Philosopher

Outside of Man City, and Liverpool ( once they get it together , which they will / are) every team is very beatable in this league. This is why tactical decisions will be so pivotal this season. This is feeling like this season will be a opportunity missed.

It's not even the system that's the problem, it's the balance of the midfield isn't right for the system. If you play this system, you look the get creativity from the wide forwards / 10's get one midfield running beyond those creators on the inside and fullback beyond outside of them, with 2 defensively minded midfielders. You switch between 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1. Depending on the runs of the goalscoring midfielder.

This result will cost Gerrard his job. The next two games aren't going to be any better.

Why are we not surprised?!?!

How can he take off Luiz? Gerrard goes down in my estimation every week!

When Antonio comes on we are going to have a problem. Our back two will get mauled!

I'd take off Ings.

McGinn is looking like the weakest link!

Think we look much better with Luiz in there. He is much better at the defensive stuff then McGinn and Ramsey. Would prefer Ramsey over McGinn though. We're controlling the game and look comfortable because we are controlling possession. Luiz with Kamara is where that control is coming from. In this 4-4-2 diamond maybe McGinn is better then Ramsey, but in a 4-3-3 I think Ramsey would be better.

People are forgetting the 25 million we spent of Digne in the winter.

If he signs I for one will support him. I want every Villa player to do well. But I don’t rate him and would prefer to give Feeney his shot over this guy. A loan is acceptable but if we pay money for this guy I would seriously question the transfer strategy.

It doesn't look like a well coached Premier league team either.

Playing really poorly. We don't look like creating anything! The goal came out of nothing.

Anyone notice the side eye Dougie gave Gerrard after the goal!?!?

I think Gerrard see the left as Buendias best position like Coutinho, and they are both playmaker types. So he is probably looking at Sarr as he is quick and direct, lie how Bailey is supposed to be. We will basically have like for like options on both sides. However we can play Buendia right and Bailey left, which give us some different options. I have to say if i were running the club i'd defintely sound out Poch's representatives, and if he's interested, bye, bye Gerrard. I just don't see a well coached side. What i do see is bad decisions, poor tactics, and poor substitutions!

We just got destroyed by Crystal Palace! What is the world coming to? 3-1 was lucky. They could have scored 10. They had the freedom of the midfield and the flanks and toyed with us for 90 minutes. Zaha and Eze are top player no doubt, they can do this to any team, but we made it easy for them. This was a proper high tempo, high intensity Premier league game. Bailey and Kamara, while clearly have quality, aren't acclimatised to it yet. McGinn wasn't any help to cash in dealing with Zaha. Ramsey was a passenger. Digne was hard done by for the penalty, it was harsh. But he didn't play well. Only Martinez and Watkins come out with any credit for their performances. We are just too wide open. We stretch the formation out to create more room to play in, but then we pass the ball around in slow motion, allow ourselves to be pressed and pushed back then have to resort to long balls to get the ball out of our half. Where is the passing and movement? Where is the composure? Where was our captian? I have SERIOUS questions over the coaching, he tactics, and the choice of captian.

Lampard is a better manager than Gerrard.

This midfielders cover fullback has made us too open in midfield. Our midfield 3 ends too stretched out. Add to this we can't pass through their press and it a recipe for defeat. Passing movement and patterns of play need a lot of work. Players like Ramsey, Kamara, and even Mcginn are better then this. The coaching isn't good enough.

Luiz has improved things a little.

They have hardly had a look at the opposition third of the pitch. They have been waltzing through us. Kamara has also been missing his interceptions and being out hustled. Our midfield and fullbacks have been terrorised.

The only thing I can see in defense of Gerrard is Zaha and Eze have been unplayable. They have been excellent. Top players both of them.

This should be 5 or 6. We are lucky it's only 3-1.

Cash and McGinn have been absolutely destroyed. Our right hand side has been murdered!

McGinn is shit.

Better get captian fantastic off!