Keener window-cleaner

Well that was a short honeymoon. I still think it looked like had quality, good first touch, mobile, ok link up play, nose for goal and scored alot this season.

I agree, with all the talent that Grealish has I would expect him to pick out Hogan or make the killer pass more often. I think that's a problem for us that we don't have enough midfielders who plays the through balls, we often play it out wide for Adomah or Snodgrass to dribble or cross. I'm not yet fully convinced if it is the others who can't pick out Hogans runs or if it is Hogans runs that are good enough, probably it's simply more a question of the understanding between the players that comes with playing more together and practicing on the training ground.

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I don't think I have had any problems with it, has worked great for me (to be picky I'd like some more zoom-ins during the game). Last game it looked like it would be only audio when it was a couple of minutes left, but I just randomly clicked around the site and and then the picture came up.

Interesting point, I've said before that I think Hogan is better when Grealish plays because he can pick out his runs. But perhaps it's also the other way around, that Hogans pressing and pushing their back line means that Grealish gets more space compared with forwards who falls back and draggs defenders with them more than Hogan can do.

Holy baloney.

What were the bizarre tactics?

Wonderful to see a game where I could be relaxed the whole game, just enjoying the play and see us score!

We create a half chance in every attack, coming closer and closer, I'd stick with the same and have patience, continue like this and we will score soon

Bacuna is playing for them, come on Leo give us one of those back passes now!

I have a good feeling about this, I think Hogan will score a few.

I haven't said many good things about Gabby over the last years and I think it's good that he will leave the club, he should have left even earlier. But I do hope that the club shows it's class and what Villa are all about and give him a proper and worthy goodbye in the last home game. And I would like all the fans to give him a good round of applause (and if it doesn't feel good, just applaude for the fact that he's leaving). He's a Villa lad, he has been at the club for 17 years, he is our leading Premier League scorer. He has given us some wonderful memories, not at least his goals against BFC. On the minus side, the last years have been schambolic, his attitude and antics the season we went down is near unforgiveable. And I always had the feeling that he should and could have done much more. I do feel a little bit sorry for him though, he doesn't seem to be the sharpest knife in the drawer and I'm not sure if it was fair to excpect him to be a leader or club captain and put that pressure on him. I do have some sympathy for him, regardless of how much the club decided to pay him. When a player is leaving that has been with us for 17 years, I think we should look at the bigger picture than the last years and judge him for what he has done over the whole time here. I think we in this situation should send the signal to the kids at the club and others that we take care of our own, and don't hang them out to dry. He shall not get a new contract, he hasn't deserved his wage the last years, but he deserves to be applauded off the pitch and get a worthy good bye for what he has done during the 17 years at the club. It would be in the best interest of the club not be petty-minded but to show it's class.

"Asked about his likely tactics, McLeish said: I don't think it's rocket science, when you talk about styles." (http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/11300891/alex-mcleish-says-he-has-always-tried-to-incorporate-sir-alex-ferguson39s-style-of-play) We noticed that yes.... I hope Snoddy doesn't even come near that team, I'm afraid of what it would do to him.

Looked like he had watched some videos of Bacuna, hey headless sideways passing straight to an opponent so they can get a free run at our defence, that looks like a good idé, I'll try it!

Throwing in 3 strikers and playing 4 of them at the same time was a bit of a deja vu from the Di Matteo school of desperation, have we done that this season?

I fully agree, we shouldn't make ourselves any illusions, this is the Villa we are. We don't have any real attacking game plan and no plan b. We are set up to be hard to beat and we rely on some individuals moments of brilliance or normal grit or luck to score goals. It works more times than not, but now and again we will get results like this. It wasn't a particular bad performance from us, nor any shocking tactical faults this time, it was just the way it is. Had we had a bit of luck and gotten the first goal we probably would have won. BUt this is the Villa we are and that's why we probably wont get into the top two. We have a good chance of play offs though, which in itself it a bit of a roulette, but I'm still optimistic!!

Anyone know how he's doing?

I get a whiff of a particular soft cheese, anyway I hope he stays in line during the game and doesn't breach any rules.

Feels like a fresh breeze of air in the line up.

I agree with the booing part, for me it would take quite much before I would start booing the players. The booing is a bad habit. But I don't buy the picture that we were rock bottom in terms of confidence 18 months ago and heading in the same direction as Sunderland are now. I think there are some important differences. Sunderland is in a complete shambles, they are litterarly rock bottom in the league, they have an owner who has wanted out for some time and is ready to give the club away. We on the other hand had a new owner with one of our largest (the largest?) net spend in a summer, and there was a feel good factor at the club. We had some mixed performances and lost some games, but mainly it was because of all our draws that we slipped down the table and was under the middle of the table for a period. There was a period of gloom where Di Matteo was questioned and we looked like we would blow our chances to get promoted. But I wouldn't call it rock bottom or a risk of getting to the shambles Sunderland are in now. The state the club was in the season before that though I would say we were heading in the Sunderland direction, or could even say that we actually were there.

I understand what you're saying and I partly agree, both players individually and the team collectively will have ups and downs during a season, will be lucky to win or unlucky to lose at times. What made me react was what I thought was shocking tactical decisions from the management team in the second half, no more no less.

That's a good point. We could however have played Elmo, Bree or Thor as a make shift left back. As was pointed out it led to Adomah and Grealish mostly spending time in our own half instead of in the opposition half. I hope this was the once in 6 months-routine of trying 3 at the back, and that it is abandonned as fast as the last times it hasn't worked. Alternatively we should work on it much more in training so that the players know what to do.

I'm still angry!!!!

Because some players, especially the ones over 30, get tired by playing 3 games in 8 days? And you thought the tactical switch in the second half worked out well? I usually don't overreact or jump on a Bruce-out bandwagon after we lose or play bad, but today I fully blame the management team. That wasn't a ridiculous comment at all imo.

Ok, if you go 5-3-2 one more time you're out.