jackbauer24

Biggest game in Blues recent history. Home to a Norwich side who may be not quite at 100% for today. Need everyone behind them to secure the three points in a wet, dingy run down stadium.

Except co-owner Tom Brady. He's unfortunately really busy mingling with stars at the Miami Grand Prix this weekend. Otherwise, he'd swap that glamour and warmth for a trip to the Sty in a heartbeat obviously...

#undefeated #uninterested 

Poor form for at least a few months.

Poor discipline to get yellow in last minute before deadline passes and get two match suspension.

We then play well without him.

Come back in and plays badly vs Chelsea.

Tonight's game he misplaces most passes, doesn't make runs, gives away a penalty and misses one.

Yeah... at this stage he is the obvious candidate to be sold. He has always thought he's way better than he is and he's fully back at the standard that meant Man City had no interest in activating the buy back clause.

If we had bodies, I'd be dropping him before anyone else on the team.

Awful, practically to a man. There was different levels but no one played 'well', all were different percentages of below their best.

Luiz stands out for all the wrong reasons. He's been horrific lately and don't think it's a coincidence that our best two performances were without him. If we had any players left, I'd be dropping him. Also maintain that for all the hype around him, I'd sell him in a heartbeat for anything like the fees banded around. His level of swagger rarely matches his actual ability and never his effort.

When you've got Olsen in goal, you don't need to confuse matters further by putting Lenglet in.

Diaby would be an expert hurdler if football doesn't work out, spends most of the time jumping out of any battle.

The passing today was terrible. The ball retention was laughable. Too many players not quick enough to react to loose balls or getting caught on it. 

Brentford, Lille (both games), Chelsea and today - we're miles off the boil lately. We're not showing any evidence we can turn this around.

Just thankful Spurs aren't taking advantage in the league.

Luiz had his worst game ever, Konsa not far off. McGinn, Cash, Digne all well below par. Olsen isn't good, so maybe that's just his best! Watkins tried to make things work, Bailey instigated ever promising move. Diaby and Rodgers too slow, weak and made bad decisions. Subs were too late and pointless.

Blown chance to win a cup. We needed to go to Greece with a healthy lead with what it'll be like over there, this leg has killed us now.

So disappointing. 

8 hours ago, rjw63 said:

Oddly we've been using it for years with no problem.

Used to do tons of printing when the missus was still teaching full time so having the ink turn up before you run out was great.

Plus you can adjust the amount you print/pay.

Horses for courses I suppose.

Gotta say, I agree. Having it ready to go all the time is worth it for me, think I pay around a fiver a month for 100 pages, with up to another 200 on rollover if I haven't used it. Sure it's not cheapest, but the convenience adds value and official cartridges aren't exactly cheap anyway. £60 a year and I don't have to think about it. Nothing worse than needing to print something on a Sunday night for work (also a teacher!) and finding ink is out... makes Monday trickier!

3 hours ago, andykeenan said:

They’ll be on sale to only season ticket holders so unless you got one probably won’t get a ticket I’m afraid

I'm a season ticket holder, but nephew isn't... see what's what when they go on sale I suppose! Wife is a season tickets holder but I imagine they will be strict with passports etc so can't use her ref (she doesn't want to go).

Having never done a friendly abroad, how easy is it likely to be to get tickets for this game? Adult nephew desperately wants to go, sounds like it could be fun.

See... I have a confession... I'm just, just, JUST holding on to my hero Mark Bosnich!!

Can't judge a player by their success internationally when it comes to Villa (unfair on McGrath, JPA and even Bailey etc!) so it's all to do with their performance at Villa.

I love Martinez, he is incredible and undoubtedly a massive player for us but my nephews asked me a long time back if he had pushed Bosnich from his pedestal and I said it was close, so close, but he needs to help us win something.

Stats wise;*

Mark Bosnich played 174 times for us in the league, keeping 61 clean sheets (W72 D46 L55), we won 2 cups and we were consistently (ish!) in top parts of the league including a great spell in 95-99. He almost single handedly (pun?!) won us the 1994 League Cup in the run that season.

Emi Martinez has played 142 times for us in the league, keeping 45 clean sheets (W65 D26 L51) and this is our first season really pushing back at the top of the league.

There's clearly a very strong argument to suggest Martinez could be considered the better player but the stats aren't that conclusive and, I put so much weight on bringing home a trophy that, for now, just, I still hold a flame for my idol Bosnich. That's loyalty!! 

Speak to me again after May 29th hopefully.

*stats bloomin hard to find so take with pinch of salt!

It's the arrogance of some on here to question those that worry about things not going our way.

Oh we're guaranteed to win Europa. Oh 5th is guaranteed to be Champions League. Oh we're guaranteed 4th.

Crap.

I'd take either; the fan wanting a trophy and the logical side wanting the potential for greater growth in the CL.

Unfortunately, it's not a case of one of the other... It could be both, but I imagine the likelihood of it being neither is actually greater.

And that would be a devastating end to an incredible season. So close but so far.

Being in Champions League doesn't guarantee anything.

But not being in Champions League will definitely cause a bump in the road at the very best.

FFP and players leaving (having got so close and wanting it more) will happen and mean getting this close again may take some time.

It's an incredible season but don't pretend it won't be absolutely devastating not to be rewarded with CL and/or a cup.

1 minute ago, Kiwivillan said:

Are people still worried about 2 away wins in last 10 league games Spurs?

Am I worried about a team that is 3 points behind us but with a game in hand when the difference between 4th and 5th is a Champions League spot.... mmm... yes. Yes I am.

It's not beyond the realms of possibility, maybe even a decent bet, that EVERY English team exits this week.

5th is not going to be Champions League.

This is exactly where the fear comes from for some of us more negative types!!

Villa finally doing well and it just feels like everything goes against us.

Normally England would be a shoo-in for that extra spot, now it effects us, practically EVERY result goes against us. Even the draw.

Man City edgy. Arsenal probably going out. Atletico failing. West Ham crumbling. Liverpool shocking. Villa have it tough. Just couldn't have gone much worse.

So, despite odds and likelihood and all that law of averages stuff, I just can't envisage us catching a damn break! Something will stop it... us or the draw.

I'd be a lot more confident of 4th if we had the safety net of 5th being a CL place! If Arsenal, City, Atletico and ourselves could progress, I think we'd push on without pressure and get 4th. I don't care if Spurs get 5th and a CL spot, if we want to be a big team we just need to take care of ourselves.

But if results go badly, then pressure will be on every match and with such tight margins.

Greedily, I desperately want a cup too! CL is better for the club, but trophies are better for most fans. Again, if by Thursday results have gone our way, I'd fancy us really going for it vs Lille. If they haven't, I worry we may focus/prioritise Bournemouth.

Reckon we know what's what by late evening next Sunday. A MASSIVE week for us in all ways.

6 minutes ago, ben1505 said:

Spurs could conceivably get 0 points from these fixtures. This would come with at best -3 to their goal difference.

If only we didn't have to play Arsenal, Chelsea and... Liverpool!! It's the other games that are relevant.

I have some fears of holding on to 5th, but they reduce slightly as the games run out.

However, that's nothing to with irrational fears, but the fact we have six games left, two of which we're strong favourites to lose and two of which are incredibly tricky (rejuvenated Chelsea and Brighton away) meaning our two 'bankers' of Bournemouth and Palace (A) have a lot of increased pressure on them.

Add to that suspensions, injuries, a lack of form and the fact we've no experience in this situation, I'm uneasy crowing that we've got 5th or above in the bag so confidently as others. A win against Bournemouth may change that with a few other favourable results. It's not a sleight on Emery to suggest we may struggle to hold fifth, it's a culmination of the situation you can find yourself in this part of the season when you're a smaller team in terms of squad depth and experience. We're looking good for it at the moment... But not enough to be shouting 'ole' with every pass.

But with 5th now looking incredibly shaky for CL anyway, it may well be irrelevant. 5th or 6th wouldn't make much of a difference. It'd be fourth or nothing and that looks tricky, despite both us and Spurs stuttering, as they have the healthier squad, the experience, the game in hand and no European distractions.

Suppose most of this will be clear one way or the other in the next 10 days.

10 hours ago, wishywashy said:

 

I have never done a Villa game abroad and it's been a good few years since I've even done an away game but my adult nephew fancies doing this and said we should go... How easy is it to get tickets for these kind of preseason games?

A quick bit of research suggests a flight and hotel for night or two wouldn't cost too much really.

Any advice?

1 minute ago, Stevo985 said:

You can’t draw two games and go through now they’ve taken out away goals

I thought they counted it as two draws and then penalties wasn't counted other than for progression?

This is why we want as many wins as possible, both for English teamsand obviously ourselves.

In the incredibly unlikely event we win 5-0 tomorrow, I'd still want us to go strong enough to win the second leg too as that directly helps us. Same in reverse too, get smashed and we shouldn't give up on a win as it all counts.

West Ham will go out in all likelihood, but if they could nick a win or a draw in one of the legs it would help.

Aimed at no one in particular, but people get told off for 'bed wetting' when early scores or results go against us, but the opposite happens and we're allowed to party after 15mins?!

I really hope that next week we can be practically assured that 5th is a CL spot, but at the moment both Man City and Arsenal are on a knife edge, with one the favourite and the other one behind, and less than a half in to today's fixtures and still awaiting tomorrows.

Early gloating is just as bad as early doom mongering, except when people are doom mongering and are wrong, we're delighted, when you gloat and fail you look silly.

Interestingly, I've just read that Liverpool fans are protesting at a 2% increase in ST prices for next season. Spurs are increasing theirs by 6% with people vocally complaining.

I get that the pound cost might be different here, but it seems odd that all of us are exoecting much bigger increases and there is little, to no, real protest about it.

I do find it... interesting... how you're not 'allowed' to have a different view point on here sometimes. Whilst I agree that certain posters are barely short of trolling, the concern some have for our end of season results and rewards are often scoffed at. How come blind optimism that it'll all go our way is allowed but worry isn't?! I wish I could think positively, but my experience of life and football is normally, if shit can go wrong, it will!

We're going to get 4th definitely. Mmm...

We're going to get 5th definitely. Strongly probable... But definitely?

We'll get CL regardless. Have you seen the draw?

We'll win Conference. Hardest draw/route possible.

I think the odds of it all going our way are diminishing almost week by week, and soon probably day by day. I take ZERO enjoyment in that and hate the idea I could be right and definitely wouldn't be saying I told you so. But equally people shouldn't be hounded for being pessimistic.

I'm also concious of our run at the end of last season to secure Europe... How far out were we with six games remaining? That's not rhetorical, I don't know!! But it's a lot easier, mentally, chasing than being pursued.

We've had DECADES of struggling, it's hard to be confident things will work out. Someone going to chase us down? CL place not going to England? What's going to go wrong?!

Feels this is/was our opportunity for CL and now it's out our hands in the league and as regards coefficients. We might make the most of it with our owners. But miss out, and I think we'll fall back while we lose players and have to address finances.

I'm terrified!!! Thinking the worst will happen makes it easier to cope with, rather than being crushed when it does! I just can't see it all going right from this point... I hope more than anyone that I'm wrong and will take ZERO delight if my fears become reality.

Spurs will win today, very little doubt about that... just about when it comes. So let's assume same points.

They then face;

Newcastle (A) Arsenal (H) Chelsea (A) Liverpool (A) Burnley (H) Sheffield Utd (A) and Man City (H)

We have;

Arsenal (A) Bournemouth (H) Chelsea (H) Brighton (A) Liverpool (H) Palace (A)

We have three of the same teams. Let's assume they lose to Man City. So it comes down to Newcastle, Burnley and Sheffield or our Bournemouth Brighton and Palace. They definitely have the easier fixtures. We also aren't in form and have European games. Finally, I suspect they'll get more from the tricky Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool games than we will - they'll benefit from the local derby underdog status and nick points and/or wins.

Think Spurs are STRONG favourites for fourth.

For fifth, Man Utd have very very easy run in. Hardest games are Newcastle (H) and Arsenal (H). Be nice for us to shut off that avenue once and for all before too long as the pressure could build. But we're still reliant on the European games for that.

2 minutes ago, Mantis said:

How did we throw in the towel? Because we played Lenglet instead of Torres and Iroegbunam instead of Tielemans? Because literally all the other would be starters who didn't feature were out through injury/illness/suspension.

And "giving yourself the best chance you can in every game" sounds nice in theory but is impossible in practice. You have to rotate - it's impossible not to do with the number of games we have.

Oh come on... Bailey? Chambers coming on. Everyone acknowledges that some changes were forced, others were perhaps more cautionary (Watkins) but when your team is already weakened then you don't do it further by starting three or four first teamers on thr bench as well.

He threw that game, some people don't mind and some, including me, see the logic but I don't like it at all and don't think it serves a purpose. I'd have rather gone stronger then and rest Pau for today (his rest clearly didnt work!) and play Iroegbunam ahead of Tielemans against an opposition he realistically could have competed with.

We put out the type of side you put out when you don't care if you go out the cup... But even that is normally against weaker opposition.

We threw that game. Whether you agree with the approach or not, that's what we did.