Straggler

I wish I could find a video of the back pass Bacuna hit against Southampton for Long to run on to. That was the cherry on the cake of one of the worst performances you can hope to see in a Villa shirt. If I recall he played in the front 3 that day or in some sort of free role behind Ayew, it is hard to tell as he didn't really appear to be doing anything very much. All I know is that from well inside Southampton's half and under little or no pressure he managed to punt the ball 40/50 yards into the path of pretty much the only opposition player between him and our own goal. He was not full of energy, his technique was poor and his willingness to help out the team was non existent. This is only one game, but to me it sums up Bacuna's season in a nutshell. He played 26 times last season and got the sum total of 1 goal and no assists, Clark and Lescott can both match that, bloomin Richards can do better. He is a below average right back, a poor midfielder and just dreadful in a more forward role. It is fair to say that I don't rate him as a player.

The Delph shirt bit made me pmsl. Quality work.

I'm very happy with the start RDM has made. It was my opinion that we needed a new spine to the team and the first 3 signings have directly addressed this issue. A goalie a central defender (and leader) a CM and the noises coming from the club that a striker is next. Clearly it is the first step on a very long journey with many other major issues that need addressing before the season starts. Also I have no idea how well these players will fulfill the roles they have been signed for, I can only hope. In the main they have made sensible and well thought through decisions as a team. Can't ask for much more than this at this early stage.

Just got to the bottom of the page and it said "Next unread topic Ashley Westwood". I must be having deja vu as I could swear I just read it?

Can't.... quite.... reach.... sword of omens..... Oh, unless I stretch for it.

If Petrov manages to get a squad place I'm going to buy a shirt for the first times since LDV were our sponsor and get his name on it. I'm not misty eyed about the player he was. For the longest time I didn't think he was up to the job in our midfield, but as the club disintegrated around him, he grew as a presence. In his last full season I voted for him as our player of the season (Ireland won if memory serves me which still sticks in my throat). It is for this attitude that I want him back. Things got worse for the club and he got better and took on more responsibility. His own world fell apart and he fought back to health. He looked 10 years older in 2 years and now looks bright as a button again. He's an inspiration to me as a chubby 40 year old to get the gym kit back out again. If he can get me moving after 2 years of pretty sedentary lifestyle imagine working with him day in day out. The most important thing I want though is for him to be there on merit. I really don't want to see him out of his depth and struggling on the pitch based on sympathy. I'm sure that is what he wants too and I've not wanted anything so much in football for a very long time. Whatever the result of his training with the first team again, good luck Stan, you've earned it.

I'd keep JL. Richards whilst being better physically, cannot play as part of a unit so makes the defence weaker. JL despite being slower and still poor does have a rough idea of how to fulfil a role so is to my mind less of a risk in defence. I don't want either at the club though even as back up.

Is it Adam Johnson?

And we have just had a better debate than the entire Brexit bollox.

I still think we will win this one.

Just picked my chin up off the floor. 6 million pounds? I will piss myself laughing if we sell him for that much. Sadly this will probably mean getting my own urine in my mouth as my chin will have hit the floor again. I love the bargaining though.

I'm going to miss Ramsey. That bit when he was "saved" Theon and took him on a big circular tour of the countryside before delivering him back to his cell was hilarious. I liked it more when the dull noble ones were killed and the psycho's ruled the roost.

I'm not judging him solely on the video, I have been to enough games to feel I have a comfortable handle on what he has done over the season. The clips more brought home to me that our midfield has lacked a driving presence since Delph left. I really want him to succeed however I'm not sure what he brings to the team in solid technique, the ability to pass forward and indeed hit a dead ball makes up for the lack of pace, strength and dynamism. It has bothered me for a long time that our midfield seems to just not be there, either supporting the attack or helping out the defense and it doesn't improve much either way with JV in the team.

IMO that highlights real is pretty poor. If that was in the transfer speculation thread I would not be excited about him at all as a possible new signing. The biggest thing missing was him driving forward with the ball. We miss that all over the park, but the best you see from Veretout is the occasional drag back and spin which puts him in as much trouble as it gets him out of as he does not do it with any real sharpness. I really want to like him, but all that video did was highlight to me that he is not really very dynamic.

I'm in the no camp. From an attitude perspective it is clear that when things are going badly these players pull apart and make things worse. The appearance of being a good solid pro is what got them the job here in the first place, I'm sure they can pull that trick off again in preseason and I don't want to get lumbered with them in the long term. When the chips are down you can't trust them. It will take very little to break the optimism in the club at the moment and the idea of Richards, Lescott, Bacuna and Gabby starting next season would really blunt my enthusiasm for the season. I don't really include Guzan in the bad attitude group, but I would still like to see a new keeper brought in purely on ability issues.

Aww, don't spoil it for me, I had been chuckling about that all morning. If only there were comments on that article in the Guardian I could point that out to the journo too.

I wasn't sure if I should post this here or in the joke thread, but the debate here has its share of humor so here it is. This little snippet comes from and article in the Grauniad: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jun/16/mood-ugly-mp-dead-jo-cox "At a ward meeting this week my local Labour councillor in Camden, north London, showed us a sign that had been left on a member’s car windscreen. The car had a remain poster on it and was parked round the corner from where I live. This is what the message said, printed in capitals (I’ve left the original spelling): “This is a lave [leave] area. We hate the foriner. Nex time do not park your car with remain sign on. Hi Hitler. White Power” – accompanied by racist symbols. The car’s owner had passed it on to the police." The idea of a fully fledged white power Nazi throwing the salute and thinking that everyone is yelling "Hi Hitler" is comedy gold for me. I'd love the chance to explain to the moron that it is a shortened version of the full German salute "Hi De Hi Hitler" and getting him to sound proper camp at the next Fascist bake meet or whatever they do.

Totally agree, Harris and Reid are the best two presenters on the show, particularly Harris who is excellent. The more they are involved the better the show will be. I still can't stand the format of the star in the car, but I think you can put Kevin Hart in any format of interview and get good value for money, that guy has so much energy in him.

Ffs. sterling off now please

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/heres-how-you-reacted-charles-11265798 Up to 500 Villa employees face redundancy and N'Zogbia took to Twitter to say all of the first teamers should donate two weeks of their own wages . "Of course I care, why would I be happy to see people losing their jobs. I have a heart like you, so what do you want me to do!" tweeted N'Zogbia. He continued: "We should ask the Villa captain to take 2 weeks wages for the 1st Team players salary and give all to the staff employees. "I think it's a fair deal for the employees... I'm happy to do that if all players follow." There may be a public face to CNZ that isn't backed up in private, but this is a pretty strong bit of evidence to suggest that at least one player was willing to dip into his pocket. Don't disagree with the premise that the squad is full of clearings in the woods though.

But Bacuna is so much younger than Ronaldo. We would be much better off putting the effort in to getting Bacuna to stay and watch him develop beyond the abilities Ronaldo does not even dare to dream of having. Why go out for Ronaldo burgers when you have Bacuna steak at home? Imagine getting mugged off with Ronaldo. Sometimes I think you guys have no clue as to the real value of a footballer.

That Villa till I die article is sensationalised nonsense. Little was here under the old regime, it is perfectly reasonable for him to expect that there will not be a place for him at the club in the Peoples Republic of Aston Villa. I'd like it if he stayed, but he may well think that he is no longer required as the state of emergency in the club seems to have passed. Good luck to him if he wants another job, I don't see how it reflects poorly on him or on the club he is leaving. The headline could just as easily be, honorable, sensible man does another sensible thing.

Can I just check if this is a cry for help? Should we be raising funds to pay a ransom, or sending a swat team round?

I was thinking that after being burned alive and shot twice they would take the hint, but then I remembered Gabby. You may have a point.

I would prefer at the first team meeting "some of you I know some of you I'm meeting for the first time". Then a quick press of a button an thir chairs flip them into a furnace. Then they are shot. In the arm Then shot again.