Villarocker

Is N'Zogbia actually playing or did Sherwood change his mind after seeing him run into himself during the warm up?

The team selection looks poor. He said he will play triers and Gil and Sinclair have certainly been doing that. Will the same be said of N'Zogbia? Probably not but who knows.

Tonight called for us to go with 4 attacking players, not one and two thirds.

It's a shocker to be starting N'Zogbia over any of Gil, Sinclair or Weimann. I hope they prove me wrong, I really do but, I predict that our starting line-up tonight will not score a goal. If we net tonight, it'll be after changes have been made. I was predicting a 1-0 defeat but I actually think it could be worse now.

Timmy would go and get Harry Kane from Spuds.

If playing someone alongside Benteke it surely has to Weimann? Looks better in that area than out wide. Just checked out the Roy Keane thread and if it is true about how he angered the players with his attitude you have to wonder if Sherwood will do the same if he starts telling them a few home truths. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying they shouldn't be told. Just wondering how pro-active it would be between now and the end of the season.

Excellent post Dr Pangloss. Gil shouldn't be tasked with tracking back, that's obviously not one of his traits. But, attacking players, gliding passed them, trying to create chances and having shots from around the box, are all his traits and, therefore, is what he should be asked to do. Leave the tracking back to those more suitable!

The baggies game will either be a draw or a 1-0 win to them. They will just shut up shop if they get a goal and you just know that we will be queuing up to give them a goal. I'd advise any Villa fans with stress-related illness not to go to the next two games as, win or lose, it won't be good for your health. I don't know why but I have this strange feeling that if Villa are to start turning things around, it won't be until the Spurs game. I really could see us only taking 1 or 2 points from the next 4 league games and then get 4 from the Spurs and QPR games, which would probably leave us needing 6 points from the last 5 fixtures, which is doable when you consider that we will play West Ham, Everton and Burnley at home.

It's insane that we have been so poor all season and yet still only sit in the bottom 3 on goal difference. It makes neutrals wonder why Villa fans are so sure that we will go down and, when you consider that we only need a point to get out of the bottom 3, they could appear to be right to question any negativity. I reckon it will all change after this week's games though. I really don't see us beating Albion because they will come here and park the bus. If we gift our customary goal then it will almost inevitably end in a 1-0 defeat. I can't see QPR or Leicester taking any points off Arsenal and Man City. I reckon Hull and Sunderland will draw and each go a further point away from us and, Burnley don't have a game. It's very possible that, after the midweek games this week, we could be a point further away from both Hull and Sunderland and the three teams smothering us all have a game in hand on us. That would really leave the table looking like a 3 from 4 scenario and how many people would back us to be the team that escapes? Tim, I hope you can motivate these guys to get a result against the baggies tomorrow because they need to start coming thick and fast if you're going to save us!

Shifted to Neutral used to shop at Tesco's and then changed and started shopping at Costcutter - great choice mate!

That table of results since Christmas gives hope. We have to play the 5 worst teams (other than us) in that table and have 6 games against teams in the bottom 10, which is a good group of games to play if scrapping for survival.

I'd be surprised if it took more than 34 points to survive this season. So, with 12 more points needed would it really be too much to ask to beat Burnley, QPR and West Ham at home with draws against the baggies, Sunderland and any one of Swansea, Spurs, Southampton or Everton? Surely that's not too much to ask?

I did a predictor and got Hull and QPR in the bottom two. Villa were equal third bottom with Leicester and Burnley. Let's hope our gd turns around if that's the case.

Give up beer? Leave the missus? Lifetime vow of celibacy? What would you sacrifice for the Villa's survival if it were possible?

If we fail to win either game against the baggies that will probably tell you all you need to know about the rest of the season. However, for some daft reason, I can just see us struggling all the way to the Spurs away game and then, because of Sherwood's knowledge of their players, picking up something at Spurs. In the event of that happening, I could see us start believing again and picking up the points needed therein.

Better than he's been but still not good enough if we're to stay up. His touch his ******* terrible at times.

This playing 3 holding midfielders just isn't going to win us games. We did that most of the season under Lambert and had the same (lack of) success. We either need to play 442 with 2 from Sinclair, Gil, Cole & N'Zogbia on the wings with 2 of Benteke, Gabby & Weimann up front or, play 433 with 2 midfielders out of Sanchez, Delph, Westwood & Cleverly with Gil or Cole as the third midfielder. That, together with 3 attackers will give is 4 attacking players on on the pitch, which is what we are crying out for if we're going to score goals.

Wasn't for or against him but, that decision to bring on N'Zogbia over Gil was shit to say the least.

No doubt that we should be 442 now with Zog left, Gil right, Benteke and Weimann up front with one of the midfield three off.

You make your own luck. You get what you deserve. Old adages but they are very apt for this Villa team.

I think Clark headed it out wide before the cross in, when he could have headed it forward to a Villa player. But, there's no doubt Okore messed up big time for that goal. Thing is, everybody knew it was coming because we look so very, very average. Gabby should have got on the end of the cross from Benteke. We really are in the shit, no matter what the eternal optimists think.

Do players really scare themselves into failing and relegating a club? Or, are they concerned about the drop in their wage if we go down?

Show any kind of decency and we'll finish around 15th. Continue the way we've been and we'll be around 19th.

Surely you mean: "If we fail, we'll go again"

Mega rich people would never buy the baggies over us for one major reason - they aren't called Aston Villa