chrissmith921

So was Isiah Osbourne.

Can we loan the ****? Take him out of the game in March at least. Its just our luck he puts a few away for them.

Is he coming in as a holding midfielder or as a centre half?

But where is he on the park when he's dispossessed? Stats can tell you anything you want - I've got as many world cup winners medals as Messi, Ronaldo and Heskey combined - that's a fact - am I as good as them? I'd bet IGG is at least 20 yards deeper than Ramsey/Yaya for his 'average dispossession position' (as ridiculous as a decimal for dispossessions per game) and that's a hell of a lot more harmful. Anyway - I think hes a tidy player, but needs someone alongside who knows what this league is about. If he'd been alongside D*lph, I think we'd be crowing about him.

spot on - our midfield have nowhere but sideward to go with the ball. then our fullbacks push up to create the 2 v 1 on the outside - and once we lose the ball here, we're done.... absolutely spot on for me - we need more movement from the front line, be it 1,2 or 3 guys up there (or in this 'off the striker' shit) - they need to be better off the ball as we're playing all our football in front of the defenders who simply just pick us off and then we're overloaded (see Arsenals 2nd for example of what I mean - we had nowhere to go with the ball, got caught in midfield with fullbacks pushed - and they waltzed in) - wouldn't have happened if our midfielders had options to give the ball to instead of the static blokes on their heels waiting for it that we do have

I'll be doing what I've done for years - get to the games I can, and any local away games If Swansea come down, and Bristol City stop up - that's 3 very local to me so I'll be taking those in. Its a long ass day to get up there, watch us struggle to score 0, and head home. It'll be the same next year too unless we have some massive shift in the club's mentality - but hey ho the Villa is my drug #takemetorehab

With all respect - we're all remembering what he was pre injury - and that wasn't very good. Better than Gustede is now (imo) but wasn't Pele MkII like JLloyd Samuel was meant to be. That injury more than likely has proper f*cked him up. There is no way that managers and coaches (and we've had a lot) won't have said - give the guy a run - especially as we had a 16 year old striker on the bench some games under Sherwood. The coaches don't rate him either, or he'd be getting game time.

Guzan - positioning for Sunderland free kick in home game, about 2 yards too far across. Also Guzan - Palace away - rolls it out to a doubled up left back.

Difference between us and the sides above us - they have goalscorers. That's why I think we'll see Norwich and Newcastle come with us - they don't have the out and out single goal scorers, whereas Sunderland will win games they don't deserve thanks to Defoe - same for Swansea and Gomis/Ayew, and Bournemouth with their riches now will save themselves.

I sat in a room with a few other supporter group people when that prick announced we were going to be back in the Champions League in 3 years. Wouldn't take anything he says for anything, I doubt he was even in the battle he claims.

Our Lion appears to be a relative of that Cecil lion that got shot by a yank with shit ass excuses. "I didn't know THAT was Cecil, I thought it was the other one, my bad!"

Juninho link made me laugh, check it up on ceefax

well to protest along the lines of "you've cut our wage bill so cut our ticket price" would actually gather some steam. If they are offing Gabby, Zog, Kozak this window they'll be shifting 3 big earners. To go with Vlaar, Benteke, Delph of the last window - that protest can actually be supported by parts of the media without it looking like a bunch of spoilt brats crying because we're going down. (which is how it will be portrayed)......

The whole thing is - what are they protesting about? State of the club? Its been this way for 4 years, we were just blessed to have a hell of a centre forward who single handedly kept us in this division for 3 years in a row. No signings? We signed a whole new squad in the summer. I'm really confused as to what the focus of the protest is, or its aims. Protest that some billionaire somewhere hasn't bought us yet?

I think we'll beat Palace. I need something to cling onto.

Sky Sports News will love this - 30 people in a car park with some bedsheets. F**k sake

He's got 0 movement. That's his problem. Yes he'll win the ball in the air more than not but never clean enough to be of any use - it ends up going somewhere but mark it down as a won header... cant hold the ball up despite the size he is either but his movement is pub league standard. That's his major major flaw - we lack any sort of movement from any of our strikers (Ayew is getting there for this league...) and that means we never have any options for our midfielders to move the ball onto, and we just end up trying to play in a cross for one man in the box to outjump centre halves and beat a keeper from 12-15 yards with his bonce, when he doesn't even seemingly have a clue where the ball is going to go. If we had players alongside him who would help him out by dragging defenders away, making runs behind fullbacks so they cant cover up - we might see some benefit from this lamppost, but his movement is so bad that we can't do anything beyond him as the defenders have everything in front of them and its easy. I'd fancy my chances of marking Gustede out of a game - let alone a league 2 centre half.

I think his problem is as well that he's earned himself a reputation as being one of those diving types - hence 2nd yellow v WBA last year. This in a way means he gets more rough treatment from players - but he's got to learn to expect that - if he's been shown to struggle with it. His ability isn't in question full stop - but we can't keep persisting if he is going to offer no defensive support - its a harsh place to learn out there as the eyes of the world on him. This weekend will show another step in his progression - this is a game where his attitude and work rate will really be shown up because if he doesn't do that, he'll get made to look a clearing in the woods by players playing way below the standard he's used to. He'll know this as you say - enough people on him - but he's got to a) want it enough week in week out, and importantly in this context - b ) want it enough with us. I do not at all doubt his ability. That pass I mentioned to Gabby was enough for me to see (I went to the game - I need to see these things myself to be sure, TV doesn't half blow smoke up arse) - I doubt the other things and that's purely on him. I hope he steps out of it, stops the sulk and fight for his shirt and what he professes to be his club. If he isn't doing this, he needs to be moved on. Until he does this - no one will pay big money for him.

cant see what good this will bring. pundits cant agree on decisions in the studio - where do they draw the line too? other sports (eg American football) use it and systematically follow a step by step guide - has he got control of the ball? yes. are both feet down and inbounds? yes. does he maintain control throughout? yes. Football is so much more grey than black and white - pulling a shirt outside the area but continuing into it - penalty? freekick? neither because both doing it? ask 100 referees and you'll likely get a fairly even spread over the 3 options there.

I can put together a youtube video of any footballer and make them look a star mate. To be involved at that level you have to have the ability - its obvious he does. But he hasn't got any work ethic, any desire to improve, his professionalism is poor (see nightclubs etc) - these things infact get you to the top of the elite pile compared to natural talent. All the players there are quality - its just how well you apply yourself that counts, and he doesn't, and wont. That's why I speak of him the way I do. The pass he played to Gabby in the home game v West Ham late on last season was sublime - 40 yards, outside of the boot, right into his path so he didn't break stride (Gabby didn't score somehow!) - that is brilliant. But then next game he doesn't track his runner... 3 passes later we're picking the ball out of our net. If he learnt from the second one - great. But he doesn't. And that's 100% on him.

They signed someone from Bayern instead dudevillaisnice

I think its per calendar year.

Just win. It doesn't matter how, just win. Then we have to follow it up with a W against Palace Tuesday. Once all this is done - we can judge these guys because confidence is gained as quickly as its lost. I think we win. 6-0. We'll score early and players will feel relaxed. Players like Veretout, Jack, Gil, should dominate these - pointless playing Gustede - League 2 is full of lamp-post strikers. Get that youngster in for a run out in 2nd half. This we win. Nothing else

No JG was great - loved having him in charge of the club. Point stands that Little shouldn't have ever received shit from the Holte!

He may have but the boot was coming - Ellis' power game always ran that way