Gary Thomas

Not started well this second half....been coming

Great set set piece!

We had the best chance by far

And West Midlands schools chess champion

Feel the same and also think the crowd will be bang up for this given its importance and the history of this fixture. Have a sneaky feeling we will win this convincingly and make a bit of a statement.

We love you Dean, take no notice mate! UTV

I have no idea what our team will be, this season is such a contrast to last year when it was the same 11 each week. Can't wait to see our full strength side, whatever that is, and whenever it is possible! Keeps things interesting I suppose.

What a goal

Get in!!!

Chukwuemeka looks so strong

great goal

Was going to post something similar. The SJM chant is great and the Buendia song will be good once it takes hold. I wish those that start these things could come up with similar songs for our other key players e.g. Martínez, Cash, Targett, Konsa, Mings, Luiz and Watkins. That would help the atmosphere and lift the players.

I get the concern about our defence, especially if we try to play with a two in the middle (which we won't today), but lets remember our defense was pretty good last year with the same midfield. We finsihed beating tottenham and chelsea and had a record number of clean sheets.

Agreed. Hopefully Bailey comes on second half fired up and is attacking towards the Holte. Should be fun!!

Can't wait for this. UTV!!!!

Selection was all wrong and we looked miles off it. Much better second half with changes. Lots of WORK to do.

Just had this e-mail.... VillaTV Subscription details - u23s vs Nottingham Forest Thank you for your subscription to Aston Villa’s pre-season fixtures on VillaTV over the summer, we hope you enjoyed our live coverage as the club stepped up preparations for the forthcoming 2021/22 Premier League campaign. Looking ahead, we’re excited to bring you plenty of premium content across VillaTV over the course of the season ahead, including Academy matches to watch our Young Lions in action and full re-runs of men’s first-team matches. Due to broadcast regulations restricting live coverage of PL2 matches at the same time as Premier League fixtures are taking place, we’re unable to bring you Friday night’s encounter against Nottingham Forest live from Bodymoor Heath. However, access to the full match stream will be available on demand at a time to suit you from 10pm (BST) on the night of the fixture. The club’s first-team fixture against Watford on Saturday will be available to view in its entirety from 12am (BST) on Sunday morning. We look forward to sharing with you plenty of exclusive content on VillaTV throughout the 2021/22 campaign. Up The Villa!

Indeed. Indeed. Indeed. Indeed

Just caught Emiliano on Sky this morning basically saying "Villa's a big club mate. We want to get into Europe. We're going to go for it." I love him. Top goal keeper and a brilliant charecter that just ozzes confidence. He is making me a beliver!!

I actually think Mings has a decent passing range, but he is too slow and ponderous on the ball sometimes. It is often what gets him into trouble. The knock on effect is we can look pedestrian. If he could work on that side of his game, and reduce the silly errors, he has all the attributes to take us forward IMO. Perhaps the crowds being back might add some pressure on him, and the team more generally, to pass the ball forward and more quickly.

Bye Jack. Was angry and disappointed in him a few days ago, but already feels like old news and don't wish him ill. Just feels like an irrelevance now - a sideshow and nothing more. I am quite amazed how positive I feel about it all, almost relieved it's nearly over. It certainly doesn't hurt as much as I thought it would. I suppose 100m and signing new exciting players will do that. Just want to focus on our players now and honestly can't wait to get down Villa park and support them all - new and old. Very proud of our club and our team. UTV

MAIL HEADLINE: "VILLA MANAGER SNUBS GREALISH AS HE SAYS GOODBYE."

And you just know the media and pundits will be all over us, making the club look bloody terrible at every patronzing opportunity they get. The knock-on effect of him leaving are so big. The impact of fans slating Jack on our current players, the message it sends to our good players and young prospects, the ability to attract players and so on. If he goes, I don't think the money will come close to compensating for the negative fallout, not for some time anyway. I still believe in our owners big time and still believe (hope) he stays another year. If we don't make Europe this year, OK go with all our blessing and get your medels and we we'll manage and prepare for it. But not now, like this when we are so bloody close and the season is about the start!

I was just watching this video with Johnathan Barnett. He talks about Jack around 1:35. I know things have moved on massively since May, but taking a bit of cold comfort from his agent saying, "he could stay; he could stay as well" (1:50). That, and we have great owners with big ambitions for the club and experience of managing a similar situation at the Bucks. If there is no clause, I don't think he goes this year. We'll know very soon either way.