Mjvilla

I know you don't respond to my posts anymore Tro, but I have a theory on this... The theory does sort of back up your early season concerns... I think we have a lot of defenders/defensive minded players who read the game well. So, against the top sides when the ball is kept almost exclusively on the deck, we find it easier. The defenders read the game, intercept and put themselves in the right position. I have no stats to back me up, but we know stats can tell a lie. Now, against teams like Burnley and I'd put west ham in this bracket too, when they use an aerial threat and physical presence, we find it tougher. Now, I'm not saying we need to go out and buy a soucek (as good in the air he is, I think he is limited technically and wouldn't fit our style). It's up to Smith, Terry and the rest of the coaching staff to find a way of rectifying this issue. I don't want us to change our style because it's bloody brilliant to watch. Everything has improved exponentially so I have no doubt that the improvements will be made where necessary!

Exactly this. Within an hour of the game finishing the other night I had read 1. Alot of players were going to leave in the summer if we don't qualify for Europe. 2. Criticism of a number of players and management. 3. One poster even said 'im embarrassed to be a villa fan'. 4. Our form is poor because we've lost 4 out of 5. Despite the caveats and performance levels we are showing. Literally couldn't be further from how I feel. The whole of the watching public saw a fantastic villa performance full of imagination and flair. We are a work in progress (look where we were 2 years ago) and it shows. Burnley was signs there is still work to be done, but also showed how far we have come. Definitely take a couple of days out after a defeat. Much easier for the mind. Plus, if this is Martinez's worst game in a villa shirt, then his performance levels have obviously been of a extremely high standard. But then, we knew that already didnt we?

Definitely thought he struggled against Burnley. Looked slow and off the pace for me. Looked a bit of a passenger. Not many teams play the way Burnley do, west ham will next week. IF we take our chances, we should win... But if we don't then we need to make sure we defend better. Against Southampton, when they press high, then dougie will be just fine as he is so comfortable on the ball. Next week, against West ham, do we try and negate their aerial presence and have a bit more physicality in there, or try and play our own game? I would always try and play our own game, we are bloody good at it. But I get the calls for a slight switch in midfield, even if I wouldn't do so myself.

Can only echo all the comments on here really. Turning into a fantastic defender, he really is. He isn't a fashionable name, but deserves an England call up more so than Mings for me. £12m. An absolute snip.

Don't get the criticisms of him, in all honesty. Hes a footballer who wants to play football. He wants to win. He wants to score and create goals. He can't do that sitting on the bench. I'm of the opinion that this is never a bad thing.

Agree. Also, think we need to be more clinical in front of goal and take those chances when they come.

I think this is the point though. That ISNT the rule. It's NOT. At no point has this been the rule. The rule they are using to justify it is being incorrectly used. Remember Ashley Young's first goal in the 3-2 win at Everton where jagielka plays it back and Ashley young is stood offside but receives the ball and scores. THAT. THATS WHAT THIS RULE IS FOR. They've used it incorrectly, and I feel like a bloody conspiracy theorist trying to explain it. No one has questioned the receive Vs challenge point in the rule. Which is the real question here. If rodri is deemed to have received it from Mings, then that is the only way it could be considered legal. He didnt, he challenged Mings for it. I don't understand how they've completely changed the whole offside law to justify what happened the other night.

For me, the rule isn't wrong. That rule is designed for such incidents as the Ashley young first goal at Everton in the 3-2 win under O'Neill. When jagielka misplaced his backpass. The rule is fine. The officiating and use of the rules is bizarre at best and underhand at worst.

Didn't Chelsea sign drogba from Marseille at the age of 26? Turned out to be a terrible signing that.

So, what has Watkins done that means he gets the bad luck of the VAR decisions against West ham and west brom? He works hard, fights and battles for every ball. He is making his own luck, he's just not getting any. Youve had some words for his runs, he's still getting in the positions to miss chances. I fear you're being over harsh on him here. The only thing I would say is perhaps he could become a bit more nasty and learn the dark arts a bit. He is maybe abit too nice. But, for a striker with a handful of premier league games to his name, he's doing a fantastic job, for me.

Always a good sign the manager is doing well when his thread keeps nearly dropping into page 2. What a man.

Exactly, and what I was getting at. @blandy was spot on and I was wrong in that VAR never made the actual decision. But the VAR is not blameless in this at all. And if they are getting it wrong using the technology, then there's huge problems somewhere.

Completely agree with this. Will add though that last season was an awful environment for these players (nakamba comes to mind) to basically learn the PL trade. Completely new, young squad, which basically wasn't good enough for the PL. Constant criticism towards the manager, their performances. It can't have been nice. They needed time, and a bit of pressure off. There isn't any pressure on those lads now, they can adapt and settle in a bit easier. The squad looks extremely closely knit now and it's amazing to see. Long may it continue.

He was shit up untill just recently.

I see this red card has now been overturned. Shows how shocking the decision was, and it was made by VAR. This shows that the system is wrong and flawed in so many ways.

Which is exactly what you have there in bamford. If you have played football at any level of the game, it's clearly an unnatural movement of the right leg if you're going to shoot. He needs to swivel and shoot with his right foot. Planting his foot that far away from his body is the worst attempt at a swivel. He's intentionally stamped on Mings and fallen over. How one can see anything other than this is beyond me. It's a clear stamp and dive and look at the ref in an attempt to make it look worse. Mings isn't innocent, we've all seen the one incident against United. The pulling of bamford by the shirt is clearly a reaction to the blatant dive and the history bamford has for cheating like this (el ghazi). He shouldn't have done what he did, however.

It depends on how ready konsa is to play 2 games in 3 days. He will start one of these games for sure. Think I'd rather him in for the Chelsea game to be honest.

To me, this doesn't make sense. We play Chelsea 2 days after Palace. It would make sense to rest someone for Palace knowing full well they start at Chelsea when Barkley will rest. Tell the player rested that they start at Chelsea and the reasoning behind it. It's a squad game, this time of year the squad needs using. They are professionals and will deal with it accordingly. The bigger decision will come after Chelsea for me.

Came in here to have a look at opinions on the Newcastle decision last night. Watching the game (no sound as I cannot stand most of the commentary), when it went to VAR, I presumed it was to see if there was a foul. Clearly there wasn't and I presumed the ref was being sent over to reverse his decision. Imagine my surprise when he brandishes a red card and it's a penalty. Absolutely shocking. Absolutely shocking. How they can justify it is absolutely embarrassing.

So, his name is rabbi. His parents are from the Congo. He was born in the UK. His name has no reference to anything religious, it's actually pronounced rabee. The Jewish community have news articles referencing his name and how it's sparked interest amongst them. A poster posts a very innocent picture based on the aforementioned links. I'd be very, very careful accusing people of racism when it's not there. Especially when your post is, in fact, far more racist than the post you quoted.

It's nice to finally be getting results away from home I must say. We seem to have found a formula to win away from home. But we must match that to our home form. Burnley is a big test to see where we are. And if our home form is reason to be concerned or not.

How do you know the club told him to shut it down? Do you really believe the bit in bold to be true if they are then happy to allow Mings to post what he did, referencing it and bringing it back into the media spotlight? Do you really think, club or himself, would shut down his social media if it was just a few fans saying he's had a bad game or something? That would be incredibly, incredibly naive.

It's also the treatment of footballers like they aren't humans too. Watching the interview with el ghazi after the game, he's clearly a well spoken, nice and honest chap. Probably a popular guy in the dressing room and part of this closely knit bunch we have, why is it ok to treat someone like that badly?

You think it was just some 'constructive criticism' that caused el ghazi to shut down his social media? Lansbury the same? You can say there's a difference all you want, to be quite honest it has nothing to do with what @lexicon said. But to make someone shut down their social media is obviously taking it too far. I'm sure there have been lots of comments aimed at Mings which are unsavoury. I don't do social media at all. Idiots like those mentioned are the reason why. To try and defend people by saying it's 'constructive criticism' when quite clearly in some cases it isn't, is putting you on the same level as those people, IMO