wilko154

Team were poor today, we didn't play as a collective, the defence were all over the shop and the players that were brought in didn't do a job. Now on to the fans... some of the fans in the Holte End today were pathetic and embarrassing. On Kalinic's back in his first game, a goalkeeper let down by an extremely poor defensive unit in front of him. Booing as O'Hare was substituted for Kodjia in a clear move to change to 4-4-2 whilst 2-0 down. Complaining and getting on the players backs when the ball goes back to the defence to build the play back up again. And 10,000 leaving with 10 minutes to go. Putting this game into perspective it was a free hit with a chance to give a few players a go. Granted the makeshift defence didn't work. O'Hare isn't yet good enough to play as a number 8 in midfield, he needs a loan to League 2 to get himself ready for the step up. Hogan isn't the player he was at Brentford and won't work for Villa. A number of players weren't good enough and I'm sure Smith will be letting them know about that. Positives today - Kalinic looks like a commanding keeper, Lansbury looked to be back to the player we signed pinging passes around, Davis held the ball well and looked a handful. A week to sort it out now against Wigan.

No they didn't announce anything at half time. Smith said in his post match interview that no one has told him Abraham has left, he had heard he was watching at Villa Park today (poor lad) and that he expected to see him in training on Monday. We will see.

Good, Saturday 3 o'clock instead of some stupid Friday night/Monday night game.

Seeing a lot of people moaning about us loaning players over the summer. I think we have to remember the situation we were in at the time, we were hardly flush with cash during the transfer window, we missed out on a lot of the decent signings whilst the cash issues were there leaving the loan market as our main source of players at the end of the window. Going forward I agree we need to get players signed on long term deals so we don't have gaps in the squad.

It's all about proving himself on the Premier League stage. He could do that at Wolves, score goals whilst on loan there and earn himself a place at Chelsea or a Premier League move next season. However, I would have to argue that he is proving himself at a big club, even though we are in the Championship, this season. He's scoring goals, could potentially break the clubs recent scoring record and be promoted with the team. This would also help him either earn his place at Chelsea or a Premier League move, either with Villa going up or a team coming in over the summer. It would be a massive gamble to leave a club in January where he is currently scoring goals consistently, even with our best player out injured currently.

I honestly think it's now all about scraping ourselves into the playoffs. If we can pick up enough points this month whilst bedding in a few new signings before finally getting Grealish back in February then we should have enough about us to finish in the top 6. The important part of our season will then be March - May, with new signings bedded in and Grealish back to full fitness we will need to find some form going into the playoffs. We all know how hard the playoffs are but this team, with Smiths style would be a real force that no one would want to come up against at Wembley.

Personally would give this a go: Kalinic Bree Elphick Hause Taylor Whelan Bolasie El Ghazi Lansbury Adomah Kodjia For me Bree needs to play at right back, he is now our first choice right back and needs to play there. Elphick and Hause will need to get used to playing at the back and in front of Kalinic. Chester needs a rest. Whelan should be fresh at DM. Bolasie and Adomah should be pretty fresh out wide. Lansbury can come in and give an unfit Bjarnasson a break, but he could play if Lansbury isn't fit. El Ghazi through the middle is something I would like to try whilst Grealish is out, this is the perfect chance to see how it works. Kodjia up top, get his confidence up. Otherwise we also have Davis and Hogan looking for game time.

I think Chelsea will get the money mate

Where have you seen this?

We won't be upsetting the player, he will only leave us if he wants to leave Chelsea or go back there to fight for his place. I'm pretty certain if Wolves are offering £18 million we will be offering similar with a clause on promotion.

Calm down mate. Hogan hasn't had an oppurtunity yet in a side playing a completely different style of football. We are getting close (bar the last few games) to playing like Brentford where he was banging in goals. Kodjia has been inconsistent this season but has been out of position on the left wing for the majority, he actually came into some form up front prior to Abraham joining. Losing Abraham will be a massive blow but we can deal with it, sorting the defence and getting a playmaker in midfield is the priority. We are creating numerous chances each game for a different striker to put into the back of the net.

Get a car ready for Elmo and Jedinak...

Always as they exit a shop, walk out and then just stand there as though they have just awoken from a 20 year coma.

If Alan Hutton is a club legend we might as well just pack up and go home. He's a cult hero from the last two years but is being left horribly exposed at left back, arguably a position he should never have had to play in (another Steve Bruce legacy) Every game he frustrates me with his constant ambling forward leaving his position vacant when a simple pass would get the ball to the winger already occupying the space. Or standing inside the edge of the box as the team break on us leaving a winger with a crazy amount of space out wide, enough to bring a ball down, set himself and begin to run into the box (this then results in either a dangerous cross or a last minute block to go out for a corner). It could be argued that he is playing out of position but the same thing happens whilst he is playing at right back.

This, we aren't in a position to be helping out promotion rivals, especially not them Bring him back in January and if they want him they pay for him

We will know if he is staying at 2pm today, if he is going back there is no chance he will take part today.

Interesting thing about this transfer window is that we aren't just going to go out and sign a centre back who has kept the most clean sheets in the French League 2, or a past it name from the Premiership who can no longer get a game. It's now all about buying players that fit into the team engine, a ball playing centre back, dominant to play next to Chester. Full backs that can defend but are also comfortable on the ball and able to help pass and move to build up play. It's been a long time since we've had someone in charge, or a collective group in charge, that are planning in the right way for the future of the club.

That's a pretty unfair assessment of Dean Smith, we've looked incredibly weak at the back because we have been left with an awful defensive unit by Bruce. Currently playing a third choice right back in front of a goalkeeper that the defence have no confidence in results in a bad situation straight from kick off, add to that a right back at left back as we have no backup. Defensive frailties at Brentford may be so but they are a team on a tight budget in a very competitive league, we've seen them sell their best players in each transfer window since we have been in this league, and that will likely continue in January. We've looked defeated in the last few games but its mostly due to having a makeshift back line, full backs that aren't up to playing this style and missing Grealish. If we can get the defense sorted in January and bring in an extra midfielder who is able to carry the ball then Smith can carry on improving our performances in the next 6 months before a busy Summer.

Think we will see this Nyland Elmo Bree Chester Hutton Bjarnasson Kodjia McGinn Hourihane Bolasie Abraham I wouldn't be surprised to see Adomah brought in for Bolasie as well depending on how tired the legs are. As people have said if we are in a good position it would be nice to give Abraham and McGinn some much needed rest. Such a shame we have no other options at full back as they are our weakest points at the moment, everything comes down the side and we don't deal with the danger properly due to poor defending or being out of position.

You mean the club don't login to VillaTalk on January 1st to see who we all want to sign along with the numerous suggestions to sign all of our former players?

We look to have Grealish, Tuanzebe, Taylor & Lansbury missing. Preston have Ben Davies (centre back), Callum Robinson (striker), Brandon Barker (winger), Sean Maguire (striker), Josh Harrop (striker) & Billy Bodin (striker) all out injured. We have to take advantage of this and pick up 3 points here. It's a very short space of time between games but we have fresh players in the squad we can bring in with Bjarnasson, Kodjia, Adomah. All could make a vital difference. I would also at least give O'Hare a chance off the bench as Grealish doesn't look to be back anytime soon and we are missing the creativity through the middle of the pitch.

As soon as he is no longer required at centre back he needs to start getting game time at right back. Both full backs aren't currently good enough, constantly out of position or getting beaten. Bree could easily be our future right back. He's been brilliant at centre back in the last two games.

He will go straight in, 100% It's not just Nyland performances Smith has to consider (performances that have largely improved), it's the trust the defence has in the goalkeeper. Having a big, dominant goalkeeper like Kalinic coming in will be a massive boost for the back line. Can't fault Nyland for his form since Kalinic has been announced though, he's been very good topped off yesterday with the penalty save.

I hope he can catch, I don't think he holds onto a single ball in this video.

I had forgotten goalkeepers were allowed to come off their lines at all...