Five Ken McNaughts

Exactly how every article on Johan Cruyff used it. Some dictionaries acknowledge the positive angle, while others list only negative examples (I would suggest it is the latter that need to catch up with its modern usage, especially in a sporting context).

I think you’re right @il_serpente – surely the craziest part of all of this is that two Premier League referees were happy to decide the key issue of control of a ball using a FREEZE FRAME. Just think about that for a moment. Control... Of a ball... Based on a single frozen image... It’s beyond ludicrous! (And, needless to say, the exact opposite of how it would be done in cricket or rugby, where no frame or angle would be ignored). Only in football is the VAR booth allowed to choose a version of events, exclude any images that might contradict that version, then present the lopsided evidence to the ref for a stamp of approval.

Fantastic stats. And 1920 was an FA Cup winning year for us too. So, essentially, every time we beat Man United in the FA Cup... we win the FA Cup. Bring it on!

“Ref Watch” on Sky Sports was a predictably painful watch on the whole matter. Not one reference to the full law and its wording from any of the four in the studio. Pointless.

The way I read it, everything in that Law up to the word “except” sounds like it is intended to rule out any version of the Gary Crosbie goal circa 1988 – to outlaw every scenario in which a player might try to cheekily nick the ball away from a goalie who is plainly in control of it and should be allowed to distribute it without harassment. And everything after the word “except” is saying that the same level of protection does not apply in a dynamic open-play situation. (What the Law then fails to do is clarify what protection DOES apply in a dynamic situation, beyond essentially saying “not that”).

Funny thing, “perspective”... (EDIT: Clearly not “in control” of anything according to that second angle, which was never shown by VAR).

Is this the same Kasper Schmeichel who gleefully knelt on top of Traoré after Bertie slid in to nick a goal back last season? That flat track bully? Gee, I sure am sorry about your hurty thumb, Kasper. Ouchy! (Hats off to everyone at Villa Park today ).

So, as Sky Sports finally got round to admitting (still quicker than Paul Tierney in the VAR shed can read the law book): ”The goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball by touching it with any part of his hands or arms... EXCEPT IF THE BALL REBOUNDS ACCIDENTALLY FROM HIM, FOR EXAMPLE AFTER HE HAS MADE A SAVE.” Just as we saw at Man City away last season, Villa were victims of Premier League officials literally not knowing the laws of the game. Thank God we won anyway.

I like Saka. He actively looks to make nice little interchanges with Grealish (while most of the team seem to try hard to avoid passing to him... sometimes embarrassingly so).

Apologies if these have been mentioned already (alongside Cowans, Staunton and Milner) but you got me thinking with that question... I came up with three players I only saw in their second spells at Villa Park – Andy Blair, Steve Hunt and Andy Gray. In truth, I wasn’t even aware Steve Hunt was a re-signing until someone gave me a 1975 League Cup final programme a couple of years ago, and there he was (with loads of hair!). I thought the bald version I watched in the mid/late 80s had one of the best touches I have ever seen in a Villa midfielder.

If Sheffield United can play a home FA Cup semi-final in “When Saturday Comes” then we can definitely play a home FA Youth Cup final.

A source / close friend / onlooker / bystander told the Sun: “I am a purely fictitious character with made-up quotes, but never let on about that – you need me to pad celebrity stories and steer the reader as to what their reaction should be.”

First thoughts... Start next season at 10, moving to LW every time Chukwuemeka comes off the bench. When Chuk is ready to start, keep Jack at LW just to accommodate the two of them on the same pitch. Villa destroy all before them. Simples.

I know what you mean. He “prowls” around the pitch. Don’t think I’ve ever seen a 17-year-old with that kind of presence. Remarkable.

I can think of a very simple one (with a little tweak to “Olé”): Ollieeeee, Ollie, Ollie, Ollieeeee, Ollieeeee, Ollieeeee.

Maybe chuck in a Kane red card for diving or endangering an opponent in the air? (Crazy talk, I know).

Hopefully the squad will have had a meeting and vowed to get to grips with this new-fangled “90 minutes” thing that was sneaked into the laws circa 1863.

This is what so infuriated me yesterday (and led to a couple of posts where I should probably have counted to ten). Where did all that energy and will-to-win suddenly disappear to? Why are we seemingly so incapable of applying ourselves for 90 minutes? The “first half at Burnley”, the “last half-hour against Fulham” and now the “first half at Palace” – great. Plenty of skill and plenty of spirit in those segments. But how often do we actually put in a solid 90 minutes of focus and graft? 1 in 5 games? 1 in 10? To me, it feels like such a fundamental weakness in the group psyche that until the reasons behind it are identified and addressed we will always be limited in what we can achieve. All too often it seems to be a case of “Fight like lions... for a bit.”

Came here to post exactly this... Found exactly this... I concur... Exactly.

Whenever we take the lead we act like the underdog fighter who has landed a lucky blow and is now terrified he’s going to get KO’d for making the other guy angry. Back pedal, hide, hope the bell saves us... eventually the self-fulfilling prophecy comes true. Every time.

May as well take El Ghazi off rather than move him to the right. He mentally checks out every time we do it.

Pathetic. Spineless. Embarrassing. That second half performance is is a stain on this season.

Any chance we can wake up soon? No? Anyone?

“I don’t know what Benteke’s done wrong there”. Sky’s coverage living up to its usual high standards.

The co-commentator came out with some genius logic near the start... “Villa have scored an impressive 22 goals in this competition, but if you take out the 9 and the 6 from the last two rounds things start to look a little different.” Eh? Why stop there? Who not take out the 3 and the 4 from the first two rounds and say we are yet to score? Anyway, these lads are a joy to watch. Exciting times.