srsmithusa

Still not a big fan of his, but that finish was one incredible touch. Very impressive. But one good finish in hours of playing time with hundreds of wasted "dribbling" across the midfield is not enough to change my overall view.

I understand the frustration. Theirs and yours. But if you can't prosecute the guilty party, do you take it out on others to get his attention? If you think so, I guess we'll just disagree. A banner in the stadium? Fine. E-mail to Fox? Fine. chanting in the stands? Fine. letters to editors? fine. But directing at one, recently appointed manager is, i think in both our opinions, misdirected, and in my opinion, not helpful. Yours may well be different.

"you're not fit to wear the shirt" I understand. "we want our villa back" I understand. But yelling "we want our villa back" at Remi Garde makes no sense at all. He's not the one that took it away.

Maybe I can't count, but your second appears to be missing a forward. Based on your text, I'm going to assume you meant Traore paired with Gestede?

Fair enough. You may be right about the next line-up, given who's available. But if I had to play Adama, I think I would try him paired with Gestede or Gabby in a front 2. I doubt it would work, but I am tired of seeing Adama lose the ball in a blazing burst of speed and then stand around on the wing. Mid-field players must track back or stay off the pitch, IMO; Forwards to a lesser extent.

Adama might be the key to winning, but I highly doubt it. He usually gives the ball away in a great burst of speed. But I have to take greater issue with your reasoning for playing him. It's not the manager's job to play people that won't be effective in order to prove that to us. Sorry, that's just daft. I also think he's nothing like Ayew. Ayew works his ass off to make something happen. Adama stands around waiting for someone else to give him a chance to show his superpower. If he used that speed to get back and stop a fast break, or even to track back meaningfully, he would be a different player.

I'm not a Grealish fan. But I don't think he's "bang average." I think he has a smooth and stylish play that's very entertaining to watch. I just don't see him attacking the goal, attacking the ball, or attacking an opponent. It's beautiful when he ghosts past an opponent, but it loses all the product when he then slows down, lets them recover, so he can ghost past them again. Maybe he has spent too much time playing keep away.

TBF, I doubt there's a waiting line for it.

Agreed. I'm not advocating blind approval of whatever they do. In my mind that would be the same "giving up" I don't want to tolerate in them, or in myself.

I completely agree that it's hard. But I don't want to rage that the players don't show the bottle for a fight and act just as feckless as they, at their worst. When they give up it pisses me off. I just want to hold myself to that same standard. Not giving up my dream and passion that Villa score and win every single match I'm not stupid enough to think that my positive thinking has some mystical spiritual purpose. I just don't want to have the same lack of determination and grit that I loathe in players.

Those who think I'm off base To be clear, I understand you, if a player gives up at halftime he's shite but if you give up at half-time, you're just being reasonable? Also to be clear, the attitude and actions of a fan base can't do anything to impact a club or the on field results?

I agree with you Richard. It does require a different culture than what we have now. It's what I think John is proposing.

Your support is not exactly crystal clear from your second sentence. But taking you at your word.... I assume you agree with me that our team should be fighting for every goal, every point, in every match. It's a habit that should be learned immediately, not next year. And perhaps you'll even agree that it's inconsistent to think the players should be the only ones to develop that habit.

Bad form to quote myself, but I want to revise this. The names I would leave alone. But I truly don't feel confident about who to put in the blanks. I hope Garde can pull a rabbit out.

THIS. My only disagreement is that I think we should start with one match at a time rather than one league position at a time. But resigning to going down now is EXACTLY what has our team losing far too many matches. Look back here, it's been noted multiple times. We give up an early goal because a moment of defensive stupidity and the heads go down; the effort drops, the ambition to make that run dries up, we become content with possessing the ball outside their pressure where there is no real chance of us scoring. I suppose the players are just giving up on this bad game because we've had so many in a row. They'll try again next week. Too many fans are doing the same f%*#ing crap. Let's just give up on this bad season/team because we've had so many in a row. We'll try again next year. I don't wanna sound like some cheesy sports movie where one dramatic speech gets everyone fired up to go win, but FFS you lot, don't become the very same defeatist attitude we loathe in the players when they just give up!!!!!! I can hear the whining response now. "They're getting paid and we're not!" Who the F#%* CARES whose getting paid. Let's go out fighting... fighting... fighting. I will not go softly into that good relegation! What CRAP. I will not go softly into losing any single point. Other whiners will moan, "we'll go down anyway." SO WHAT? At one point I said I wouldn't give up until it was mathematical. I've changed that. I won't give up! Should we hit the point that it's mathematically impossible to stay up, I hope we win every single match after that. I hope we AND this team finally show the fight that we have been missing for far too long. If we don't see it this season, what makes us think it will magically appear next? Now THAT's delusional. IMO, any fan that posts things like "we're done for this season, and should just plan for next year," should, whenever a player's head drops say: "Good job, you're just like me." (Cue "Cat's in the cradle" ) Too many fans have become the very lack of grit, fight, and ambition that they despise in the players.

---------------------Guzan--------------------- Richards - Okore - Lescott - Cissokho ----------------- a large dog ----------------- Who knows-Cana-Veretout-Who cares ----------------Doesn't matter--------------

I understand he is grandson of Kilroy

Dr. Sometimes I agree with you. In this post, the only thing we agree on is that we need to win and Remi played Richardson in left midfield. 1) Snubbing Kozak, like you I don't understand it, but Remi wasn't the first with a membership card in that club. Kozak has failed to impress anyone but some of us fans that are, IMO, understandably clutching at the dream that SOMEBODY at the club could help things work better. 2) there are other reasons to play richardson that an "lack of ambition" maybe, Bacuna has shown real weakness at LB and NEEDS a Lmid in front of him to help cover. Who but Richardson would you suggest. Please hear me. I think Richardson at fullback is a complete liability and would rather him not be on the pitch. I just think there may have been a good reason other than Remi has no ambition in his approach. I think he has done a number of impressive things here thus far. But granted with a strong nod of agreement, in the Norwich match, few if any of those impressive things were clearly on display.

I really despised Richardson at wing back, understood his playing in front of to help Bacuna. But don't think he is to blame for their second goal. Does the blame lie with a midfielder who didn't get back to mark a center forward, or the center back (Richards) who had no idea the center forward had drifted to wide open space. i.e. if you don't follow me, Richards is at fault and the cause was his lack of awareness of the field. I was concerned about the idea of Richardson at all, but was actually pleasantly surprised. He wasn't a world beater, obviously, but his play is not what cost us this match.

I have never been his biggest fan. But for many years he has been our best defensive RB. And for me that's the problem. He has terrible positional sense, let's weak side runners go past him for fun and fails to usher attacks down the wings..... All essentials for a good, defensive RB.

Said sub had minimal positive effect. A few more crosses yes, but no real product. We have a team playing like crap. it's normal that we would hold out hope "if he would only play ------------" We just don't have the players that can fix the disease that's killing us. Not Adama, Not Gil, Not Grealish. They are a bit more fun to watch agree as they show some style, but they are all extremely limited, and have very little end product... at least in this league.

So, to sum this up.... Lambert was taking us down. (clearly likely if not certain) Sherwood was taking us down. (clearly to me at least) Under Garde we are going down, but he has had less chance to make an impact so he's the least to blame. When I watch us play, I'm cursing under my breath or aloud at one STUPID play after another. It seems likely that it's the same problem at upper levels. One STUPID decision after another is costing us the premiership. it's like a death by a thousand cuts.

OK, no question that was miserable. But I always try to cope by thinking of something positive. Very hard to do this time. But Bacuna with Richardson in front of him worked better than I thought it would. yeah, i'm grasping. Normally I would like to see some of the anger a few showed at the end, but today it just felt like a lack of discipline. Really hard to be a Villa fan lately, today even more than most.

i know you see more in them than I do

just guessing. okore and lescott need resting or slight knocks. felt the need for some defensive capability in mid-field so bacuna moved up, that explains the back line changes at least.