Rightdm00

Speaking of thread derailers. Does anyone ever know what happened to Con and his many heat maps.

If you can't see improvement from the Everton win to the Newcastle win then that's just baffling. I went back and watched the Everton game. They bossed us for almost the entire game but we pulled off a win thanks to a couple moments of quality. Compare that to Newcastle where we dominated and Newcastle had maybe 2 chances all game. That's improvement. Another example. First game of the season versus Spurs. We nick a goal and try to hang on for dear life. Compare that to United where we goto Old Trafford and are the better side for the entire first half. Once again that's improvement. Yes everybody wants to see the finished article but the Prem season doesn't end til May. The team and Dean deserve time to improve. So I guess I find it hard to understand fans who felt this season was going to be anything other than a struggle. Bournemouth came up as champions under Eddie Howe (no prior prem experience) and finished 16th his first year. Next year they finished 9th and Howe won LMA manager of the year. Now Bournemouth has struggled recently due to some very poor transfer decisions but who here wouldn't take that 2 year window right now. We have no divine right to Top 6 hell we don't even have a right to be in the Prem. It's going to be a dog fight but one I think Dean can surely see us through. This isn't blind Faith by any means. The eye test tells me we are a solid lower half prem team but almost every modern analytical stat bears that out as well. XPts which is based off of xG and xGa says we should be 15th. Also, only one team in the last ten years has ever been relegated with a GD better than -20. Hull City went down with -18 in 14-15. They only won 8 times all season and didn't get their 4th win til week 24. Fun fact Steve Bruce pulled a MON that season and quit a whole 2 weeks before kickoff. He deserved the cabbage. Our one true weakness right now is depth. So barring a bad injury crisis I feel confident in saying we survive this season.

Pretty much every interview Dean states that's his #1 goal. To win the game. I feel our GD shows that as well. There hasn't been a match all season where we didn't have chances to draw or even win. That the team hasn't taken them comes down to us being newly promoted, having to bed in over 11 new players, and just plain old errors which you have to live with giving the amount of youth/inexperience we have in our roster. Honestly I think some people forget that we shouldn't even be here right now. Getting out of the Champ required us to a break a club record that stood for almost a century. If you go look at our early games this season you will see we are far better now at pretty much every facet of play. What Dean and his staff have accomplished so far is nothing short of amazing I have faith with Dean that we will continue to improve. Barring a severe injury crisis we will be safe come the end of the year and everyone here can agree that was the goal at the start of the season.

Never thought we would get to the end product with him. I can admit I got him wrong. Very happy to see him coming good. 2nd goal we have bundled over the line. Not complaining just shows we really lack that natural finisher.

Exactly. If Kodija is the answer what is the question?

Maybe I'm confused but isn't Tom Heaton part of the defense.

The chance's were there and that's obviously all you can ask for away from home. Our lack of depth coming off the bench is so telling. Dean really couldn't change the game even if he wanted to.

Just an honest question. As an American what would be considered a more media friendly accent? I have no problem understanding Dean in his interviews and Pressers. Jack can be a little difficult at times and well John, I love the guy, but I have any clue what he is trying to say.

It's a little surreal seeing a team like ManU take the exact same approach that Small Heath(amongst other championship teams) attempted last year. You would think better teams would have an improved strategy but Jack is just that good.

Looks a completely changed side from the one that huffed and puffed a win versus Everton earlier in the season. Posters throughout the post match thread were disappointed that we only got a point at Old Trafford. Long may that type of feeling continue at the club. Deano Deano give us a wave, Deano give us a wave,

Conor had one of his outings where he was pretty much invisible for most of the game. You know the type of game that used to get him roasted on here back when we were in the Championship but now no one seems to notice. Now it seems the boo birds have eyes for only one player. Wes had an average game. That is pretty much the consensus on all of the match rating sites out there. Yet some can't wait to rush on here to bash our own players. I'm not calling those posters trolls just saying that it's definitely troll-like behavior.

Think it is more of the later. He is doing more of the dirty work now. For example he was tied for #1 in tackles made and second in ground duels won against MANU. Whereas John used to be the one hanging off of Wesley's shoulder he has dropped deeper now that Jack has taken on that more attacking role. And when we play Hourihane and Jack that is exactly where we need him to be. Our midfield looks so much more solid than it did at the beginning of the season. I feel alot of that credit goes to the discipline John has developed in his deeper role.

Never thought I would be disappointed about a point at Old Trafford but the win was there for the taking. I used to get really annoyed by Smith's slowness to make changes but both our subs caused a noticeable drop in quality, especially Lansbury. Excuse the the American phrase im about to drop but that Jack goal was everything and a bag of chips. Love looking forward to premier league fixtures again its been a long time coming,

I feel that for us to match Grealish's trajectory would require an investment like Man City got when Sheikh Mansour bought them. FFP was created to make sure that never happens again.

It's also important that fans have realistic expectations. We came up through the playoffs as the #5 team in the Championship. Develop a progressive style of football and stay up. That's it. Anything else is a bonus.

If Maguire can go for 80 then I can easily see a world where Jack goes for triple digits. Sadly, with the way FFP works we may have to sell Jack or John if we ever want to push on with another large investment in the club. Everyone, except for the truly big clubs of Europe, have to sell to balance the books. It sucks to think about it but their is a right way to do it. You can't sell all your stars like Southampton. Leicester on the other hand have clearly worked out a blueprint we can follow. Be willing to pay the wages that allows you to lock up your talent for multiple years. Sell only when it suits you and make sure you reinvest wisely. Their only poor purchase so far have been Iheanacho and Slimani. Honestly I want Jack to play for Villa his entire career but you can see a path if he starts adding goals to his game that he can play for a team like Barca or Real. I have faith that our management team has a plan mapped out for either path. Based on our smart spending so far I think if we survive this season it's onwards and upwards for Villa .

Liverpool couldn't even keep Sterling or Suarez so if the player wants to go then he's gone. He's under a long term deal so if he does go we will be well compensated for it. Nothing else a supporter can do but savor every time he puts on that Villa shirt.

Why did we need a Plan B for tonight? Newcastle played right into our hands in the 2nd half. The game was wide open. Grealish, Wesley and Konsa missed clear chances in the 2nd half. Bury any one of those and the game is done.

Yep, and Sebastian Haller(4 goals) of 17th place West Ham cost £45 million. Crazy that Benteke cost £7 million in 2012.

Agree. I would have put my house on him to bury that 2nd half chance. He will get the next one.

Just curious not an attack but when you call Douglas casual is it like a Andrea Pirlo, he plays the game at his pace kind of casual, or is it he looks like he doesn't care enough.

It's almost comical. I hated playing Brentford during the Brucie days.

If i'm Bruce I never want to see another Dean Smith managed team ever again. Hate that we couldn't kill off the game in the 2nd half. Loved pretty much everything else. UTV.

We were literally hours away from going into administration while in the championship.

Yeah he scored after a ball literally fell to him from 5 yards out. Not trying to take anything away from him but any prem quality attacker should bury that. What about the shot he wiffed on from barely 6 yards out. Or the multiple attacks that broke down against Wolves the closer he got to the opponents box. Trez is all run no finish which was the main knock on him in the Turkish league as well.