Adam2003

Bruce took a lot of grief in the summer for saying he had been planning to build the side around him, but looks like he was telling the truth.

There is nothing more stupid than when fans say “X good thing is happening. Therefore the manager is stupid as he didn’t make it happen earlier.” Conditions change. There are infinite variables. And the coaches see many things we don’t. So who knows what would have happened? It’s like saying Fergie was stupid for not starting Solskjaer and Sheringham in the Champions League final because they came off the bench to score the winner. If we’d played this attacking style from the off maybe we would have been spanked because this club has been on a toxic downward spiral for years, confidence would have been shot again, and we would be bottom three. I’m not saying that’s the case - I’m saying we don’t know and it’s bizarre to claim it almost as fact.

Should have shot when he held on too long once or twice (once to an insane level!) but otherwise ran the game, and great awareness for his assist. He’s playing really well

Didn’t see today’s game but we won 2-0, had 16 shots, and they didn’t have a shot on target. He’s doing ok.....

I think we are going up. Don’t know if that’s automatic or playoffs but I think it is going to happen. Just a feeling. I also respect different viewpoints but I’m just enjoying it all at the moment. We have a few players in who I like watching. We have some promising youth on the fringes. We have players like Hogan where I am curious to see if they come good and players like Adomah who have been way better than I expected. I can easily see a situation where we DON’T go up, of course, and I have seen us play some dire stuff at times but even so it’s nice to be at the right end of the table after the past few years and I just hope we are in the mix come May, even if we don’t quite make it.

Davis was a “fluke”, agreed, and we shouldn’t enjoy anything that comes from his presence. It’s like Man United fans can’t enjoy their 1999 treble because they needed Solsjkaer and Sheringham to come off the bench to score in the CL final after their starting strikers did nothing. Why didn’t Fergie think to start them the lucky ****?

Another young player being written off by fans way too early. Here I am seeing Jonathan Hogg holding together a Huddersfield midfield in the Prem, Mark Albrighton winning the league, the list gets ever longer and we never learn... (*Some* fans I should say)

To add, while I don't think he has been at all negative in that interview, I would certainly like us to be a bit less negative on the pitch this season than last! I hope last season was just stopping the rot. I think we can do this - we just need to go out and play...

I don't think it's any 'better fan' stuff. I've worked in the media and I know how interviews work - far more back and forth then they ever present it in writing and that can mean the interviewee sounds negative - and so I always try to read it in that light. In this one it has clearly gone something like: "Steve, did you think you would be dealing with FFP?" (An inherently negative question probably asked in context of a chat about Neymar moving clubs that day for a world record fee) "I didn't think I would have to be dealing with it as such, but thats the way it is - it's not a problem to me." "Would you say you're enjoying it? You've done well on a tight rein before." "Well I wouldn't say I am enjoying it but..." He has just answered questions. His alternative would have been to say "oh yes I'm enjoying FFP" and that would just have been spun a different way. The clue Hytner is straight-up screwing him over is that claim that he didn't know the situation at the club even though Bruce says he did - and painting it as backtracking when he clairifies he knew exactly what the situation was and is still planning on promotion. Pathetic journalism. And again, I say that as someone with real concerns about Bruce getting us up! But I can't stand how journalists do this.

In fact the more I read it the more annoyed I am. Hytner bases the whole article on saying Bruce is annoyed FFP wasn't made clear to him. Then does a 'Bruce backtracked on those comments when asked directly and said he knew the situation.' Thats not backtracking, he's just saying he knew the situation and even says "it's not a problem". I am not convinced Bruce will get us promoted but journalists are awful. Never forget that.

Hytner is a bit of a joke and widely seen so by other Guardian journalists. He's the one who had the 'exclusive' that Gareth Bale was signing for Inter Milan. Read the quotes without the opening paragraph of negative spin and Bruce doesn't say anything wrong. In fact I think we would all agree with it. And clearly it's in the context of the Neymar deal (don't tell me every manager wasn't asked about FFP after that) hence the comment about big clubs. Nothing to see here. I don't even think there is a negative tone, he's saying he thinks he can deal with the situation.

Just to make clear that this post isn't a criticism of our fans (as I kind of took it at the time) but I guess a reflection of the expectation we have at this club... Per the post above, I asked a former PL player I met (a striker from a couple of average teams) why it was that we could change everything we have over multiple years and still struggle with the same issues. He said as an opposition player you would always know Villa players would be nervous if things weren't going well because of the expectation of the crowd. He said as a smaller team (and I guess he was playing against us in MON days so we were top six) your team talk at VP would always be "they have underachieved for so long for what this club should be doing, so just stop them for 15 minutes and their confidence will go, then the fans will turn, then heads will drop further." He said the only thing that he sees changing it is, paradoxically, success - he said "the equivalent of the call bouncing in off someone's arse to end a dry spell". I wonder if winning the Cup final a couple of years ago under Sherwood would have done it but now I do kind of think we just need to grind out a season of wins under someone like Bruce to get the club used to winning games again before we start thinking bigger. His view was certainly that. Anyway don't post much but just thought I'd share that.

Love the stick the PR team get for changing or mot changing a photo. They would have no idea what is happening before they are told. What they are told probably changes five times a day.

Not really interested in defending him and certainly not trying to claim Lambert should still be here, but he did say all those things under a different manager who he may have felt very close to? If my company sacked my boss and brought in someone I didn't rate (not saying that is necessarily the case) I might move from thinking of a long term future here etc etc

"Personally i don't think he will play as right back because he is not strong offensively" (Sorry, quotes not working) Didn't he get the most assists of any defender in the league when City won it a few years ago (ie before Zabaleta)?

The myth of agents influencing players... I have friends who are agents. They do what the f they are told...

Sorry, that isn't anything to do with Bremen - just read the full report of the tribunal on the previous page. Seems like a move there would be best for all involved, racism or no racism.

I would never dismiss racism at all, but I do find it strange that panels have to judge these things on one man's word against another. Not suggesting the other guy would make it up but surely there is room to mishear things. This isn't like Suarez where he said it but argued about meaning, or Terry caught on camera. This is Tonev completely denying saying it, the other guy saying he did, and Tonev getting a ban. I guess there's no other way to handle it and one person's word against another is the case in many situations from kids fighting to the criminal courts but you'd be gutted if you hadn't said it and now had the label forever. So in a way I hope he did say it and is just a scumbag rather than didn't and has been bombed out of British football because someone misheard him. (My gut feel is he did say it, just making the above as I thought there would need to be a witness for a seven game ban or similar).

I watched the interview on Sky, he was asked "You've been linked to Tottenham and Napoli, is there any truth in that?" However on watching it he was basically just batting away the question, not speaking great English and just being very neutral - people read so much into phrases like "at the moment I'm happy" without ever considering that he speaks French where the phrase means more like "I'm happy right now" in a positive way. I've worded that really badly but I'm trying to say that "at the moment I'm happy" doesn't necessarily mean "I won't be tomorrow." I mean I'm sure he'd leave for Spurs or Napoli because who wouldn't, but still, I didn't read too much into the interview.

You don't think a teenage boy should have professional help negotiating a contract with a professional club's executives and lawyers? I'm curious why not. I hope when my son signs his first Villa deal in 2025 that he has someone who understands the legal terminology and can get him a wage in line with his colleagues.

That muppet has given me a total of 1... yes ONE point on my dream team. About as effective as a dead horse on derby day. Wilshere... in the words of my work colleague is "dog shit." Over hyped nonsense. This should be easier than Liverpool. Still looking for legit sources of coverage if anyone knows of any? By the looks of it it's live on Arsenal Player... but I'm not 100% on it being full video coverage, rather than just a lame graphic. If anyone can point me in the direction of legit, HD quality TV footage I'd appreciate it. I'm guessing AVTV won't be showing it live. There is no legit viewing of 3pm kick offs in this country. Never has been. It's illegal to show any 3pm Saturday PL kick off in the UK. I think it was when they set up the PL, the FA thought it might make people not go to live games if they were all televised so the government restricted it. Doesn't seem to hurt Sunday attendances but I can't see them changing it. It's not illegal or the government, just a Premier League rule. But you're right about the reason.

Welcome to the Villa.

I like him. I think he'll keep playing a lot as well. I expect variations but I think Lambert is looking towards a midfield diamond - Sanchez behind Delph and Westwood with Cleverley further forward. Benteke up top and then one of N'Zogbia, Gabby, Weimann, Grealish, Cole in the hole. What's great is that plenty of players on that list can actually control, pass and keep the ball which we have lacked for a long time.

Rob, my only point is that what Paul Lambert tells us RE contractual negotiations might not be entirely true. Again, I'm not saying what he has said isn't 100% accurate, but he might be well into conversations with Delph's people but not want that to be public for whatever reason. Anyway - this is all irrelevant. I think most of us hope he signs a new deal now we have a new CEO in.

I won't labour the point as people will have their own views, but Grealish not getting an offer doesn't me a. people aren't talking to Delph. Not that I'm saying they are. I am sure you are right, but people moaning it hasn't happened with no idea of the conversations going on is silly.