thunderball

This is where I start looking at the “as it stands” table, only for crushing disappointment at full time.

maguires face

Berkeley and Watkins yet to really get into the game, when they do we will be cruising

Brilliant. But we scored too soon…….

If the club carefully pick the right forward partner for Watkins, Watkins will become a very important and valuable player for us - he has everything.

Surely they will buy to replace Steptoe as he falls away rather than buying to sell?

I think the more players the club signs to placate Jack the more cemented into the club he will be.

Just posting, this fella is new so as yet unproven.

Agree, looks a very decent player.

We will defo be in for a striker. We were very serious for Callum Wilson in the Summer and he elected to join NUFC when he had an offer from us, we quickly secured Watkins thereafter but Watkins was always number 1 choice so we were getting both if it had gone to plan. Nothing has really changed: Wesley remains an unknown until he hopefully gets up to speed, they won’t risk all that investment going to waste if Watkins gets injured and we have no forward worthy of leading the line.

He was a panic buy for WH and on stupid wages which likely means he’s stuck there for a while. In any event I think we will be looking for better than Bowen.

Won’t leave this window. If he ever does leave he will want it to be on a high, and there is no such occasion at the moment. I also think the “top teams” have a bit of a smell about them at the moment. My money is on another bumper new 5yr contract for Jack, and a big summer spend to underline the clubs intent to keep their best and kick on. He is so valuable to the club he is a talisman for the owners seriousness about their investment, the clubs direction and momentum,they can almost not afford to lose him.

Decent squad member but we need better. Should improve next season as we found with new arrivals last year. He has had his lows when everyone else did during that post Christmas period.

I take it you’re Canadian because he is Dutch?

Played his part in our recent history, scoring a few important goals, for the cost he is certainly good value and I like his attitude, he gives the impression that Villa is his club and he plays for the badge. I hope he stays as a squad player but sentiment aside we do need better for where we want to be. I think you need to look beyond his goal tally, a players contribution is more than just his own goals it’s being a consistent part of a teams success - it’s assists or link play that pulls opposition apart and creates for other players, he doesn’t do much of that for me. We need someone who is contributing in games in what he brings out of others. I would rather Lingard there for example.

Everton had more shots than us, which surprised me as it felt like we had twice their chances.

We learned to play without Jack tonight

I had pelters for suggesting that recently

That’s some fact

Davis would’ve scored two though this half

Beautiful!

Because Luiz is on a booking and he has another booking in him. AEG isn’t clicking. We have a squad, let’s use it, Smith is always too slow change it up. Get Davis on for AEG in the forward line and Nakamba to let McGinn get more forward.

Hopefully Dean swaps Luiz and AEG at half time. We can win this, wouldn’t surprise me if Bertie scores

Yes, but that’s [possibly] “how they’ve managed that”

Their Manager agreed to come here too (until their owner cried and he reneged on his word). We got Remi Garde as a consolation. He dodged a bullet there, it would have ruined him.