tinker

Bailey to score the winner Saturday, he's better than what we have seen, he's not playing with any freedom and looks like he's playing with an enormous amount of pressure on him.

Reckon Newcastle will press our back 4, leaving space behind. We have to take our chances while they over commit and force them back. If we can get a goal ahead then they will have to push forward even more, really excited about this game, Emery V''s Howe, fascinating.

They finished 4 points ahead of us last season, had a good season this time around and are 9 points ahead of us. Beating them at home is hardly punching above our weight, it's where we should be. Beating Chelsea away is punching above our weight.

Should be a good game, nice to measure ourselves against them as they seem to have improved at a higher rate than us but I suppose that's to do with Gerrard and his attempt to fucX us up for 9 months. We are only 9 points behind them, 6 if we can beat them, after such a crap start from us and a good start from them is quite incredible. Had a little read of their forum, its quite an eye opener, seem to have more than their fair share of knuckle draggers ( we have at least 1) promising to rain hell on Aston, 3 page match thread , ain't that impressive. An over reliance on Brummie Barry from some German program that had a leading cast of Newcastle residents showing their higher intellectual capacity while pissing it up and living in a shed. Reckon a draws about right from this, I hope they get top 4 at the expense of the established , big clubs but want us to get top 6 (3 points would be very nice) Next season I hope we will be up there with them. Emery seems to have us on course, has Howe hit his ceiling? 2-2

He's a fan who has seen a gap in the market and filled it. YouTube content on the villa is sadly lacking and its an opportunity for fans to fill it with content, if they dont then others will, even if they are not villa fans. Noticed a vlogger for forest had his highest viewing figures for the villa fixture, people make money from these vloggs, it's a highly targeted audience. If you don't like it then start your own or shut up.

I can understand fans saying we are boring to watch when compared to our games in the past, but........ We can control games now from the back, dictate the tempo. It's frustrating when we need a goal but once we have that goal then it's vital we can control the tempo. How many times have we been winning in a game and gave goals away, played to the other teams tempo and let the game become a ping pong ball type affair with chances at both ends of the pitch until someone scores. (Often it's ain't us) We are not the finished article but this season has shown his ideas work, even with players that have had to learn a new way, players like Mings and Konsa who were so far away from being ball playing CD, the change is nothing short of amazing. Credit to him and the players.

He will do well there, they have some great players who just need a bit of nudge. Terry going there will help shore up the defence, pleased for him.

I would say he has the highest chance of success out of all our young players, from the limited amount of games I have seen him play. He's a clever player on the ball, great vision and finds a pass to match it, off the ball he finds space and gives his players an option to pass to him. More than anything he wants to be involved, never hides and he's always on the move. No swaggering about.

Great loan move for him, he's looking good , very good. Another season out on loan and he's ready.

Wouldn't want to be the first pilot to find out if they have run out.

Loan him out to Leicester when their in the championship next season, see if he can fill Vardys boots.

Thought the same, few missed passes and clumsy in challenging as well, heart in the mouth a few times. He wasn't alone , McGinn was quiet and Ramsey struggled as well. Hopefully 6 days off will give em a boost as its going to be a hard battle again Newcastle who are physically strong in the middle. Would love a fit Kamara back but reckon with Bailey looking like his out we could see another midfielder pushed in so McGinn can cover Bailey.

Nothing Gerrard did kept us up, Smith would have, given time, he was a far better manager than Gerrard who alienated our captain, funked Target off for Dignes, at considerable expense, and generally caused more damage than he was ever worth, I reckon he would have taken this team down, a top 6 team, that's how bad he was. Smith should have gone the summer before he went , but for a proven manager. We have had so many bridesmaids but never a bride until Emery, an inspiring appointment and we should never again take chances with our managers, proven or no go.

Yea he was good, gave me some great times, Ollies better

Its no surprise, the 3rd Arsenal goal against us was clearly offside but it was given. Makes you wonder how many of these decisions happen in a season and what the league would look like without them. VAR gives the officials a second chance to put the errors right and far to often both sets get it wrong, we need VAR officials who are independent to the refs.

With Bailey out it would be lovely to have him back so McGinn can push out and play right wing and support Young. Have we any news on his progress?

Don't play the name, play the game?

Strange game, we had good possession but lacked the composure to finish it with the wrong decisions, passes and being indecisive. I really think Coutinho's class could add something for us up front but we may never see it. Emery was going mental at some of the careless balls forward we were playing, turning over possession cheaply. Head in his hands at a McGinn punt forward that lost possession. Forest didn't really press us and at 1-0 up we could have just passed the ball across the back 4 and seen the game out , boring but we need a balance between that and losing possession cheaply , which is what we kept doing. Moreno was my motm but it could easily have been Mings, Martinez, Young or Ollie. Ref let some heavy tackles go unpunished early on and this was wrong. He also got involved to often when he didnt need to, a real Mr me, dreadful.

A small squad and injuries will hurt us, the midfield looked jaded against forest, Doug , McGinn and Ramsey. Be handy if Kamara was fit and Cash but it doesn't seem likely. Even if we don't get Europe this has been an amazing turn around. Give Emery a transfer window (Moreno has been arguably our best signing in 2 seasons) and a full season and our ceiling is very high, top 4 high. Even saying that is unbelievable.

Getting better and better, this guys a machine. Imagine a full season on this form.

The way we are playing now I think Coutinho could still have a part to play. He's tidy in possession and can create from nothing, it's my feeling, once he's fit he will play a big part for us, don't right this guy off yet .

Errrrr That's a step to far, IMHO.

Bailey wasn't great creatively but he wasn't as bad giving the ball away as he had been. The role as a creator in a possession based team is very difficult one, a doubled edged sword, they have to take risks but not cheap ones. Kamara would undoubtedly be a benefit with McGinn pushed out in Baileys role. If we need a goal late on then Bailey can come on. Young has been fantastic for us but he's 37 and 3 games in 7 days is a lot to ask. I wouldn't bet against him though, he's complete freak, amazing.

The team we have now is Smiths, all bar Moreno, their attitudes and characters were picked by Smith, they all wanted to learn and had that in their personalities and Smith picked them because of it. Gerrard didn't give a flying about being nice, he wanted to win at all costs and if you didn't fit that ideology then you was struck out. I think part of the improvement Emery has given us down to the characters that were assembled by Smith, add Emerys football knowledge to that and you have a super charged Smith team. Smith took us as far.as he could, Emery is a league above that, but his success is partly built on Smiths foundations, IMHO.

You can't blame Slippy G for taking the job, it's who picked him that's made the mistake. It was so obvious that he wasn't suitable for us after Smith, their characters are completely different and that meant there management style was as well. Slippy G will never be able to manage at club level, he hasn't got the depth of character.