peterw

Well the word is ironic, and it isn't ironic which means sarcastic (sorry, bit of a vocab pedant...). But...why would it be 'ironic' (using your definition) anyway? a club Smith left went up, and then the season after the one he joined went back down, and the side he left went up? So, would it be double ironic* if we go up and Brentford went down the season after that?

been done before

Its far from all over but making up 4 points from 3 games is likely to be a step too far. Tonight is everything, though. Over the next two games we need to just have a better points return than watford and/or West Ham. if we can go into the last game at West ham with it in our own hands that's all we can ask for. I think a West ham win would be the best for us v Watford, because Wtaford have two difficult games after that, and it's conceivable that they'd lose all 3, or at best pick up 1 point. A relaxed on holiday West ham would be better than a nervy west ham, who know that keeping it tight would probably be enough for them. But it all starts tonight. All hope rests with 3 points. Saying that 1 would be okay if Watford lose. Then everything would be on us trying to win at West ham and still in touch. I think we've gone and would be surprised if we got any more than 1 or at best, 2 points from the last 3. But, whilst there's hope...

You don't want them cutting the pitch up. The pitch needs to be pristine for the men's first team which means, ideally, the less games the better.

I think Samatta showed some quality and scored pre-lockdown. He has been desperately poor since the restart though and would have expected more form him as the senior forward. With Wesley to come back, and Davis given one more year, I doubt he'll be around and likely to be sold.

there are always one or two that want to leave that you can't legislate for but I think heaton; Mings; McGinn will stay. There is likely to be interest in McGinn and if someone comes in with a id, as Everton did with Gueye, it will be difficult to keep them. However, we are in a better position to say no than we did when we last stayed down. I think El Ghazi will be sold and a decision will be made on trez internally. I think we may also sell nakamba and Samatta as I don't see them as Championship type players. Although nakamba could be dependent on what happens to Luiz, although I suspect he would be off. Also, Samatta may be dependent on what happens with Wesley. We need more pace in the team - out of every issue that has been raised this season that is the most pressing and our lack of it. We don't want to mess with our spine too much, as that is the basis of all good teams. heaton - Mings - McGinn/Luiz - Wesley would be more than good enough for the Championship, and should (and probably would) have been good enough to stay up in the Prem (obviously you'd add Jack in there but either way i think he needs to go next season - for the good of us both). Add pace around that and I think we'll be decent next season (whether going up or pushing up the Prem table).

At least I'd look slimmer in that.

We'll probably just release on a free.

its a meaningless stat as there are many variables that are unable to be considered. A one-on-one miss is not the same as a speculative 25 yard hit. Rounding the keeper and hitting the post is not the same as beating three players and having a defender lunging in to block a shot etc etc etc. Sometimes you can just use your eyes. I don't think El Ghazi has a bad shot on him but he isn't a finisher.

he was excellent at the tail end of last season so he got his contract on the back of that. I wouldn't be too critical because of his age and it may have been a tougher step up than he thought. he needs a good pre-season behind him, and if we go down which is likely he needs to be reminded that he may have just lost his big chance. Ultimately its down to him, but similarly this is where the coaching staff need to know how to get the best out of him - it's not always about ability as man management is a massive part of any successful coaches armoury.

I agree with both points above. it looks like he has lost a lot of belief and very rarely runs at players. Which is why I'd keep Trezeguet ahead of him if we did stay up because we clearly not some pace in the team and definitely out wide. He was never shit off a shovel fast in the Championship but at least he stretch his, and the opposition defender's legs.

He has done okay for us and has a great delivery, but at the start of the season the French right-back (whose name has completely evaded me) did look look like a decent upgrade given his energy and his willingness to get up and down, and try and get balls into the box. However, from christmas ish onwards there has been a steep downward slope with the whole of defence to the point that, erm, him, was dropped and even if back fit he'd be behind Konsa and Elmohamady now.

can't have it both ways. If the coach was good enough for him last season not sure why he'd be the problem this season?

I prefer a white Villa away kit (or the home top with blue shorts), but would like to see another yellow away top. The 2015/16 one (or was it 14/15?) was a beautiful sight.

I think he, with one or two others, are players that Smith feel have let us down this season. He should have come on more and the only thing going in his favour is his age. I'd keep him for the Championship where he can stretch teams and even shoot more; but if we were to stay up i'd be less inclined to keep him.

I like Trezeguet and have felt disappointed with his overall return for us. Like others have said i think not only will he stay but he'll excel next season whichever division he's in. I really would expect 10-15 goals in the championship as I'd expect him to revel in the space and time given. If in the prem, I think he'll get better at using the ball at the right time, and making those far post runs more often.

We noticeable improved when he came on v Palace. We also noticeably have offered absolutely nothing since he got injured a couple of games ago. he is Prem quality and him, jack, and whichever midfielder gets close to them when we're attacking, are a potent threat.

I'd start him at Everton but not with much expectation. He produces one in a while decent performances and doesn't have the consistency to cut it at the top level. I don't think he goes missing in games, just that the top flight is a league too high for him. his set-pieces are still good quality though, so start him and hopefully we/he can use that to the best of his ability to try and get Everton chasing. They aren't as tall a side as palace so i'd start with the 11 that started against Palace. You can't drop too many players from a team that won the first game for so long. Ultimately he's a Championship player and I think he is one of the players Smith thought would step-up more than he has done. I'd keep him if we go down as his quality is there for all to see in the Championship. Stay up and I think e needs to be replaced. Either way, next season is his last at best. He knows what's on line at Everton. It may the last time he starts a game in the Prem, or even plays. That should be all the motivation he needs.

I'd keep Trezeguet as I think he'd tear up the Championship. I just think he's found the move to the Prem difficult and there are many reasons for that other than, 'he's shit'. I also think mings would stay. So heaton Guilbert - Hause/Konsa - Mings/Engels - targett Trezuguet - luiz (if stays) - mcginn (see Luiz) - new fast winger Wesley - AN Other forward

I seriously doubt Mings would leave. I think he'll want to stick it out here now that he's found 'his' club. He'll also be captain next season, too. His England place may be under threat and it depends how much that means to him but I just think it'll be Villa first England second.

we can't use the money argument as its not like for like. We ended our season more or less in june and needed a keeper, 2 centre-halfs, two midfielders and a forward. Add to that Hutton retired, and our full backs were Elmohamady & taylor. Other than McGinn and Grealish we had Adomah who we released, El ghazi and Hourihane. Jedinak and Whelan were released meaning that they too needed to be replaced. So before we started we're looking at trying to spend money on the bare minimum of 6 or 7 players just to replace what had gone. We then had to try and spend to fill in gaps. that anyone who is a Villa fan can criticise that and what we had to do is beyond me. yes you can argue whether Wesley had worked, but I guess if he hadn't got injured and he was on 10 goals now, which doesn't seem possible, then its also likely we'd have a few more points on the board. You could argue that Smith was a victim of his own success. he got us up sooner than we were probably reay, and sooner than the squad was ready for. i think we'll go down this season, but those that we retain and (I think Mings won't go) will be battle hardened for the Championship, and then ready for the prem in two seasons time. Ready as a battle hardened team, that is settled, with us having to add 4 or 5, not 15 or 16. I feared relegation in 2015/16, I don't this time round. i think that it will be just a part of the growth of the squad and the team. For every Gidman and Gray, there's a Swain and Withe just waiting to make the sum greater than the parts.

many of the those - from watching is only when he has a clear sight of goal and usually in front of goal. he does not trust himself to try and hit it as soon as is possible, and very rarely from outside the box.

for all those that voted for Dyche, you do remember that he was relegated in Burnley's first season in the Prem, went down, came back stronger and Burnley have looked decent since. What's to say smith wouldn't follow the same path?

The thing that's disappointed me the most in the games he's played recently is his overall reluctance to shoot. he's had one or two chances but he rarely trusts himself to just put his foot through it on either side. that he doesn't trust himself will be noticed by the opposition as well. he has the ability to do so and he definitely is a handful, but no point doing one part of the job if he won't try the other. The other thing is that we don't have enough/any midfield runners around him when he creates space by fighting for the ball. We are not nearly assertive, or brave enough.

i think we've got to the point, where even if we do stay up and jack wants to stay, its time for us to both part company. Don't get me wrong i think the workd of him as a player and expect him to make it to the very top of the game. however, its clear that he's as much of a hindrance to us now as much as he is paradoxically our best hope of getting out of the mess we're in. undeniably anything that we do that is good comes through jack and without him we'd likely be a loss worse off. However, before the lockdown, and certainly after, his position within the team is apparent and its what's starting to hurt us. Everything, and that means everything, has to go through him. he drops to the left-back position, right-wing, defensive midfielder, simply because he cares too much and wants to try and make sure he makes the difference. the team allows him to do it because he is the best player and recognised as such. But the flip side of that is that the team shape is compromised because of his ability. last Saturday for example, he was everywhere. And not in a good way. We cannot have a team shape when one player, however talismanic, cannot be trusted to try and do his job and trust the others. he does not trust the others to produce but they also then in turn don't step up. We are a one-man team that teams can defend against. We will not improve as a team until jack moves on - even if that is from the Championship. There is of course the argument that with better players there is less that he needs to do in other parts of the pitch where he can't hurt teams. That is undoubtedly true. however, the problem is also that this is still his club. it will still mean too much to him. Mix in his ability, ego of an excellent player, too deep a love for the club and it becomes a self-harming mixture. hopefully he can do everything in the remaining games to get us over the safety line, but after that, for the good of the team. he has to leave.