DaveAV1

27 minutes ago, Grasshopper said:

There is only one true Grasshopper

But can you walk the rice paper?

3 hours ago, DJ_Villain said:

The hugging and kissing?

or the scoring?

Sadly the later, the side effect being the former!

14 minutes ago, a m ole said:

One more game and some of you guys don't have to watch any more until August!

Ah but we're drawn like moths to the flame 

Quite right too, none of this new man, bloke hugging how's your father. It's bad enough with the players hugging and kissing when they score. Although we seem to have managed to cut that down considerably over the last few seasons.........

1 hour ago, TRO said:

Hey Dave hold on a minute.....you could be right, I could be wrong and I will be the first to come on here and say so.

and incidently, I have often chuckled at Blind Faith, so I know exactly what you are saying.

Look.....without all the explanations and reasoning.....Despite watching football at present fit for the rubbish tip.....I still think he is the right manager for us ant this time and I think he will get us up.....but I don't know when.

He has just said today he will be having a busy summer, so that tell me many changes.

Its not Blind Faith Dave......rightly or wrongly.....I still don't think this team is balanced and I still don't think enough of our players dominate their position and dominate the ball.

and futhermore, I do not support stability, just for the sake of it......but I do think we desperately need some.

This job is not too big for Steve Bruce and he has plenty of support in Steve Round etc.....But what I do feel passionately about, is its not a job that can be turned around as quick as some of us seem to think is can......such is where we have come from.

Just my Opinion, nothing more nothing less.

I really do hope you're right TRO because he is definitely going to start next season with us and I want to win every game and storm the league. I just don't have as much faith in him, blind or otherwise, that you do. I think by now we should be seeing signs of a consistent plan and players should be more comfortable with each other. Because when players are more at home playing together things like poor first touches and stray passes become less frequent. 

By the way I don't have a problem with a little blind faith, after all we are supporters and should be supportive. Sometimes blind faith is all we have to cling on to!

4 minutes ago, TRO said:

Oh we are jumping to another angle now.....could be him, could be Steve Round......but SB must have rubber stamped it, must be his fault.

Is it game of just keep going until you can blame him for something......its convenient, just blame the manager, we have had enough of them another on might as well take the blame.

Do you blame Klopp for signing Benteke, seems ok now at palace.....Klopp must be rubbish.

Give him a break mate, who ever is at fault, not every decision will be right.

This is a much bigger job than you imagine.

ps He is not going anywhere, so my advice is embrace it or drive yourself nuts.

 

TRO I like a lot of what you say, it's always well put with reasons behind it, even if I don't always agree with everything. However I have to say that your defence of Steve Bruce does at times sound a little on the blind faith side. Some posters are criticised for not being able to see the good in Steve Bruce but at times you seem to see only good. Please don't take this wrongly, but no manager is perfect, even I get somethings wrong from the comfort of my screen.......

He was the only player who started that realised we were playing a derby. The only other who got it was obviously Gabby. 

Perhaps Mike Phelan wouldn't be a bad addition to the coaching squad. A good assistant often shapes the style and set up of the team. Often managers careers are depended on who is behind them. 

Does anyone know who was Bruce's assistant manager and/or 1st team coach at Hull?

2 hours ago, Villan_of_oz said:

I'm 38 and still fighting the battle of giving up ciggies. Needless to say I randomly stopped smoking yesterday. Hopefully this time I make it. 

Does anyone know how he is. Hope the big U is recovering. 

Try vaping. I've never smoked but my business partner has smoked all his life until he tried vaping. He hasn't had a fag for, I think, 5 years this summer. It's worked for him and he always had a roll up in his mouth.  In fact it's become his hobby, he makes and collects box mods now. 

21 minutes ago, markavfc40 said:

Remember watching his debut against Norwich and thinking he was way out of his depth. How wrong I was as he was an excellent defender and was a rock alongside Macca and Southgate.

Shocking if it is a heart attack at 44 and puts things into perspective for me as I am only a year younger.

Good luck to the big fella.

I'm 10 years older and just slightly less fit than Ugo. I've just moved an Easter egg out of reach!

1 hour ago, TrentVilla said:

Cracking player for us (other than his first game v Norwich) and really nice bloke. He was an unbelievable fit guy as well.

Speedy recovery big fella

I recall that Norwich game well. Big Ron was his gaffer then and coined the phrase, "Having a Ugo" for anyone who cocked up in training or had a bad game. That was great man management by Ron, making a joke of it and in doing so helping him to quickly move on. And move on from it he did, a great defender in a much happier era for us. 

Get well soon big fella. 

2 hours ago, sparrow1988 said:

Modern football? Do you think it was a better game in the 60's when the best footballer in the world got the shit kicked out of him and had to leave the World Cup after the opposing team spent the game borderline assaulting him while it all went unpunished?

It was a red card - tap in the back or 3 broken ribs. If the authorities want to cut this type of shit out of the game then a red card is the only course of action. It's similar to uncontrolled tackles where the tackler launches himself at the recipient, elbows in the head, leaving the foot in when a defender is clearing the ball just to let him know you're there etc. They should all be automatic red cards if they are to be stamped out. At the moment they are rarely red cards unless damage is done, sometimes not even a yellow.

No I obviously don't think the football was better in the 60s and agree dangerous play and deliberate acts likely to seriously hurt an opponent should have no place in any era. However Kodjia's was a foolish, heat of the moment act of petulant retaliation. He shouldn't have done it but to compare it to the type of violent acts you've listed is somewhat unfair on the lad. A mistake made, not the type of thing that needs stamping out. My reference to the modern game was directed more at Fredericks over reaction and running up to the linesman to try, successfully, to get him sent off. That's not an element of modern football that I like. 

2 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

A frivolous appeal imo.

He kicked him. Clear red card.

I think it's a clear technical red card, but no common sense shown by the ref. If he'd really kicked him he'd have gone off on a stretcher! But modern football is what it is I suppose. 

I don't think he will win the appeal to be honest. Although he stops himself, his foot moves forward and into the player, albeit with almost zero force but the panel will say he showed intent. They will conveniently ignore the fact that their right back had his studs unnecessarily in Kodjia's chest, leapt up as though he'd just had the most heinous of crimes perpetrated on him and retaliated, before running to the linesman to report Kodjia for genocide. The linesman and ref obviously agreed and reacted as though their own families had just been wiped out in the slaughter.

Technically it's possibly a red card, but a decent ref would have had a stern word with both of them and left it an 11 v 11 contest which it is supposed to be. But hey why pass up a chance to be in the limelight eh ref?

41 minutes ago, sne said:

Given our history I'm pretty sure the answer is no.

But do we have behavior clauses in our contracts, and is there any way we can cancel his?

Even with player power being what it is, we surely can't be expected to pay him £50k/w to sit around and get fat and drunk?

I'd do it for a fraction of the cost and I'm already halfway there!

11 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said:

Whether you like them or not they are squad members on senior contracts. They are far more likely to feature next year than any individual youth team player. 

EDIT: or we have to decide to sell them. Basically we have to decide their futures now, can do that with youth team players another time. 

But surely we've seen enough of them over the years to know them by now? Where as with the obvious exception of next Sunday, the games left are sort of a free hit. People would be far more understanding of the value of playing a few kids with potential, than playing  the same old squad players. 

1 minute ago, HanoiVillan said:

To be honest, I think he's been using these games to judge those on the fringes of the squad. I heard an interview with him earlier where I thought he was hinting at doing that and I don't for one minute believe Bacuna and Gardner are in his strongest XI and Hourihane and Lansbury aren't. 

It would hardly be illogical to use these games for that purpose. Plenty of people on here were demanding he played youth players last week. It's the same principle. 

I'm sorry but I don't see how it's the same principle. Youth players need time and the manager needs to see what they can do in a first team situation. Where's the value in giving more game time to the likes of Gardner and Bacuna?

3 minutes ago, Grasshopper said:

ran out of likes

It's the thought that counts 

I like many others are very concerned about what will happen if Steve Bruce continues next season. Which brings another concern to mind in my opinion. We are led to believe that the club, with Steve Round leading the way, are intending to build an on pitch identity, so that whoever is the manager, we play "The Villa Way". Please, please tell me that we appointed Steve Bruce as a quick, albeit failed, fix  and that what we have witnessed over the last few months is not the board's vision of "The Villa Way". 

8 minutes ago, Xela said:

Let's all hug and have share my giant Maltesers Easter egg! 

Is it the one with three big bunnies?

I should learn to type faster! 

Amavi is so defensively frail, he needs too much time on the ball. He's better further up the pitch, at least his mistakes are in less dangerous positions. Next time we're offered £25m we all know what we should do!

Perhaps an early goal against will see us attack more?