piav_k4

A bit cliché but goals for and against on the day are the only statistics that count... The rise of in depth tactical analysis does make for interesting discussion and debate but in the main is useless. Win 3-0, Westwood attempts 100 passes and completes 100% of them zero assists. 'Fanstastic, Our own Pirlo! Moved the ball about, kept the game ticking over'. Lose 3-0 'Offers nothing, moves the ball sideways, crab like yada yada......'

Surely the only fans who want Villa to thrown tens of millions at mercenaries in blind panic are Blues and Albion ones. The disdain at the lack of activity is mind boggling to me. We have to accept that there isn't a queue out of the North Stand gates to sign for us at the moment. If our best realistic hope is to be relegated with a bit of dignity then we can do with the players we have (based on the last few games). And that won't be Randy 'not wanting to spend' but it will be the board realising that the money may be better spent in the summer... I know it's a bit 'out there' but could we make a few sensible signings? If our league position towards the end of Jan looks a bit more promising then re evaluate?

Doesn't tell you anything. Jack clearly looked a very exciting prospect once he broke into the team last season. He stayed in the team on merit.

I must have missed the 'Get Gabby Scoring' task on this years Apprentice. I jest of course, for me a Chairman should be more business man than football man. Let Remi be the football man eh?

Ha ha - It doesn't sound much like the Gestede I've had the pleasure of watching so far this season. I do understand that he isn't the most gifted player to have pulled on the shirt and he wasn't signed for his footwork but there does appear to be a lack of effort.

Does Rudy just have a low work rate? Or is it difficult for a bloke of his size to give it everything for 90 mins? He does seem to be constantly conserving his energy.

You've not done much research then?

I am still a bit confused as to how we are trying to win games... Defensive shape 4-1-2-2-1 trying to contain rather than aggressively press to win the ball. Attacking shape 4-3-3 moving the ball around (quite slowly) trying to fashion a chance. Full backs providing the width as Gil cuts onto his left foot and Sinclair vice versa. Gestede up front but not many crosses going into the box. Against Wycombe they tended to be low crosses too... When we try and speed up the passing to cut through teams our technical weakness shows as some one either doesn't control it or sends a pass astray. Through balls are hardly attempted at all even when teams are pressing high against us. One recent one I can remember recently is the one through to Gestede v West Ham that resulted in a penalty... It doesn't seem to be working but Garde is persevering. Pardon the Football Manager terminology.

You've alluded to it in your next post but wages have choked us in recent years. In fairness, Tom Fox realises that to spend more you need to make more. That was the strategy in the summer (moneyball) but it just hasn't worked. The players signed are all talented enough. Stats can't show you everything I guess.

Over the last few years we've made a loss or a token small profit, therefore we couldn't have spent any more. The problem must be how it's spent, not how much.

It would be a big ask if they sent us Cech, Ozil, Sanchez, Walcott and Giroud.

That's his job though isn't it? To get players to play for him, it's the same with all managers and in the top flight they get millions of pounds to do it. Barely anybody looks remotely interested in playing for Garde which tells me he is doing something wrong Part of the managers job is to motivate yes, but the impression I get is that Garde is unpopular in the dressing room because he isn't Sherwood. He demands players train harder, remain organised on the pitch and he isn't pally pally with them. Sherwood had a good rapport with the players because he was one of the lads, and put his arm around them. Unsurprisingly being one of the lads lifted the dressing room and had a positive short term impact upon results. Long term it doesn't work... Garde has a bit of steel about him and demands discipline from his players. Something that the spoilt, prima donna, used to getting their own way footballers that are littered throughout our squad do not like. They look as though they are sulking about it via their performances. Unfortunately these type of players seem to be the most influential in the dressing room. Micah being one, marauding around the pitch when I very much suspect Garde says 'stay in possistion as you are playing centre back' in a French accent.

I haven't lost faith in Garde yet, though I can understand why some have. He needs a group of players that want to play for him as this lot don't seem to be.

Spot on and a big part of why we are where we are, I know it's not Rugby, but we lack physical presence everywhere on the pitch. Clark one of our CBs today, Gana weighs 5 stone ringing wet... Westwood, Richardson,Veretout etc. Even Gestede for a big bloke doesn't seem overly strong. Delph is a good example of a smaller player who's tenacity means he gets away with it. These lot don't even have that.

It wasn't just the nice thing to do. He'd lifted the place and had some really impressive results. Plus he still had 3 years on his deal. In hindsight it would have been the right thing to do, but a lot of fans felt positive pre season.

Sherwood kept us up in the league and took us to an FA Cup final. He was rightfully allowed to try and build on that in the summer. He couldn't have justifiably been sacked any sooner than he was IMO. A lot of people were very happy with the transfer business in the summer.

A few errors in the build up to the goal but what has happened to Guzan? Should be doing better.

One shot on target is all they needed. Angry and the team selection and angry with the performance.

It will probably hurt more as it becomes more of a reality. A lot of Villa fans are like myself I suspect, blindly optimistic! The football gods have been kind to us over the years and we seem to worm our way out of bad situations. What will hurt will be find out how fast the rest of the football world moves on with out you. One minute you're being relegated and the next it's Bolton away whilst every one else is looking forward to Match of the Day. If we went down and did a Newcastle it could be the catalyst for revival. If we did a Leeds... Christ.

“The discussion with the owner was also about that,” he said. “I wanted to have certain answers and he told me that in the case of relegation the project was still on, and that he counted on me to lead it. So I am working also in the medium term.” Asked if he would want to stay, Garde added: “I would want to stay if I feel that everyone is behind me. A season in the Championship is not the stuff of dreams but we can reconstruct the foundations of a big club quite quickly. “To go down, it is not the wish of anyone, but if we are in the Championship and the club still wants me, I will start again with Villa. The answer is yes.” Bham Mail

Remi said after the game that if you press too much against a team like Arsenal then you leave open spaces for them to exploit. It's tactical. He'd rather the team stay organised and in shape from what I've seen. Yesterday when defending, Sinclair and Gestede swapped positions meaning that Sinclair could press. One player pressing on his own is a bit of a pointless exercise though. Off the pitch I've been really impressed with him, on it not so much so far. To attack the way he wants to attack you need Grealish, Gil and Ayew on the pitch together but to defend how he wants to defend you can only really start one of them if he wants Gestede up top.

Christ Guzan.

Deulofeu wreaked havoc and Everton have the quality to take advantage. We never look good on the ball when we are being pressed, and they pressed aggressively until they went 3-0 up. I'm not sure we have the quality in the side to survive this.

This is deeply concerning and it's no wonder we are in the shite! I've been watching for 10 mins and the defenders haven't even got close to touching the ball. Remi out!

Was there any mention of which staff he'd be bringing in?