Neil

I'm praying for a few master strokes, enough to spark a few wins and create confidence in the team. Mathematically, lots of points up for grabs. Whilst I think the great escape is unlikely, ending on a high would soften the blow. I couldn't care less who is the successful one at the club anymore, I just want to see success and something to be proud of.

Exactly why I think we're in big trouble if we go down, going down is just half the problem.

In our position, no team should want it more than us...we're rock bottom and anything less than all out desperation to win shows they've conceded fate. Disgraceful.

I thought we were showing a mini staged progression, but we needed to turn that that into a win. As it goes, we regressed again a little and looks like we might just continue the season without a whimper. You're absolutely right, a team with no fight in a relegation scrap will get shredded in the champions league. Our best bet would be to ditch most of the high earners and pull the likes of gardener out of the bag, a team with fight + good enough to compete.

Poppy cock, there are at least 6 teams in the championship better than us, sunderland and newcastle. None more so than us. We will struggle in the championship, we'll be looking more like Bolton than Blackburn...neither of which are doing particularly well since their relegation.

Again, all at times when Koza was just coming back from a massive injury - before we knew Gestede was absolutely turd and before we were looking almost certain for relegation. You can't really say that Sherwood didn't fancy him, just that as he said he preferred the players he was using as first team at that moment. It's all too much of a short time span, and if asked directly - with a direct answer, he probably couldn't say he didn't like or not like one way or another. It's simply no barometer to say whether Kozak is any good, or not. But we're at a desperate situation now where it's impossible to argue that we shouldn't be trying out one of our other strikers to get..ya know...goals.

Well, I was specifically talking about the other championship quality floating around the bottom of the league...some others I'd have down as fellow championship strugglers. You could argue Bournemouth, but that win wasn't deserved and I see them as a bit of a better than championship side just lacking depth. Jesus, we were lucky to string out a win against Birmingham if you want to go into the finer detail... It's an inescapable fact we're turd, it's also inescapable that we have to take down a big wage bill with reduced income and have the championships own FFP to contend with to "do anything in the summer". Relegation will put us with the likes of Blackburn, it's a good thing we have taken their championship proven goal scorer... P.S. I'm still clinging onto the fact we stay up, because I can't bare to think about the alternative.

Did he keep him out, did we have long enough to know he was keeping him out...at least anything other than only just returning from a serious injury. We're way past just returning now, and he's demonstrated he can actually do something...albeit it with the under 21's, but it's still more than some of the other oxygen thieves can muster. We just seeminlgy want to stick with a losing formula.

Nothing is set in stone, buy we look a team that is way more likely not to bounce back. Wed have to have a better season than at least 18 other teams, in a competitive league when we haven't beat a single championship team this season...

I guess that would require a lot of reading back, but I will presume they were joking...

I haven't read, but people aren't actually saying that are they? I've heard some non villa fand pass a few throw away comments about this, but surely no villa fans are asking for this...

Looking ever more likely, and I still think going down will be a final nail in the coffin for us. We'll be mixing it up with Bolton/Fulham and Blackburn who've failed to secure promotion back to the premier league and one on the verge of dropping down another league. Our best chance would have been to cling on to premiership status for one more season, if we're finally to move on...I still cling on to that hope. We won't get out of the championship without breaking FFP.

Either way you look at it, we're at rock bottom desperation...so the only logic defies the fact he's frozen out and not even an option to throw on the pitch.

Well, the distinct lack of open play goals continue. Rock bottom, and couldn't get any worse is still in full swing. The reasoning as to why it's not worth a punt on this guy, at least being in the squad, has fully vanished. I can't understand it.

Oh well, that was the one game that could have vindicated me even talking about the great escape to my mates. They were right to laugh at me, I suppose.

Or Monsieur libek, who has a good traore conversion

Was saying to the mates I go to the villa with each week, despite lacking a win..we have some element of slow improvement each week. I said maybe if that continues we may just muster a great escape. They laughed at me and said I'd drank too much wine. But I agree, no points from them and wed be down. My main worry is that we played like that and didn't get any points, which would typify our journey to the championship.

Blackburn, my in disputed favourite away day. Though I'd prefer never to see then again, unless cup compo or promotion to premiership.

Blackburn / Bolton / Fulham* here we come. *Delete appropriately

Whatever happens, we've been a lot better than these. But losing, whilst better, is relegation.

Silence in the ground was deafening for that goal. Lose like this, is a sign of guaranteed relegation.

Was a big fosh in a little pond, now a little fish in a big pond. He could be the big fish here again, but I don't see it happening at Liverpool.

I apologise to the original poster, clearly put a lot of time and effort into that. However, I started reading and thought "that's a bit crack pot" and then skipped through to see how long it went on for. At this point I took the decision to save myself from reading all that, sorry man.

Gotta stop you right there, absolute baloney. Managers always carry some of the blame, and I'm sick of managers who don't stand up and be counted as part of the problem. Garde, luckily, doesn't seem like one of those - I'm sure he recognises its his sole responsibility to get these players firing.

Is he the man to lead us to promotion from the championship is my concern.