trom_borg

A bit surprised to see the critics of him after the game, thought he had his best Villa game last night and showed both skill and workmanship on several occasions. He lacks consistency for me and poor decision making at times, wasting a lot of hard work in the build up with disappointing end result. Think there is a useful PL player for us there though if he can be more consistent and clinical in deciding moments.

Oh I remember when we badly needed a goal scoring forward to help cement our top 4 place back in 09, and then picked up Heskey. Nothing against him but he wasnt the right man at the time, and combined with a few other factors that led us to fall off the cliff that spring and it was a long long way down... This januray hardly feels that consequential and I don't want us to make any big or impulsive move for the sake of it, but on the other hand it feels like we have a great opportunity to push on a create a great foundation for future success if we can continue our form throughout the season. We might need a couple of good squad supplements for that to happen.

Saw him listed as having a muscle injury with no end date. But Ive seen nothing official from the club. It was a shame as he could've given us better presence in the box. I love Keinan and so want to seem him do well for us but injuries always seem to come at unfortunate times

It is possible to have two thoughts in the head at the same time. It is possible to be pro EU collaboration and a believer in global warming while at the same time question and criticise implementation of the renewable energy transition. In my opinion global warming is a problem which exists in a bigger context which also includes resource depletion and biodiversity loss. The renewable energy brigade sometimes seems to completely ignore these other aspects and the complex landscape these issues exists in, believing we can overall continue bau as long as we switch our energy source from fossil to green. The space is filled with actors acting in their own self interest with profit as the ultimate goal, wrapped in a green and environmental wrapping. The day we can build and maintain wind turbines and solar panels, with the corresponding battery needs, without the need of fossil fuel or extraction of rare minerals, (both of which are in limited supply and woefully short of actually being enough for a complete green energy transition on current energy consumption levels) we can have serious talk of a proper energy transition. Currently this is far from reality, and therefore the only realistic future very much includes lowering our energy use. This doesn't really fit anyones agenda though so it's not much talked about.

Not sure if the drug to make that happen has even been invented yet

To me this is a oxymoron, makes little sense. He sometimes lack quality in his delivery or decision making, but his work rate is setting an example for the whole team and he's earned every minute so far this season, dropping him now sends the wrong signal imo. With that said I'm excited to see what Traore can bring when given starting games and I'm sure he'll get plenty of chances to prove his worth as the season goes on.

Can be said about literally any Villa memory no? Hardly makes it cringe...

You used an analogy of a math teacher that was a lovely guy but no good at math. So either you're saying he's no good at football, or you're saying his value to the club should be mostly based on his poor goal scoring record. None of which makes much sense to me. Your second statement I agree more with, but I'd say its too early to conclude this and theres been PL strikers that made a long good career without being prolific goal scorers, i.e Heskey.

If you argue here that Davis has no attributes as a footballer I simply have nothing else to say to you on this topic

Yes the Nyland and Davis situation is clearly exactly the same...

Don't care much about the numbers tbh, but would be very sad to see McGinn switch away from 7. Two of my absolute all time favs Hendrie and Taylor made the number special for me and McGinn is carrying the torch further, no need for change!

Do we have another famous villafan to add to the list?

I like Hause, hes a little rough but still yougish and finding hes feet at the top level. Good in the air and can send some great balls through, if only he'd cut out the silly passes. Can't imagine we will get much for him anyway, and his replacement will be fighting Mings for a starting spot so might have limited game time. Dont see a reason to swap a cheep back up for another, I'd rather he stay. Can also cover for LB which is useful

Not really the most exciting transfer, though mostly due to the RB position being one of the least in need for an upgrade/addition imo. With that said his versatility is a big plus and it also indicates he has lots of natural talent. Will be very interesting to see where and how he slots into the team if he joins!

zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Which opportunity for "real" stability are you alluding to here?

My gf, whos not really interested in football and Villa but ofc cant help but being exposed to it and watches the odd game with me, said when the penalty was awarded: " Oh that referee again, he always hates you and make stupid decisions against you!" When someone whos hardly following Villa still picks up on this detail without me even commenting on it first, it really says it all

Yeah sorry thats prob not the best term. I meant assuming that the cops themselves are racist and that that is the main cause of the issue.

I agree with most of this and appreciate your effort in getting finding some numbers. I think theres no doubt the prison and legal system has been used to oppress and divide minorities and the lower class in political power games through US history. Just to muddy the water even more I'll add this from US department of Justice.- In 2013, African Americans accounted for 52.2% of all murder arrests, with Whites 45.3% and Asians/indigenous Americans 2.5%. Of the above, 21.7% were Hispanic I guess my final point here is just that this is very complicated, and racism do play a big part on several levels, but we should be careful about assuming personal racism by the police every time an incident like this happens. I think it it ultimately is counterproductive and take importance away from all the other factors at play.

I do think there is a very important reason for why not to connect single instances with the overall picture. Firstly, the fact that its a 3 times higher chance of getting killed by a cop if youre black is a disturbing stat. I'd think that a part of that problem lies with the police themselves, racist individuals, poor training, macho culture and other factors attracting the wrong type of people with various degrees of conscious or unconscious levels of racism to a very consequential and important job. But I believe it is even more due to socio-economic differences. These differences work as feedback loops as well, poverty and segregation leads to poor education which leads to more poverty and bigger differences ect, which leads to more crime and a bigger percentage of the male population in prison, which leads to more single moms and more poverty ect ect ect. And I think these class differences stems from history and the failings of the capitalist system to correct it and create equal opportunities. To start thinking about solving all of the above you need deep police reform as well as a reform of the economic and political system that perpetuate this. That is a monumental task, and I think its counterproductive to that goal to see any police killing of poc in light of racism and this 3x chance stat. If a person open fire on the police the chance is they'll get shot no matter what the colour of their skin is. This is a very difficult debate with lots of emotion and I am worried that its developing towards a more binary state where nuance is a sign of treason or weakness to "your" political side. I see this as a recipe for escalating conflict rather than important reform

You're ofc correct on that. But if we all zoom out for a moment and think about the implications of this argument in relation to what politics and elections really should be about, it is just mind boggling and numbing tbh... One candidates obvious mental impairment is not so consequential because his opponent is as bad. What a time to be alive, we truly live in bizarro world

Try reading your own linked article one more time

Yeah I know it is going the wrong way man, thats partly my point. Instead of rushing to get back on that same road this is the perfect time to ask; what are the long term consequences of continuing that path and is that really where we want to go?

Yes, though part of that is very understandable as the flow of (big) money is essential to keep the lights on. So while its very sad to see the integrity of the game continuously washed away by the lust for money, some of that is simply born out of survival instincts. Which brings me to a point I feel is largely missing in the discussion around the economic impact for football and society as a whole. There is this urgent need to get back to business as usual to avoid devastating consequences, without acknowledging that BAU was what got us here in the first place. And if you argue that it is in fact the virus that got us here, I'd say sure, but a virus of this sort (or another event with similar impact) was 100% predictable and merely a question of time. So, before urging to get the game back on in a time when we still know very little about the virus, the effects of government measures, the long term health impacts ect, we should grasp this opportunity for real reform of the structures around the modern game. How can we ensure the sustainability and resiliency of the football pyramid, the grassroots organisations, the connection with the fans (of all classes!) and decades long local fan culture, the integrity of the game as a whole (World cup in Qatar played in stadiums build by modern slaves is just one horrible example of how far its gone the wrong way). I have very little hope for such reforms but I'm disappointed by the lack of mainstream discussion around it.

The pandemic has, in the middle of all the very unfortunate suffering, also offered a chance for reflection on so many things that has become a norm in our lives and culture, also including football. Why do I follow Villa, what makes winning or losing games actually matter to me, what do I get back that is worth the time and money I spend on it? (though I'm a foreign fan that watch most games alone on tv) This time last year I took a 12 hour bus ride just to be in London when we played the final, despite not having a game ticket. Some people though I was crazy but celebrating with other fans after the game was easily my best moment as a Villa supporter., well worth the rough bus ride (next time I'm flying back though!) I understand why Liverpools fans for example are dying to get their hand on the trophy, but I dont get why, after waiting 30 years, they're pushing for it to happen now. Do you really want that moment to happen when you're unable to celebrate it properly? I'd love to see Villa give their best shot at fighting for relegation but I want to do it while feeding of the crowd, by going through the emotions as group, winning and losing together with the rest of the fans. Even if I'm watching alone at home you sense the crowd in the stadium, they affect your experience. What does it mean to score the 85th winner to seal our survival when theres no celebration from the fans, no singing to give you the goosebumps, no sense of shared joy or despair? Wtf is football without that? If the season goes on with no crowds I'll prob watch the Villa games, but it'll def not be the same. And I'm afraid it'll taint my relation to and affection of football for a very long time. Cause it'll prove once and for all what has been becoming more and more obvious every year. Football is all about money, and the fans is just another cog in the money machine.