VillaFaninLondon

Brighton are a right playacting bunch of fannies.

Great finish to be fair.

Another baffling team selection. Not up in arms too much about Buendia being dropped as I think he's overrated on here and his numbers are very poor for an attacking midfielder, but Ings-Watkins has never worked up to now so not sure why Gerrard thinks it will today. Gerrard watches these in training but sometimes I wonder what he sees as most of the first 11 are immune from getting dropped and never seem to turn up. They better had today. If we f*** today up too I can see more fans turning if they haven't already.

Talks a good game but I'd respect him a lot more if we saw the passion and will to win in the players as well.

Absolutely disgusting our results against Leeds and Watford. Both teams are utter dig sh*^.

Oh God, another gameweek coming up to be excited for, not, thanks Villa and Gerrard. Basically would have taken a point a few weeks ago if the previous three had gone as I was expecting (W,D,W) but with us now on 6 points less than we should be we need to be looking to win. Burnley put three past them which is a worse result than ours against Watford, so if we actually turn up we can win. Gerrard can ill afford another flat, drab performance let alone another defeat that's for sure.

This thread is probably relevant given how poor we have been, but it shouldn't be. We should be nowhere near the drop. Some people say the players aren't good enough, let's examine this: Coutinho - OK not the player he was, but still a top international player Martinez - honestly, at his best, he is one of the best GKs in the world Digne - over 40 caps for France, who have been one of the best national teams in the world for the last 5-10 years McGinn - one of the most frustrating players in our squad because of how bad he can be, but he is a world beater for Scotland, can't be coincidence, won Scotland player of the year last 2 years beating likes of Robertson, McTominay and Tierney Watkins/Ings - both been rubbish this season but Watkins 14 goals last season (more than Gabby or Carew ever got for us) and Ings is proven PL goalscorer and got over 20 goals for Southampton a couple of seasons ago Buendia & Bailey - our 2 big signings last summer were bought after their best ever seasons and they got multiple goals and assists last season, why we can't get the best out of either I don't know (particularly Bailey) but if we were to sell both I am sure they would flourish somewhere else Ramsey - one of the best young players in the country without a doubt I would say we have weak links in the team (as do most teams in this league other than City and Liverpool), like Cash and Luiz (and Mings when he has his brainfarts), but they're still all international players so must have something about them. Konsa is hyped by our own fanbase (a lot of people say only he and Martinez are the players they would NOT sell) so the fact we are struggling so badly really isn't because we have to have a huge overhaul of our players. Those who are saying we are going to struggle to get to 40 points, let's see if you're right, things definitely look bleak right now, but I can tell you for certain if that does become the case and we're in a battle to reach 17th like 2 years ago I do not know how Gerrard can survive and if he isn't sacked in the summer or before then for such a dire run of form then you would have to question what the hell is going on because we shouldn't be finishing below midtable with the players we have.

We have a top 10 team on paper, maybe even top 8. I think we have better players than Brighton and Southampton who are both above us. Wolves I'm not so sure, but I think both teams are on a par quality-wise. Lage just has them far, far better organised out of possession. Leicester probably have a better team/squad than us and Wolves but are underachieving like us and their defence seems to be shot to pieces. If Gerrard's system ain't working he has to change it to get results. We can't finish near the bottom 3 and drop 4 or 5 places from last season. He'll have the summer to drive the change he wants and get the players to suit that, for now he has to adapt to stop us falling off a cliff. If he can't there is literally no point backing him because it tells us he is a poor manager with no plan B. I'm very interested and also concerned how the next three games go. We could probably do with winning at least 2 of them because our run after Leeds is pretty horrific given we play West Ham, Arsenal, Wolves, Spurs, Liverpool and Leicester and I would have us underdogs for all of them on current form. Of course we may pull some big wins out of nowhere and could do with the quality we've got, but we really don't want to have to be in that position.

Yeah we've both spent a lot of money without really too much thinking behind any of it. Some fans still seem to think we're well run, whereas in actual fact we have owners willing to invest (great) but well run we are certainly not. Very rarely do we sell players for profit (Grealish was an exception) and we've spent an average of 100m+ for three consecutive seasons to be below midtable and quite possibly in a soon-to-be relegation battle unless we get our act together pronto. Brighton, Wolves, Leicester (despite a poor season) are well run and all were in the Championship only a few years ago like us so not like we can use the "well we're playing catchup argument" compared to them either. Fair enough. I always thought Rafa was an odd appointment given his ties to Plop, he was always on a hiding to nothing, though the form at the end was atrocious. I reckon Villa will lose you at some point too in the not too distant future given our tendency to make a cock up of everything

I don't think Gerrard's remit is barely surviving - if we finish below where we are now (12th) I don't really know how they can back him. Then again Purslow wanted him so he might persevere with him at the expense of the club which would be a disaster. Even so, think your beloved Everton are more likely to go down than us. Let's be honest both of our teams have been the biggest underachievers in the league this season, should be on way more points with the players we have.

It's very unfair blaming the fans when not one home game this season has had below 41,000 capacity and pretty much all away games sell out too. Consider the turd this team has served up this season and 13 league defeats already and the fans' loyalty cannot be called into question. The atmosphere is always going to be poor when the team's displays are so crap, the fans can't be expected to sing when they have nothing to sing about. It's up the players to actually perform if they want the team to back them, there'll be more boos aimed at the players and Gerrard in the coming weeks if they continue to perform like that.

Let's put it straight - we didn't sack Smith when we were 15th in the table to appoint Gerrard on a lot more money and with huge backing in the January window to finish in a similar position and barely get to 40 points. I understand people worrying and just wanting to get to 40 points as quickly as possible, but that in itself is a massive failure on Gerrard's part and he should be gone in summer (if not before) if that is the case. He keeps saying we want to finish as high as possible, that's what the owners want, well it seems to me after every passing week the team want to finish as low as possible with all these missed opportunities at 3 points against teams we should be beating comfortably. Results aren't improving and neither are performances - Watford, Newcastle and Leeds all had a higher XG than us which is embarrassing. This is not a case of outplaying teams and being unlucky, we are genuinely performing like a pub team. It's a complete mess because sacking him will cost the owners more money, but if Rodgers was available in summer I'd much rather go get him despite Leicester being disappointing this season. I think Rodgers would be a good fit for us and I really don't see Gerrard turning this around with his stubborn formations and style and the next run of games being difficult. Obviously I hope I'm wrong. And one final thing - he is never in a million years getting that Liverpool job.

I didn't watch out of choice because I've had enough of watching this useless team recently. The last time I didn't watch a game was West Ham at home when we were performing like sh*t under Smith and he got the boot soon after. But I actually thought we would win today just because Watford are sh*t and I thought we must be able to beat these with a higher calibre of player at our disposal. I was updated by someone who was watching though so didn't need to watch to know how bad we were. The fact that we performed like shite and also lost takes the biscuit, and that bit in bold says it all for me.

It actually kills me that since the 19/20 season we have invested a further 200m+ plus God knows how much more in wages on this squad and we're not much better than the team that escaped relegation with 35 points. Watford have spent hardly anything, they expect to be sh*t. We have invested a fortune and received a record sum for one of our Academy players. How the f*** are we still so bad at football? I'd actually say we're as badly run as Everton and Man U given the amount of money we have wasted on dross. God knows why the media seems to think we have so much to look forward to and had a great January transfer window. We're even worse now than we were at the start of January. Let's look at it: over 50m on Ings and Watkins and both are useless, Dennis has as many goals as both of them and cost Watford barely anything. Mings 25m and constantly makes mistakes. Bailey 30m and other than one game against Everton been useless. Buendia a record signing and he has delivered 2 goals and 3 assists in over 20 apps, another waste. Luiz 15m and hasn't improved in nearly 3 years. Sanson 14m and not returned one bit of that investment. And yet despite the CM being the most pathetic part of our team, we ignored it last month. I worry for the future to be honest.

I'm actually in disbelief that Watford, I'll say that again - WATFORD - have done the double over us this season. The manager and the players can all just f*** off as far as I'm concerned.

Looking at our next run of games you wonder where our next win is going to come from. If we can't beat a p*ss poor Watford team at home then I can't see us beating Brighton, Southampton, West Ham, Spurs, Arsenal, Liverpool, Leicester or even feckin Leeds. I thought people were overreacting when talk of slipping back into a relegation battle but I can definitely see it now. We should be nowhere near one but we're Aston Villa an absolute laughing stock of a football club who always mess things up whether we have a decent team or not. Aside from realising Gerrard isn't fit to manage us, the players should also be ashamed. After performances like today and last week, none of them are fit to wear the shirt. Fines should be handed out to anyone who stepped onto the pitch today, maybe that will be the only way to motivate these losers to actually turn up and perform.

Ridiculous to say already but Gerrard needs to go. He's not going to last, these results are appalling and Smith got sacked for similar form. My fears about appointing Gerrard who's only proven in a pub league starting to come true. We should have gone for a proven manager and Purslow is to blame for this mess because it was his decision to go for Gerrard. An absolute shambles of a season gets even worse. Thankfully I didn't watch today but comments prove we just as woeful if not worse than last week. Gerrard doesn't deserve to be manager of this club.

I'm not saying Gerrard doesn't know results aren't good enough, I'm sure he does, but the fact is we are paying him a lot more money than Smith and in the last 5-6 games results are no better on average than Smith's 11 games this season and performances are just as flat if not more so (especially last week). There has to be changes but 2-3 and no more. Probably Ings for Watkins, maybe Sanson to come in for one of the CMs (McGinn or Luiz most out of form), potentially Bailey but he'd have to change the formation if he wants to keep Coutinho and Buendia in. Luckily some of our fans don't pick the team because selecting Iroegbunam in that sitting midfield role is the worst suggestion I've seen given his inexperience. Then again Luiz or McGinn or Sanson aren't skilled in playing there either. Suggestions to go back to a double pivot might work with McGinn-Luiz or Sanson-Luiz/McGinn and then 3 of Coutinho, Buendia, Bailey or Ramsey behind the striker. Basically if we don't win this game it is a huge concern and Gerrard will not be making his case any stronger for the Liverpool job if that is his aim. Watford are even more out of form than us, in fact the most out of form team in the division, I'd expect us to win either way but there's absolutely no damn excuses this weekend for anything other than 3 points and we have to be 100% at it from the off. Gerrard has a decent enough squad here (it should be higher in the table than it is), if he has to adapt his methods temporarily until the summer so we start winning games then that's what he has to do. We can't continue on this crappy run any longer.

What a petty retort, though what I've come to expect from you. I'll be fuming if our fans clap or cheer a poor draw against one of the worst teams in the league, or heaven forbid a defeat. The players played like they didn't care against Newcastle with their lazy efforts, and the manager not doing anything on the sidelines until the 72nd minute, maybe some booing might actually show them the fans are far from happy with this shite.

I think the problem with constantly spending is we're becoming a bit like Everton a few years ago. Rip it all up and start again every year. Or a shitter version of Man Utd. At the same time, players like Mings, McGinn, Watkins, Luiz are not showing themselves to be worthy for us every passing week they play. It's just so utterly frustrating supporting this club to be honest. Always feels like we're incapable of becoming a good team again. I look at sides like Wolves and Brighton (and Leicester up until this summer) and they just seem to be so much better run than us. It's so sad.

Anything other than a comfortable win for us and I hope there are very loud boos at full time. Gerrard has to know results and performances are not up to scratch. We are a miles better team than Watford on paper.

It was the right decision to sack Smith. Our performances were just as bad and the results were even worse. What is concerning, however, is that we have replaced him with a manager who has proven nothing in the game and looks to be woefully inadequate for a side that wants to push for the top 6. There were more experienced managers out of work, such as Favre. Or if we wanted to poach an existing manager we should have gone all out for Potter. Results and performances are really starting to worry me under this manager. Like some have mentioned it almost seems pointless watching us at the mo.

Starting to look out of his depth. Watford is genuinely now a must-win for him (and a good performance needed to).

If we don't win this one then maybe we should do what Watford normally do and fire our second manager of the season even if it is a ridiculous strategy.

Think those ratings are generous to be honest.