LancsVillan

I was 451 points better off than if I'd left it.

Decent, if weird season. Back to mid 50s mediocrity next year

57 minutes ago, John said:

The football league want to introduce a £18m wage cap for clubs in the Championship next season. James Sharpe reports in The Mail today that the PL may potentially reduce parachute payments. What a season to be in relegation danger. Just our luck!

Link: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-8491111/Relegation-Championship-just-not-worth-thinking-Dean-Smith-Aston-Villa.html

I can see the wage cap being something that could be implemented and help out a lot of clubs, whether it would get in for next season I doubt. Especially as next season is what only a matter of weeks away.

5 minutes ago, imavillan said:

Nyland really is'nt very good at all. A liability with at least one mistake every game and i'm sure the defense have no confidence in him

He needs dropping to the bench.

Thought about Reina but he is as error prone for me, and at Anfield for him it could go either way brilliant or utter tripe

First shift back in the cab tomorrow for 13 weeks (shielding for Aston, not being lazy!!) so whatever it is later I hope it's strong.... 

probably some tramp juice, followed by gin

Gonna be tough, moreso after last night. They owe us for beating their kids too, could get really ugly. Personally am expecting to get beat by 2 or 3 at least and anything else will be a surprise. A point would be absolutely brilliant and 3 as likely as them actually getting a points deduction for their fans behaviour OR the media even acknowledging they were wrong.

Anyway as it is I would start:

                                                            Nyland

                                    Konsa             Mings              Hause

                   Elmo                         Drinkwater                      Taylor

                                 Luiz                McGinn          Jack

                                                      Samatta

based on stopping their wide supply line with those 6 around the middle we might, just might, get some ball retention. I'd start Samatta because Plop do seem to struggle more with smaller mobile players.

5 hours ago, sne said:

Yeah, Napoli had a season a while back where they scored a lot but I doubt anyone has scored a 100 in modern times.

And it's not like it's a season with an unusual number of goals scored all around, they've just been fantastic at attacking. And that's with playing in the CL as well. Something that often derails smaller clubs.

Yeah Napoli got 94 in 16/17, incidentally the only other team to get 90 in modern times is Roma with 90 the very same season. Juve's best is 86 despite their total dominance.

11 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

I don't even rate Wesley very much, but from what I've seen he's 10 times the player Samatta is

Pretty much agree, but would like to see them play together.

3 hours ago, rjw63 said:

Actually thinking about it, 8 "all star teams" will pretty much level the playing field for all, and it'll take just one great display to win the tie.

I like the sound of that.

Better than losing 12 of 14 and getting bored half way through.

Agreed and despite winning it a couple of times I think it would help those of us who don't have the knowledge of exactly who is going to be good or not. The rankings themselves help but aren't perfect either

AND it might mean that the playoffs aren't skewed massively by having players on 'winning' teams

1 hour ago, Keyblade said:

Just my luck I forgot to change my captain back from Jimenez (who I thought would run riot against us) to Aubameyang. 

It's the same GW! You couldn't have done both

15 hours ago, Adamus said:

Hello, I think I've won various versions of this league five times plus at least a couple of seconds and always rejoin this league automatically. I'd already decided to let someone else have a chance by not rejoining next year but actually let's freshen this year up too, I'm therefore resigning from the league which I imagine now looks very competitive (i can't see as I've left)

Good luck and have fun  

Nice sentiment but to me it just taints it fro who does win it now. Imagine if Juve did that in Serie A 

@Enda and @Rolta didn't say it didn't happen and that for a keeper it wasn't poor. All I was saying was is it wouldn't have been a goal had Davis not been there, therefore it was not calamitous.

1 hour ago, Enda said:

If Jack smashes in a worldy and the ref somehow misses it, are we supposed to pretend it didn’t happen? No we give fair credit to Jack and blame the ref.

Nyland was calamitous for that cross. Blame Davis if you like, but let’s not pretend it didn’t happen just because the ref missed it.

Calamitous! If Davis doesn't hit him nothing happens he has caught the ball and is moving towards but in front of the post. 

8 minutes ago, sne said:

Nah, I doubt it tbh.

And as for those 2. One was a goal, the other perhaps a penalty but possibly not.

Edit: just seen replays and highlights, did no watch the game.

Fair enough. The 'goal' may have been the spur we needed to really get on with it..... you never know and it's exactly why a decision in the 41st minute cannot be said to have 100% determined the outcome.

6 minutes ago, Zatman said:

I have seen articles recently from journalists praising Hourihane and comments underneath the articles all praising as well. I think the only people that dont rate him is Villa fans

I rate him as a squad player

I rate him as a dead ball taker

I don't rate him higher than any of the four more obvious selections - JM, JG, DL, MN.

Thought last night he was included to see if we could get back that relationship he had with Jack n John, unfortunately as decent as it was it didn't hit the necessary level. That said I would try it again as he does allow SJM to get forwards 

which does seem to be me arguing with myself! What I mean is it is only fair to start them all again v Chelsea

Anyone else think that the 'goal' not standing had some impact in nothing from VAR for the Mings shirt pull?

I personally don't think he was anywhere near the ball BUT we have seen penalties given for less this season. 

Those two instances sort of equal themselves out

Think that as with a couple of others he looks to be gym fit but not quite match fit, there is quite a difference. It will come

19 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

He's dreadful. Utterly dreadful.
He'll go down as a bit of a cult figure because of his performances against Leicester over the two legs, but make no mistake, he's a calamitous waste of space. 
I still can't get over the match against Forest where we drew 5-5 and they only had 5 shots. Last night, I don't even think SU had a shot and he still managed to gift them a goal.

There are plenty of issues outfield right now but we have a massive, massive problem between the sticks. Get Steer back quick. 

People keep mentioning that 5-5 but the only one he was at any real fault for was Lolley's, had that been Conor at the other end we wouldn't say it was poor keeping would we??? 

Yes he got beat near post for the equaliser but it takes a big deflection off Axel 

25 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

The handling had nothing to do with it. Yes he didn't claim it above his head but he brought it into his chest as a recovery exactly how he should have. Had he caught it above his head he'd have still been barged into by Davis and the outcome would have been the same.

Again I don't rate the guy. I think he's a crap keeper. But I think people are being harsh on him here.

Exactly how I saw it last night and watching it again pretty much frame by frame today my opinion hasn't changed. He had the ball cleanly and was in control until Davis bumped him. He isn't the only keeper to get caught on crosses like that, in fact I think every keeper I've ever seen has had an issue like that at some point (Ronaldinho v Seaman in WC for one).

Had he pushed it over like I believe he should do for 100% safety, no doubt he would get slated for not catching it. 

I differ from you in that I firmly believe he will turn out to be a very good keeper.

2 minutes ago, smg said:

Just a hunch but Davies might enjoy playing in an empty stadium than Samatta 

I think a few of our players migh, especially with the position we are in. Up til now we have been supportive but if we were not winning by 20mins then every misplaced pass, iff tackle etc would get an audible reaction. We are one of the worst sets of fans for that

1 minute ago, The_Steve said:

No ball boys. Be interesting to see what happens if a few balls get skied over.

Aren't the replacement balls all being placed around the pitch, including them being cleaned whenever one goes off the pitch?

2 minutes ago, tonyh29 said:

Not impressed by that team selection 

I’ll hang fire on the Smith out stuff just in case we win 8-0 but ....yuck 

Sit down, grab a shandy and be pleasantly surprised. The one thing CH does give is a decent working relationship with SJM and Jack.

as expected 35mins til we kick off and Sky Main Event is all City v Arse......

Little bump for this as the football is actually back