blunther

It's the same as the offside player in the way of the goalkeeper thing. Just another way for the PL to decide who they allow to score. Villa against arsenal, oh no, definitely blocking the keeper, rule it out. Arsenal against villa, yeah no problem, give the goal. VAR just an extra method to get the results needed to ensure the teams that bring in money stay successful.

Farcical. I get it being too far back for one of the accidental ball-to-hand things, but that's a deliberate arm-to-ball leading directly to a through ball. It's an utter pisstake, and you know 100% if that goal is against Liverpool or Man U it's getting ruled out. Games a joke.

Two seasons ago, with that caveat.

That was like nothing I've ever seen down the villa. 3-0 against a good team, hit the woodwork twice, one ruled out. The saved Martinez needed to make were relatively comfortable. We absolutely bossed it. Hard to choose MotM today but two goals and an assist gets you that vote. But every player was absolutely magnificent. From the first minute Watkins had the better of them and seemed able to get behind their defence at will. I don't know what tricks were conjured up by Emery, I can't even pretend to understand what the man does as his level is way beyond my understanding - the man is a magician. I gave the ref poor. No idea what Newcastle fans are on about, but they should have had more yellows, the bloke marking mcginn had his shirt every time for the first hour. They seemed able to take free kicks and throw ins from anywhere on the pitch and they had the ball in a dangerous position in our box once from a rolling ball and once from a blatant foul throw. Terrible refereeing really but fortunately he never had any real big calls to make. I genuinely can't remember seeing the villa this good. The 7-2 is the only recent example but that was more of a mad fluke in strange times - this was just an absolute footballing masterclass. Moreno makes me very excited to see who we sign in the summer. What an absolute steal.

It's not about having no filter or not being able to have fun, it just isn't very funny, and it's even less funny the 50th time

I really like this little lad. Him and Buendia played some lovely silky European stuff together.

STATUE. NOW.

Tricky one this. But for once I have faith that we've got a manager who knows vastly more than any of us, whos been watching that and who can make something happen at half time to give us the win.

I'd love Conference League, and I don't think we're far from having the squad for it. It'd save loaning out a few players, I imagine Iroegbunam, Archer and Little Ramsey would love to play some games in Europe, and it'd mean we have them in the squad available for league/cups too. Plus players that are going to replaced but aren't bad players, like Konsa and potentially Bailey, if we get another second striker in. Plus Traore. And it'd give a good boost to us signing a fairly decent second keeper if we could promise some guaranteed time in the Conference. Along with other squad players like Dendonker, possibly Digne, Chambers, Ashley Young if he's getting another year, a chance to blood Duran, as well as whichever regular first teamers are fit and raring to go, we'd have a great chance of going deep in that competition without burning ourselves out. And all that is without us making an extra couple of signings on top. Unfortunately I think we're just a little too far away to land 7th. Next year though.

He's there quite often. Just busking I think, think the money used to be for charity but not sure.

Oh don't get me wrong, it panics me too - but let's not vocally get on their backs, as it's hardly going to help the situation.

It worked for the first goal against Everton. It worked today. Yet I'm still surrounded by buffoons screaming 'get it forward', and even cheering the few times we hoofed it and lost the ball. I really thought demonstrating today how playing from the back leads to a goal would shut people up for at least a game, but it didn't even last ten minutes. There were a few times the pass forward was on but our players seemed to still turn back and go back to the Konsa/Mings/Martinez starting pattern. Hopefully once the players are used to it we can be a bit more incisive as it's not brilliant to watch sometimes, but you can see it starting to work (if you're not a blithering idiot).

Hopefully by the time he's done here he's got a full Brummie accent

Exactly. Stunned at all the moaning in the ground. Our last two home matches were great matches to watch, and we lost them both 4-2. Yes, it wasnt exciting, and we didn't press home the advantage of the extra man, but palace didn't have a shot on target. Two clean sheets in a row. I don't know why I expect better from our fans. Twice now in the last two games, today and against Everton we've scored directly as a result of playing it round the back and creating space. I thought it might shit the 'get it forward' idiots up for a bit, but not ten minutes later there were a bunch giving ironic cheers when we hoofed it (and subsequently lost possession)

Excellent, where are you sitting?

It's bollocks but it's an addiction. I hate it. I want to support my club that means so much but the game is broken, prices are getting ridiculous and I don't know what my breaking point will be, but it's coming soon.

I had the survey but didn't put two and two together here. If they stick 'posh' seats in the centre of the Holte and try and move me from my seat I've had since year dot then that can be the final massive straw and they can stick my ST up their arse. Just open bars before and after the match, stick a marquee in the car park and show the early/late kick off to spread the crowd dispersal. And stick some more bogs in. That's all 90% of us want or need.

League will just be a competition between three dodgy countries throwing their oil money around. How long goes everyone stick around for with this situation?

I used it. Not one person at a time, there were quite a few people in there. Scanned my card (seems to cost a pound to enter, I was expecting that to get refunded but it hasn't yet..), piked up two pints, walked out. Quickest I've ever got a pint. And it only charged me for one... which is why I haven't complained about the quid entry fee yet!

I'd take that if the sanctions last as long as the offence. Ban from the Premier League for, what is it, 14 years or so? I'd take that.

Would the Premier League lose any income? Any plastic fans would just hop over to a new bandwagon anyway, they're not going to follow Man City into the lower leagues. The number of people watching will still be the same.

Mad that it's cheaper. If a company wants me to wear their logo then they can bloody pay me for it. I'd actually buy a Villa top if we sold them like that.

The automatic shop thing seemed to work okay!

I'm happy enough. Was getting concerned about our wage bill after some of the recent transfers, and it not leaving us much headroom for big signings, and it looks like we've started to deal with that. Before the window I expected to finish 9th-11th, and after the window I expect to finish 9th-11th. Steer clear of that mess below us and it's a good opportunity to give some minutes to a couple of youngsters towards the end of the season, blood Duran in and see what he's made of (this wasn't a cheap punt after all, he must have something about him for that amount of money), see if Bertie has what it takes to be part of the squad in the future and gives Emery more time to find out exactly what he needs. Yes we had an outside chance at Europe if we spent big, but it was still an outside chance and splurging now could have meant reigning it in in summer when there are more options available. Be good to get Carlos back up and running too, no need to rush him but get him fit and firing for next season, then make a real push on.

I think the new second striker position we play will suit his strengths. Crazy that we loaned him out, glad to have him back! How good was that weird little mid-stride poke into the corner against (I think) the baggies?