GREAT_BEARD_OF_ZEUS

I would say salary, size of the club and transfer budget (all of which I think we'd smash any other club bar Newcastle out of the park onin the Champo) would come much higher up the list. Plus it's hardly like Xia's undermined RDM on twitter.

Not saying you're wrong Hippo, but I would hazard a guess that there's a fair number of examples to suggest that a good no.2 can make a big difference. Look at Pearson without his team at Derby... look how much Hull improved when Phelan came in to support Bruce. A lot of people on here who were questioning RDM were (rightly in my opinion) much more comfortable when he brought in Clarke - and I think we're right to have expected more from him.

It really would wouldn't it! Other than Garde at the beginning of his short reign (before he realised he'd been shafted and his head went), I haven't seen a single Villa manager in the last 5 years come in and look like he knows what he's doing. That's what disappointed me most about RDM and Clarke - together I thought they would have us playing with some shape and semblance of a plan, it's been the total opposite!

I get that and to be honest I'm favouring Wagner because my knowledge of managers outside of this country is very limited. If there's a better guy out there in a similar vein but with a greater degree of success then I'm all for him. One thing I would say is that, whilst I was arguing the need for quality rather than just experience, I do think that any manager coming in from abroad has to deal with that 'settling in' period. You know, relocating and adjusting to a new country, culture etc... Wagner has a head start on that and would be better equipped to hit the ground running so to speak.

I feel like Bruce is one of those managers who’s time is coming to an end. I haven’t seen anything to suggest he can innovate and adapt to the ever evolving football landscape, something which I think guys like Allardyce and even Pullis to some extent have done. From what I can see, he’s a good man manager who learnt from the best, but has gotten by through implementing the same old ideas which are slowly becoming outdated and less effective. Just like players, managers have a sell by date and I wouldn’t want to get stuck with one which is close to theirs. If it definitely meant us getting back up this season, then sure I’d take him, but IT DOESN’T!! Some people are talking as if Bruce guarentees promotion but it’s a risk just like anyone else. Is it a lesser risk? Depends on how you see it. The championship has evolved just like the premier league and the younger, more forward thinking managers seem to be getting just as good results, if not better than the older, more experienced heads. RDM and Clarke between them must have hundreds of championship games under their belts but I don’t see what benefit that’s brought us? Wagner for me seems like an innovator. Someone with real management and coaching quality. And as we’ve seen with our summer player purchases, it’s only when you buy real quality that you see a return.

From Brucey's Wikipedia: In addition to an autobiography, Heading for Victory, Bruce has published three novels, Sweeper!, Defender! and Striker!, featuring the exploits of fictional footballer manager Steve Barnes. Sweeper!, released in 1999, was described by a critic for The Independent as "surprisingly punchy and pacey, although the plot is essentially ludicrous". Time for chapter 4 Steve, Stinker! Steve Barnes takes charge of a struggling Championship side, with a dwarfish defence and no midfield, and guides them to the playoffs!

Allardyce would be my top appointment. If he’s thick skinned enough to come back into the limelight straight away, which I think he is (both physically and mentally ) he would at the very least stop us conceding so many stupid goals! Plus he’d be well up for sticking it to Newcastle! Bruce worries me for two reasons – firstly he spunked a shed load of cash on his Hull squad the year they went down and it did nothing. Secondly they went on a really bad run towards the end of last season just before scraping through via the playoffs. Wagner – I admit I know nothing more than what he’s done this season, but on paper he looks like the ideal long term choice. Plus you’d hope he’d get a few loanee’s from Klopp in January!

If we'd have somehow managed to keep Gana, him and Tish could've bossed it as a 2. You need that kind of energy otherwise (as has been said) opposing 3 man midfields will overrun you... Leicester had it last year and it freed them to play a 4-4-2 which won them the title and i feel it would have potentially done the same for us this year in the Championship.

Haha!!! I know, on reflection I like non of them either! I have to be honest though, every time I make a Villa line up out of the current squad I find myself with 3 clear problems: 1. Shoehorning our best players into positions they're just not suited to, because they're all forwards. 2. Not knowing who the hell to play next to Tshibola because they're all crap. 3. Worrying that our central defensive pairing of Sam and Frodo can't cope without more defensive minded fullbacks.

Right RDM listen up, here's the blueprint all done for you, just execute it! Will it work? Hell knows, but at least there's a logic behind it. It's probably floored logic otherwise i'd be managing in the premier league instead of being sat behind an office desk, writing a tactical proposal for someone who'll never read it, but hey ho... Starting XI ---------------------- Gollini ---------------------- Chester --- Elphick --- Jedinak --- Amavi Adomah --- Tshibola --- Lyden --- Grealish ---------------------- Ayew ------------------------ --------------------- Kodjia ------------------------- The plan 1. Let's go all Pep Guardiola trendy style and convert Jedi into a centre back, play out from the back. 2. Drop Westwood - just so that if we do lose/draw we don't have 12 pages on here moaning about him. 3. Stick Lyden in the middle with Tish, because aside from those already mentioned the only other option is Gardner... nuff said. 4. Tell Adomah and Jack to hug the touch lines and create width 5. Give Ayew a free role 6. Tell Kodjia to play on the shoulder of the last defender Subs: If losing: Revert to 3 at the back and tell Tish and Lyden to hold, Adomah and Amavi to put crosses in for the big man, McCormack and Ayew to feed off the knock downs. ---------------------- Gollini ---------------------- -------Chester --- Elphick --- Baker -------- Adomah --- Tshibola --- Lyden --- Amavi ----- McCormack ------------ Ayew ----------- --------------------- Gestede---------------------- If winning: Flood the midfield. Cissokho on to sure up the left, Baker on for height to cope with the inevitable barrage of balls into the box. Gestede on to hold the ball up. ---------------------- Gollini ---------------------- Chester --- Elphick --- Baker --- Cissokho ---------------------- Jedinak--------------------- Adomah --- Tshibola --- Lyden --- Grealish ---------------------- Gestede --------------------- DO IT!!!!

F*** you Middlesborough. Always with the player pinching! They're like that smarmy rich kid who steals in on your girl when you're at a low ebb. Well we'll be back Boro, don't you worry!! We're going to straighten up, stop smoking pot at the weekend, get a job... start going to the gym! We're going bounce back and when we do... ooohh you'll be sorry. You and that little hussy!!!

I think there’s a biggy yet to come… Keith Wyness tweeted about monitoring things closely right up until the deadline. We’ve obviously had to go for a few plan B or even plan C signings, who knows – I’m guessing we started off pretty ambitious given how much we’ve spent. I think a few of those plan A’s who either rejected us at first or their clubs weren’t selling at the time or who we just didn’t think would be available, could suddenly be available late on. I’m under no illusions that the likes of Morrison and Henandez are omcing – they’ve burnt their bridges by the sound of things, but I do think there’s a good chance we might be in for a surprise!

Wow, imagine looking like Sid James' twin when you're only 30. Poor guy.

Such a shame if he leaves. It'd be perfect having Adomah and Adama to rotate on the right wing. Imagine fullbacks having to deal with Adomah for an hour, only to then have a fresh Adama unleashed on them for the final 30 mins... they'd be run ragged!!

What's abundantly clear is that had we not been sold this summer, we'd be a certainty to slip down the leagues and spend a long long time in the wilderness. Thank you Tony Xia!!!!

We sign three more quality players - a pacey number 9, a creative AM and a proper right winger - then we're laughing. All of a sudden we're not relying on the four of Gestede, McCormack, Grealish and Ayew to play 90mins every game and teams can't prepare or adapt so easily against us. Adding a fwd with pace all of a sudden makes teams need to sit deeper, giving the three behind more space to move within. Personally can't wait for the final jigsaw pieces to be added in the coming weeks!

He's got us to the point where we look like we're nearly there - we've played some good stuff at times and look solid. Considering where we've come from that's not bad going. Problem is we're so one dimensional because we've got no options. Once we get some more attacking options in I think we'll start to see RDM's plan come together.

You can see he's getting in the right positions more and more often as he learns to play with the players around him. There was a ball played into Gestede just before he went off which was just too high, had it been a little lower for Rudy to knock down, Ross was ready to pounce on it.

Wasn't excited by him coming in and had massive concerns about his height (which similarly to a few opinions above, haven't gone away). However he adds a calmness we haven't had for a long time and is winning me over. Jedinak will do a lot to ease the height concerns as I think he'll shield the back when it comes to long balls and corners.

There's no reference, it's in there to rhyme with Matteo, nothing more. I know it's a popular song, and i'll sound like a miserable git when i say this, but I don't like it - it's like something infant school children would come up with. Edit: The fact that City fans came up with it only adds weight to my argument.

Been looking for them - when and where are they being released?

The good: Defence looks solid. Attacking half of the team looks like it's just one or two additions away from being a real force. We managed a point away without what will be our two main central mids. The bad: Gollini still looks shakey, jury still out for me. Our bench is very weak and gives us so little options (I know this will change with more incomings) We don't look ruthless enough, need to start taking chances soon. The ugly: Kozak - OMG he was truly awful

Gardner to be the blame figure again if this goes in

Well done RDM good subs

Get Kozak off pleeeeeease