Woody1000

Yeah I definitely got that vibe from the press conference.

I don’t think there is any need for any point scoring over who has said what during our poor recent run, let’s just enjoy the fact we’ve won today and an away win at that.

Either that, or we take a model similar to what I hear they use at Liverpool now - we would pay the wages still, but our player plays every game when fit.

I’ve got to be honest, I’m left more than a little baffled by our manager these last 2 games. I was willing to give his body language at Newcastle the benefit of the doubt, but after what he said in the post match interview I expected to see a number of changes, so to then only make one and even then shoehorn Watkins back onto the pitch on 58 minutes was puzzling. Yesterday was not as bad a performance as Newcastle, but I felt our substitutions were awful and just handed the initiative to Watford. What has happened to SG as a presence on the touchline? He looks like this job has aged him 5 years already. I respect him not throwing players under the bus in interviews, but I worry that he is going down the same route than Dean did of staying loyal to players who are just not repaying that loyalty in their performances. I don’t think we are in danger of being sucked into trouble, but I do worry that we are going to find ourselves behind an ever growing number of clubs in the pecking order for European football, and if the last 3 games are anything to go by then I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

I’m genuinely not sure if this is down to toys still being thrown out the pram after yesterday’s game, but Liverpool pressed us to death at Anfield, it was in no way ‘negative’. Can you honestly not tell the difference between when a team is sitting back and when they are being pinned back? I apologise if that comes across in a disrespectful way, but I just feel you couldn’t be more wrong there.

There is negative, and there is ineffective. I’m sorry, but you can’t accuse the manager of being negative. We haven’t once played a negative formation, or played defensive players out of position. The most defensive thing he has done is play Nakamba regularly when he was fit in midfield.

I’ve got faith in him and his team. The good is still far outweighing the bad for me. We will see big changes this summer, I think we are going to see a fair few departures.

We’re a mid table team. We play really well some weeks, ok others and pretty s*** on the rest. I really don’t know where this sense of entitlement has come from within ever growing sections of our support (a lot of them old enough to know better too!), but it has to stop. My wife is very good at being rational and calming me down after games like yesterday, a simple “Would you rather still be in the Championship?” usually does the trick. We just have to be patient, we are moving in the right direction as a club and as a team, but there are going to be bumps in the road. It is very rare to have just straight improvement without any setbacks. The lineup on Saturday against Watford will be interesting, I think we will see exactly who Gerrard has lost patience with.

The bed wetting going on all over this board is ridiculous. I’m out for tonight.

I don’t think today’s performance will do young Jacob any harm for the future, hopefully helps keep his feet on the ground as he has started to court a fair bit of attention recently. Didn’t seem as athletic as usual, but probably a bit tired as he ran his socks off on Wednesday night. I’m sure we’ll see a response next weekend.

Showed his leadership today. My issue with him is perhaps from a longer term pov, but days like today show you cannot question his commitment or bravery as a player. It’s hard to give a motm after such a poor team performance, but Mings was easily our best player today. If I’m going to criticise what I consider a poor performance, then it is only right to praise a good one.

That or Arsenal away.

Let’s be positive lads, I don’t think we could play much worse than that in the second half!

I know mate, hopefully we see a ‘classic’ Ollie Watkins performance today rather than what is sadly becoming the norm.

Joking aside, Ollie has to put in a performance today otherwise Ings surely has to get a run in the side. The pressure is on IMO.

Hadn’t noticed Nick…

Has to be given an opportunity on Sunday I think.

My understanding of the deal is that the ball is totally in our court. If he can get back to anywhere close to his best form then we will be signing him on a permanent deal, it’s unbelievable really!!

I feel the big thing is we are getting to a place where the team no longer picks itself, there are real options now finally.

Leon Bailey has had a pretty stop/start beginning to his Aston Villa career, due to a short pre-season and injury. Let’s not start putting it down to casual/not so casual racist reasons yeah guys?

Really? You’ve been doing it since he walked through the door tbf.

Why would he concentrate on throwing parties and clubbing?

If, and it’s a big IF, SG and his team can get through to Bert then we have got a very good footballer on our hands. There is no doubting his technique, but it’s his thinking/lack of thinking that lets him down. He’s the sort of player that can produce the best and worst moment of a game. I have my doubts as to whether Gerrard will fancy picking him regularly, just doesn’t seem the right player in his system.

Congratulations mate! Another future Villan!!

Fair play to little Emi!! Lost his place in the Argentinian squad altogether and lost his place in our team, but us knuckled down and is really playing very well right now. Congratulations on his first cap, hopefully the first of many!!