MarkLillis

Losing Mings is a massive blow. It really is…. Im sorry for him because he has worked his way back to the top of his game and I’m even sorrier that Villa will lose a “peak” Tyrone. He is almost priceless to us. I think Unai will have to work his magic here. At least it’s the first game.

tried this a few times over the years...doesn't really work for me. I just don't care enough to get any kind of buzz!

I think the point is he wont flop. They are backing Klopp's judgement which to be fair to him is pretty good.

I did so thanks! "These shirts look like they're clinging to the players and so that's possibly uncomfortable and a distraction. It doesn't mean it's necessarily an active distraction, it's just the wearer is more likely to be aware of it. The best feedback you can get from an athlete is no feedback at all, IMHO." I run regularly and have a number of different T-shirts obviously.... The ones that cling quickly find their way out of my rotation. Whilst not being particularly uncomfortable it is a distraction to me and also like the pictures of the Villa players we are discussing....it just looks bad!

Well its been said that we could expect this type of "risky" signing during Monchi's reign, fingers crossed here then!

It’s not really a prediction…..more of a list of his favourite clubs.

Can’t stand the bloke…. even if he is right he’s wrong in my eyes lol

I’m not so sure. Some obviously… but my point was that Wolves fans had been so starved of success that they couldn’t handle it in a magnanimous way! Wheras at Villa we’ve seen it come and go over the last 40 years or so…so many times. We went from European champions to Div2 in five years ffs!

They were borderline obnoxious at times round by me. Same with the Baggies. Very quick to complain about Villa fans being arrogant but it’s ok when they do it!

Another Midlands club whose fans couldn’t stay humble during a successful period. They just don’t understand success (relative) is not sustainable for clubs like them. We have experienced many more successful cycles over the years than them….I tried to explain what would happen as I did to Baggies fans. When you are good enjoy it! What’s your success got to do with Villa? If our current uptrend continues do you think for one minute the Holte End will going on about a gap? Or singing about being pride of the midlands?

Whilst they are all nothing special, i like what Castore have done with Rangers, Wolves and Newcastle kits this year. They are clean cut and traditional. Don't know why we have ended up with something as none Villa as what we have got.....i mean they haven't even got the colour right. I can think of numerous other times when we have all felt a little let down by a kit launch. Is it us.... the club? Do the people in charge fail to understand what IS Villa and what clearly isn't?

Have to be the same two blokes I heard on the train back to Stourbridge after a match last season. Debating in all seriousness how much money to spend on Ivan Toney. The fact that he might have better options than a relegation battle in Dingle land was completely lost on them!

if you just change the dates from 2017-19 to 1997-99 we are talking about a certain Herbert Douglas Ellis.

The Hawkeye thing was a clear error that we were lucky to benefit from. However there was as another clear error at Crystal Palace earlier in the season that we didn’t benefit from. Shall we talk about that? Or any of a number of errors that swing one way or the other during a season. This will be used to suit people’s narrative until the end of football and we have to put up with it. It doesn’t mean it’s correct no matter how many people bring it up.

It’s exactly the reason why they got so excited about it and made up a song to celebrate. Same as the Baggies with that pride of the Midlands bullsh@t. Them being above us is actually very rare no matter what they try to tell us while it’s actually happening….

True he has had his chance to be come one of the chosen few. Its uncomfortable to remember that not so long ago choosing Southampton, Watford (Cleverly) or West Brom (Johnston) above Villa was considered a sensible career move. I hope we never go back to that dark place.

What an enlightened piece of work, journolistic gold, thank god I don't waste a subscription! Talk about stating the obvious To be fair it may not be obvious to everyone and this explains it very well to people who might miss the point otherwise.

Very true. I've had to suffer many a hidden smirk or out and out laughter when I've stated we only expect big things because we are used to it. This last decade has done a lot of damage to our reputation as a club. People simply do not remember what we are capable of as a club..... even our own fans.

I was little to young to understand how good we were during 1980/82. Ive watched and enjoyed all of the other sides mentioned in previous comments with my favourite period being 1992/4 with Big Ron’s confidence and signings making me feel we were a top club. Now however is on a different level in my opinion if we don’t do anything in the next few seasons I’m a monkeys Uncle…..

He speaks very well and obviously knows his stuff. However here and on his Sky Sports appearance yesterday he seemed very keen to emphasis that (in his mind) Diaby has signed to play in the Premier league and any team in the top half PL could have got him because they all have the money. He thinks the rise of the Premier league will be a bad thing for European Football overall and mentioned us alongside Burnley and Bournemouth when discussing this. Maybe it shouldn't have got under my skin.......but it did!

Tielemans has been playing first team football since the age of 16. He is 26 going on 30 in football terms. Still not a bad age though.

Agreed.It was a well presented argument. However we have entirely over estimated Unai Emery and the recruitment team if we are to believe that they haven’t considered things like this. There was a time when journalists or football fans even could pull holes in Villa recruitment and be right. That time is not now.

Agreed. But he could have been so much more….

I’ve seen this and other stuff like it. Lets face it if you are under 40 then you don’t think Aston Villa are capable of being anything other than a laughingstock. They are just paying lip service before our inevitable (in their eyes) decline

This is exactly the type of signing we should make right now. Hes already shown he can do it in the Premier league. There is a very good chance he gets better next year and if he does while at Forest then this ship will have sailed for Villa anyway. Sign him now and this time next year the majority of the Premier league will be looking on in envy.