pas5898

1 hour ago, KAZZAM said:

But surely they could've tried TAA in a wingback roll playing 3 at the back someone like Tuchel or Conte might have suited. 

Otherwise the TAA dilemma is still there. (unless there waiting for Alonso) 

The reason he was so good a couple of seasons ago, was because in possession Henderson and Fabinho would cover or drop into the defensive right role. Therefore he looked sensational playing a wide quarter back role, with limited defensive responsibilities as they would get him out of trouble. 

It's no coincidence, as they aged / were replaced with poorer players his performances dropped off and his defensive work was put under the microscope.

For TAA to get back to where he was (in this system) they need 2x Kamara type of player to slot into that right hand side CB role when in possession, therefore do the defending in transition. 

For all the laughs and jokes Chelsea are a young, naive yet talented team.

Apart from around 20 minutes (down to 10 men), they've outplayed us 3 games this season. We need to be really on it (crowd included) Saturday night to beat them.

1 hour ago, imavillan said:

tbf i thought it would have been something more like

shite.hole.dump

foo.king.empty

1 hour ago, magnkarl said:

But that was written before the US came in with their biggest aid bill ever. We'll see. My guess is that it depends on the election in November. 

Trump (if he wins) will fly to Kyiv and Moscow. Draw a line on the map and end the war with the threat of direct American involvement if they don't.

The next few months dictates where they line is drawn.

57 minutes ago, duke313 said:

 Both would be good for them reckon, play better football than Moyes.  Be funny seeing the scousers lose Amorim to West Ham   

Wouldn't be surprised if he turned down Liverpool.

Whoever goes there next is going to fail. Even our Lord and savior Unai was (unfairly) perceived to have failed after following Wenger, Moyes same after Fergie etc. Same will happen whoever follows Klopp.

I normally sit in the Holte, but sat in the corner of the lower north near the Trinity as it was my sons first game.

They started many of the chants which the North stand caught onto, and in time I think will give a good full ground atmosphere. Normally, the North stand waits for a really loud Holte to get involved, whereas it was more proactive yesterday. Give it a few months I think it will be a vital bridge for a full stadium atmosphere and not just the Holte starting everything.

Full credit, keep on going!

We should've kept Danny Ings.

1 hour ago, HeroesAndVillans said:

I don't think he'll be off anywhere. He has the power here that he obviously lacked at Arsenal, he is allowed to run the club as he sees fit and it is working. He had his fingers burned before, I'd like to think he'll stick around. He's got a genuine chance to build a legacy with us and go down as a Villa legend. 

He will stay unless offered the Barca or Real Madrid job. Think that's what Guillherm Ballague said that in a podcast a few months ago. 

9 hours ago, Rugeley Villa said:

I thought all 3 were 50/50 calls . I was expecting them to be more obvious. 

The problem is.

All 3 of those 50/50 calls would have been given at Anfield or Old Trafford.

Just now, ozvilla28 said:

Gez me including was harsh on him last season what turn around.

Yep - that's why I firmly believe Diaby will be the second coming of Christ next season. Bailey was beyond awful last year.

14 minutes ago, Okonokos said:

Does anyone know the difference in prize money between qualifying for the Champions League vs Europa League? How would we look for FFP this summer for both scenarios?

The winner of the Conference League only gets 2 million less than getting into the group stage of the CL (this year, not sure next year as it's expanded). Obviously going deep in the CL is massive money.

As per below, it's now vital we qualify for the CL group stages, or go deep into the Europa / UECL each season to maintain an extra 15-20 million. 

That's just prize money. Add in at least 1,500,000 for each home game. 

2 hours ago, duke313 said:

I don't think Emery would leave the project yet, maybe in the future when he's felt he's achieved enough here.  Bayern won't have a shortage to manager to choose from, and seems like they still want Alonso, so may go for a stop gap until next summer.  

I can't recall exactly where; it might have been Guillem Bllague; but someone said quite categorically - Emery would only leave Villa for Real or Barca, with Athletico Madrid a possibility.

Bournemouth game is absolutely everything.

120 minutes of football, players emotionally and physically tired. Bournemouth are a really decent team as well.

Win this, we are mentality monsters and get CL.

Looking ahead to next season - works for us to have both Newcastle and Man U in European competition. Really will stretch their squads. 

Most of the Conference League who plays man united will treat it as probably their biggest games ever, it won't be easy for them.

Just now, Zero7 said:

Was there a post match interview, I've not seen anything? 

I love how he is really really into it. 

But for his players and his club he walks straight down the tunnel and probably on the laptop within 5 minutes. 

Whilst we have Emi Martinez, he will be so vital to our European adventure.

Other teams will need to beat us, a draw i no good as we are now massive favourites in any penalty shootout we go into.

The "Saka Limp" on Twitter / X is quite funny.

Multiple fan groups now realising Saka limps / feigns injury whenever he has a bad game. 

My goodness - I actually read a couple of page of SHA thread on our expansion.

How absolutely deluded can they be? Is it actually their fans posting this stuff or our fans taking the mick? 

I went to the Real Madrid game with my Polish friend who is a Man City Fan (he unfortunately has cancer, and I drove him). It's becoming clear, around the away fans / that side of the stadium is there the original Man City fans sit.

The opposite side, where I sat, genuinely; 2/3rds were "tourist fans". A lot of people from different ethnic backgrounds, lot of different languages, many actually supported different clubs. There's a video of Rio Ferdinand doing the round walking into the Etihad with swards of people trying to take a selfie. Years ago, he'd be sneaking in.

As soon as they drop down to 3rd/4th expect their stadium to literally be half empty as those tourist fans will move on. Particularly if Man United get back to their former glories.

5 minutes ago, Jonesy7211 said:

As great as the result was last night, they're never going away whilst they've got the backing of an oil state.

I disagree, 

I think the machine behind Pep is one of the main reasons for their utter dominance. That Txiki DoF has built this squad, with an elite manager such as Pep.

Take one or both of those out, then it's easy to waste money (Chelsea, Man United).

11 hours ago, useless said:

They've already spent quite a bit of money, bought the club, have refurbishd their training ground after it burnt down, and have also done up the stadium somewhat, as well as having bought the wheels site, they've apparently bought a bunch of other land besids that, 60 acres in total was the quote I saw. What I though was strange was the plans they've announced for their current ground, they're building two fan parks, and a bar in the stadium called 'the box to box' that stretches from one end of the pitch to the other, they're also expanding and 'reorientating' their club shop, all this going to cost tens of millions, not sure why they'd do all that if they're moving, their fans rationalizing it as the owners wanting to see what works and what doesn't for new stadium*

They are VC guys. VC guys are ruthless money makers, after a return on whatever investment they make.

They've purchased a distressed asset, hoodwinked an extremely desperate fanbase, in an area where the local council is effectively bankrupt. Lick of paint to the ground, fist bumps to the fans, sing along to SOTV, few nice power point presentations and they've managed to negotiate a really nice, sizable part of prime Birmingham land for a cut price.

Slap down a 30/40k Euro bowl stadium (leicester, southampton etc) on the cheap; do what you want with the rest of the land as long as it's profitable. They can also sell the Small Heath land as well for a healthy profit.

9 hours ago, S-Platt said:

Pep will jack it in end of the season me thinks

Pep will only ever move to "a sure thing". The only one left is PSG. Can see Enrique doing a lot of the hard work for this non galactico rebuild, failing in the CL then Pep moving in around 15 months to "save the day".

With no Klopp and Arsenal being the usual bottlers they will absolutely walk the PL next season.