GREAT_BEARD_OF_ZEUS

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

Bent winner, it's so Villa.

Half a half of watching Kozak gives me a much deeper respect for Rudy Gestede.

When you're expecting Tshibola and Jedinak and instead you get Westwood and Gardner...

He's just had a season being influenced by some of the most pathetic managers and senior players this clubs (any club for that matter) has ever had. Given how young and therefore impressionable he is i'd excuse the apparent attitude being shown. Regardless of what some of you think about his weaknesses - and i'm not saying there aren't - he's simply too special to just throw away first chance we get. Keep him, teach him, let the new leaders we've bought influence him! We'll regret it if we don't at least try! #KEEPTHEBEAST

I went to Turf Moor a few times during Burnley's last full season in the prem (my dad is originally from there) and Trippier impressed me each and every time. He's got a quality delivery on him as has been said, but importantly he runs all day long like a little terrier and pretty much owns that right-hand touchline. I was also quite impressed with how many headers he won for a short guy.