Lerner's Driver

Your interest in the degree to which other people celebrate something is clearly an indicator of something pretty odd going on. You're not the manager, you're a fan.

How do you feel about birthdays? Hold the bubbly til your dead?

It is a concern that we struggled for clear cut chances throughout despite the possession, last night. Not sure, what Smith can tell them to do different to change that. We've obviously managed it in plenty of other games recently, but when we have, it has typically been against lesser opposition who to some extent 'let us play'. The new found spirit we now have might just be enough anyway, irrespective of performance. You can tell Smith wasn't entirely happy last night because he doesn't want us to just squeak through. Happy Days!

The stars are aligning.

Disappointing, given our possession, but we also haven't really looked a genuine threat yet either. I hate how predictable it is that Neil Taylor is guaranteed 100% to lose the ball, or give it away in an attacking position. We can and still should win this, but we need to show a lot more in the second half. Mings casual and weird again.

I can't tell if you are joking. The Mail is still a printer of vile, unfounded, hate filled lies and fully complicit in the fact we find ourselves mired in the shit swamp of divisive opinion we find ourselves currently. Indirectly, it is they and others like them, who write the stories that make it feel naughty, fun and 'okay again' to sing songs like the one we are discussing.

Yeah, explains just how uncritical the consumers of our modern media actually are. Hook, line and sinker comes to mind and Nigey boy, with his inflammatory talk and simplistic non-solutions, is the big winner.

Exactly, calling it out isn't whingeing, political correctness, it's necessary. 'Leaving it be' legitimises the racists and encourages them to carry on.

Exactly. Some refuse to 'get it' though. Quite apart from the racism (or otherwise) of the situation in question, it baffles me as to why any Villa fan would think being a black man was something even worth noticing. We have had and continue to have, a whole host of black heroes play for our club and their colour made **** all difference when we celebrated their play.

Well said.

Technically correct, but also a red herring given most of the singers were white men identifying a black man by his skin colour.

The level of debate on Facebook regarding the song is horrifically simplistic in missing the point and wanting to excuse the behaviour, which itself is indicative of why there is a problem in the first place. Most excusers bang on about there being no intent, which might be a mitigating circumstance, but does not exonerate the perpetrator. In this modern age, white people shouldn't need reminding (or even having it explained to them for the first time), why identifying anyone primarily by their skin colour can cause offence. If you do acknowledge that and you mistakenly, or unwittingly sang the song, then recognise your error, apologise and move on. Do not continue singing the song, even though you now know it's offensive, just because you think it's your human right to express your freedom of speech or you dislike being told what to do. To carry on defiantly, with full knowledge of the offence, proves you are not only stupid but also a racist. No excuses.

They are obsessed with how much they think he dives. I'm biased, so assume they are all fouls.

Game changing substitution. Hourihane you beauty. Superb second half and Gale, the scabby word removed, is suspended. Utterly delightful, my dear Sirs!

On our run we beat teams who were trying to win and so created gaps for us to exploit. West Brom are sitting back and that's always when we struggle. It's like we have the potential to beat anyone, but we only seem to impose ourselves when it feels like it would be rude not too. Gayle is the opposite, he is a hard working, clinical machine from minute one of the game and he personifies the West Brom spirit. In a nutshell, we are a team that fannies around far too much. Rarely do we take it to the opposition and effectively dominate, when that opposition is very good at defending. There needs to be more tempo, guile and precision. We can still win this, but it doesn't look likely right now. A superb away performance from Albion who are clearly the better team despite their lack of possession. And Whelan can **** off.