Hanky

Hause looking really ropey. Actually most of the team do but not real surprise there

Although watching us at the moment is very frustrating, and yesterdays performance wasn’t great against a poor team, we are very much starting again now. Unfortunately we’ve said this for the last 9 or 10 years since O’Neill. The player recruitment has been largely abysmal in that time. The wages we have given some of these players has been even worse. We’ve been run so bad that we were (reportedly) so close to absolute disaster in the summer. Yet we had that close call and still decided Bolasie was a good option at 70-80k a week. We definitely need time. I believe we have people at the club now who know what they are doing on the financial side of things. We have a manager who has shown he can get us playing some good stuff although our last few performances have been poor, no getting away from it. We’ve our two most influential players out for a while (grealish and tuanzebe) that have been a big miss. Smith needs time for me. A summer of big change and see how we are looking in August. Hate writing seasons off but I think it will be another year in the Championship and that might not necessarily be a bad thing long term. My only worry is that Grealish would be off in the summer if that is the case (but maybe he’d go anyway if the right club came in). Of course the above is just my opinion and time will most certainly tell if he’s the man to get it right but I’m willing to give that.

Agreed. The way we have been run and the reported wages we have given out over the last (10-12?!) years has been ridiculous. Didn’t want to believe we were paying 70k for Bolasie but it appears that was the case. We need to give this time as we need a major overhaul in terms of players (quality and wages).

We were poor for large parts of game. Lambert summed up his genius by making a sub in injury time wasting valuable seconds when 2-1 down.

Same old team. Not much else to pick from I suppose.

Right decision. Very dissappointing in the majority of games considering his reputation.

I mean it is the bright side. Then again they weren’t very good today either and we made it all too easy for them first half.

So poor. Hourihane (free kick aside), Bolasie, Adomah and Bjarnsson absolutely awful. We seriously need some reinforcement but easier said than done.

They should be doing better than 3-0 against Wigana and Swansea etc. However it’s.a squad minus Johnstone, Terry, Snodgrass, Grabban through leaving and Grealish, Jedinak through injury/not playing. Thats six players who played in the play off final and arguably are good enough to step up to the PL (arguably being a key word as Jedinak getting on now). A lot of what we are left with just isn’t.

Most of these players just aren’t good enough for where Aston Villa want to be. That’s been clear throughout games this season and to some extent in games last season. Through the starting line up shows we are no where near promotion, I do think the squad is massively overrated at times compared to what it shows. That being said is it a squad that loses consecutive games 3-0 to Wigan and Swansea sides? And scraping draws against Preston and QPR? I’d say not and Smith needs to seriously look at these performances and sort them out or it’s going to turn sour very quickly.

We weren’t great that half, wouldn’t have overly surprised me. Although I’m in agreement with TRO, if they can’t take it then they shouldn’t be here.

It’s been over for a while for me but there was still a slight bit of hope. Completely gone today.

What do you even say after that?

Two 3-0 defeats back to back against Swansea and Wigan. I seriously despair of this team. Don’t even know what to say.

What on Earth is going on? Thought Sheff Utd was bad at least they are up the top. Needs to be a serious inquest into this capitulation.

We’re not seeing the best of him either. The reason is that he’s having to cover the other two players.

QPR was the same. Unfortunately this is what we are with most of the players we have.

He’ll fit right in then.

What worries me is the midfield organisation. The amount of times Swansea sliced through us with a couple of passes was ridiculous especially in the first half.

We’re getting shot of the rest of the squad that played today then in that case because Lansbury was our most effective player when he came on. I include McGinn in that.

Losing Tuanzebe hasn’t helped either. Today minus Abraham and that’s a spine of a team. Not making any excuses for him though today, QPR and Preston were poor/dreadful. We need to do some serious business.

Didn’t do much. Game time somewhere else might do him some good.

What we all knew. A lot of players not good enough for where we want to be and we’re in serious trouble without Grealish and Abraham. Serious business needed in January.

Right. As I have said in numerous other threads, I thought the midfield three were very poor. Some passing astray, getting caught out numerous times- first goal was a clear indication of this although was a fair strike. Got no particular dislike of Birkir and think he could still be useful for us but he needs to be a lot better than he showed against QPR.

QPR. Some awful tactics yesterday. Was the epitome of anti football. They might actually have won if they’d have bothered play football the other 109 minutes.