heid3ster

And Norwich. Loves a goal against Norwich. And WBA. If you look in the Jordan Ayew thread, you will see people completely writing him off after only two matches, so I don't think it's accurate to say that Gabby gets more shit than them because they're new. (Probably the same is true in the Sinclair thread, I haven't ventured in there.)

The Mariners released Fernando Rodney, at long last. Following the Mariners this summer really felt like a continuation of following Villa all last season.

Booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

No. Never. Why does everyone keep wanting to play him as a striker? This has confused me since he came here. He played most games for Swansea as an out-and-out left winger and that seemed to be where he played best, although he preferred to cut inside. I think he should play on the left as part of a front three, or at a push I could see him behind the striker (but I think both Grealish and Gil are better options there). Is it just because he got the number 9 shirt? He is not a striker and never has been.

Probably the one where we missed two really easy chances in the first half.

He was okay today, not his best but nowhere near his worst either. Really needs to be removed from set piece duty. Do we have no other options for corners? Jack took several last season that looked great.

I don't think Delaney won most of the aerial battles. In fact, checking whoscored, Gestede won 11 aerial duels (more than any other player on the pitch) and Delaney won 7. The problem is once he won the header it failed to find a teammate or the back of the net. I think Rudy is still a little ways off full fitness and he's still learning to read his teammates. And his strike partner was crap. Too early to judge him yet.

As infuriating as that performance was, I'm actually angrier at Sherwood for leaving him on for the full 90 minutes. That was absolutely abysmal.

I'll bite, though. Sherwood: I like what I see so far. I expressed a few concerns at the end of last season about his game management and squad rotation (later learned that injury probably had a lot to do with rotation, particularly in regards to our back line), so I'll be watching closely to see if he allays those fears as the season goes on. Keeping us up last season and getting us to the FA Cup final (even though we collapsed pathetically at that final) were two very big achievements and he's earned some good will from that. Agbonlahor: I'm really ambivalent on Gabby. I think the "one-club man" is a rarity these days, it's just a bummer that our one-club man is largely an average player. I'm happy enough with him staying around, particularly if his role is reduced to that of impact sub. He does seem to get himself up for the big occasions and is always good for a goal vs. Norwich and WBA. But really, that just makes it all the more frustrating that he can't perform like that on a more consistent basis. So to sum up, I'm fine with him staying and I'd probably be equally fine with him leaving. Westwood: I like him. He's one of the few thinking players we have in the team, like a good chess player he is always thinking two or three moves ahead. A proactive player rather than a reactive player. As the new team starts to gel and get used to one another, I think we'll see him starting off some productive attacking moves. But of course those attacking moves require forwards who make intelligent runs, which we haven't seen enough of in the last few years. Defensively he has come a long way since his first year. His set pieces are still average to poor. Richards: Jury's out. I liked the look of him at City where he played RB. At CB for us (and captain), I've only had two games to judge him, so it's too early for me.

I wish the announcers would STFU about Gerrard. They've mentioned his name more today than in games when he was playing last season.

Welcome, Adama!

I believe it was a five-year extension on top of the one year he had left. Imagine being only one year away from getting rid of him and doing that. They also extended Wes Brown and Seb Larsson's contracts. I can't think of one single player in their team that I'd have at Villa even as backup.

They gave Cattermole a six year contract renewal in the summer. He was hauled off after 30 minutes in their opening match.

Best and worst of Guzan today - two excellent saves, and what seemed like 30 goal kicks straight out of play. (Probably closer to three, just felt like 30.)

I've been trying to steer clear of snap judgments, but I love this guy already.

That's good enough for me!

I've had a relaxing summer off and am now ready to have my heart broken again. Let's do this! UTV.

"Hey Jude" by the Beatles (in the U.S.).

They will be in 2016-17.

Piss poor. Biggest game of their lives, every one of them, and that's how they go out. Really pathetic.

WOULD ONE OF YOU PLEASE SHOOT.

This ref's been almost as shit as we are. Almost.

Carlos Sanchez. That'll strike fear into the hearts of Arsenal fans.

All I wanted was for us to compete.