The Fun Factory

I would say yes to all of the above. Hardly anyone lives in the highlands of Scotland apart from Inverness due to a lot of things such as the clearances and the industrial revolution. If you see the parliamentary constituencies you will see what I mean. North and South Wales are hugely different. The south became heavily industrialized and a lot of the Welsh population in the south could well have English ancestry when people from the west county moved to get work. Mid Wales and North far less built up and more welsh speaking. Transport wide it is slow to go North to South in Wales which shows a lack of connectivity. South Wales has strong links to the South West and North Wales to the Wirral and Merseyside. Northern Ireland and Republic are different, though you would get different answers depending if you are a nationalist or unionist. Long story. Norn Iron is still just about majority protestant and republic obviously catholic. Northern Ireland is also slightly higher population density, and has a strong Scotish influence as well.

So is he still on the books at Villa and we couldn't shift him on loan? All in all it was a very strange signing.

Like a lot of us Heaton has had a crappy 2020. He was probably looking to maybe being picked in the Euro squad and to continue as first choice for Villa. Now he is still injured, is miles away from the England team, and is firmly second pick at Villa.

I always quite liked Steve Bruce.

Wow he has been out for long as as well as Heaton. Its now 10 months. Those two injuries really did have a big impact on the season, in a bad way.

I don't particularly rate him but he seems a good lad and if things are not working its worth putting in on and see what happens.

In theory but I don't think Dean is a fan. If only we had signed Drinkwater when we had the chance.

He is a streaky manager, was like that at Brentford and that is continuing at Villa. As long as we end up around lower mid table that will be ok.

Its not great stats that in the last 2 games combined we have faced 13 shots on target and from that we have conceded 7 goals.

Mel Morris hasn't been their for long? Surely any new owner can't be as bad as Bob Maxwell.

Yes you forget that for the first half of the season a lot of the team was the same side that got us relegated. The morale must have been terrible as players like Westwood and Baker they had been in losing sides for years.

He would have a bigger budget with Manyew. Or maybe poach Ancelotti for next season?

Down with this sort of thing.

Poch seems the obvious choice but perhaps he seems it as a poisoned chalice and would rather take over a smaller but better run club.

They are meaningless baubles for a club like United. Its the league or champions league, or at least look like you could challenge for them. Wenger won the FA Cup 3 times in his last 5 seasons at Arsenal and was perceived as out of touch and clueless in his final years.

And local rivals still respond by giving us a high pitched Villa, Villa sometimes. Get over it, no club in the midlands has anywhere near our support base.

That is what they always wanted, Covid just game them the chance. This crisis shows that at least for the Premier League the paying fan at the ground is not important.

The best will in the world at the moment I can't see many business people staying in Aston overnight rather than central Birmingham or the nec. Maybe in time the area will be improved as know Perry Barr has some regeneration projects linked to the Commonwealth Games. You can't escape the fact that as glorious as Aston Hall and Villa Park are, they are set in a area of high deprivation and poverty. The only plus points is that it is near the motorway and has two railways stations nearby.

Wow one defeat and it has got to this already?! I am still basking in the 4 wins. High scoring draw. 2-2.

So Xavi, Messi and iniesta were not already there? It would have been the equivalent in a alternative universe in Sir Redface leaving united in 1995, and Steve Bruce getting the job. Well sort of.

Yes but most managers have not been as lucky as Pep to inherit a legendary squad at Barcelona, and massive buying power at his next two clubs. He has never really had the worry of trying to fit square pegs into round holes, or to manage another season or two out of ageing legs.

Does anyone really care about what Gabby says? Most Villa fans don't and I doubt anybody else would either.

Back to reality tonight lads. Going to be a up and down season with the ups hopefully more than the downs.

I am sorry but that is rubbish. Our home record in the Championship was good and the atmosphere in the 10 game winning run was unbelievable. The reason why sometimes it was negative as that for about 5 years our team was utter tripe, and yet we still averaged well over 30,000 every season. And that included one season in which we won 2 games and 3 seasons in the second tier. I would also say our away support is brilliant and one of the best in the country. Most clubs home support nowadays t is quiet, the big teams demand wins and are not happy if this is not delivered. Arsenal for example has complete crap home support apart from the Spurs match and occasional big game.

If he doesn't ask for ridiculous wages there would be at least half a dozen championship clubs who would be interested in him. He is only 30.