est1874

Just now, jjaacckk91 said:

If I was Watkins I'd be **** fuming after this tonight

I like Ollie but he's no real right to be in this instance? It doesn't look as if he's even showing for the ball most of the time.

Didn't one of the Villa players last season say that he was the best finisher on the training ground?

You'd never know.

I am now slightly overweight and haven't kicked a ball in anger in over a year, but pretty confident I'd have put one of El Ghazi's chances away by now.

Unless we smell a pen coming then get him off and get Davis on, push Watkins out wide.

Sorry but this is not good enough from everyone else.

As per **** usual we are relying on Jack Grealish to do everything.

No matter who we buy, how much money we spend, it all comes back upon his shoulders.

Ridiculous.

**** sake Anwar.

Just now, Chindie said:

Anyway to turn off Clive Tyldsley?

Ideally permanently.

Are you just working your way through the list? Karen Cairney, now Clive Tyldsley. Go on, give us your opinion on Scholes and Roberto Martinez, they're up next 

1 minute ago, a m ole said:

a victim of modern football, possession based with one up top and patient build up. not too much to worry about for me, it’s a common theme for any team that play’s similarly.

I don't disagree with you but there are still other ways to play. Modern possession based football clearly isn't doing much for us if we finish 0-0 or worse against a turgid Burnley side. 

1 minute ago, sidcow said:

So unlucky not to be in the lead at half time. 

Can Nakamba do anything which is not just fouling a player unnecessarily? 

Harsh - Nakamba has had one of his better games, and not just that, he's looked good to me. (cursed him now)

1 minute ago, DCJonah said:

Watkins struggling today. 

How many times have we seen this now. Can't help but feel Smith isn't using him right. He's extremely isolated.

Just now, villalad21 said:

He can't pass a simple ball. He's an awful footballer.

Fortunately you don't need to be good at football against Burnley

Famous last words...

4 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

He's either fit or he isn't. Not sure what you're getting at here!

But exactly: if he's clearly not fit by Thursday, how has he been deemed a 'maybe' on Wednesday? That just doesn't make sense to me, unless he's done himself additional harm.

There were no images of him training at all this week so why tell people he might play? Surely Dean knew that he wouldn't.

Predict we will do what we do best against this type of opposition: concede a totally nonsensical and avoidable early goal, possibly from a set-piece, and then struggle to break them down for 90 mins.

Jack will save our blushes for the umpteenth time with a late equalizer, and/or we'll have more late penalty drama.

It bothers me that we get no information on why players are out.

Nobody knew Trezeguet was injured but he's missed two games now. The reasons for Konsa's absence will remain a mystery until.....? When exactly

Last we heard about Barkley, he might be in contention to play, now he's not even on the bench despite the other injuries and suspensions.

All a bit strange tbh.

Sweet Jesus.

18 hours ago, blandy said:

He blooming wasn't. Got banned for a year for drink driving when he was 17, for a start.

Fair enough - had forgotten about that!

1 hour ago, thunderball said:

I read on twitter yesterday that Richarlison to us was a done deal for £80m next summer. Relationship with Luiz and Wes helped. Have no idea on validity of rumour or source and can’t find the tweet but just putting it out there as it’s similar to the Berkeley rumour that emerged out the dark from a twitter lay-person two weeks before he signed.

No pelters from the usual crowd thank you.

Silly season is upon us already.

I **** hate Leeds so much.

2 hours ago, WallisFrizz said:

Club has dealt with it (fine and public statement), courts have dealt with it. Media have savaged him, police have released the footage to embarrass him further. I’m not saying any of the above is undeserved but I think it’s time we move on and continue our support of him. I hope he remains as Captain and his teammates rally round him. 

The problem with Jack is that you never know if he's just going to turn right around and do the exact same thing again. Case in point we already have people here wondering how long before he gets caught driving _______ without a licence. Fill in the blank if you like.

I don't necessarily need my captains to be squeaky clean. Southgate was a model professional at Villa, until he turned around and handed in a transfer request while on England duty - and he's shown himself to be little more than an absolute twunt since then.

Similarly Gareth Barry was a boy scout but then went and carjacked a taxi, ostensibly while drunk also.

My concern is that most people learn from this sort of stuff and never do it again - whereas with Jack, he doesn't seem smart enough to learn, and I can't trust him not to get into trouble which reflects poorly on the club again.

I'm not sure I'd let him keep the armband, tbh. He's a phenomenal player and our brightest talent since the early '80s IMO; but nevertheless, he's not bigger than the club, and I feel like more than a few people (potentially Jack included) have lately been entertaining the notion that he just might be.

18 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

Personally i think konsa has captain material.

Agreed but also Martinez

*Sorry just realised this had been said in the previous post!

Please not this Rashica business again!

Sorry but are people trying to suggest that 80 grand is too big a fine?

I'd have fined him five times that and banned him for two years. You might say that's why I'm not a judge but he's a very **** lucky boy IMO that he's walked away from driving under the influence without any of the following:

a) a serious injury

b) a manslaughter charge

c) a jail term for being breathalysed at the scene

As Davkaus and possibly others have suggested, it's a small miracle that he reversed the car back and did enough further damage to warrant getting out on foot. If he'd driven any further, see a-c above.

Prevalent thought this evening: Joao Cancelo is a **** shite footballer, what the **** is he doing at Manchester City?

My only issue with Tyrone is nothing to do with his off-the-field activities (fully happy for him to lend vocal support to BLM and attend protests etc etc).

Nor is it anything to with d_d_i_d's post about him being instructed to break the first line of the opposition's press.

It's his tendency to lose concentration when it really counts, which is why I find him playing the self-appointed alpha/leader (without really actually leading anyone into anything) a bit tiresome.

True leaders don't go day-dreaming as often as Ty does, because they can't afford to. It's no use clapping his hands and trying to spur the team on if he's going to be the one to invite the pressure by standing 3 or 4 yards off his man, or being the only one in the wall to forget to jump, time and again. He might feel like he's 8 feet tall, but sadly he is not.

To clarify, I like him. I think he has improved us and I don't think I would go as far as to advocate buying a replacement, but I do think he needs serious competition nipping at his heels; the sooner the better.

He's far too comfortable knowing he's undroppable, and it shows.

1 minute ago, blandy said:

I think that (and it's your mention of Laursen and Terry that made me think of this) that there's another aspect to this.

Which is, reading of the game. My perception is that John Terry was really good at reading what might happen before it happened and getting either himself, or a team mate in a position to stop it. I think Tyrone Mings and Martin Laursen are/were not quite as good at that aspect of defending. But Mings is every bit as vocal as Terry, every bit as demanding of team mates, and helpful to team mates in trouble.

So It's not leadership qualities that are not developed yet, it's that the 35 year old (or however old he was) John Terry was a better reader of the game than 26 year old (or however old he is) Tyrone Mings is, and so JT was able to use that reading to pass on to his colleagues. He showed a different aspect of leadership, and he had to, because he wasn't as quick as Tyrone is.

I think Martin Laursen and Tyrone Mings are quite similar in many respects. And they're both right near the top of my favourite Villa centre backs. God, Allan Evans, Tyrone and Martin Laursen in their back 4 bubble.

Martin Laursen was light years ahead of Tyrone Mings as a footballer, as a defender, as a leader.

There's no comparison for me. He's a good defender, but Mings doesn't get into my Top 10 Villa defenders, let alone top 4/5.

Maybe he will one day, but he's got no right currently to be named amongst the royalty you've mentioned, IMHO.