wilko154

So far I'm not really a fan of Zaniolo. But... he has something about him that is exciting to watch. He almost doesn't fit into his position, he doesn't have much pace, and he's built like a centre forward. But, he's quite a battering ram and is really skillful. I actually think he'll come good soon, and needs some PL games to get upto speed, a goal will do him some good.

@OutByEaster? did the club mention the badge consultation at the last meeting as they've mentioned this in their press release.

If you look at Douglas Luiz now, compared to a couple of seasons ago he's now like a different player. He's the type of player that get's hold of the ball and doesn't lose it, or rarely makes the wrong decision. Kamara is two years younger, and will grow into being the reliable player that Luiz now is for us. In my opinion he has a higher ceiling, and if it wasn't for the slight inconsistency would be one of the best DM's in the PL. Was a class above yesterday after a poor couple of games this season.

103 and probably my best weekend in terms of rank gain; up to 40k after a bad week last weekend. Debated the -4 to do Ake out for Botman right up until deadline, glad I went for it.

Shocking week already, Alvarez in for one point. Botman in for a hit and now apparently injured. Just waiting for Jackson to stick 3 past us tomorrow now that I've transferred him out.

You can't really judge Lenglet from one game, especially in a makeshift back line. He needs at least 5 games in a Villa shirt to settle and get to know our system. I actually think he was the best defender in the side last night, and until a mistake near the end of the game had been pretty reliable.

Would rather see Konsa at right back and Chambers at centre back in the circumstances we found ourselves in last night. At centre back there is less chance of him being out of position, and Konsa has the pace to get back at full back. However it's glaringly obvious that a backup right back is top of the January shopping list; especially with the injury to Mings and unreliability of Carlos.

Same thing happened to me. Will it still be there to collect next week? I'll likely not bother collecting, not making a special trip to Villa Park to pick up a bobble hat.

Agree with this, when he plays inside next to Watkins he often doesn't get the ball in any space meaning he has to work to get away from the defender. He's at his most dangerous in space when he can run at players. When he's out wide if you can get running into space left by the full back (see the third goal), or running at a full back you back him the majority of the time to create something. I also think he's more effective with Bailey on the pitch (when the right Leon Bailey has turned up).

Same as the Everton game, piss overflowing from the urinals in the Upper Holte End; and ridiculously congested at half time due to limited toilet facilities in the stand now. Chances of getting a pint at half time, practically none. Chances of having a piss and getting a pint at half time, more chance of landing on the moon.

The problem Villa have now created for themselves in the Holte End with the service is the space that they have taken away for the Terrace View. They had so much space available in which they could have implemented self service beers, wider food choices, better toilet facilities. That has now all gone. I would argue that a vast amount of money could be made all over the stadium with improvements to service; this also goes for the Holte Pub which is a complete waste of space at the moment and could be churning money over on a matchday. The only place at Villa Park that they seem to have succesfully improved in recent seasons is the Fanzone area outside of the Trinity. Every seasons small changes could be made to help increase the revenue, but the club are now chasing the bigger money in hospitality and ignoring increasing the average fans match experience and small increases of revenue streams. If everyone in the stadium bought a beer (or extra beer) on matchday that would bring in over £200,000. It sounds like an impossible thing to happen, but in reality with a better concourse, better service for beer/food and better toilet facilities fans would arrive earlier and be able to get served straight away. Currently people arrive late, and don't bother due to the poor service. I for one buy two beers and food on a match day; currently I don't buy either beer at Villa Park due to the poor service, and food is normally bought from a van on the way to the ground. Why aren't the club trying to bring that revenue in? Overall that's an extra £3.8 million a year from league games alone they could be targeting.

First time I've considered not going to Villa Park in a long, long time. £38.50 for Carabao Cup game when we already have four extra European games at Villa Park this year seems really high. Completely understand the club need to make more revenue, but that cost is daft and shows how out of touch they now are with the fansbase.

Henri Lansbury. From the moment we dropped into the Championship I was adamant that Lansbury was mustard and was the ideal player to sort our midfield problems out. He then played his debut at Villa Park against Preston and I left the ground believing he was prime Iniesta. Turns out I was wrong.

Nice one! Yep really fine margins this year, I got lucky starting with Chilwell and Onana; and having Mbuemo early before everyone jumped on. I also missed the Gabriel news though. There's a long way to go yet though, and a lot of the top 1m rank will be fade away after a few bad GWs.

Started Mr Inbetween after quite a few reviews on here. Finished the first season in a day; now started the second. Some series!

@AndyM3000 Where are you this season? You wouldn't know it but I normally judge by progress on how you're team is getting on each season!

In my mind the reason for the hostility towards TV, and the anger from sections of the Holte End, is due to the way the club surveyed the supporters and then completely ignored what they asked for. The survey they put out last season was a request for what they would want to improve their matchday experience, many answered the survey honestly with requests for better services, better food and drink options, and more areas to sit or generally enjoy the concourse areas pre game. The way Villa have taken the survey results, or likely posed the questions, has resulted in them bringing in TV and charging supporters more money for effectively a hospitality like experience. The problem with this is 95% of Holte End supporters not only see no benefit, but lose out on existing space and services from their original season ticket package; members lose out on the possibility of tickets to home games; and away supporters lose out on the possibility of tickets to games due to premium fans being offered a queue jump. I understand that Aston Villa as a club need to make money; and TV is a large revenue stream. However there are plenty of extra revenue streams that could have been implemented in the Holte End to increase matchday income. For a start fixing all of the issues at food and drink stalls in the concourses in the Holte End, and the rest of the stadium would increase the amount of people able to use them pre match and at half time. Improving the concourses as the survey suggested would see fans getting to the ground earlier and spending more money pre-match. That's a target audience of 13,000 alone in the Holte. TV is a great concept, and I can fully understand why people have taken up the option; but some parts of it should never have been offered to supporters. It's not a scheme that should have ever been implemented in the Holte End. It's historically the biggest stand at Villa Park, where the working class spend their Saturdays. It's not a hospitality stand where money talks. With a new North Stand being built, it provided the club the perfect pace to bring TV into place without using existing space and removing facilities for existing supporters; all whilst charging more for the privelige. As I've said a lot in recent years, the club need a higher income to push on, however taking from supporters is not always the way to do it. It's all well and good improving what's on the pitch, but facilities need to improve alongside this to justify constant price rises. Football fans, and Villa fans, are a huge mix of people and many don't have buckets of cash to spend on football each year; pushing them out just because they can't afford it is unfair. A lot of these supporters have been at this club in some of it's worst moments; and if we ever go back to those times they will still be there when some certainly won't.

Finished The Bear S2. Some absolutely brilliant television, at least three of the episodes are some of the best episodes of a TV series I've seen (Honeydew, Fishes & Forks)

I would sell Coutinho at this stage, simply due to the injuries. Ideally we will have a player in mind to bring in as a replacement, using the transfer fee and wages freed up. It's a shame as he's looked sharp in pre season, and the Everton game. He just doesn't stay fit to be of use to the squad at the moment.

I haven't played 3 yet. Started with 4, then played 5, 6 and Primal. My favourite by some way was Far Cry 4; but it may be because it's the first one I found. Far Cry 5 was very good but got quite repetitive; I've got 6 and started but never finished it. Far Cry Primal is really good, but very different to the rest of them

Good move for both him and Aston Villa. He's now the same age as when Jacob broke through, unfortunately we are now at the level where we can't integrate him into the first team at this stage of his career. Burnley will give him the chance to play regularly and develop over the next few seasons as JJ did. Hope it works out and we see him back in a Villa shirt again in the next few years.

I don't agree with the derogatory chants, but TV hasn't part subsidised any season ticket holders tickets. Season ticket holders in my opinion are paying more than they should be for tickets in the Holte End. We've had a 15% price rise, whilst losing services and space that was part of the original deal of being a season ticket holder.

Kamara has been poor in pre-season and last week against Newcastle, no doubt about it he's looked off the pace and has been caught on the ball quite a few times. Today he got caught in possession early in the game and the poor form looked to continue. The rest of the game he was superb, mopped up for the defence and midfield and was a key part of the midfield domination. Great to see him back to his best.

Watkins is clearly a confidence player, a bit like Benteke used to be. As soon as he gets a goal, even one off his shin, his entire game will improve and we'll see him back to his best. Could do with a goal midweek to get him up and running.

Yes it did, toilets now have queues to get into, and bars/food stands take an age to get served at due to the amount of people. Everything that Holte Enders said they wanted has now gotten worse. Hoping the terrace view falls flat on it's arse personally.