Risso

Last night I was letting the dogs out last thing before locking up etc and going to bed, when I heard a right old commotion. One of the dogs had been outside, caught a massive f***ing rat, brought it back into the house, gave it a good shaking, and left it twitching on the floor, then sat there looking proudly at her handiwork. So I had to find something with which to clear up a twitching rat, not knowing if it was going to revive itself in a minute or two and look for somebody to take it out its angst on. I've had more pleasant minutes just before bed.

10 minutes ago, bobzy said:

Might be true but a] pointless looking at "our record" when this is entirely new territory we're in and b] Man City might do that, but we battered them at Villa Park.

I'd lump on Villa at Man City then, you'll make a mint.

1 hour ago, ender4 said:

Until we beat West Ham, Wolves and Brentford in our next 3 PL games and suddenly we’ll be nailed on for 4th and maybe looking to sneak into 3rd

I really hope that's the case, but our record away at West Ham is atrocious, and isn't that much better at home against Wolves. Then we've got Man City who will smash us into smithereens. Can see 1 or 2 points at best in the next three games.

12 hours ago, S-Platt said:

Idiots will be idiots.  Anyone with sense will see Unai has done an amazing job since day one.

We are still a work in progress and we will have ups and downs.

Sunday was a major down though. It was a gutless display from the manager and all the players. I'm still hugely pissed off with it. The set up, the actual game, Konsa, McGinn, and wiping out our goal difference advantage, listening to Emery chuntering on about "teams who are more contenders to be in the top 7 than us". All of it. It had a very strong feel of the O'Neill years about it. Spurs will definitely overtake us now, and I'm pretty certain Man U will too. Sunday was our 'Stoke' moment. Bottled it, completely.

Wordle 997 4/6*

7 hours ago, Zatman said:

For people moaning about the system, its how we lined up vs Spurs earlier in the season

We got played off the park in the first half at Spurs doing it, and were exceptionally lucky to be only one down. He then took Cash off at half time, changed the formation, and we improved massively. So I think you've inadvertently proved what a shit decision it was yesterday.

I don't think Watkins looked tired, and overall he's still scored five goals in four games. It was just a terrible mistake by Emery setting up like that, he only had to cast his mind back to the Spurs away game first half to see what a load of shit it is.

Utterly disgraceful lack of effort from Zaniolo. No better from Moreno either, to be fair. 

Just now, Captain_Townsend said:

Well, it's better than playing him, aggravating it, and missing him for the remainder of the season?

I imagine he'll miss most of the rest of it anyway.

21 minutes ago, ozvillafan said:

Unai got this tactically wrong.

Playing 5 at the back when all season we have played a high line boggles the mind. You now have 1 more opportunity for spurs to beat that offside trap with 1 player in the defensive line not stepping out/keeping the line.

Doing so at home gave spuds exactly what they wanted: Our extra man was in the defensive line so they could press as they always do knowing there was 1 less attacker for the counter/long ball. Ange is not a tactical genius and his sides always play the same way.

That meant we effectively had Digne and Cash sitting deep, and no easy way to play out.

You can argue that it was working in the first half - but I would argue that a scoreless draw was the best result those tactics could produce. Zero attempts on target in the first 45 speaks to that.

Yep, he shit the bed totally today.

Usual Villa. "Not sure if he'll be fit for Spurs." Then out for the next two weeks at least..

8 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

With Diaby, I always come back to the question, ‘what is he?

Easy.

Rubbish.

Wordle 995 4/6*

Same, I'll check it out in April after my half.

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16 hours ago, omariqy said:

Left the game with a protective boot on - according to John Townley. 

That is never a good sign. 

Almost certainly something to do with his recurring foot injury. I expect he won't play again this season.

4 hours ago, delboy54 said:

Watched my daughter run the Cambridge Half marathon yesterday she did it in 2hrs 4 mins.

The winner was some bloke who ran the 13 odd miles in 64 minutes............how the hell does anyone "normal" do that?

I'd guess he's not 'normal' like us lot in that we're just people who enjoy running as a way of keeping fit. (even though there are some great times on here). The people who get those sorts of times are the sort who usually went to Loughborough uni, then to an American uni to do a sports scholarship, but weren't *quite* at the level to be an international class athlete after that. So they go round all of the regional amateur races and clean up in those instead. Sort of running equivalent of Brad Young. Not good enough to be a Villa player but now smashing it in the League of Wales.

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Agreed, amazing!