Tomaszk

Send some reserves, get out of the damn thing asap.

No one want to change? As he is twice the player of any of our other centre mids?

Stay. We will lose the Liverpool. Moest important thing now is a **** good performance against them. One that rattled the sht out of them in a game they would win about 6-0 if we play like we did today. Let's get into em, let's not let Gerrard run through us, let's not let Torres shoot from all over, let's get right into them and scare them. A point would do the team such a great amount of confidence. If I was MON I'd be tempted to use EUropa as a youth cup now, do not rish anyone getting injured playing it. Unless we got full 100% strength to try and smash Vienna and build some confidence.

Well some wondered it before, did our brilliant preseason give a false sense of where we are...yes it did! Defence Shaky, shaky, shaky! Early on, Cuellar and Davies were brilliant aerially, won loads of tricky headers, but as the team faded and hid away, the defence stopped attacking balls and forcing the whole game forward. They dropped deeper and deeper meaning every time the ball fell to a Wigan player, which was quite a **** lot, they were already right up by our box. Full backs not good at all. At Newcastle Beye always looked very dangerous bombing forward, did he cross the half way line? Has he been told to stay back? Won some nice tackles early on, but even they were last ditch after he'd been caught out of position. Yes Martin we need a left back, we've needed one for 3 months, why the piss havn't we got one yet? Do you think Sam Allardyce would rather you'd started bidding now, or got it sorted a week into the window. Would you like it if Chelsea suddenly started bidding for Milner now? Yes Martin replacing a brilliant player like Laursen is difficult why have you not gone out and found someone to come in? Needs a hell of a lot of work, but can only see one more player, probably a centre half. Midfield - THIS IS THE PROBLEM We have good wingers, that is a fact. Milner chugged his way through, and aside from banging a few awful free-kicks over the bar, I thought tried to do the right thing and put a lot in. Still looks a shadow of what we saw in preseason. Ashley Young can just go away if he thinks what we saw today is acceptable, I hope MON absolutely tore him apart in the changing room after. Yes it's not easy when you are constantly being marked by up to 4 men as he was today, but how dare you walk around the pitch not giving a shit about the game you’re being paid thousands of pounds to play in. I think he is a serious huff that Milner is getting national plaudits for coming on for England and showing him how to attack a player without hurling oneself to the deck as soon as any touch is applied. Ashley, dribbling up to a player, then kicking the ball past them, then falling over is not a foul. Squaring up to Michael Brown because you're having a bad game? Sort yourself out lad, would he ever go up broad street with that cocky little upstart attitude? He'd get his head kicked in. That episode where he was pretending to be injured for about 10 mins was a joke, turning his back on the ball so he basically launched a Wigan attack...utter joke. He's a class player, probably our best to be honest, but he'll get no where that's anywhere if this is going to be his attitude. You're close son, but not there yet, get back to trying to beat your man and put the ball in the bloody box and you will be on that plane to SA, any more of this hissy fit bollocks, and Capello will drop you quicker than you can say "Dive". Albrighton wanted it. He came on, had a bit of a blergh 5 mins, then put in a lovely corner and constantly went searching for the ball. Start him at Anfield, get him in the side, get him closing players down, get him doing uncomplicated things wingers are meant to do. The centre of the pitch is where we are desperate. I really like Delph, put in some nice tackles, couple of naughty ones, but I hope to God this is not what MON had planned for his MON replacement, oh wait of course it is, he does not look abroad and he is seriously reluctant if a player is not of British decent. Delph has a big future, I think he'll have a big season, but only in a 451 for me. He was terrified early on, a couple of times when he tried to take the ball on the turn he ended up getting the ball stuck and having to go backwards, putting us under more pressure. Petrov looked very slow and pondering, but the worst thing from our entire play today was the hiding that went on. It was like some of the boys in the TA undercover the way we always managed to have no one in the centre of the pitch. Didn't want to have to mention it this early but my god how obvious was it Barry wasn't there! Yes he wasn't quick, yes he couldn't shoot very well, but he would ALWAYS show for the ball, he would ALWAYS take it in really tight situations, and 99% of the time he didn't lose it, and he found another player in our shirt. Need a big player to replace him or a change of formation. We won't get a player, we've been waiting 3 months, why would O'Neill bother now? So itll have to be change, hopefully to 451. NRC has been mentioned. I despise him as a footballer. He can't control, pass, head, shoot, create, cross, take set pieces, not really very good for a centre mid. One of his best games for us was at Anfield 2 years ago (the Marlon Harewood Show) so he could be thrown in just to provide a bit of pressure on the ball, but personally I think Delph can do that, he just needs someone to take charge and go forward playing with him. We need a change, I don't know. Strikers Neither had a good game, but that really isn't the whole story. Emile, why can you not stay on your feet? WHY!? Gabby, did you hear that massive cheer when you chased Bramble right across their box and won a throw, do that more often mate cos you're a very limited footballer and you need to put pressure on the ball as it's donkey work and that is most of all you're good for. For the rest of the time you did nothing. I will say this though, to all those people, having a go at them, all those people cheering when Gabby went off, screaming for John Carew as we're lining up for the start of a new season (what a joke that is, great way to boost their confidence, sing for a different striker who isn't playing, I bet they felt really good), what the HELL do you want them to do with the utterly repulsive service they had today? We could have had Torres and Ibrahimovic up front today and we would have lost 2-0. I am not saying any of our forwards played well, they didn't. But all they got the whole game was huge 80 yard balls raped up the pitch to them, yes I hate it, to be honest, I bet they hate it, but it pissed me off people shouting "Stop flicking it on Heskey" and "Gabby what are you doing there?" as another stupidly massive hump up the pitch goes sailing over his head. No there is one man to blame for that style of play. Martin O'Neill I've been saying it all summer, but dearly hoped I'd be proved wrong first game and we'd be buzzing and...well, we'd have something. To be honest I feel a bit sick with it all. Everyone knew we had to strengthen, everyone, apparently, including O'Neill, because he comes out after we've just been embarrassed by a team that will finish outside the top 8 and says it will be difficult to replace the 2 players that needed replacing. Yes we know! That is why it would have been bloody marvelous if you could have sorted something out in the pissing 3 months you've had! I said there would be value in O'Neill being gone before Xmas, and I may just stick a few quid down; thing is I'd love to keep the coaches, Robertson has made Young the player he is, and the players seem fit enough, and the youth all look good (more to do with youth academy I know). All the problems come from O'Neill. We sign no players, I believe Randy and the gen saying there are funds, it's O'Neill's doing. Garbage tactics, lack of ideas, no subs, no right back for 2 years, no squad after 3 years despite big money being spent, it's O'Neill's doing. Right now, I'm watching wolves who also lost 2-0 at home, but if I was a wolves fan I'd be pretty damn happy with that. West Ham were lucky to get away with a clean sheet. What a bargain this Milijas looks, £2.3m? I'm 100% confident Martin has no idea who this man is, and he looks like someone who can play centre mid and play a good looks forward pass on the deck. I've never heard of him, but then again I'm not a prem manager, I'd be looking all over if I was not just, SPL and the football league. Martin you've got 2 weeks to take a long hard look at this mess you've got yourself in and get some quality in. Sadly I can not see him doing this at all, and by the time January comes around, and he has the chance to bring players (ha, what a joke, O'Neill bring players in, in one month alone!), the season will be over.

Can't wait to see Delph again, hope he isn't too nervous like he was early v Fiorentina, gets on the ball and runs at his rather high pace causing them problem.

I'd go -----------Guzan----------- Beye-Cuellar-Davies-Shorey Albrighton-Petrov-Delph-Milner ------------Young------------- ----------Big Bad John------- I think the side will be ------------Big Brad----------- Beye--Cuellar--Davies-Shorey Milner--Petrov--NRC---Young ---------Agbag---Carew

I think we'll start like a house on fire v Wigan and would be royally pee'd off if we don't win. No doubt in my mind that brilliant preseason results have saved O'Neill copping more flak. It wouldn't deter him, nothing does, but still, he's got off lightly due to some very impressive performances. If we'd failed in preseason there would be more panic amongst Villa fans about how few players we'd brought in; failure to beat Wigan followed by the predictable defeat at Anfield could move quite a few worries to the front of people's mind. We have a good side, nice strong first XI, as it stands, marginally weaker than last years for the sole reason last year we had Martin Laursen, giant amongst men in side. but that is debatable, for all accounts, key players have improved like Milner and Young; Cuellar looks set for a big season. Sadly, we have just the same weak squad. I pray for more reinforcements, if for nothing else, so we have less to do in January when Martin is even slower and more pondering than the disaster in the market we have seen this window.

Delph looks class, but he's a bit behind Barry.

I wonder how many people might change their mind if we don't start the season like a train...

He's better than all of our CM options so yes I'd have the player back.

no, he was useless in his so called "prime" one of the mot overrated villa players ever, the master of standing pointlessly offside. Rather Wiemann got in ahead of him.

Huge pessimist in me says MON will go for his faves.... -------------------Friedel------------------ Beye-----Cuellar------Davies----Shorey Gabby----Milner-------Petrov-----Young -----------Heskey------Carew------------ Hoping to see him give some new/young lads a chance.

I am apparently ESTJ

The introvert description describes me more than I thought it would, but I'm pretty sure I'm not drained by being around other people. I do like my me time though.

Can't handle horror films, I'm a girl. Odd thing is, stuff like murderers and nutters don't scare me that much, I watched both versions of chain saw massacre and was ok. It's stuff that isn't real that gets in my head, vampires, monsters, ghosty things, that girl from the ring dafsfrggnua I'm shuddering writing this. I think they are going to appear in dark corners...I'm a bit backward.

I'd go, ----------------Guzan--------------- Beye---Cuellar---Davies---Shorey Albrighton--Petrov--Delph--Milner --------------Young----------------- ------------------Carew------------ Milner, Young, Delph and possilby Albrighton could move around a bit, but don't want to see Ash on the right too much, as he's generally naff there, and would try and keep Albrighton there as much as possible, maybe shift him if he's struggling after 20 mins, but I love him attacking his man at pace and just whipping it in. MON's team will be ----------------Friedel----------------- Beye-----Cuellar----Davies--Shorey Milner----Petrov----NRC-----Young -----------Carew----Gabbo--------- Both teams should be good enough to win, I'm really hoping MON will go for Delph ahead of Nige.

Really hope Petrov is fit, we want to control the game otherwise I think Wigan under Martinez will be spreading the ball all over the shop. Cokes will give Delph (who after today I think will probably start) no help looking after the ball at all. Wouldn't mind Albrighton starting and let MIlner go in the middle.

Let's do this!

Please can we not get carried away with this brilliant result and first half performance. Second half was a lot more even, but first half was all ours. Delph...what can you say, forget duck to water, this was...something entirely different. He is ready to play in the Premier League, and I'll be surprised if he's not starting against Wigan. Good range of passing, gets stuck in, very very sharp acceleration, a tidy ball carrier. Just need to stay disciplined and hold his position, tearing forward is good at times, but not at the same time as your midfield partner, of course, hopefully, he won't have that problem if he'd playing with Petrov! Cuellar, Clark, both keepers, Heskey, Young, Milner and Gardner were all good as well I thought. Special mention for Albrighton who came on and absolutely raped the full back round the outside. Milner played well, by coming inside him, and floating around swapping positions and making a nuisance of himself, Albrighton came on, played just like the 70's winger he looks like, and made that left back's life a misery. Great stuff. Despite all this however, we still need to make this squad bigger; if we don't it'll just be another blinding start, then steadily falling away as players fall to lack of form, fatigue and injuries.

where has this come from for Guzan?

Quality 1-2 from fiorentina there, Little brad with a good save....or was it a tackle, anyway, nice solid defence.

Guzan looks like a thin big brad now with that shaved head, I think he may have had that pen covered.

Reo-cokes just breaking up our play and giving it to them nicely.

Albrighton AGAIN beating his man, cross right into 6 yard box keeper punched clear.

Albrighton now had 2 runs at his man, and skinned him twice. Delfounseo with a 50p header, not a fair comparison but Laursen may well have ripped the net out if he had that.