MarkLillis

3 hours ago, bobzy said:

 

We're basically aiming to replicate what Man City and Chelsea do.

 

 

Knowing Villa then it will be without the trophies

On 12/02/2023 at 11:15, sidcow said:

My son showed me a handball in a Burnley game that wasn't given. Suprised it's not been discussed on here. Player threw himself across the box and tipped a ball round the post yet not given. How it is possible to not consider that a clear and obvious error? 

The whole thing is just shit. 

This is because no matter how much technology we have the decision is still down to a person.

Its upto the VAR operators opinion about how much intent was involved.

VAR will never fix bad handball calls…

1 hour ago, Mr_Dogg said:

In that case, so are Liverpool.

Idiot.

That’s what I thought 

Thought I’d bump this as I’ve just heard a pundit on Soccer Saturday refer to us as “they’ve improved but they’re down there as well” whilst looking at Everton’s next few fixtures.

Are we still in a relegation battle?

Or is he just not paying attention?

10 minutes ago, ender4 said:

Thanks, thats a great table.    Shows how massively high our current amortisation is - £72m a year in this current (22/23) year!  Add wages onto that and we're basically touching FFP limits. 

By this summer it starts to improve slightly giving us some leeway to make a couple of decent signings, but even then not a huge amount we can spend unless we also lose some of these players with high amortisation.

-72m looks high.

Can anyone show what it’s like in comparison with other Premier League clubs?

On 20/01/2023 at 16:35, villa4europe said:

As for traore (again) he's terrible, he's confused people by being exciting, especially villa fans because he was exciting at a time when we're were not a good football team but being exciting does not automatically mean he's any good at kicking a football because he's simply not, he's a robbed a living at this level

Always thought along these lines about Traore.I can remember I long journey back from Sunderland after he had run the length of the pitch to set up Carlos Gil….the whole mini bus was convinced we had the next big thing in our squad and I just couldn’t see it!

I genuinely think I played with Sunday league players who had a better understanding of the game than him.

1 hour ago, sne said:

11pm on Tuesday January 31 (according to SKY Sports)

The window SLAMS shut!

Always like him to be fair (well since I first noticed him as a player anyway)

25 minutes ago, tomav84 said:

how the **** have bournemouth signed nicolas jackson

hopefully he'll have a relegation clause so we can get him cheap in the summer

If there is and he’s any good then we won’t be able to activate it….

1 minute ago, Pez1974 said:

Coady; Tarkowski; McNeill; Gray;

All players I've seen people on twitter say we should/should've signed this summer.

I know the club is rotten; I know Lampard is rubbish - but perhaps Mings, Konsa, et al aren't that bad - no matter how hard Gerrard tried to make them look bad

It could also be that Fat Frank is making the above look bad in the same way that Gerrard made our boys look like no hopers during his short tenure here?

They aren’t relegated yet.

it’s not looking good…..but I can only think of two Premier teams that have been pretty much already gone at Christmas.Feel free to add others….

Derby 06/07? (Not sure)

Aston Villa 15/16

They still have a good chance of staying up imo.

Good solid professional could be relied upon to do his job.

Which is great when his job was to score goals.

However he never seemed right for us....and none of the mangers we had here got the best out of him,i think we can all agree that he didn't look as good for us as he has at other clubs.

I like him and wish him all the best.

Is there anymore on this that says that we feel £10m is a good price for him?

4 minutes ago, TheFish said:

There's no conspiracy. This season is similar to the 2012 where a few of the teams who regularly finish top 7 are having, by their standards, a very bad season. There are several midtable clubs having very poor seasons. And two of the promoted sides are having good or very good seasons. 

Aside from that all you have to do is look at the form of Newcastle after Howe got settled. We've been getting about 2PpG since Jan 22. The time Howe spent away after Bournemouth was time well taken. He went off to spend time with Simeone, some rugby clubs and all that. Worked on the parts of his game he felt were weak (defensive side chiefly) and the improvement is clear to see. We're very well organised, fit as ferrets and are prepared to shithouse for 90 minutes to get our wins.

The change to our defence has been remarkable. So many games where Pope hasn't had a save to make. The whole team is working so hard to keep those sheets clean. Only conceded >1 on two occasions; Man City and Liv. Only lost once in the league. Semi Final for the League Cup. 

We're about 4-5yrs ahead of schedule. Giddy Geordies want us to go off and spend a fortune this window, but I think it's more likely we stick to the plan and only change tack if we do get CL football.

The Geordies have been excellent in pretty much all they have done since the takeover.

A good example of how getting the right coach will change your club far more than just getting an owner with a shitload of money will.

 I guess the money helps…..just a little but Eddie Howe should take the plaudits.

I have to know what is happening if they are playing….I just have to.

Usually I am at VP and occasionally at away matches so it’s not a problem and if neither of these then I’m watching Sky or following on my phone.

However there there have been occasions when I am following on my phone whilst at some kind of social engagement when I happen to to talking to another person who professes to be  a Villa fan and the say…..”how are they getting on” or even worse “I didn’t know they were playing”

I could never be this type of Villa fan.

Whats the point?

1 hour ago, av1 said:

It’s funny how the rags don’t label the top 6 the same, who do it every game. 
 

We have been soft and naive for far too long. I have no issue with it. 

This.

Its  been missing from our game for far to long.

I hope our signings in the rest of the window have other skills in “shithousery” too!

Whatever it takes I want us to do it there are NO unsuccessful teams that do this stuff every team that time wastes and dives and are generally annoying are also winners.

Newcastle had great fans and support in the 90s during the Keegan “entertainers” era.

No surprise there.

Since then the atmosphere has ranged from quiet to toxic.Apart from a brief period under Sir Bobby (RIP)

Until now.

I wonder why that is?

Anyone that thinks good loud support happens when the team is not playing well is living in cloud cuckoo land.

Weve all been following a failing team for too long to remember the Villa Park is more than capable of sustained good support…

When we have a team worthy of it.

Which is what Newcastle have right now.

20 hours ago, Blasterpocket68 said:

No it’s not mate . I’ve been to plenty of away grounds where the home team has struggled . But the fans stay behind the team. 
We could go on a 10 game winning streak and it would still be a struggle in the ground for atmosphere. It’s how it is now . We have occasional periodic game that’s electric in the stadium but they are few and far between. 

So it’s just us then….I stand corrected.

8 hours ago, danceoftheshamen said:

I must admit having watched the Villa for over 40 years has sapped the belief out of me somewhat and this impacts on my energy on a match day. It's like you get to know the warning signs of a duff performance and instantly lose interest once they appear. Just seen it too many times maybe.

Spot on.

I can usually tell how they are going to play based on the first few touches.

Against Wolves I somehow envisioned the first half shit show before they had even kicked off….there were no physical warning signs I kind of just knew it was coming.

There is definitely more at play here than just “The Villa have shit support” and it’s not easily fixed.

Your ground has a good atmosphere based on how well your team is playing (form).

That pretty much is always the case with any team.

If the team is shit or in our case can’t be trusted then the atmosphere will be flat.

This is how it is everywhere even the wonderful Geordies are the same.Not matter what the Commentators said tonight about how loud they would get there was little atmosphere until they scored…

Dont believe the hype if/when we get good again the atmosphere will return.UTV

4 minutes ago, Pissflaps said:

It can't be we haven't stopped spending for 4 years now and have little to show for it in way of improvement. We have alot of dead money in this team thanks to Gerrard, Purslow and Lange.

Yes we have some players that haven’t worked out.Don’t all clubs?

We also have players that would go for 10s of millions (quite a few of them too imo) we are like any other mid table Premier league team.

There are some clubs who have the pick of the market and can’t really go wrong Man City,Liverpool etc

Some clubs who have really got recruitment nailed down Brentford,Brighton 

Then there’s the rest of us and finally after that there is…..

Everton 

The Villa podcasts are always interesting to me I like to here other Villa fans and their opinions.

However to enjoy them you have to accept that these guys are amateurs if you do that it’s fine.

3 hours ago, paul514 said:

The only sense I can make out of it is that he is an Emery player who he believes can play exactly how he wants him to.

100 % this imo

McGrath

Grealish

Cowans

Yorke

Merson

35 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

I can't agree with parts of this @TRO - I thought the two performances, against Liverpool and Wolves were almost polar opposites - against Liverpool we took responsibility, claimed the initiative and took the game to them - we moved the ball really well and we created a load of chances. That leaves us a bit open at the back with the high line and if you don't take those chances, you end up losing the game - as happened. Our overall play though was excellent.

Last night was different, and particularly in that first half, where I agree, we should be concerned. It was the first time really under Emery where we've played a team who chose not to try to impose their style or tactical approach on us, who instead focused on stopping us doing what we do - and I think you have to give them a lot of credit for the plan they had to do that, they were really good at outnumbering us in key areas and preventing us getting out.

We now have a plan A and we've clearly worked very hard on it, we build from the back through Luiz and Kamara and can use the full backs to help us make our way out - Wolves put a lot of men into stopping that and we couldn't find an alternative. 

That's going to happen, teams are going to start thinking about stopping us first rather than just beating us and we need to have both the extra quality that will help us find ways out or a series of different plans that we can use when Plan A isn't working.

In terms of individuals (and here we're on to your favourite subject; character) there's a responsibility on good players to find their own ways to do things if Plan A isn't working - the likes of Ashely Young, Mings, Digne, Ings, Coutinho and our more experienced players ought to be able to see that things aren't working, go back though what they know and come up with things that can work - good players are able to find ways themselves to get things done, not just follow schemes. There's an argument to say that's what happened in the end as Mings and Ings figured quite late on that balls over the top could beat a Wolves back line lacking pace, but in the first half there's a real concern that following the failure of Plan A they looked lost, frustrated and confused - no one stepped up and said "this isn't working, right lads, follow me". They looked a little like rabbits in the headlights and no amount of rushing around or clapping their hands at each other could overcome the idea that they couldn't see a way to change the game.

So, yes, I'd agree that the first half raises some concerns, concerns that can be overcome on the training ground and in the market, or maybe just with the time to become completely au fait with instructions and take on the information for Plan B and Plan C - it might become a valuable lesson for the future. I can't agree that it's down to us being a team that don't want to take responsibility for taking the game to the opposition or that the Liverpool game is anything other than evidence that that's exactly what we do want to do and are trying.

Lopetegui got the drop on us and we didn't react well, Liverpool got into a shootout with us and we didn't take our chances. Different problems I think.

Totally agree with your assessment that Mings* figured out what could beat the stubborn Wolves defence.I’ve been saying this to my Wolves colleagues today.

*however there is a possibility that this Indy was passed to him from the bench when Ings came on…