Herman22

I agree with most of the line ups. I see Chester played for the u23s last night. I think it would be good to get him some mins. Ramsey scored twice in the u23 game too so I'd like to see him make the bench too. I'd really like Targett to stake a claim for the starting LB spot. I think Taylor has been better than I'd have expected this season but I think Targett brings that little bit extra. Steer Elmo Konsa Hause Targett Luiz Jota Lansbury Hourihane Trez Davis Subs: Heaton, Chester, Guilbert, Marv, Grealish, Ramsey, Wesley

Time for us all to look forward now. The next three games in the league will, in my opinion, tell us a lot about where we are going this season. Burnley at home will be a tough test. We all know what they bring and Dyche will have them well organised and they carry a threat with Barnes and Wood up front. At home I'd expect to get something from this. Norwich away is a game we need to target. Yes they beat City at home last week but they are no world beaters and we are a very different team from the one we were last season in the Championship. Then we have the int break and Brighton at home. Another game we have to be targeting for 3 points. We have City away after that so the less said about that the better. But we should be looking at 6-7 points from the three games and start moving ourselves up the table a bit. I still have full faith in DS, UTV!

I think we all need to take a few deep breaths and think before going nuclear. Dean has taken us from lower mid-table in the Championship to the Permier league and he's not been here a year yet. If we were getting tonked every game there may be some cause to get rid. But as it stands we are on the verge of getting things right. But for poor refereeing decisions we would have picked up draws at both Palace and Arsenal. We should have done more at home to West Ham when they were down to 10 but everyone in this group is still learning including the manager. I never expected us to get promoted last season so for me DS is ahead of the plan. No matter what happens this season DS should not be fired. Even if we do go down (I personally don'e see it happening) I'd have 100% faith DS would bring us straight back up.

It’s a terrible result in the circumstances. It would be one thing to draw the game but to lose it from a winning position against 10 men is not good enough. Huge game next week now.

We need another body in midfield. Maybe Lansbury.

I'd personally stick with Wes through the season. Davis and Kodija are decent back up. If one got a big injury I think then I'd look to get someone in but for now I think those 3 are enough. If I was DS I'd be looking at spending big on a proper winger in Jan. Someone with bags of pace which is what I think we're missing right now.

If we are going to get anything from this one we need to get at their centre backs. Luiz is a pen waiting to happen and Mustafi has no pace. On top of the Guendouzi is easily flustered on the ball and can be got at too. On the other hand Auba and Pepe have bags of pace and the likes to Ozil and Maitland-Niles can pick a pass. I think going there and trying to defend is the wrong approach and plays to their strenghts. We need to go with a offensive plan if we want to get anything.

That was a masterclass of West Ham diving.

I agree that we don’t want to make wholesale changes. But Mings needed an injection before the Everton game so I’d be resting him. With the amount Guilbert and Jota put it in in the last game I’d rest both of them too. I’d take the chance to give Target a start too. I’d 100% start Wesley, another goal here and he’s on a roll.

Our centre backs have been in the wars so far.

I think it's important not to lose tonight. I'd take a point right now. Hard to know what will happen with the starting 11. Did DS see enough after the terrible start to keep the same 11 from the Bournemouth game? Is it time Guilbert or Targett to get a start? Surely Marvelous can't be far off at least a spot on the bench? Does Jota get a start over ElGhazi?

Glad Elmo has signed on for another year. Has been very good for the last 7-8 months. For the first time in quite a while I'm pretty happy with our 4 first team full backs. Hopefully we will see Guilbert get some game time but it's always good to know we have a good back up in Elmo available.

There is one thing that is very important to understand if you are to understand the way VAR is going to be used in the Premier League this year. VAR is there to correct "Clear and Obvious" errors made by the on field refs under the headings mentioned above. So what the ref does on the pitch is so important. In reality you could have two identical incidents and one will be a pen and one will not. Let's take the Villa game at the weekend. The ref blows for a pen in the first min against Heaton. So the on field decision is pen. The VAR can only say no pen if it is a clear and obvious error by the on field ref and that bar is set high. Even if the VAR feels he wouldn't give a pen the ref has called it as a pen and the VAR may take the view it not clear and obvious error so the on field decision remains. In the second half Wesley goes down after a collision with the keeper. On field decision is no pen. Again, the VAR needs to tell the ref, if he wants to overturn the decision, that he has made a clear and obvious error and it's a pen. Another example of this was the pen not given for City against Spurs when the guy is wrestled to the ground. The ref said no pen and the VAR didn't have the balls to overrule it. It seems to be the VAR as used in England is having it's hands tied by the rules. 90% of the time the VAR will stick with the on field decision because the bar of 'clear and obvious' is set too high.

I was away over the weekend so didn't get a chance to watch the game live. I did keep up with it here and on Twitter. As with most sports this game hinged on a few key moments. None of these points are criticisms, just discussion. Heaton kicks a striker that is knocking the ball out for a goal kick 40 seconds in. Douglas steps over a ball in his own half and Wilson takes what I'd call a speculative shot from distance which deflects off Mings and in off the post. Billing should have seen 3 yellow cards in the first half. Somehow missed by the ref. Ake does well to clear a Trez shot off the line. McGinn has a few decent chances to get a goal back. Big Wes could had a pen for an awkward challenge from the keeper, not unlike the pen given in the first min. Jack misses an easy header from 4 yards out. Douglas scores a screamer. Bournmouth could have a pen for a kick by Trez. I'm not 100% on the order but for me they are the big 9 points of the game. Poor judgement and a bit of bad luck meant Bournemouth scored from 1 and 2. We could have scored from 4, 5, 6, and 7. But we didn't and that is the difference, when you make chances you have to put them away. The fact is will not make this number of chances in every game so we have to be ruthless. For me the heard Jack missed is criminal. At a time we needed a lift that has to hit the back of the net. I think Everton on Friday night will be a much tougher game. They have real talent in midfield and good pace on the break.

This is a completely different game than the Spurs game. It's not enough to get behind the ball at home to Bournemouth. We will need to show some attacking intent here. In terms of the team I think those that played well vs Spurs should keep their place. So for me the only change I'd make would be Jota for ElGhazi. I actually thought Jota was poor when he came on for Trez but by that time Spurs were completely on top and he didn't get much of a chance to influence the game. I'd like to see Guilbert for Elmo but don't see that one happening.

For everyone having a go at Wesley they need to wise up. When he took the ball down he was usually on his own. He held the ball up well and brought other into the game. We needed players running past him. He needs help.

The positive thing we can take from this? We don’t have to play spurs every week. Disappointing second half. I think Grealish was fouled for their second. I think we need to be smarter. McGinn not losing his shit at the pen decision and Jack not getting rid of the ball quicker.

Top class half. Both full backs have been very good. Some chances in the second half I’d think.

The ref is so shit he’s starting to block our passes.

Taylor has been absolutely top class so far!

We have had all the chances so far. Fantastic so far!

Surprised Jota hasn’t got the start either. For me him and Guilbert were the best two for us in preseason.

Elmo and Taylor start. No Guilbert on the bench. Seems shocking to start Taylor ahead of Targett. Marvelous not on the bench either.

I watched the game last night and a few things struck me. Norwich are a nice team to watch but both full backs are naive. If you’re up against Mo Salah you can’t be 20-30 yards ahead of him and lose possession. Also, when you get chances against the likes of Liverpool you must take them. From a villa point of view I’d hope our defensive unit will be a bit better than Norwich. I just hope when we create chances we take them. We will probably get a bit of kicking over the course of the season too so I won’t laugh at Norwich.

I'd have expected Targett to take one of those numbers, maybe Konsa/ Engels the other. Anyway it really doesn't matter.