wilko154

What would happen if we went into next season buying whoever we liked, splashing cash like Wolves have done and gambling our entire future on promotion? Would we go up if we finished top and just have a large fine to pay in 2019/20? If so would this be worth it rather than years in this league?

Everyone talks about the ridiculous appointments of RDM and Bruce by Xia, but we now have fans calling for John Terry to be made manager. A bloke who has never managed a football team in his life. Absolutely crazy.

Kodjia isn't fit enough to play 90 minutes though. And if he had changed Grabban for Hogan in this game and it had ended as it did he would be getting slaughtered for changing a winning team after Hogan scored mid-week. Today was down to the players and not the manager. We should be beating teams like Norwich with ease, or at the very least grinding out results as Cardiff and Fulham are consistently doing.

Awful defender, reminds me of Stephen Warnock in the latter stage of his Villa career. Constantly a car crash waiting to happen.

We might as well send this bloke to play for the U23's for the rest of the season and sell him in the summer. There's a player in there somewhere, but we have absolutely no intention of playing to his strengths. With the long balls forward and the constant (mostly overhit) crosses we might as well stick Davis up front and hope that he picks up some goalscoring form.

As much as Bruce's game management is poor and his substitions/formations are baffling I don't blame him for today. On paper we were the better side today, first half we were the better side today but we didn't take our chances and didn't show the class that we have in the squad. It's all too easy to blame the manager for the loss but this is arguably our strongest first 11. It makes you wonder if the so called 'strongest squad in the league' is actually as strong as we all think. Sack him now? Ridiculous, you can't sack your manager with 5 games to go before the playoffs and expect a new manager to come in and turn us into world beaters. We need to now use the last 5 games to get some form together, find an 11 that works and bring some form into the playoffs. If at the end of the season we don't go up via the playoff route then I agree, Bruce goes and we bring someone in who can rebuild the squad over the next few season. Realistically if we don't go up then we are in this league for a few more years where we will need to rebuild with limited funds. That is the sad reality of where we are as a football club now.

I'm glad he didn't make any changes here, it would be typical for us to change it and then lose reducing all our hopes once again. Realistically Tuesday night was like a training session for our players, Johnstone and the defence were hardly stretched, Adomah and Snodgrass both went off for a rest. Let's just get out there and pick up the 3 points to put the pressure on Cardiff and Fulham. Hogan and Kodjia with the goals today, 2-0 Villa.

Warnock is such a bell, I really hope we turn them over on Tuesday

Get In! It's on...

It's all about when we go 4 up top

On the ball they are much better than us, they are possibly even better than us defensively but I think going forward we are better than both teams. However as we have seen we seem to have off days more than both of these sides. I would like to think Grealish, Snodgrass, Hourihane & Adomah could open this Cardiff side up.

https://www.avfc.co.uk/News/2018/04/06/aston-villa-under-armour-announcement A shame as the last few kits have been some of the best we have had in recent years.

Congratulations mate!

No reason to change anything in this side, Bjarnasson was immense on Tuesday and should retain his place. Elmo was poor but he helps Snodgrass' performance by taking the pressure off when getting around him, they know each other inside out. For me Grealish and Hogan are another combination that works, Hogan pulls the opposition all over the place with his running giving Jack much more time on the ball. If we can just start threading some balls through to Hogan we will start to see the rewards, long balls and crosses are just not his game. Johnstone Elmo Chester Terry Taylor Bjarnasson Snodgrass Grealish Hourihane Adomah Hogan

You're so confident that you are willing to go into the game starting 10 players? Wow, hats off to you mate, I wish I shared your optimism

Unfortunately, whilst Jedinak has his uses in aerial duels, he is now too slow in the majority of games. He limits Hourihanes ability to get forward as he spends more time helping out defensively, this also limits the effectiveness of the team going forward.

Very good last night. It almost seems as though Hourihane is a bit of a Petrov in terms of doing a lot of unnoticed work during a game and then being looked upon as one of the poorer players in the side. If you watch Hourihane off the ball he covers a ridiculous amount of ground in getting back to help out defensively, and then moving forward to support the attacking movement (as shown with his goal last night) The pressure he puts players under when tracking back is something that stats don't pick up and is something we missed when he was out of the team last weekend. 10 goals from a midfielder is impressive, I think I read last night he is the first centre midfielder to score 10 goals for Villa since David Platt in 1990-91

Thats generally how football works...

I just started Suits last night and it's brilliant. Does it go downhill as the seasons go by or is it still a decent watch?

Johnstone Elmo Chester Terry Hutton Jedinak Snodgrass Grealish Hourihane Adomah Hogan I would be tempted to throw Bjarnasson, Tuanzebe or Whelan in for Jedinak as he has travelled and played a lot of football in the space of a week.

Grealish has looked like the player we saw last season again in the last 3 games. In all 3, first half he was driving at the defenders and trying to pull the strings, however he then slowly dissaperared from the games. Bruce isn't helping him by changing the formation with his substitions meaning he has to play a centre midfielders role in a two and becoming less effective in the attacking 3rd. I think Hogan & Hourihane would both help Jack get back to his best, and i'm hoping we see it tonight.

For a man who continually talks about boxing clever he wouldn't make a very good boxer.

We have no chance of automatics, Cardiff are a much more consistent side than us and will win the amount of games they require to retain second...

20 minute cameo tomorrow would be perfect. As greedy as he can be you can't underestimate his influence carrying the ball forward, its something that Grealish has brought to the team since returning and in the games he was injured for recently we badly missed it. Having two players in the team centrally who are prepared to keep hold of the ball, and a carry the ball forward is a massive asset heading into the final part of the season. We just can't rush him back this time, and realistically we shouldn't need to with Grabban, Hogan and Davis all available. Buzzing to see him back in action tomorrow night.

Johnstone Elmo Chester Terry Hutton Whelan Snodgrass Grealish Hourihane Adomah Hogan Whelan back in as he will help us to break up the play. Bjarnasson was poor against Bolton, although I don't think it was the game for him. Jedinak will be knackered after playing in some more pointless friendlies. I would be half tempted to throw Davis in after his two goals in the last week. But I think Grealish works well with players who can make runs off the ball, Grabban hasn't worked for the last two games so give Scotty another go. We really should have too much for Hull and this could start us on another run on wins. There is 100% no point in throwing a load of kids out there at this stage of the season, it would be ridiculous and I find it strange that people would even consider that after the season we have had.