icouldtelltheworld

Tbh Bailey only looks an odd signing in hindsight because of his fitness issues, subsequent lack of form and us changing to a manager who doesn't play with wingers. While we've needed a DM for a while, we also lacked a bit of pace in the side last year which I think Bailey was intended to address. I reckon the plan was Buendia on the right, Bailey on the left and Grealish moving into the middle with Watkins up front - and on paper last summer that will have looked a very strong front four. It's only Ings which seems to have been a bit of a panic buy

Could've saved yourself a fair bit of time if you'd just said the bit in bold first

Tbh I looked out of curiosity more than anything else and was surprised that our form had been that bad. I hope there's an improvement between now and the end of the season, but if things carry on as they have been then I very much doubt we will still be 10th in the form table since his arrival when we take stock at the end of the season

I'm not sure this is a fair comparison, if there is no significant up turn in form between now and the end of the season, we could end the year on a 21 game run in which we've barely mustered a point per game (with that 3 game winning run very much a statistical anomaly). Smith was rightly criticised for the poor run from the start of 2021, which carried on into this season and ultimately led to his sacking. There is every danger that we repeat the cycle this year and waste more time and money, with the potential to set our progress back even further. I hope there is an improvement, but as it stands I've not seen enough personally to have faith that Gerrard is the man to overhaul the squad and move us forward.

Over our last 15 league games, only Watford, Everton and Norwich have taken fewer points than us. That is relegation form over a sustained period of time and we are no better than we were when Smith was sacked, with several players having dropped off noticeably. He really needs a strong finish to the season and if things don't improve then serious questions need to be asked, currently he has done very little to suggest he should be trusted with a major squad overhaul

It's a fair point. I think he works very well up front for a team playing counter attacking football, could well be another who doesn't really suit the role he's being asked to play

Fantastic footballer on his day, but I'm not sure he's worth the outlay and am not convinced we'd end up regretting it particularly if he doesn't sign permanently

I thought he had a decent enough game when compared with his general performance level this season, but really today highlighted the good and the bad with him. He will work hard and get himself in great positions, but he's just miles off it in terms of the technical ability which is required for the PL. As such, most those chances will be squandered and come to nothing. Hes a likeable footballer, but also an incredibly frustrating one too.

I think we need one more win to guarantee safety, until we achieve that win then we are in a relegation battle of sorts (FWIW I think there's practically a 0% chance of us getting relegated). Lose the next two games and I'll start to get a bit nervous though, and the longer we go without picking up points the more nervy things will get. You just know that Burnley will win at least one of their games against us, I also can't help feeling that Norwich will beat us on Smith's return. As it stands, I reckon we finish 15th/16th and possibly only 4 or 5 points above the relegation zone. Frankly, that would be a disgrace. (Watch us turn Leicester over tomorrow now and completely change my outlook).

ITK over on scum heath alliance seems pretty adamant that this is bollocks

If he'd broken into the team during our time in the Championship, we'd likely all have a very different opinion of his time with us. A very talented player, just not at PL level. Bit like Peter Whittingham

They also get relegated as soon as they come up, Burnley are only an established PL team because of Dyche. They won't be back without him any time soon

100% this. You get some very condescending takes towards Dyche and Burnley, but he and his players have done a fantastic job during their time in the PL

Looks as though Burnley have sacked Dyche. Crazy decision if so, that's them down

We finish on 44 points or less and I think serious questions would have to be asked. If we were to end up around 14th/15th I wouldn't be of the opinion that he has been enough of an improvement on Smith to be trusted with a significant summer budget

Tbf, so did the rest of us! Still get a bit annoyed that the media narrative around us that season was generally that we were going down because we gambled on a load of French players, rather than going into the season with Tim Sherwood as manager and Micah Richards and Gabby Agbonlahor as our club captains

Easily has been. I just don't see it at all; I know he starts for France and acknowledge that this demonstrates a strong level of natural talent, but he's offered us absolutely nothing that Targett didn't offer on much lower wages. Really poor start to his Villa career - has he had a single really strong game for us yet? For all that we debate the significance of Targett's POTS award last year, there can be no denying that he was regularly the best player on the park, with or without Jack in front of him. Digne looks a long old way away from that type of performance

By far our best player today, the only one with any claim to have had a good game. So important to us, although I'm not sure we'll see it properly until he moves on

I do agree that there has been signs of encouragement, but his inability to get the best out of the squad at his disposal causes me a fair bit of worry. We could break with our recent approach and allow Gerrard free reign to reshape the squad this season, only for him to fail and leave us in the lurch. I just can't shake the feeling that we're abandoning our good planning and heading for a MON style set of bad decisions which will affect us for years to come. As always when i express pessimism about the Villa, I sincerely hope to be proved wrong.

Needs a rest, has done for weeks

Another week where I can't help feeling that he hasn't done anything to be trusted with a large transfer fund and a squad overhaul in the summer

Really can't see anything other than a pretty tepid loss here. 3-1 Spurs, Ings to score for us and Kane with a perfect hat trick for them after looking past his best all season.

Think he could do a job for us, but kinda hope we let him go really. He deserves the chance to develop his career and Forest seems a good fit for him

Absolutely - he's certainly proved me wrong and a fair few others on here too. Howe has 100% been the better appointment of the two so far

Newcastle are more likely to finish above us than be relegated. Everton are down IMO.