jackbauer24

I did. I don't quite understand why they're are seen as separate things. Equally, I've seen us lose and been happy with aspects of our performance or certain players contributions. But if we're all supposed to just be happy after a game, should we close down the boards for 24hrs after a win?! I don't quite get the logic!

Wow, the third GK kit is bright!

Edit; found them!

Strange is a polite way of putting it. I can't link the instagram post from Villa showing all the backs of shirts but WOW! Forget the numbers and font, the alignment was embarrassingly bad! If anyone can find the image of Kamara's and Cash's particularly, it looked like a nursery child using magnetic letters! Kamara's was lop sided on the curve and Cash's looked like they'd forgotten he had a H and squeezed it in one the end. I wonder if it's because of the blue panel at the top that makes the curve tighter. Looked really bad.

Very strongly disagree and think Unai would too! You should analyse every game, every performance regardless of the result. We should see what worked, what didn't, who performed and who showed weaknesses. And use that information to carry on improving. The performance today from most was actually average at best, I'm not sure the application was really there throughout the team. Diaby had his worst game for us so far, including friendlies, as he lost the ball a lot and tried to be a little too clever with a number of situations where he could have been a lot more effective. So, while clearly an incredibly talented player, analysing his performance today would perhaps show he didn't approach the game with quite the right mindset and I think Unai would address that.

There has been more intensity in a preseason friendly! I actually think most of our players underperformed tonight. Digne was only stand out player. Most of the rest, and possibly to be expected, treated it lightly and weren't really going for the jugular. They were sloppy, not committed and showboating unnecessarily. McGinn was invisible! Diaby was shocking. Think if every goal had been important, we could have put ten past these. But job done, so we move on.

We've done more than enough and clearly the gulf in class is huge... but I've been a little disappointed by our approach really. Emery has named a full strength team but I don't think our attitude or application has been great at all - we've done enough but feel that if we'd really approached this than more than a preseason friendly, we could have double the score. The players have looked sloppy, low on energy and like they can't be bothered! Weird to say when 4-0 up! Who would you say has played well? Digne for me, most others have actually been far below their best. If we'd put on players trying to get in to the first XI, I feel they'd have had a better application and this could have been even better.

I think, so far, he's been our best player tonight. Only one who looks like he's not treating it lightly.

I don't even think we get a Villa rewards boost now - used to get something like 500points for being a ST holder.

38 x £5.50 (cost of a pint) = £209 19 x £4. (New programme cost despite it saying £3.50 on the cover!) = £76 So, assuming you want two pints and the programme (and don't care about a lanyard!), you're paying a premium of £195 for access, just over a tenner per game for toilets/quicker service etc? Not that bad if that's your usual thing. But many might not want to drink two pints and lots don't buy the programme. And all to the detriment of the other Holte Enders. I think most things have gone well with Villa in last few years. I think how they are treating fans, especially those who attend matches, has fallen off a cliff and they don't care while waiting lists are so big. Season tickets rocketted in price, clothing hugely more expensive, facilities worse, service worse, no reward for loyalty, even things like Villa Rewards and access to tickets seems to have been removed from ST holders who are being taken for granted. Lots of fans are going to be relocated like HolteEnders for this, North Stand development and possible VIP sections in Trinity Road. Sad that Villa are getting this bit so wrong.

This isn't a one off tie like Stevanage, I think we can afford to make a few changes and, if it doesn't go to plan, go a bit stronger in second leg at Villa Park. For me; Olsen Cash Carlos Torres Digne(?) Tielmanns Luiz McGinn Traore Zaniolo Duran You'd hope that team could take a lead to Villa Park, even a draw and you'd fancy us to finish the job at home. Defensively strong, a solid midfield (McGinn will insist on playing and I'd sub Luiz/Kamara out to save legs between them) and then some forward players with something to prove.

I did a massive training wear order the day it all got released? Hoodie and tracksuit bottoms arrived within a week, two training tops delayer by a further two weeks but arrived... Final top still not arrived but due by end of August now apparently. All of these things are available 'next day' according to Fanatics... Not sure how that works! They did give me 25% off my next order though for the delay.

I find the debate around transgenderism fascinating and can see where arguments come from on both sides. There are obviously some more extreme views on both sides that I don't agree with, and some aspects which I suspect are basically impossible to resolve. In the main, live and let live is my motto about everything but that's not always possible when it comes to rights/safety/sport etc. I have, like 99% of people, no answers! I'll try and respect people's views and keep as many people happy as possible but I try to form what I think is a middle ground approach. I like to debate and understand a topic, without questions or queries being used as 'evidence' of bigotry. There are no silly questions if people don't understand. People are told to educate themselves, but how can they when they get shot down for asking questions?! To this end, despite many more outlandish examples, I think the only thing that can really be used as a reasonable reference point is age. Not perfect, but as close as I can think. On the day we are born we are scientifically assigned sex (98.3%) and a birth day (100%!). Through out our lives we may identify as younger or older than we are. We may be more mature or less mature. We may grow old 'disgracefully', we may be mature beyond our years. We can dress younger or older, we can do what we like in our spare time, we can get treatments to make us look younger, we can date with massive age gaps, we can largely ignore the age we are and dismiss it as a number. But we are not treated differently based on how we feel when it comes to certain things. We can not drink in a pub because we feel mature, we can not claim a bus pass because we feel old, we can not play U12s football when we're 35, we can not have sex when we're not old enough. No one really argues that. Furthermore, there are many medical issues that cause people to stop developing mentally and having the mental age of a child even as a middle aged person. We care for these people and support them, they're still not allowed to take part in activities just for children. There is a cut off. And I think this is where I feel my thinking falls. If you feel different from the sex you were born (gender as I understand the terminology) then I fully endorse and support your right to dress as you wish, do as you wish, change your appearance as you wish, date as you wish, be called what you want and largely ignore your assigned sex, but I'm not sure I fully understand/recognise why it is unreasonable to suggest there are certain lines that still can't be crossed for the good of society as a whole. Sport is the 'easist' one as far as I'm concerned (other than the 1.7% intersex which is a different discussion) as it does not matter if I feel old for my age, I can't enter an over 50s football competition. Or if I feel young for my age, I can't enter a U12s league. So if my sex doesn't match my feelings then, in my mind, the rules still apply; join the league that fits your scientific sex OR join/create a league that is open to a similar group. I'm fairly confident, in an open environment, this viewpoint would be slaughtered or considered insensitive. But why? I'd love to know what I'm missing or not considering so I can learn and grow without being shutdown for asking a question.

Most people on this site have far more nuanced tastes and are music specialists and know all those random bands I've never heard of. There are lots of songs that might trigger me personally for a variety of reasons but this relatively recent song seems to make everyone shed a tear when they listen to it; from friends to family and across age ranges. Why? Well it's about a son facing up to the thought of losing his father and everyone can empathise with that;

Except that Lucas Digne is in the latest training video on Villa X(twitter) page. Unless he trained in prep for Everton today and the raced to airport suddenly...

Back up keeper is one of the hardest positions to recruit for. You're either offering a last pay day for a veteran of taking a risk on a kid normally. Having two strong goalkeepers normally comes from replacing your number 1 and pushing them in to the back up position. The problem has been exacerbated by the fact there is naturally a massive drop off between, arguably, the no.1 goalkeeper in the world and Olson. Is Olson that bad? He's still an international, he still can do a job in an emergency but I'm not sure we'd be happy relying on him long term obviously. So what are the options? Pipe dreams of De Gea sitting on our bench are ridiculous. Who, realistically, do you get in who is happy being a clear number one but is also so massively talented that we don't worry if he has to come on. Think people would be worried at the drop off with De Gea to be fair! Oakes was no Bosnich, Guzan was no Friedel, Enckleman was no James, Postma was no Sorenson... I can't think of a time where our goalkeepers were evenly matched... but with Martinez, that task is practically impossible.

He had a shot from about 35yards from a fairly good position with multiple options in front of him. It barely had enough power on to reach the goal... and was off target. I think that says all we need to know about Coutinho these days; talent has gone, physically dropped off, doesn't care and hasn't bought in to the whole Uni considered build up approach. Offered nothing and hasn't for at least a year. Needs to go.

I quite like the away which, as many state, is a million times better than the home shirt. However, they also released the sponsorless training wear, so I'm now not eating this month...

Yes and no. We're not talking a player who is signed on Wednesday and in the first team Saturday. They, and all the players, will have preseason to work together, fight for starting positions and earn their spots after the games in friendlies. If Emery decided after a month and a half of preseason that Torres should be starting ahead of any of our long serving players, then I'd trust him and not think that was unfair or unreasonable.

But how does this work anyway? As in, if you're in an expensive seat an decide to move to a cheaper area but the club say there are no spaces? When it got to relocation day, fans were basically told there was nowhere to move to! So surely the club will just say there's no spaces to move to, so it's here or bye bye.

Except you did suggest/ask whether we should look at him...but actually my point was that if fans suggest that the club should morally decline offers from betting companies however much they improve our bank balance, then it's reasonable to say fans should morally decline opportunities to sign questionable characters, however much they (may) improve our team. The link is not between the 'crimes' but as to whether football should try to be moral or sell its soul. But anyway... back to random conjecture...

If people want to complain about the sponsor on our shirt, they can hardly turn round and suggest we sign the likes of Greenwood. Works both ways!

I will not shed a tear for their relegation at all, but I do wonder if someone offered me their last ten year odd, would I take it?! 2013/14 Promoted to Premier League 2015/16 Premier League Champions 2016/17 Champions League football (QFs) 2019/20 Joint largest away win (0-9 vs Saints) and SFs of League Cup (Great day at VP!) 2020/21 FA Cup Winners and Community Shield 2022/23 Relegation to the Championship Hope it changes soon, but not many Villa fans will really know what that feels like living it. Would you take it, even if you knew relegation was guaranteed ten years later?

So, who might you look at from relegated teams? Saints; Ward-Prowse obviously... err... Walker-Peters perhaps? Leeds; Harrison? Gnonto. Maybe Meslier? Leicester; Maddison, Barnes, Tielemans... James Justin? Slim pickings from that lot... have to just settle on Messi...

Most Villa fans undoubtedly want Europe, be it the Conference or whatever. However, other than a relatively minor increase in income, I wonder how important it is for the club and prospective signings. When we're trying to sell Aston Villa to players in the summer, it will be about the big picture and hopes to challenge for Champions League... would Conference League football attract players any more than not being in it? But obviously, as a fan, we all want to see European nights back at Villa Park. Sunday should be an electric atmosphere.