AvonVillain

It's kind of like Robbie Savage saying "I was hammered on Twitter..." each and every week on 5Live. People are irrational, and social media plays to this irrationality. It is to be expected. Like the inevitable 'X is the worst player I've ever seen' in the first 5 minutes of every match thread.

Shane Long has essentially built a career out of playing like Messi against Aston Villa.

Fair play to Kodjia, everything you want from a striker for his second goal, no matter who the oppo are.

I think it's pretty obvious why we are struggling in the league if Kodjia is our back-up striker to Wesley. Currently, that looks a desperately poor front line for the Prem.

Shit. Into the bottom 3 as things stand.

Who wouldn't have taken 5 points off 5th place come December! Delighted we didn't lose as we all expected. Couldn't watch the final 15 minutes. Can now watch MOTD tonight! We're a striker away from being a really exciting, dangerous team. I thought the sub made sense as Lansbury has an eye for goal and we were already sitting and passing backwards more and more. Well done Villa.

What the **** just happened!? I was literally about to log off.

Dean Smith has brought many many positive things to Villa in his short reign so far, but to end this Man U hoodoo and this feeling of inevitability would be the sweetest of the lot. I really hope I'm watching MOTD2 tonight.

Hate to say it but this going to script so far.

Equaliser an own goal. No luck at all.

Lesson from this first half may well help us for the rest of the season: do dumb things at the back, get punished.

Two schoolboy errors apart, we've played OK.

Really looking forward to this game. Record season ticket sales & a first home game of a new era. To this end let's hope we have a new patient approach in the stands, and the support lasts for the entire 90+ minutes regardless of the score. The only disappointment for me last weekend was Villa following the old script of allowing a player/club to achieve something they have thus far been unable to do (Kane scoring in August).

I don't know him personally no. Have to take your word for that mate I guess. Surprised that the lad or one of his friends or anyone in the club didn't report him if that was the case, as that sounds quite savage, or that such an event wouldn't have made the news and landed him in enormous trouble, given his previous. Anyway, I'm only going on what I've read about him, his interviews over the years and the more recent, in-depth look at his life by the BBC and Telegraph etc. not personal experience.

Yeah I've heard this is true, though unfortunately not listened to him myself yet. I think it's more the media trained autopilot bullshit we're all so tired of. Instead of ex-pro's or players' winding down their careers speaking without any real thought, insight, or care for the subject at hand - Charlie Adam anyone? - why not employ people to talk about football who really care and want to offer something, and actually need the job, like a sports journalists for example, not people simply with time to spare. Anyway sorry to highjack the thread.

Jailed for affray, yes. It might be worth checking out the interview he did before the FA cup final if for no other reason just to hear a footballer speak in a way footballers simply do not speak. He covers that period, his difficult youth in Chelmsley Wood and a multitude of interesting things. I've always found him refreshingly honest and articulate and not afraid to speak his mind. I genuinely think he is a class act, that wasn't a flippant comment. I personally despise this idea of footballers as role models for example, and when this was trotted out to Deeney during an interview once, his completely honest reaction, unafraid of the inevitable wave of criticism on social media etc., kind of confirmed to me what an unusually thoughtful footballer he is.

I remember that interview. He actually didn't make much of the goal and spoke about being a fan of Midlands football. He was on our books at one time. I think as a man he is a class act, but would agree as a footballer he's not what we need, I don't think.

Bath. Turns out there's quite a big crew of Villa fans about...

Absolute scenes in the pub down in the South West! Turned out one of the more lively fans was Tyrone Mings' sister, going absolutely nuts dancing around on the tables. Incredible atmosphere during that penaly shoot out... Amazing what this club can put you through. Feel we were quite lucky overall over the 2 legs, but you need luck and so be it. On to Wembley.

West Brom losing.

Class.

Team scrapping for their lives in the bottom 3 refuse to let opponents walk all over them shock!

Scrappy affair. Fair play to Bolton they look motivated and up for it despite everything. Class will tell eventually.

Stephen Warnock talking us up on 5Live as automatic promotion contenders. Good to hear.

Need to freshen things up here....