Stephen_Evans

There are many examples in our history of the owner/chairman bottling it but the idea that Muzzy Izzet would have turned our 2001/02 vintage into Champions is a little fanciful. Off topic I know, but in Deadly Doug’s defence (a rare thing for me to do!), Gregory had just spent slightly less than the money quoted for Izzet on Bosco Balaban!

Sack him.

Is it? ? If he had come flying off his line like I would have expected on Saturday, Chester wouldn't have needed to make the challenge for the penalty.

I can’t stand Ellis (see what I did there) because of what he did to the old Trinity but also because of the cheap, architectural monstrosity that replaced it. However, I would like us to show a bit of a class and sensitivity to an elderly man by not changing it during his lifetime.

I’d take Terry with one leg over both of them! That reads very wrong, I know! ?

The official site should adapt their weekly feature to “5 things we’ll never learn from [insert match]”.

“We didn’t move the ball quickly enough.” Well done for noticing, Steve. The problem is we never do. When are you going to do something about it?

Hmmm, perhaps if someone could have a word with all 23 of them, we might get 21 offers to take him off our hands.

Agreed. And then there was Nigel Reo-Coker. His ball control and passing makes Jedinak look like Messi!

I was in denial for a long time about what that really said about MON’s judgment and style. Pity we wasted Lerner’s early enthusiasm and money on smacking our heads against that glass ceiling.

Hear, hear. Let’s give him a go where every pass is to his feet or down the channels where he has a realistic chance of reaching it.

The bit of skill in setting up the goal just makes his general body language and persistent fouling all the more frustrating. We all know he is capable but he is generally preoccupied by physical battles that are made more difficult for him by the habit of flinging his arms out and grabbing whatever bit of his opponent he can lay his hands on. The incident leading to his yellow card at Yeovil is a good example.

Don’t forget the “hysterical” fans!

Positive passing, movement and pressing as a group. What a difference that would make.

Lots of things I can’t explain unfortunately. I mean, didn’t Carlton Palmer play for England? I say what I see and acknowledge that not everyone sees things the same way.

There was a moment in the second half on the left hand side when he tried a simple straight pass down the line with his instep and curled it out of play. Very little that he does with the ball at his feet is technically secure. Whatever else he is (athlete, competitor), if you cannot control and pass a ball properly, you are not a footballer.

I wonder, does revaluing players assist with FFP? Supposing Jack Grealish is revalued at, for example, £40m where previously he might have been valued at £20m in the accounts. I know very little about FFP and how it works but previously it was mentioned that revaluing Villa Park would also help (though some disputed whether that would count).

What if the position is not black and white and is a little more nuanced? My take: 1. He seems to be a good man-manager, giving confidence to a lad (Grealish) with bundles of natural talent. 2. He seems to inspire loyalty from good professionals like Chester, Hutton and Terry (for example). There are some players he falls out with, probably like every other manager who has ever lived. 3. He’s pragmatic, has a broad idea of how he wants his team to play and trusts players to do the job for him. His approach is competent and a valid way to play the game, but there are other ways that are more exciting and effective. 4. He sets his team up in a way tactically (eg containing, counter attacking, using width, but lack of pass and move and lack of sustained pressing) which means that we tend to owe everything to the individuals in the team - relying on them doing something great or conversely not doing something stupid. 5. Bruce isn’t a duffer but he isn’t Pepe. He will always hit his head on an glass ceiling eventually. There are good points, but often “good” is the enemy of the “best”. My sense is that the thinking, intelligent supporter who would like Bruce to move on is someone who thinks the glass ceiling is below the goal we are trying to achieve (2017/18 being a case in point).

And Villa’s first Premier League win was at Bramall Lane!

Agree with the serious points re Benteke. I actually thought he was really lazy and that he felt he was too good for us from the very start.

Perhaps it was “bull-sitting”...

According to the latest Pride Rewards advert, “Sitting with Xia” is still an option. ? The lack of attention to detail from our media and publishing teams is astonishing. I mean, last season, even the kids’ wordsearch in the programme had mistakes in it week after week!

The first 10 minutes at Hull will soon cure you. ?

Royal blue shorts and socks with a Villa shirt? Powell out!

All claret for behind closed doors friendly with Stoke today! Why?! We have blue shorts and blue socks available so there would have been no clash.