danceoftheshamen

2 minutes ago, KentVillan said:

I’d still love to know why Beale left. Surely it wasn’t because he saw QPR as a dream job. He must have sensed this project was going to fail, or had a break down in his relationship with Gerrard. I wonder how this season would have gone with him in place.

I think it's clear he was the brains. Was told by a few Rangers supporting mates that that was the case and if he came with Gerrard we would be OK, if not they were worried for us. 

2 minutes ago, Mantis said:

Ok but Luiz being dropped and Nakamba being bombed out are managerial issues which can easily be reversed.

At the end of the day I'm just not seeing this "weaker than last season by some stretch" stuff. If anything the squad is slightly stronger.

Well if Luiz gets sold today that's obviously not reversible and if we sign nobody to replace him then we'll have to hope Nakamba is quite forgiving lol! All if's & buts of course. 

10 minutes ago, Sulberto21 said:

We win more in the championship anyway who needs the premier league.

I always convince myself of that too Sulberto but of course it would be so much better to finally win regularly in the prem. Beginning to give up hope i'll ever see that again though!

Just now, Mantis said:

Overall yes. It's not as if Targett was flying high for us last season either.

In any case, I certainly don't think loaning out Hause, swapping Targett for Digne and adding Kamara is much weaker than last season.

Ok, for me Targett was better defensively but worse going forward. Hause was only back up of course but losing Carlos too for me makes us weaker as we are two down in defence including our apparent "crown jewel". Add into that Digne's defensive weaknesses compared to Targett and it becomes obvious why we are conceding so many.

I like Kamara of course but Luiz did a decent job there too last season and he has now effectively been dropped (And looks like he may be sold today) plus we have effectively trashed Nakamba who was the main backup and played quite a bit last season. 

I agree the mis-management is a huge issue of course but for me a new manager will have some big issues to solve.

Just now, Mantis said:

I agree on Chambers but I don't think loaning out Hause makes us "weaker by some margin". A lot of the problems stem from the management.

What about Digne? Do you think he's better than Targett?

2 minutes ago, Mantis said:

It's a long season tbf and many teams who have looked awful for longer than we have have ended up staying up relatively comfortably.

Obviously if we keep hold of Gerrard then yeah we're in deep trouble but if we act quickly our chances are decent.

I hope so Mantis but for me the squad is weaker than last season by some margin. We have lost Hause from defence and of course Carlos is out now so defensively we are actually weaker. Iv'e not been overly impressed with Digne either in all honesty and he is for me weaker defensively than Targett. With Mings also alienated and Chambers being oddly dropped even though playing really well, is it any surprise we are conceding so many?! 

I really do fear for us. It's a strong Prem this season with 2 of the promoted sides looking like they'll stay up and the other we lost to.

I am extremely concerned about the state of the squad too. We keep being told how good it is & yet for me it is really fragmented. We have now seen all but one of our wide players sold off which really limits what a new manager can do with this team. It is a very one dimensional squad now in my view and with the owners dragging their heels on firing the worst manager in the clubs history (regards wins), we will now lose the transer window for a new manager too!

The players are simply not performing, yet if they are playing decently it seems there reward is that they are being dropped for players who repeatedly under-perform!

If we now sell Luiz too I don't see us recovering from this absolute mess. 

Then of course if Gerrard is sacked what'll happen with his mate Coutinho? He is playing very oddly below par as it is! Will he get even worse? 

From last season we have lost: Elghazi, Traore, Chuk, Trez & Hause, then of course our main new signing Carlos, through injury. All of these were regular contributors last season & under DS. We have also effectively seen off Sanson, Nakamba & also upset Mings & likely Luiz & Chambers who seem to play really well when called upon but then get dropped! This can surely only be described as gross mismanagement! Then we have destroyed the captaincy with Gerrard saying "we lacked leadership" under his new captain!! 

And we wonder why the team is in a mess?!

I really fear for us a I cannot see another team in quite such a state as ours, not even close actually!

I can only hope (although doubt) that we'll see one or two fresh faces in later today to boost morale and the owners react in time to the urgent need to stop this and do whatever they can to get a top manager in who can sort this mess out!

1 hour ago, Morley_crosses_to_Withe said:

Did you ever meet Fergie? It was De Vit who tutored him and help kickstart his career. 

I remember being out in Wobble and a good friend of mine at the time (we’ve lost contact over the years) brought over someone he knew to introduce them. The person in question was Fergie. If I remember correctly, he was still just playing warm up sets in one or two places at the time. 

I followed his career for a while, but eventually became out of touch as I got older and more detached from the scene in general. It was this April that I suddenly became reminded of him. I was strolling along the Vegas strip and saw Fergie’s face and name up in lights to promote his residency at Hakkasan nightclub. What a career he ended up having. 

I did indeed meet Fergie & actually played on the same line up as him a few times. Up in sheffield mainly at Insomniacz where I was a resident in the early days before the promoters had a spat & fell out lol! Fergie actually asked me the name of one of the tunes I had just played as he loved it and wanted to nick it lol! I didn't know him that well but we crossed paths a few times & always exchanged pleasantries etc. Your right though Tony did get him in to Sundissential and his career took off from there pretty much. 

Just got back from the game.

I thought first half we kept our shape ok but simply did not have a clue how to threaten their goal. They were not really pushing out however so didn't threaten us either...but that was clearly their plan. As for the second half?! I struggle to think of a Villa team who looked so poor in almost everything they did. Poor decision making, poor control, poor passing. poor crossing, poor speed of pass, barely any movement....I could go on. It was frankly amateurish.

West Ham had a game plan to keep it tight 1st half then put the subs on second to nick the winner.  It was far easier for them than the scoreline suggests I feel especially in defence. I don't actually think we had a shot asisde from the offside goal.

I just don't see how we are going to score enough goals to stay up currently. 

I ended the game actually laughing at our players they were that bad. It's gone beyond annoying now it's becoming a joke.

On 26/08/2022 at 20:30, Marka Ragnos said:

Birmingham's Music Scenes past and present.  Who are some of your favorites, past and present?

As an outsider looking in, to me Birmingham seems uncommonly blessed with an incredible music history. I'm just obsessed with certain parts of it I know. I don't know why exactly. The whole two-tone thing is the best. Just can't get enough. 

There are so many names I've heard of and love (Dave Wakeling is a favorite of mine), but many are surprises to me. 

 The more obscure the better, even if they're unsigned or pub covers bands and DJs, etc. -- I don't care.  Feel free to expand it out to West Midlands. If you have links to videos, I'd like to see.  

The late Tony DeVit is my third cousin, actually. Sadly died before I met him. 

 

Hiya Mark, we maybe need to have a chat at some point as I grew up with Tony and still DJ in clubs to this day. I have many stories to tell and am still in contact now with his Brother Andy. Will PM you if you like?

I think there's more to this than meets the eye. Maybe him & Cash really hit it off & connect well for Poland? If so it could well be Cash has put a word in so lets give the guy a chance at least. 

2 hours ago, LondonLax said:

Digne blocked a shot on goal with his arm. I think it was a harsh penalty because he was just jumping for the ball but you can understand why stopping a shot with your arms is considered a penalty, although it wouldn't be if it was one of the scummy 6 clubs of course.

No chance that Man U one was a penalty though, the ball bumping a players arm in an inconsequential way is never a penalty unless you happen to be playing one of the scummy 6 clubs. 

Corrected for you

On 25/08/2022 at 18:04, Peter Griffin said:

There is no way that is true. Infrastructure can't be included in P&L, there will be caveats otherwise clubs would not be able to build new stadium. I smell some clickbait reporting with this

Lets hope you're right Peter.

15 minutes ago, ender4 said:

Haha, just read it. Infrastructure and yourh academy now included into FFP calculations

So our stadium expansion will limit our transfer activity once this comes into force.

And obviously we can never compete against the big 6 ever again now because of the revenue difference.

Hmmmn, who would have ever thought it? 

Shame we're not a London club and get given a stadium or something....................DOH! 

So a huge well done to them for destroying every Youth team friendly club as this will mean clubs will now neglect them.

Corrupt *****ers

6 minutes ago, Made In Aston said:

Yes we were getting expected results in the early days. Although Nakamba is limited he was performing a key role to break up opponents attacks and press.

He seems to have moved away from playing a CDM who can do that and I think that is part of the problem.  Kamara and luiz aren't going to do this as effectively and the other midfielders like McGinn and Ramsey don't really add much defensive guile either. 

I think having Nakamba breaking up the play and giving it to Kamara for distribution would be the way to go. We would be much more solid and able to dictate play from midfield more effectively. 

Again I agree with you MIA, Most of last season Gerrard was singing Nakamba's praises and was gutted when he got injured when our results dipped also. His reward? He gets bombed out into the "sell" group! I mean what the heck?! We know he is limited but talk about confusing messages.

5 minutes ago, Made In Aston said:

The most worrying thing is that it's not just Gerrard when it comes to tactics. We have 2 other assistants who provide input, yet we look completely clueless and do weird things like deliver deep crosses all day against Bournemouth when we have no height up front. 

Exactly, add to that you are playing a team who have one thing in attack, (a load of tall heads on sticks) so you put in your smallest & least physical defender (Konsa) and leaving out your bigger more physical guys who would most likely have nullified that threat whilst also contributing with goals & assists going forwards and was possibly the stand out defender at the club since his arrival (Chambers & Mings) 

The baffling insistance on leaving Chambers out, who I think we have all been impressed with,  when we are conceding goals for fun is simply bizzarre. 

24 minutes ago, nick76 said:

Extend Gerrard’s form and we’ll be relegated, his form was getting worse as the season wore on.  

Taking an average across his tenure has a massive hole in the argument that we started well and ended very poorly from 12 points in six games at the start to 9 points in 11 games at the end.  

Our ppg as the season went on was declining and thus you extrapolate that form as it was trending and it turns into relegation this season.

 

Thanks for this Nick, pretty much clarifies all we need to know. I am just hopefull that all these data analysists we apparantly have working on every detail of player form & performance is also being used on the management teams performance.

Look, it is still very early in the season, I get that. But when you view that graph above it is pretty clear why the fanbase is not impressed. He really needs a result against West Ham on Sunday (& tonight at Bolton). 

Another scary thought is that in like for like games so far this season, if you swap our opening day away game at a newly promoted team from Watford to Bournemouth, we are so far averaging 2 goals worse off from the same games. Keep that up & it's clear relegation form as would make sense when looking at that graph Nick posted, Thus far it has continued the downward curve is I guess what I am saying. It simply has to go on an upward spike very soon else the signs are extremely ominous indeed!

                                   2021 - 22         2022-23     GD swing

Watford/B'mouth (a) - 2-3 L               0-2 L             (-1)       

Everton (h)                    3-0 W             2-1 W            (-2)

Palace (a)                     0-1 W             3-1 L              (-3)

West Ham (h)              1-4  L                 ?

Arsenal (a)                   3-1 L                  ?

Man City (h)                1-2  L                  ?

3 minutes ago, ciggiesnbeer said:

More like deluded right wing bigots. Left wing liberals are nice people. We can all play at labels.

It's like the old days on the Holte end

"The Left side""

""The Right side" 

I genuinely am not overly bothered 

Just to throw another angle at this. Since Deeney was at Watford there has clearly been an anti-Villa feel about that club & it's players. He no doubt poisoned the minds of several of their players, evidenced by the comments at the start of the summer when a certain former Derby Midfielder was pillioried by his fellow teamates posting messages pleading with him not to join Villa. I seem to remember the "Oh no not Villa don't join them" messages, or something along those lines being posted?  Nothing came of that transfer, but the overall feeling was there was a real team dislike of AVFC...no doubt fed by the saddo Deeney etc. I believe they have one or two of our old players there too? 

May be nothing of course, but the fact that it sounds like we were basically being taken the "P" out of by Sarr & or his camp etc does not surprise me in the slightest. It also does not surprise me if he came over as not really wanting the move. 

On that basis I would be very dubious to have him here regardless. If Gerrard saw or got wind of this then fair play to him for dropping his interest. The last thing we need is another negative influence in the dressing room or half cocked player who didn't really want the move.

Leicester fans I know despise Rogers. Say he is just way too negative and always makes terrible subs. They often take the lead in games then he messes up by trying to sit on it and making poor changes. 

How true that is I wouldn't know.

This whole episode is cringeworthy.

Only thing I can think of is there was a non-disclosure agreement which got broken from the Watford or players agent end and so we pulled out. Would make sense if you think about the Ings transfer. Would also make sense as to why one of our transfers was all over the media, when normally we run a very tight ship.

I fear for us I really do. We look attrocious whilst Forest, Fulham, Brentford, Leeds, Brighton, Palace & even Southampton, Wolves & co, all teams we would have been aiming to finish above, all look better than us. You just know West Ham will turn the corner at some point even though bottom at present.