wict01

Just posted in his thread, he's put his usual matchday graphic on his Insta story so hopefully that bodes well

He has posted his usual match-day graphic on Insta. I assume this means he's okay!

What if you were in goal and Olsen is in the Holte?

You love to see it

I wouldn't touch him personally. Lacks presence, doesn't command his area and has the frame of a child. 11 shots on target faced and 11 goals conceded in the last couple of games is grim reading and he's never convinced me at this level...although you could say the same thing about the entire Leeds back line I suppose.

Raheem Sterling. Never rated him and as others have said in the Chelsea thread, completely exposed now he hasn't got KDB putting the ball on a plate for him at the back post. People talk about his scoring record for England but he kills more attacks than he contributes to. A void of nothingness where attacking intention and creativity goes to die. I genuinely think Leon Bailey is a better player.

Without Tuchel's decent points return at the start of the season, they really would be bang in trouble. I don't understand how you can spend all that money and not have a single decent centre forward at the club.

This is my take on it too. I think Benteke is still the best, but my favourite is Ollie by some distance!

Where are our old condescending Leeds visitors I wonder? Internet down in Yorkshire?

Kane won't go abroad, he wants the PL record and fair play, he's an excellent striker as well a cheating arse. I really hope we can do the double over these after so many years of struggling against them. I'm still angry about Benteke's red card in the home game in the 14/15 season!

Was gonna say this too, absolutely perfect lay off with his head, while being fouled. What a wonderful team goal.

Between the two for me, I still think prime Benteke was the best forward I've seen purely because he was doing all of that in a shocking, shocking team. However I desperately hope Watkins becomes our top prem goalscorer in the next 2-3 seasons, he deserves it!

I think it's a cup we could feasibly win too. You look at who's in the last 8 this year and I don't think any of those sides would hold much fear for us.

I'm sure I've read somewhere that Gerrard himself admitted he wasn't much into the tactical side of things as a player. He led by example and by scoring last minute thunderbastards which masked his lack of nous. Anyway, re Dougie I was critical of him when he first joined as he seemed to take too long on the ball to pick his passes but ever since lockdown in 2020 he's been absolutely superb and I hope he stays for the rest of his career. Absolutely unreal footballer and seems a real genuine bloke too. So glad he stayed, despite Gerrard!

Maddison wouldn't come to us anyway, he's a typical Cov rocket polisher that hates the Villa

None of our players would get in their team though lads, we’re just lucky and outperforming our xG

Was about to say this too, no chance anybody would cost £30m from Valencia this coming summer as their owners have been giving away their best players for sweet FA for years.

7th would be an exceptional effort after where we were and I'd be very happy with that.

I was listening to a discussion about Fresneda recently, the consensus was he is young and obviously talented with plenty of room for growth, but not yet at the level to be a first choice RB for any side with European ambitions. Can't say how accurate that is as I refuse to pay for premier sports to watch La Liga but seems a sensible enough conclusion to me.

I've got a long drive up to Leeds tomorrow night, I'll certainly be giving this one a listen. Hutton was there at the start of our decline, bombed squadded, loaned out, played in midfield, left back...he's certainly seen the best and worst of Aston Villa over his few years with us. Not the best footballer but he's always come across as a decent guy, and I got to meet him at half time at the final game of the 16/17 season.

I think the ensuing shambles after he left probably didn't help either. We went from a really solid 2020/21 showing to a mess of a side, sacked Deano and appointed a charlatan. If we'd gone on to do well and replaced him adequately, people probably wouldn't have been as bitter. For me, it's just having the heart ripped out of the team by the same soul-sucking state-backed plastics that took Barry, Milner, Delph...it's irritating. Another factor is, with us back in the prem with good owners, I'd like to think if I played for and captained Villa, I'd never want to leave. That's obviously purely hypothetical, but another part of the resentment is the fact that he up and left while it appeared that we had a solid upward trajectory and it felt like a shit time to leave us in the lurch.

I'm the same, I like to take in as much Villa content as possible - even where I don't necessarily agree with their views. And to double down on some of the previous comments, I have a ST in the Holte End and there are tonnes of people around me who I would pay to never talk about football again. We're all entitled to our opinions (and to be ridiculed when those opinions are dross) but I've heard people around me say Mings/McGinn/Watkins etc are "the worst player(s) we've ever had". I'd rather listen to Pete from Canada than matchgoing fans who talk that kind of utter shit.

Awful lot of vitriol on that Newcastle page, Christ. We've been an irrelevance in the premier league era? At least we've won a couple of trophies, Newcastle's defining moment was blowing a 12 point lead in a title race. The faux rivalry between the sets of fans is utterly boring and I find it bizarre that people can still be upset over a bed sheet from 14 years ago.

Truly brutal. We've suffered for a long time, Emery is a breath of much needed fresh air.

Nowhere near the record for draws I'd say - we got 17 (SEVENTEEN!) under McLeish which is what kept us up that season as we only won 7! For this one, I probably would take a draw tbh as it's the biggest test of our European credentials so far. A positive result here and I think we can start to dream.