Avcol

My teeth get tired after 70 minutes of a game too.

Love your optimism, if we manage to do that we will finish in a very high position. Need to ride our luck with injuries and rotate the midfield more than we currently are. I do worry about us burning out as we saw in the O'Neill years when he kept a mostly settled 11 and it seemed to go wrong every March.

Already failed against Burnley so impossible to beat every team at least once. Unless I'm missing a joke here.

What a horror show. Don't see where any points are coming from. Starting to hate this team. Truly shocking all over the pitch and simply not fit for purpose.

You're right, Dave-S

Premier League. Hasn't been called the Premiership in 15 years. Others have corrected you yet you still say it. Regards, Avcol

Today is the day I've finally given up. Throw the towel in on this guy and try something different, anything. I feel we have enough of a sample size to say there's very little chance of him coming good.

Beyond the work rate, such a limited player in this league

I will never forget the feeling in the Upper Holte when Carew scored that worldy, I was absolutely convinced we were going to make top 4 when that went in and me and my mate were on cloud nine. Not sure how many points clear we'd have been but it would have been quite the buffer. That last five minutes and Whelan daisy cutter squirming in was pure shellshock. I seem to remember him sliding in front of the Stoke fans as well and my world crumbled. Obviously O'Neill leaving right before the start of 10/11 was awful stuff but that Stoke game in my mind was when I knew we were never going to crack it. I was 20 at the time and I'd never seen an especially bad Villa team. Graham Taylor and O'Leary had bad seasons but that was as low as it ever got. if you'd told me that when I was 30 we'd be plodding along in our third championship season after a few years of barely staying up I'd have never believed it. Been a bad 10 years.

This is the big problem. It's really scary just how much we need him. It's almost Grealish plays or bust. Let's just hope he stays fit and we can aim to still salvage something.

Our football was better, today. And in all the other games that Grealish was present. Hardly a coincidence. For the best part of the last few months without him it hasn't been and has been highly reminiscent of Bruceball at certain times. 3 shots away at Wigan probably the low point of some of our shocking performances. Also at times we've been far from comfortable on the ball with the players treating it like a hot potato. If you can't see that I truly despair. Not sure if you've seen my other posts/getting me confused with another poster but i'm firmly in the 'Smith in' camp and have never compared him to Bruce unfavourably. I want the man to succeed. Also for context in case you didn't see the posts from a few weeks ago.. One poster had suggested we get Dunga in as head coach which many, including myself, got a good chuckle out of.

I figured him starting last week was due to maybe following some kind of concussion protocol with Kalinic, though that made little sense with Kalinic still being on the bench. The spot is now Steer's to lose it seems. I felt he was unlucky with the Stoke goal last week as it was so close to him, came through a body and a silky finish. Very little time to react and he actually got a stronger hand on it than others would. Today he had nothing to do so hard to comment, I'd have kept a clean sheet too. Happy for him to continue, seems a solid championship keeper. Competition is a good thing. 7m or not, if he's better than Kalinic he will stay next season. We've spent a lot more than that on players who were car wrecks and nowhere near the first team.

I don't believe. Too late. Make me eat my words Villa.

Rock solid, looks so in control at all times. Would love to sign him permanently and I'm sure the club will do everything they can.

What a delicious ball for Abraham's goal. This guy is a much better RM than Adomah, shame he's the only RB we have fit at the minute as i'd have him playing further forward.

Feel bad giving out criticism after such a victory, and I'm not being a killjoy, but Adomah is the weak link in the forward third, which on another day in a tight game could cost us. Nice finish last week but how often does he get in dangerous positions only to be let down by his final ball. He wasn't bad today, none of them were but he seems cursed in dangerous positions with awful crosses or pull backs. There were multiple today. Gotta score in the first half too after being played in when he blazed over. It doesn't matter when we're thumping a team like today, but Adomah to me doesn't look like a footballer. Almost like any time he does do anything good it's pure luck.

He was very good today and has improved recently. Needs to work on his finishing and composure. I don't think his work rate can be questioned much even through our bad spell but he's obviously a confidence player. If he could put it together consistently I'd definitely want him on a permanent basis. He's still quite young and he seems to have that star quality, it's just about extracting it each and every week.

Real selection dilemma in midfield next week after today's performance. I don't think Smith will put him straight back in. Also I really don't think he will leave in the summer. He's great for us but still a lot of improvements to be made in his game and I don't think he'd get a move to a Premier League team as a nailed on starter just yet.

Cool and composed. Looks a very decent footballer and his versatility could be crucial. I was so worried this was going to turn out to be a calamitous signing but he has been really good for a few games on the bounce. He's probably going to be playing CB next week so I'm praying he will be just as impressive there.

The poor ball from Mings which he had to overextend for looks to have done him in. I imagine it's an ACL with the way he looked so distraught and was stretchered off. If that's the case he'll be done for the season, which is a real shame because that CB combo was looking pretty solid after suffering such a leaky defence for so long. He did nearly nick Grealish's worldy too by attempting to get his head to it, so at least we still have the joy of that wonder strike.

If Dunga was in charge, we'd have scored 8. In all seriousness though I'm not sure how much credit I'm giving Smith. Grealish is absolutely the key and lifted everyone around him. The fact we have such a talent makes Smith's job a whole lot easier. Was like we'd signed Ronaldo the way the confidence levels rose. Certainly sets up next Sunday perfectly with them losing at Hull as well though. What a big bloody game, most meaningful derby we've had in years.

I almost don't want him to perform this well if it still results in us missing play-offs which I think is likely. The better he plays in the next 11 games, the more noise there will be around him departing, especially with no promotion. The guy is unbelievable, we are a million times better when he plays. There is no way multiple Premier League clubs haven't sat up and taken note. Either take us to the play-offs or try to be a little bit less amazing please!

I've been his harshest critic and at times felt real anger towards him. I didn't agree with him being booed, but I could understand fans frustrations. Since those things have happened he's been like a different player. Was good at Stoke and even better today. Not Just the two goals he scored but the all round impact he had and combativeness he showed. Can only say fair play for bouncing back after what happened in the last home match and I hope he can continue doing the same.

He was superb today, and has actually played his role really well for the last few games. I've certainly warmed to him a whole lot, clearly miles better than Bjarnason or Jedinak when none of them looked convincing a few weeks ago. It's a real shame he's not a few years younger. Not convinced Mcginn will come straight back in at the sty.

Amazing performance and we could've scored many more. It was Elphick who tried to get the flick on which would have ruined a perfect goal, and Whelan was handed the armband when Grealish went off. I imagine it would have been given to Elphick had he not gone off injured so Whelan was next in line.