could have proved a crucial goal on the day and one that will give him confidence for the games to come. Grealish picked the ball up inside his own half and ran forward before finding Bacuna who in turn found Gabby inside the box. His cross was met at the far post by a diving header from the unmarked Ayew that found the corner of the net on 62 minutes. Hit a shot from the edge of the box on 82 minutes that was gathered by Fabianski. Jordan looked the player most up for it during this game. Rudy Gestede – 5 – Won a challenge on the edge of the box on 22 minutes but his shot was wide and posed no threat for the keeper. Climbed well to a Bacuna corner but headed over. He is a threat in the air but on the floor he is comfortably handled more often than not. He gives what it says on the tin but is not a like for like replacement for the striker we so miss. Substitutes: Carles Gil – Replaced Jack on 74 minutes. Should have started or come on sooner than this but was not given enough time to either turn things around or to earn a rating. Adama Traore – Replaced Gabby on 85 minutes so was not on the field long enough to gather a rating or to show what we know he can do. Stay up Villa! John Lewis

I actually thought we might win this one when we went a goal ahead with 28 minutes of this game left to be played. All we then needed was to do was to keep a clean sheet but we seldom do that do we? Up until then it had been our visitors that had looked the team most likely to break the deadlock and within 6 short minutes they were level. Inevitably our heads then dropped and we fell behind to a cruel late winner that spelt the end for our beleaguered former manager. This was another unusual team selection and the team selected did not really do enough to keep their manager in a job or to keep us off the bottom. A win or even a draw might have given Tim a chance to try to get another win at Spurs which might possibly have turned things around. But there was no guarantee of this given the poor run of results we have had this season. The parting of the ways and our relegation has looked increasingly more likely of late. Tim was not to be given as many chances to turn things around as was Lambert. Players brought in during the transfer window have yet to gel as a team so something had to change. If that change was not to be the owner it clearly had to be the manager once again. Another sad defeat was always going to be an ominous one for both manager and football club. So it has proved and we are back to square one and looking for someone to come in and rescue our season in the same way that Tim did 8 short months ago. Replacing managers is proving a costly business at Villa Park and it is certainly costing our absentee custodian more than his net outlay on players these days. In fact had we spent the money on players we have spent on paying off managers I doubt we would have been in our current sad, sad situation. Thanks for keeping the club up with the players you inherited last season Tim, for giving us our pride back albeit only fleetingly and for getting us to that Cup Final which is when it all began to fall apart. Good luck in the future at another club it is a pity it did not work out at this one for you and for us. Let us hope whoever is prepared to take over our football club given the position it currently finds itself in and the way it is being so under funded on the playing side that it faces an annual relegation battle can turn things around. Defeats like this one against a team that were themselves on a poor run before yesterday will not make the task any easier. The R word looms large at Villa Park again but is written even larger this season. We have given everyone else a head start and a point a game is unlikely to be enough to keep us up. We need clean sheets and to win games again. These are habits we have lost this season and need to regain quickly. My player ratings from a game that has left us with only 4 points from 10 league games and with one foot in the relegation trap door are: Brad Guzan – 4 – Made a splendid point blank save to deny Ayew on 62 minutes but then undid that with his poor positioning for a free kick from the edge of the box which cost us our lead. Sigurdsson lined up a free kick just outside the box and hit the ball over the wall and past Guzan who not for the first time had left too much space on the right hand side of his goal to be able to protect adequately. This cost us very dear and is a lesson he should have learned by now. Alan Hutton – 5 – Worked hard enough and was good enough up until it came to putting the ball into the box when his crosses were frankly woeful. Joleon Lescott – 4 – He continues to give more concern than would have been expected given his experience during games. Michah Richards – 6 – Stood out again as the best of our defenders and has a will to win that others do not demonstrate as often. Michah was head-butted on 33 minutes by Fernandez which it seems all the officials missed so our opponents were not brought down to 10 men as a result. Kieran Richardson – 4 – Again preferred to Amavi for a reason best known to the former manager. Wanted too much time on the ball at times and his lack of pace was exposed by the introduction of the speedy Barrow on 76 minutes. Leandro Bacuna – 5 – Battled very well to hold onto the ball and hit a cross on 48 minutes that just needed a touch on it that neither Gabby nor Gestede were able to get. Jack Grealish – 4 – The performance he gave yesterday and the one he produced in last season’s FA Cup semi final were as different as chalk and cheese. He can be a much bigger influence on and be much more involved in games than this. Gabriel Agbonlahor - 4 – Inexplicably given an opportunity to walk straight back into the side following injury that his recent performances did not merit by our now departed manager. Played a nice one-two with Gestede on 46 minutes before he picked his spot but this was unfortunately a couple of yards wide of the far post. Idrissa Gana – 5 – A reasonably solid performance. Jordan Ayew – 7 – MOTM – Got what could have proved a crucial goal on the day and one that will give him confidence for the games to come. Grealish picked the ball up inside his own half and ran forward before finding Bacuna who in turn found Gabby inside the box. His cross was met at the far post by a diving header from the unmarked Ayew that found the corner of the net on 62 minutes. Hit a shot from the edge of the box on 82 minutes that was gathered by Fabianski. Jordan looked the player most up for it during this game. Rudy Gestede – 5 – Won a challenge on the edge of the box on 22 minutes but his shot was wide and posed no threat for the keeper. Climbed well to a Bacuna corner but headed over. He is a threat in the air but on the floor he is comfortably handled more often than not. He gives what it says on the tin but is not a like for like replacement for the striker we so miss. Substitutes: Carles Gil – Replaced Jack on 74 minutes. Should have started or come on sooner than this but was not given enough time to either turn things around or to earn a rating. Adama Traore – Replaced Gabby on 85 minutes so was not on the field long enough to gather a rating or to show what we know he can do. Stay up Villa! John Lewis

He really should not walk back into this team. A place on the bench if it all goes pear shaped should be the most he should expect to get. He has had his opportunities to show he can make a difference this season including against local clubs that he had a good record against in the past but he has failed to do so. Possibly losing his first choice status might give him a reason to show the manager he is worth a starting place but I doubt it now.

Signed from River Plate so I can see where he was coming from. I just cannot believe that it was that long ago that we signed him (my son still has a shirt he signed in his wardrobe). Happier days...

No doubt we will go for the highest bidder whoever they may be. Now is not the best time for us to do a deal but the same has been the case for a number of years now so anything above what we now get for a half decent kit would be a result.

He is only 31!!! No matter he will not be joining us now. That ship sailed when his financial demands became clear to us and he realised we were not a club in North London after all. His loss and possibly ours but it was his choice to sit and count his money rather than to take the opportunity to play football in B6. He appears to put money way above playing as his priority. He may come to regret that in a year or two but I do not think he will do so because his focus does not seem to have been on playing football for a very long time now.

I must admit I had expected him to have made some sort of appearance by now. I had assumed he had picked up an injury if not he must surely be worth a place on the bench because the current team are currently not making a very good case for holding him back.

We were always going to need a few games to gel as a team given the number of new signings we made in the summer and given the players that left us. We have now played enough games to expect to see some progress although sticking with the same team would have helped our team get familiar with playing together. Swansea are on a bad run and what better cure for that is there than playing us? We do not win "must win" games or games at Villa Park very often. So everything points to a 2-0 defeat but I for one am not having that. A Villa win it must and surely will be. I would start this one with: Guzan (only due to the absence of any serious challenge for his place), Hutton, Richards, Clark (if fit), Amavi, Veretout, Gana, Sanchez, Grealish, Gil & Ayew. Westwood, Sinclair, Gestede and Traore would seem good choices to have on the bench to ensure the victory if changes became needed during the game. Onwards and upwards (we would struggle to go further down the table after all).

I really think we will not spend any more than £5m net in the next window. We need a keeper and a player who scores goals for fun. Benteke & Given on loan then?

I might if I really wanted to sell it to the extent that I would rather come away with £300 for the deal rather than some loose change or have it left on my hands. I have had cars like that! After how many seasons will the season ticket conspiracy begin to look more likely than not Morley-crosses-to-Withe? After two unknown bidders bite the dust for no given reason at the same time in consecutive seasons will it take a third next summer to do the same? Two is already spooky enough for me to wonder..

It looks increasingly likely that we will need cash in the next transfer window to try to land a player or two to keep us up this season but our current custodian does not have a recent track record of spending a great deal of money net in transfer windows so he might be prepared to risk all to balance the books. It seems we need a takeover to change this but the last one fell through as did the one before that. What are the odds of another takeover being rumoured again when season ticket purchase time comes around next season only for that to go the same way as the other 2 did after season tickets have been purchased? Did we ever find out from the club why this last deal broke down? Am I alone in wondering if there ever was a potential deal in place during last or the previous summer? The truth is out there but it seems the club considers we do not need to know..

I think Ayew has done enough to earn a start even if Gabby is fit Czechlad. He has had enough opportunities to show he is worth a starting place but for me has not done enough to keep Ayew out now.

Ancelotti or Klopp for me but those two might realise that the 70s happened 40 years ago and Liverpool are not the team their fans think they still are as they proved at Wembley quite recently. If so the Stevie G & Jamie C combo seems the ideal alternative double act for them! Their first decision could be to ship out that waste of space striker their former manager bought from us back to VP on loan in January!

Others improved during the game but for me he started well enough and maintained a reasonable performance level for the rest of the game. As you rightly say it is a game of opinions and as Meatloaf once almost said agreement on 12 out of 13 is not bad.

We might just get a result here. Sadly it is unlikely to be the result we need but I think we have it in us to keep their winning margin down to three or less. Chelsea are always going to turn things around and they like so many other teams have become a bogey team for us. Anything less than a 3-goal defeat would be a bonus for us at the moment and in recent seasons come to think of it. So what have we really got to lose? We should go for them with Grealish, Gil, Ayew and Traore!

This game had offered us an opportunity to climb out of the bottom three. But we do not beat Stoke at home do we? A third successive defeat at Villa Park against yesterday’s visitors has seen us go into the international break with just the two hapless North Eastern clubs keeping us off the bottom. We cannot rely on those two teams losing each week and at one point yesterday it seemed they might not. A worrying four point gap has also now opened between Villa and the three teams who are now directly above us. Our much changed team needs to gel together quickly to stop it growing any wider. We chose to start the game with the creativity of both Grealish and Gil sitting on the bench. No doubt that decision was made to try to avoid defeat by attempting to match our visitor’s rugged midfield. But this was a game that we needed to be trying to win and it was Stoke we were playing not Barcelona! This might well prove to have been a 6-pointer at the end of the season and you really have to beat the teams that are around you to stay up. I guess we also started with three central defenders to try to strengthen what has been a leaky back four. But playing five at the back left our midfield under pressure against a team that are strong in that area. Changing to a four at the back half way through the game also created the hole in the centre of our defence that led to their winner ten minutes after the re-start. Our first half performance yesterday was a passable interpretation of those grim ones that we had given against WBA and Small Heath recently. We again improved in the second half (it would have been difficult to have not done so) but we did not improve enough to ever really look like winning or drawing or scoring in this one. Since winning on the first day of the season at newly promoted Bournemouth we have only beaten teams from the lower leagues in the cup. We could only manage a draw against Sunderland who are one of the two teams that have gathered fewer points than we have to date. We really need to start winning the odd game before 40 points begins to look a very big end of season point target if it does not already. My player ratings from a game that has left us still on just four points and on a run of four successive defeats are: Brad Guzan – 6 – So nearly became another keeper to be embarrassingly caught off his line by Adam whose 18th minute effort from inside his own area was pushed away with one hand as Brad scrambled back from the edge of the box. Amautovic was nicely found by wing-back Johnson and ran into the gaping hole between Crespo and Richards before putting his shot into the net off the post and past Brad’s left hand for their 55th minute winner. Other than that a quiet afternoon against visitors that I think would have happily settled for a point at 3pm. Alan Hutton – 5 – Surely Bacuna would have been the choice here had we been looking to play wing backs to get forward? Alan worked hard as he always does but he looked uncomfortable in this more forward role that exposed his difficulty in getting enough good crosses over. Alan was left for dead by Amautovic in the build up to their goal. Jose Angel Crespo – 5 – Made his debut following injury and looked solid enough given this was his first full game. Jose was given the benefit of the doubt when it appeared he was at best an inch or two behind Amautovic when his 33rd minute effort was ruled offside. Joleon Lescott – 4 – Joleon was substituted at half time as he was against Small Heath. He gave some cause for concern before he made way for Jack and did not seem particularly at-ease playing as part of a back three. He has not had the sort of solid start he would have hoped to have made with the club he supports and needs our support to try to get over what has been a surprisingly shaky start. Michah Richards – 7 – MOTM - Micah gave another solid defensive performance and must surely soon come into England consideration again given the strong start he has had with us. Got a vital block in on Diouf as he was about to pull the trigger inside the box on 4 minutes. Really should have done better when he was free at the far post on 56 minutes but headed Vertout’s cross wide. Gana played the ball back to Micah on 77 minutes who twice played one-twos with Ayew before going down inside the box the ball ran to Ayew and then to Veretout both of whom had their efforts blocked. Jordan Amavi – 6 – Jordan’s pace got him out of trouble a couple of times. He posed a threat when getting forward and was solid enough in defence. Jordan Veretout – 5 – Picked up the ball near the centre circle on 39 minutes ran between two opponents on his way and nearly did the same on the edge of the box before going down inside the box when possibly unfairly challenged by Cameron. Ashley Westwood - 6 – The best of our midfield performers for me yesterday. Idrissa Gana – 5 – Became more effective as the game wore on after a slow start. Hit a shot from the edge of the box on 40 minutes which went harmlessly wide. He does get into some decent shooting positions but his shots are too often inaccurate. Scott Sinclair – 4 – Has lost his earlier goal touch and can be much more effective than this. Rudy Gestede – 5 – Did not get the sort of service that he needs to get us goals. Made a good run to the edge of the box from just inside his own half but his shot was routinely gathered by Butland. Substitutes: Jack Grealish – 6 – His belated introduction at half time did not quite spark an upturn in performance of the magnitude that we needed to claim the points yesterday. He has had better games for us and has been more influential in games for us but we are without doubt a better team with him than without him. Carles Gil – 6 - Replaced Sinclair on 58 minutes. Ran at players and is a player that can create chances given the opportunity to do so. Made a difference when he came on giving Stoke some causes for concern as did Jack that were few and far between prior to their introduction. Jordan Ayew – Replaced Westwood on 75 minutes and was not on the field long enough to gather a rating but was on long enough to show he should have been. Gil found him nicely inside the box but his shot hit the side netting rather than the back of the net. No doubt had Gabby been fit a place would have been found for him. I think we need to start doing the same for Jordan because he offers us something we are lacking up front and threatens to make things happen. Stay up Villa! John Lewis

This game had offered us an opportunity to climb out of the bottom three. But we do not beat Stoke at home do we? A third successive defeat at Villa Park against yesterday’s visitors has seen us go into the international break with just the two hapless North Eastern clubs keeping us off the bottom. We cannot rely on those two teams losing each week and at one point yesterday it seemed they might not. A worrying four point gap has also now opened between Villa and the three teams who are now directly above us. Our much changed team needs to gel together quickly to stop it growing any wider. We chose to start the game with the creativity of both Grealish and Gil sitting on the bench. No doubt that decision was made to try to avoid defeat by attempting to match our visitor’s rugged midfield. But this was a game that we needed to be trying to win and it was Stoke we were playing not Barcelona! This might well prove to have been a 6-pointer at the end of the season and you really have to beat the teams that are around you to stay up. I guess we also started with three central defenders to try to strengthen what has been a leaky back four. But playing five at the back left our midfield under pressure against a team that are strong in that area. Changing to a four at the back half way through the game also created the hole in the centre of our defence that led to their winner ten minutes after the re-start. Our first half performance yesterday was a passable interpretation of those grim ones that we had given against WBA and Small Heath recently. We again improved in the second half (it would have been difficult to have not done so) but we did not improve enough to ever really look like winning or drawing or scoring in this one. Since winning on the first day of the season at newly promoted Bournemouth we have only beaten teams from the lower leagues in the cup. We could only manage a draw against Sunderland who are one of the two teams that have gathered fewer points than we have to date. We really need to start winning the odd game before 40 points begins to look a very big end of season point target if it does not already. My player ratings from a game that has left us still on just four points and on a run of four successive defeats are: Brad Guzan – 6 – So nearly became another keeper to be embarrassingly caught off his line by Adam whose 18th minute effort from inside his own area was pushed away with one hand as Brad scrambled back from the edge of the box. Amautovic was nicely found by wing-back Johnson and ran into the gaping hole between Crespo and Richards before putting his shot into the net off the post and past Brad’s left hand for their 55th minute winner. Other than that a quiet afternoon against visitors that I think would have happily settled for a point at 3pm. Alan Hutton – 5 – Surely Bacuna would have been the choice here had we been looking to play wing backs to get forward? Alan worked hard as he always does but he looked uncomfortable in this more forward role that exposed his difficulty in getting enough good crosses over. Alan was left for dead by Amautovic in the build up to their goal. Jose Angel Crespo – 5 – Made his debut following injury and looked solid enough given this was his first full game. Jose was given the benefit of the doubt when it appeared he was at best an inch or two behind Amautovic when his 33rd minute effort was ruled offside. Joleon Lescott – 4 – Joleon was substituted at half time as he was against Small Heath. He gave some cause for concern before he made way for Jack and did not seem particularly at-ease playing as part of a back three. He has not had the sort of solid start he would have hoped to have made with the club he supports and needs our support to try to get over what has been a surprisingly shaky start. Michah Richards – 7 – MOTM - Micah gave another solid defensive performance and must surely soon come into England consideration again given the strong start he has had with us. Got a vital block in on Diouf as he was about to pull the trigger inside the box on 4 minutes. Really should have done better when he was free at the far post on 56 minutes but headed Vertout’s cross wide. Gana played the ball back to Micah on 77 minutes who twice played one-twos with Ayew before going down inside the box the ball ran to Ayew and then to Veretout both of whom had their efforts blocked. Jordan Amavi – 6 – Jordan’s pace got him out of trouble a couple of times. He posed a threat when getting forward and was solid enough in defence. Jordan Veretout – 5 – Picked up the ball near the centre circle on 39 minutes ran between two opponents on his way and nearly did the same on the edge of the box before going down inside the box when possibly unfairly challenged by Cameron. Ashley Westwood - 6 – The best of our midfield performers for me yesterday. Idrissa Gana – 5 – Became more effective as the game wore on after a slow start. Hit a shot from the edge of the box on 40 minutes which went harmlessly wide. He does get into some decent shooting positions but his shots are too often inaccurate. Scott Sinclair – 4 – Has lost his earlier goal touch and can be much more effective than this. Rudy Gestede – 5 – Did not get the sort of service that he needs to get us goals. Made a good run to the edge of the box from just inside his own half but his shot was routinely gathered by Butland. Substitutes: Jack Grealish – 6 – His belated introduction at half time did not quite spark an upturn in performance of the magnitude that we needed to claim the points yesterday. He has had better games for us and has been more influential in games for us but we are without doubt a better team with him than without him. Carles Gil – 6 - Replaced Sinclair on 58 minutes. Ran at players and is a player that can create chances given the opportunity to do so. Made a difference when he came on giving Stoke some causes for concern as did Jack that were few and far between prior to their introduction. Jordan Ayew – Replaced Westwood on 75 minutes and was not on the field long enough to gather a rating but was on long enough to show he should have been. Gil found him nicely inside the box but his shot hit the side netting rather than the back of the net. No doubt had Gabby been fit a place would have been found for him. I think we need to start doing the same for Jordan because he offers us something we are lacking up front and threatens to make things happen. Stay up Villa! John Lewis

Other clubs have their stars on their badge Spoony and I would like us to continue to show our one as well. I agree this is not currently a crucial issue and we do/will have other priorities in the years between now and any change being made to it but I do care about the badge on our shirt and we should all be prepared to be proud of our history albeit not obsessed by it.

A couple of years samjp26? It does seem we do have bigger fish to fry currently after all then. We should keep the star because the boys of 82 earned it for us after all. Adding that to something similar to the late 70's badge as Mattyvilla has shown above would do for me.

A great weekend at Villa Park. Beers in the stands and no police road blocks in place. There was a big build up of fans at Witton station post game on Saturday with SA fans (of all ages) overheard being advised to walk into the city centre by the police as an alternative to waiting for a train (could a few buses not been put on)? Had to laugh when SA fans mentioned that the stairs at the Scottish stand (Witton Lane) were painted in their colours . The stadium looked great with those posts in place. Two games at Villa Park and Villa were never in danger in losing either!