VillaFaninLondon

It's the way things have gone since January that's the issue. Relegation form.

If we don't win this one questions will have to be asked of management imo.

Cit£h we weren't expected to get anything and were playing a world class team who have spent a billion quid on their squad (though after going 1-0 up we managed the game poorly). Boggies are a poorer team than us and anything other than a win is completely unacceptable. If Smith can't beat the better teams he has to at least beat the poorer teams. Given up on expecting Grealish to play as the situation gets more farcical by the week.

I'm not fond of G Nev's clear bias towards Man U, but he's an extremely astute and articulate pundit and says it exactly as it is: He's not held back from lambasting his own club there (along with Arse and Plop) and they are absolutely the most blameworthy here. It's expected from City and Chelsea as their success is undeniably built on money, but those three aforementioned clubs were built on history and the passion of their fans (particularly Plop). Their owners' behaviour is a disgrace in pushing for this (and they have pushed more than City and Chelsea I understand because they're owned by Americans who want this so-called Super League franchise which has no respect towards competition or fair play). It's a disgrace and their owners are a bunch of scumbags with no regard for what made them the clubs they are today. This so-called Big Six is a complete fabrication anyway, because believe it or not us and Everton have finished in the top 6 of the top division more times than Spurs, City and Chelsea despite the obscene amount of money that has gone into those clubs. And it's clear that it's not about current quality on the field either - if it were Arse would be nowhere near (they're a midtable team these days) and Leicester would be in there and even West Ham. Any league without relegation and with no respect for footballing authorities (Uefa, Fifa, the FA) is a corrupt one. Not only that, it's a pointless and boring league - why would people watch matches where there is no consequences for the result (relegation, promotion, European qualification)? If this goes ahead (heaven forbid) these clubs should be alienated from our beautiful game.

Maybe I’m being too lenient on Barkley, he’s clearly well below par, but none of our other midfielders create anything so when he comes on I have hope he might actually be the provider for us. It’s probably misplaced hope in all honesty and he’s been shite for ages now. Maybe he’s just a lost cause now and we should give up on him, I don’t know, but without Jack there’s no one else to create anything for us. Traore was awful in my view and couldn’t even control the ball, McGinn likewise. Watkins was my motm but even he was sloppy at times. No one was great in all honesty against a poor Plop.

Barkley is being used as the scapegoat as per usual (as all our other midfielders are offering nowt either) but the chance at the end he should have shot or passed. Dithered then lost it and the chance was gone. Just playing like a player with no confidence whatsoever. We will finish below Arse, Leeds and even Wolves at this rate if we’re not careful. Tough run in and we always bottle it against the top teams regardless of what form they’re in. Leeds have also got a tough run in but they’ve proven they’re not bottlers by beating city with 10 men today.

Could easily have got a point at least here, bad decisions in the final third yet again.

Thrown this game away

I would take everything Dean says with a pinch of salt to be honest. We've been fed continual bull about this mysterious injury from the start.

If he's out until May as reports suggest, I don't see him going to the Euros sadly. He will have to come back and play out of his skin I would have thought, even though he clearly should be going. Like Maddison he's got injured at the wrong time of the season. Mount, Foden and now bloomin Jesse Lingard (who's done nothing but sit on his arse for 18 months before he joined Spam) have probably edged ahead of him and all three have always been pretty reliable when it comes to injuries unlike Jack. I'm pretty exasperated that a shin injury keeps someone out this long. Having had shin splints before and recovered pretty quickly, I was always under the impression that they were a minor injury and not capable of keeping someone out for three months FFS.

That's a very nice scenario, but I don't see why we can't get 1 or 2 of those. De Paul £30-40m, same with Tammy (rumours are they are happy to move him on and £50-60m would be silly as it's pricing him out of anyone making a move for him). Neto unlikely (as much as I'd love him), also Wolves wouldn't sell to us, but the other 2 very possible if we go for it. I don't envisage us spending £30-40m on 5 players (we won't resolve all our issues in one summer), but quite possibly on 2 players and then using Lange's experience to bring in young players with potential in the other positions taking our outlay to around £100m or possibly slightly more - though no one really knows how much we will spend this summer. I'd ideally like to see 3 new starters next season: ....................Martinez..................... Cash.....Konsa.....Mings.....Targett ......Luiz/McGinn......New DM........ New RW......New CAM......Grealish ......................Watkins..................... Subs like Luiz/McGinn, Sanson, Traore to come on and make a difference and also start sometimes (Dean has to start rotating his squad more as it gets better to avoid burnout). I'd ideally like a striker who can play right wing or vice versa, which then allows Watkins to be rotated on occasion.

From the Championship I think Sarr and Buendia are the best down there, but unfortunately Watford and Norwich are pretty much nailed on to go up. Both those players play on the right too which is where we could strengthen. Of the other teams only really Brooks and Olise appeal, maybe Toney or Henry, but Brentford would ask a lot and we could get players more proven in those positions now I think. I think the signings we need in order of importance: 1) Creative, attacking midfield/no 10 - e.g. Dele Alli, De Paul, Odegaard (for me this player needs to be star quality to link up with Jack) 2) Winger - e.g. Thauvin, Brooks, Buendia, Sarr, Trossard, Malen, Saint Maximin (preferably someone who can play across the front line but prefers on the right) 3) Striker - e.g. Tammy, Ings, Daka, Toney (even if Wesley comes back, I don't think he'll be the same player, and I'd loan Davis out) 4) Defensive midfielder - e.g. Bissouma, Koopmeiners, Gravenberch, Berge (someone who can tackle and stays in position, to play alongside Luiz or McGinn) 5) Left back - e.g. Wijndal, Henry, Firpo, Sosa, Cornet (to challenge Targett for a first team spot, not just be backup, if we want to improve) I'd be happy for Guiilbert to come back and compete with Cash at RB (he's done well at Strasbourg) and I'd also try to loan another right footed CB like Joachim Anderson. Would sell Trez, AEG, Hourihane, maybe Nakamba, send Davis and Ramsey out on loan, and Taylor and Elmo finish their contracts. Would keep Heaton if poss. I've been impressed with Barry, Chukwumeka, Kessler and Aaron Ramsey from the youngsters (albeit in the 2nd tier of the U23s league) and would like to see them in the cups next season or maybe loaned out as they have the potential to be in our first team in future. Doubt this will all happen but would be a really good summer if we can invest heavily again and have a much stronger squad next season.

Davis has always had that natural strength and ability to hold off defenders, he also deserves praise for his impact on Sunday, and as you say has barely had much of a look in. Though previously when he's come on he hasn't had much impact, he needs to keep doing what he did Sunday if he gets more chances in the team. Whether it's the right time to go two up front against Liverpool, I'm not sure, I don't think it is given the difficulty of the game but he could play Davis up front and push Watkins out wide (especially if Jack isn't fit, but I really really hope he is because we need him and if he's out much longer he won't go to the Euros). If Davis could finish he'd be some player, it's a shame he's never developed that side of his game. I'd like to see him go out on loan next season in the Champ to see if he can become a regular scorer.

He is still not good enough if we're going to progress next season let's be honest (one game doesn't change that) and we need to improve on him and AEG, but I can't fault his work rate and desire to get into the box and try to help the team. He deserves praise for helping us get the win yesterday probably more than anyone else. He also has a knack of scoring important goals at vital moments like the goals he scored last season to keep us up. If Barkley had anywhere near his desire or work rate (being a significantly better player technically) then he'd absolutely still be in the team. Unfortunately he doesn't.

We won yesterday and that's the main thing. But ultimately we were poor for nearly 80 mins of that game, didn't register a shot on target until the 71st minute or something like that, and Smith only made the subs when he was forced to. Fulham also collapsed defensively and generously allowed us to come back into the game by retreating when they were 1-0 up. If it had stayed at 1-0, the reaction would have been completely different. Because we ended up winning, it's an opportunity now to have a dig at fans who were criticising the manager during the game. It shouldn't be, because for most of the game we were absolutely awful again. Dean may have got his subs right but it was a throw of the dice when we were already 1-0 down (we had been playing poorly for a long time before that) - ultimately it paid off and that's a relief, because that's one of the few winnable games we have left this season and for me we really had to win yesterday. It's also the first time this season we've come from behind to win so that's good for confidence. I'm still not convinced by the manager despite the result yesterday and this mysterious Jack Grealish injury and the comments made about it ("99% sure he'll make the Fulham game") is not making my feelings for him any better (whether he was injured in training on Saturday or not, I don't know, I'm not convinced that's the truth), but I'm happy we won a game of football again.

I'm pleased we won, as I always am. I don't rate Trez but he made a difference when he came on, AEG was awful once again. Ramsey added energy to a ponderous team and Davis did well. But we didn't have a shot on target until over an hour into the game, similar to Spurs, and the defending for the goal was half arsed and could easily have been avoided. We didn't start playing until 1-0 down. So a decent, well overdue win in the end, but ultimately we were rubbish for 75% of that game. Still a lot of concern for me, but maybe that final 12 minutes will give the team a kick up the arse for the rest of the season.

Oh my word. Abject all game and Trez of all players gets 2. We've still been utterly woeful for most of this and this will paper over that.

And who's spent all the money (£250+ million) assembling this so-called Championship squad?

Seriously if we continue this rubbish from now to the end of the season (and we probably will if we lose to shite like Fulham) then why give the manager any more time. I don't care where we were when he came in, or how he did so well for a 3rd of this season. He nearly cost us our place in the PL last season because of his average management, he survived literally because of COVID, and he's taken us backwards and still so reliant on one player that he didn't even sign. Not good enough.

Same old rubbish from an incompetent manager.

There we go. Mings you absolute muppet. We look a pub team, with an awful manager reliant on one player. We've played rubbish all game and what has the manager done? Eff all again. Oh and now Trezeguet is on for El Ghazi, Christ almighty.

El Ghazi is dreadful. I've defended him but if he doesn't score he offers nothing, gives the ball away every f***ing time, time to cut get rid this summer along with Trezeguet.

Still no shot on target. This is becoming a recurring theme.

We genuinely look dire on the ball.

Having looked at it again, even though I think it's crap, if that had got given against us we'd be fuming (but then if we were playing Spurs, or Liverpool, or City it would get given.) Still very little creativity and poor decisions with the ball from a lot of players. I'm disappointed again.