MarkLillis

4 minutes ago, hippo said:

Really ??? - we are touch and go when playing teams around us - everyone else beats us ! - whilst panic is the wrong word - there is a distinct and real possibility we are going down.

But panic is what is happening see below 

5 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

Our season could be over this time next week. The fact we’re desperately monitoring other teams results at this stage of the season is a sure sign we’re in the shit. Deep down, we all know we’re not good enough and we’re praying that there are 3 other sides worse than us.

We may actually finish bottom. 

I hope our dressing room isn’t as flaky as our fans. 

8 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

West Ham and Watford will push on and get themselves out of it. You’re burying your head in the sand if you think we’re not in deep shit, Roma. 

Just my opinion of course! 

Maybe.

But if they are winning who is losing? 

I agree that we are in the shit but so are a lot of teams.....panic stations are a long way away imo

23 minutes ago, Zatman said:

I didn't say when Premier League started. Said 2 decades which is recent history 

But you have exaggerated slightly 

Up until O Neil left we were at top half/top six club who no one in their right mind would even consider being in the relegation mix.

so for approximately 9 years we have been poor....

On 16/01/2020 at 00:31, sir_gary_cahill said:

For the older posters, is Jack Grealish better Gordon Cowans? I never saw Cowans for Villa, I’m too young, Noel said to me on the phone that Grealish is the best player he’s ever seen in the academy, do other posters agree? I want your views, answers on a postcard please 

I saw Sid on many occasions.

Ive also seen many other great Villa players but Jack is special.The way he drifts past players and invites challenges.

This season he has stepped up and added goals to his game but it’s ability he has to slow the game down marks him out for me.

There is no other English player around like him.

He is our Gazza

3 minutes ago, Bugzy1991 said:

This just standard in football now. Scouting is less common and a lot of teams have a team of analysts who sort through opta stats to judge players on who they should sign. Thousands of players are decided what they're like by stat tables.

Would hope club analysts would go a bit more in-depth but it is just a Twitter account. 

 

I can understand looking at stats to decide whether a player is worth a look at.

After that it comes down to old fashioned scouts opinion.....how else can it happen. I'm sure many teams sign players without watching them closely over a period of time but why?

Also how do they decide if a player is good enough to step up in standard from a lower league to Prem or La Liga?

31 minutes ago, Talldarkandransome said:

I was humming Allez Allez Allez at work the other day and my baggies supporting mate started to sing it.. he's been dragged to a few villa games this season and he appears to like it. Can't say I know or even want to know the words of other clubs songs, especially the baggies

I find the Baggies version amusing.

Where sing “we even conquered Europe in 1982 “They sing “Super Bobby Taylor we sing this song for you”

So while we are reminiscing about 1982 they are thinking about the league 1 top scorer in 1993

47 minutes ago, Zatman said:

They will share the attendance 50-50 so they can both blame each other for the shit crowd

Coventry get home dressing room

They must be gutted we aren’t playing on that day.

Now they have concentrate on their own teams result....

12 minutes ago, sne said:

The good people at the mail has done some top notch journalism work and used Football Manager to see how a loan of Benteke would pan out.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/christian-benteke-aston-villa-transfer-17565844

Well done, well done.

Slow week on the transfer front I guess...

Love this....

Boss I’ve got an idea for an article!

Can I play my favourite computer game for Xx hours and summarise the out outcome?

Why not we’ve got nothing else to report on!

Nzonzi was always very effective for Stoke......having said that when I saw him he was playing against Villa most of the time!

6 minutes ago, romavillan said:

Staying up was always the aim right from the start, loads of us were talking about how to get to 40 points as the target, I remember saying win half the home games and a couple on the road and throw some draws in and we'd get over the line. I don't remember many saying we'd piss 40 points easy?

My point is that we haven’t been this bad all season.

Only after December have I started to worry about survival.

The Leicester, Southampton,Norwich and Man City performances have really knocked supporter confidence hence the dramatic increase in doubt.

This can be turned around

2015/16 was and unstoppable juggernaut 

This isn’t.

But I get your point you always knew we would be lucky to stay up!

6 minutes ago, Laughable Chimp said:

Gonna be real, people are only saying 17th is an achivement because of how poorly we've started. The optimism back during the Summer was much higher than for a team that finishing 17th would be an achievement.

People are only saying 17th is an achievement after a poor run of results in December.Followed up by injury’s to key players and compounded by a heavy home defeat.

There are teams that will have relegation form with us..

This is not like the promotion race, when we get bad results a lot of teams around us are getting them also.

My take on it is that some of the teams destined to fight it out with us haven't even arrived in the relegation zone yet because of their early season form.

16 games to go 4 wins 4 draws and 8 defeats.

If the wins and the draw's come in bits and drabs we wont even have to  hit a run of form and can still stay up.

Its better if you look on the bright side :)

Rondon fits perfectly into our style of play atm.Espically I’d have to play like we did at Leicester.

Coming back from China mid season would be difficult though.

A good performance last night.

So credit where it due.I just can’t figure this guy out.

Inconsistent is an understatement 

A lot doubt and “he doesn’t have a plan B” cliches flying around before the Burnley game.

I think Dean has answered some questions.

At Burnley I thought we were very good(mainly first half) and could have put the game to bed if it wasn’t for VAR.

Tonight without a striker you could see clear lines and organisation.He worked with what he had to gain a massive result.

This man should not be in doubt.

A few of his players are maybe not quite ready for the big league but he is.

Nyland  has been good in his three appearances granted.

But let’s look at this opportunity closer.

A 37 year old (not really old for a goalkeeper) Who has played for Barca,Bayern,Liverpool and AC Milan.

And we are questioning his signing?

A rock tonight!

Do you think its more of an indication of how far we have slipped?

Or can some credit be given to Leicester and their rise to become one of the top clubs in the country?

Because let to fair to them they get a lot of things right.

4 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said:

To me,in our current situation (lacking experience) I think a move for him would be ideal.

Im not sure if I can remember how pacy he was/is...but sure can remember he delivered good crosses.

We are very unreliable in this area.

I am feeling more optimistic after the Burnley performance.

It showed that we can and will change formation.

It showed that we have some fight, as they were always going to come at us second half and despite two injury's we held firm.

The transfer window is here and we are planning to use it.

Most of our games this season have been tightly contested affairs. December being the only month where our opposition have comfortably taken the points and even then it hasn't been in all matches. 

T o be honest IMO we have been the bottom of the table and survived with a worse squad of players and manager at our disposal.

People make mistakes.

Its seems like he has made a couple of big ones....

The move to Chelsea stalled his career

The incident has tarred his reputation (I do not condone drink driving and I hope he understands the seriousness of the offence?).

But life goes on and people get over mistakes by keeping going and eventually being given a chance to prove they have leant from their mistakes.

I hope the move to Villa is Danny's chance.

Whilst not a world beater Hourihane is a good player.

I suspect he would be being lauded by a lot of Villa fans had we have managed to turn a couple of extra points this season.

Small margins

3 hours ago, Ikantcpell said:

Who would want to live in newcastle? ive never been there but someone told me it's a horrible place.

It really isn’t.

It’s like anywhere it has nice areas and some more rundown places also.

Some lovely surrounding countryside too.