KangarooVillan

I don’t in any way think this situation is remote comparable, but this just relived all the disappointment of Ross Barkley after his positive start in the space of 10 seconds.

Surely you could accept though that their attributes are somewhat similar and therefore Bailey should be able to adapt fairly seemlessly? Gerrard also wants our fullbacks to provide the width.

Mane does okay in a similar system at Liverpool

If you’re talking about the first half, that was a structural/effort problem. No one could play out from down back because there weren’t any options to go to.

What are you talking about? He started both of the goals we saw from the back, admittedly the second had a bit of luck but was trying to create from the back all second half.

McGinn - I think the squad is getting to the point that we very a much need to be working on if you’ve got a spot and you perform, you keep your place kinda basis now, regardless of who’s coming back.

Really offers something we’ve been missing in midfield - can really carry the ball but also control the tempo of the match which is something neither McGinn no Ramsay offer. He had a few wanders across field which opened up space and a few pivots through traffic which kept the defenders guessing. Should keep his place.

What is a hero? These players play for our football team and really give a f*** about the jumper they play for are heroes in a way, aren’t they? Without Trez we’d probably be a newly promoted side this season, or worse, still kicking around in the championship. Does this mean that Trez is one of the greatest footballers the world has ever seen and should be kept on our books at all costs? No, but Trez has had heroic moments at Villa that have impacted the status of this club and all its fans for the better. Is that not heroic? I don’t even necessarily disagree with your critique, and I don’t think Trez will still be here at the end of this transfer window, but just on the future, past, present, and progress; You cannot have progress into the future without the past. As you say, we should not live in the past but also cannot live in the future either, otherwise we not only lose sight of where we’ve come from, but we also lose many of the things that make this club so great. We need to acknowledge the past, respect the past and all the heroes who played their role, because that’s ultimately what will drive us into the future.

You do realise only 1 of them has been on the pitch at any one time for most of the season, right?

Why can’t the 2 co-exist? Wanted to leave Everton because of Rafa and now wants to join us?

Clear your cache maybe

Honestly wonder if Coutinho mean Luiz will hang around - probably depends what happens in the summer but can’t hurt

I hope for your sake your dentist wasn’t a Villa fan.

If they didn’t have a package prepped and ready to go in case he was sold then that just about reveals all you need to know about them.

What are we basing this on? Has he played much for Barca recently? I was trying to find some replays.

You have to say it’s a risk though. It’s a huge jump in wages considering our existing payment structure for a player that’s only here temporarily and may not end up getting on the park a whole bunch (see Ross Barkley).

It stuck out like a sore thumb last night - so many occasions Target/Cash/Traore would be in a wide position and turn back and recycle the ball centrally. The confusing bit is they were getting on the cusp of those wide positions but would always turn back - almost as though they’d been instructed not to cross.

One thing I’ve notice over the last couple of weeks is that we literally have no width. Whenever players are in wide areas there’s a clear instruction not to put the ball in the box. Not sure if this is a result of the style/formation we play now, but everything is so central and there doesn’t even seem to be any interplay on the wings.

Fickle bunch we are

Buendia best on ground that half

Do you mean the video??

The original post very a much stated it as fact, I asked for clarification, clarification was given, what’s the problem? I would like to think that both Purslow’s and Gerrard’s interests are in making Villa a better team. I would be disappointed if Purslow or anyone else let their personal feelings (if they even exist re JG) get in the way if JG wanted to return. The only criteria should be does he improve us and is he worth X expenditure.

Cool, so both of those things were opinions, just wanted to clarify.

Did I miss something where the board and Gerrard stated those things respectively?

I don’t think it will be the end of this season, but I don’t think the idea that he’ll return to Villa in the next 2-3 seasons if things stay the way they are is too outlandish, I couldn’t see any other CL clubs taking him. Zaha is the one that sticks out who did something similar. Would you take him/how much would you pay?