Stratvillan

32 minutes ago, Zatman said:

Jedi legs wont take him through a complete 46 game season so I would play him sparingly next season to get best out of him

All away games and a few home games.

Interesting discussion. I like him as a player, but if we play him and Jedi in the same team we lack a lot going forward. I see them both playing away but only one at home next season...........

but out which one?

Starting to annoy me now. Lots of music blaring so no one sings, then game kicks off and it's silent. Go back to the silent movie theme from the 80s. 

Happy with win, terrible performance. The squad is so imbalanced, we desperately need a number 9 so Kodjia can play wider, and also a Hughes type player who goes past someone in midfield. I thought that Grealish would be that player but.......

the defence would be good enough to get us promoted if we scored goals. If........

ah well, onto Tuesday.

He was non existent today - we can't start with him as our no 9 next year. He should be widish!

5 hours ago, dukes said:

Of course the north stand is dated, of course parts of the stadium need bringing up to date. There is probably her a perfect time to do so, but at a time when we are on current form the worst team in the division and sitting just 6 points above the relegation zone, this is for sure not the right time.

 

Anyway it would be nice to think we could replace the ancient North Stand with the Button, two pieces of string and a carrot we'd get for the players you mention :-)

Think string and a carrot might be pushing it!

9 hours ago, dukes said:

Develop the ground with what money ? As I understand it if we don't get promoted next season we are totally messed up. Does fair play allow us to spend money on the ground without it affecting the ratio of income to expenditure ? I doubt it.

Last summer would have been a good time to have done this work, but for obvious reasons it was all too soon.

Knowing what we know now about this division and how hard it's been for us, should we really invest in something that's already head and shoulders above most grounds in the league ?

When we get promoted, and we will, it may be next year or a couple of years after, the ground is increasingly becoming dated. The perfect time to update it is when we are not going to use all of it. In terms of money it'll cost less now than in 3 years time. When we go up we will need to spend the money on the team.  If we are not going to develop the ground because we are currently down and out, it sends out the type of short term ism which has been evident on the pitch over the last 5 years. The prospect of playing in the prem. with 3 stands, a new team (stage 2), and a reduced capacity and reduced atmosphere doesn't bode well. 

I don't know about the financial situation, none of us do, so wether we are totally messed up is conjecture -spending 20m (?) on a new  North stand is only selling RmC, and our loan players. ( Vertout, Sanchez, Gil -judging by the reviews of all 3 on VT since they've left they are well worth it)!

Form is temporary -class is permanent, off the pitch we have to think like a big team, not an average championship team, otherwise we will be down in the championship for ever. On the pitch we need quality players with a championship work ethic.

We have to realistic, but still ambitious -easier said than done!

9 minutes ago, villa4europe said:

i think on one hand now is exactly the time to do it, we have the upper trinity shut, reopen it, close the north

i dont know if im seeing between the lines we will play a big part in Brums commonwealth games bid and in return we will get some favours when it comes to planning and who knows maybe even rates afterwards, its all about timing with the big city plan, enterprise zones, the commonwealth games, HS2, these economic zones and the advanced manufacturing hub etc

I agree, attendances will dip next year one way or another. It's the perfect time to rebuild the North Stand (where I sit), and squeeze(lol) the fans in the other 3 stands. We've proven that spending money won't get us up, we might as well redevelop the ground with the money, and create a climate of a club on the up.

12 hours ago, KHV said:

He is right though. £15m on Scott Hogan is a complete joke. The bloke didn't even manage 40 games in 3 years at Brentford. It's **** ridiculous money which is why we are going the same way as Leeds. Pissing money away in a reckless fashion. 

Slightly misleading, was made up of 2 serious injuries to different parts of his body.

Was like watching an oleary team, happy to lose 2-0.

honest bunch of lads.

2 minutes ago, jackbauer24 said:

Bruce f*cked that up; he says he's playing a back three but with Hutton and Taylor he's really playing 5-3-2 and we're losing the midfield battle on numbers and lacking any width. Far too negative a set up.

I'd rather no Elphick and another midfielder (Adomah links midfield to attack best). No point calling for a change of manager though...I'm beyond hoping that things will ever change...

Bruce's fault. If you play 3 centre halves you have 2 play 2 attacking wing backs, not Taylor and Hutton. Green and Adomah, amavi and Adomah not the two he choose, gave the midfield no where to pass to. 

Aargh!

Think we will win. This is stage two of the rebuilding. Once they settle and Bruce sorts out his style of play we'll be fine -ready for next season.

10 minutes ago, AVFCDAN said:

I honestly don't know why people are still worrying about how many points off the playoffs we are, you need to be winning every other game in this league to worry about going up. Can anyone honestly see us doing that? We are just as close to the relegation zone.

Just trying to be positive. / deluded. 

10 points off play offs 

couldn't say anything positive about the game.

Sky says it's a loan deal, with a view to buy. He'll be back then!

Apart from Hutton, that could apply to most of our team over the last 4 years. 

1 minute ago, lexicon said:

He has technical ability but that doesn't make him 'a good little player'. Contributed nothing defensively or to the attack and cost us with his constant cowardice. Good riddance. 

Think cowardice is strong. Has been a constant part of a constantly underperforming team though. Doesn't make him a coward or anything other than an overrated midfielder.

Balancing the squad. 

33 minutes ago, terrytini said:

However uninspiring he is we can't complain at having a weak midfield then ship both him and Tish out having bought three in.

He can go in the summer if we find a decent replacement but for now needs to stay as back up, albeit a not particularly effective one.

We will still have Jedi, Gardner and Bacuna for Back up.

get rid of anyone we can! ( if anyone wants them)!

On 27 January 2017 at 17:49, Woodytom said:

Really has no excuses for me now. Bought well and now it's time for the dreadful football and poor results to end. Simple as. 

This is one shower of shit league and bar abother striker, we have easily the 2nd best squad. 

Have to agree it's only competitive because there's not a lot of quality. We now have a squad that looks balanced enough to challenge. I think it might be a bit late for this season though.

It does show that when we all jump to judgements when players are sold / moved on , we never quite know the full reasons. ( I was annoyed when Golini moved on) now I'm not! 

Wonder what we don't know about rmc.

1 hour ago, jon_c said:

nah, in this day and age it's the managers job to deflect all the blame onto your players.

How is it Bruce's fault for rm behaviour. He isn't deflecting he's saying he can't pick our only centre forward because he can't be arsed to train. If youre criticising him for this what would you like him to do? We gave a youth player a start, had another on the bench and that's it for the forwards - that isn't deflecting it's explaining. 

1 hour ago, dont_do_it_doug. said:

Accountability Steve, this is your team now, you're the boss. Make it work. 

Not his players though. This is why he needs time to build. 

4 hours ago, Michael118 said:

He's not a player I would have signed.

Who would you have signed?

Fair point. I'm not defending him, just saying it's too easy to blame forwards when we are not scoring. No one at this level scores in their only chance of the game, (Regularly). If they did they wouldn't be at this level. How many chances does Kodjia miss a game?