wict01

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.

I like the way you think we must be owed some seriously good times now after the last 13 years or so

Feels remarkable that even a draw tomorrow would equal last season's points tally with 8 still to play, after the drudgery of the first 11 games.

I'll never get over people getting giddy about 35 mins of half-decent football against Spurs at home, in a game we lost 4-0. The guy won fewer trophies than St Johnstone while in Scotland, and apart from being "Stevie G", never had the qualifications to manage at this level. The year we wasted with him just makes me sad, if we'd sacked Dean for Emery at that time I'd have understood the decision and backed it as a proper upgrade but Dean to Gerrard was a hard, hard downgrade.

Yeah I agree, **** these guys and blues too. Hope they both rot.

Wonder if there's a deal to be struck there which would help us get Kudus in.....

Had a quick gander at their forum, and since Rodgers' departure was announced they're far more confident and quite a few think they'll "slap" us

I'm feeling nervous for this one for two reasons. 1) after they turned us over at home (albeit I think offensively we played quite well and could easily have at least drawn the game) and 2) we're on the crest of a wave and I'm just so used to this club bringing me back down to earth with a bump. I don't know what to expect but I do feel comforted knowing that Unai has put 110% into coming up with a plan to get the 3 points and that we won't be relying on "individuals" or "moments" to do the job.

That Sky interview is brilliant, he really is the real deal

Bought it on my lunch this afternoon. The original was my favourite game for a long, long time (many hours sunk into my ps2 when I should've been revising for my GCSEs) so I am absolutely buzzing for this!

I have a horrible feeling they will try

Handled the dangerous Ouattara quite well IMO, recovery pace was excellent. Always exciting when he approaches the box as well, far more dynamism than Digne.

Take all the points re Benrahma, perfectly valid. I know we tend to play with Moreno pushing up and Cash a little more reserved at the moment but I do think we've lacked a property right-footed left-sided player since He Who Shall Not Be Named left us for the bright lights and dollar signs of Manchester.

Recency bias perhaps after yesterday but I've always loved Benrahma as a player since our championship days, I wish we'd gone for him in the summer after promotion too so I'd try to prise him out of West Ham whether they stay up or not. Would fit the wide left space for us perfectly I think, he has more quality than he has been able to show in a Moyes setup.

Pathetic from the BBC

I would like them to do a Sunderland

Antony is a great shout. My mate's barber describes him as "all fart, no shit"

I hope that goal lets him kick on. I'm not massively hopeful, but there is still undoubted technical ability there that we can utilise until the end of the season. I do think we'll see a parting of ways in the summer though.

I like Moreno so far. He has a bit of dynamism and the things he does, he tries to do quickly.

"Better" players is always a weird one to me, as 99% of players in the prem will be decent at something at least. I think it's all about bringing out their strongest, most effective attributes in the right team and set up. Are Luiz and Buendia effective in our system, for example? Ish, I would say. Are Palhinha and Pereira effective in Fulham's? They've certainly proven themselves to be so far this season, but then would they replicate that level of form playing for us? Probably not, and that's an issue I think we've always kind of had in a way, certainly as far as back as my brain really dares to go with DOL and MON.