jackbauer24

Woah... you can't say that in here! Say you're a Trump supporting, paedophile sympathising racist. You won't get as much abuse then....

It's an argument I've often had, but if you 'went for it' every game that was close, even with only a 50% success rate you'd do better than holding on for the draw. 20 matches with a draw; 20pts 20 matches with, 10W & 10L; 30pts Statistically that's indisputable, but in reality I'm sure it's been proven to be unrealistic or something. Technically even only a 35% success rate would leave you 'ahead' of holding on for a draw in each of those 20 matches. That's also assuming that each failure to win whilst properly going 'gungho' resulted in a loss and not a draw. Interesting...but irrelevant.

I'm defensive of Westwood, I'll openly admit that. That doesn't mean I think he's amazing or can't be replaced etc but it's in my nature to defend anyone who is scapegoated. And he is constantly, in my mind there is no doubt about that. The hatred for him disgusts me if I'm honest. Whatever you think of his performances, his attitude and workrate is unquestionable. He's not ever had a bad interview, or got any dodgy press etc he's just done what SEVERAL managers have asked of him. There's no big conspiracy here; he's not forced all these managers to play him or not replace him with better midfielders, he's simply been the best of a bad bunch for a long time. I hoped he'd be replaced in the summer with better quality, but as of today he still hasn't been - I'd select him ahead of Jedinak and Gardner easily and Tshibola hasn't properly threatened him either. I also question the idea that it's automatically his fault we are where we are, yes he's contributed to it but far far less than a lot of other players. He's offering a lot more than Grealish is at the moment too! Gabby, Bacuna, Veretout, Richards, Lescott, Guzan have all shown contempt for this club, McCormack has just done the same. RHM and Grealish have both not covered themselves in glory - yet people still aim their vitriol at Westwood because, what, he doesn't play fantastically all the time? He doesn't even have terrible games, he just has poor or average ones but he's never had a performance as bad as I've seen from the likes of Jedinak, Gardner, Sanchez or Veretout in recent years where ever second pass goes to the opposition. Today he was great in the first half before bottling it like the rest of them in the second half. I'd like to replace him with better players, of course I would, but he's definitely not the worst player we've ever had, he's never 'let down the club' and it's not his sole responsibility we find ourselves where we are. When he goes, whatever level that may be, I'll wish him well even if our gamble of buying a League Two player for £2m wasn't the world beater we hoped he'd be.

Johnson - 7 - Did what he could, but both goals came because they had far too much space Amavi - 4 - Really bad game today, I'm a fan of his but today he was appalling in attack and defence Chester - 7 - Solid as usual, he's already got POTS for me. Baker - 6 - Great to have him back, strongest defensive partnership we currently have Hutton - 6 - Amazing first 15 mibs, took on, and beat, nearly the entire PNE team! But then bang average again after that! Green - 6 - Worked really hard, had some good moments but his lack of experience showed frequently. Grealish - 3 - Offers nothing. At all. Weak defensively and poor passing, should have put Gabby/ Green in when 3 on 1. Lansbury - 7 - Solid start, few great pieces of play then a few parts where he showed lack of match fitness Westwood - 7 - He gets slated way too much but today, first half, he was fantastic. Second half, whole team was overun. Adomah - 7 - Stole his first goal! Good penalty and more consistent display today. Gabby - 5 - Works hard, should have had a goal but just lacks any clinical edge. Bruce - Poor subs today. He's got zero choices in attack but Grealish should have been pulled off first and Adomah left on. Also hard to justify losing a 2-0 lead at home.

No point buying Rhodes yet. Buy the midfield, see if that helps the likes of McCormack then if not, return in the summer for strikers. Personally, and I think a fair few agree, I think if we got a midfield I'd have no issue going forward with our current strikers who are all perfectly fine at this level. Kodjia would score more, McCormack woukd start feeding of supply, Ayew could play as a striker and the new midfielders might score too. Rhodes is actually a luxury we don't currently need.

In layman's terms can anyone genuinely point me to a positive of leaving the EU? Not what we could do, or might do, but an actual fact? We're only at the start of the process but all I know is my US holidays have cost a lot more, petrol and food has begun to rise and even I (as a white male) have heard more public racism/xenophobia. If we're boiling it down to how it effects you and I - how has Brexit helped us so far? Whatever 'class' you consider youself, however rich or not you may be, whatever line of work you're in - can you please give me a little piece of positivity about how June's result has helped you. I have yet to see anything other than political talk that suggests how the public are going to be better off. Everything's going to cost more, holidays will be unaffordable, jobs will likely go, trade will struggle, imports will cost more but at least we won't have to live next to Johnny Foreigner... I just want ONE plus to leaving, in almost any argument I can see pluses and negatives to both sides of the debate, but what are the benefits to leaving really? It's so depressing.

I may well be completely wrong but I look at it very differently; I think he's just despondent. We're set up badly, particularly badly for his style of play, he's getting no service and very little game time. In turn his confidence in scoring/ having an impact is dropping game by game. Without a midfield putting through balls in or creating poacher like goals he's going to do little at this club. Kodjia has scored a few because 1) he's played more 2) he's scored a few penalties and c) he's a different kind of striker - more physical etc. In flashes, McCormack has shown some fantastic skill but I think he's just given up, like most of us have, on getting anything out of this midfield so his head has dropped.

While I like a good work ethic, it's talent that's the most important thing - otherwise pay me £30k a week and I promise I'll be in at 6am every morning and train til 6pm every night! But, back on topic, Chester has already got to be a shoo in for POTS, consistent, captain and always here! Take a spectacular performance from anyone else to change my opinion now. Kodjia will be in the mix no doubt but he isn't even half as consistent.

No, I will not accept that his role "is just to win aerial battles and break up attacks", he is a MIDFIELDER. So whether he is defensive or attacking he has more to his role than that and both of them require the skill to PASS! If he can't pass he's just a body on the park. If people think that is genuinely his role then he can be replaced even more easily than I thought - shove a defender up there. Our defenders could win aerial battles and make interceptions in the middle of the park. The difference is they could all possibly pass successfully, or track a runner or keep up with play. So it's solved; I'd rather the useless Elphick, crocked Richards or even Hutton in that position if we can get a RB, they all would offer more than Jedinak does. How low have we sunk that we think it's acceptable to have a midfielder who can't pass?! I'd question that of a Sunday League team. Defenders may have to hoof it clear, attackers may be selfish but a midfielder PASSES - whether they be short, long, defensive, attacking, sideways... but should be hitting a minimum of 75% successfully. Not reguarly under 60% to as low as 39%....39%!

I don't understand loans, well not unless you're a League One team borrowing a Premier League youngster. I can't think of any scenario we have ever benefited from having a loan. The more you use loans, the smaller team you are really. Johnstone could play a blinder all season yet he won't be ours. He'll be recalled to Utd and sent back on loan to another team, maybe a lower Premier League team next time. So even if we get promoted purely due to him being Superman and keeping every ball out the net, we go in to the summer back at square one with limited time to find and bed in a new keeper, knowing the experience we've given him will be used against us as we face his new team. I'm sure there are a few very select arguments for loans but I think they should only be used in emergencies. On saying that, at least Gollini's loan makes sense - first time I've ever heard of an 18month loan. He can then make an impact for Atlanta. That's as long as some players stay at a club when they've been bought outright. But what is six months really going to do for us? I really hope we have no more loans this window, always rather use our own youngsters than taking a risk on players that won't benefit us long term anyway.

Anyone who is really questioning Bruce at this juncture is living in a fantasy land. Results have been reasonable to good, he's only been in charge for a while and he's only brought in one player so far. There have been mistakes, but there always will be. Performances are poor to appalling but you need the right ingredients to make a cake. What I think is really the issue is a number of fans have still to realise that we are in an absolute mess and the chances of us being promoted were always going to be slim even without the huge mistake of hiring RDM. Just because our name is Aston Villa doesn't mean we deserve anything. Under RDM and his signings we were heading for successive relegations, I genuinely believe that. Now with Bruce, we've turned the ship but are very much standing still, treading water if you will. We are at least 5 or 6 players off a Championship Playoff team and arguably 9 or 10 off a team that would get automatic promotion. Bruce has done everything I'd have hoped of him by this time. We're largely, in the main, more difficult to beat but still offer nothing in attack. Previously we were weak in both departments. He's honest and has earmarked midfield quite clearly as the problem area. He's removed the calamity that is Elphick and decided Gollini was too weak. He's got little choice with midfield or attack at the moment so we can judge him more when he gets a chance to change personnel. But without a RB, another CB for back up, 3 or four midfielders in defensive and attacking roles and another striker this team were never going to threaten the playoff places. Chester has done better than I thought (POTS) but Jedinak and Elphick have been disasters and Gollini has already been shipped off. McCormack is struggling but still suspect that's due to no midfield, he's a poacher not a Kodjia type of striker. The team needs ANOTHER overhaul, not another manager.

I thought I may be being harsh on him, so I checked out his stats. Yesterday was in fact one of his most successful games for us as regards passing, hitting 70% of his passes succesfully. That's 2% more than his average of 68%...! Against Birmingham he successfully completed 38% of his passes. For reference; Westwood averages 79%, Bacuna 78%, Grealish 82%, Ayew 86%, Tshibola 80%, Adomah 74% and even Gardner 72% He's done as a footballer. He should, and probably will after us, retire. Maybe he should leave us now and try and get one more big pay day somewhere, unfortunately I'm beginning to realise that's the club we've become; offering finished players one last pay day.

I'm fuming at today (and a lot of this season) but there's no way we're getting rated. We're an average Championship team. Maybe next year we'll have regressed enough for relegation but not quite yet.

Worst player I've ever seen. And that's not hyberbole or anger or drinking. We're in the Championship, the lowest level I've ever seen us, and he still can't do anything. I'd genuinely prefer Veretout, Sanchez, Richardson, El Ahmadi or even Lescott (performance not attitude) back over him. All of them were absolutely appalling players I couldn't wait to see the back of but Jedinak takes the biscuit. Can't run, can't pass, can't tackle, can't read the game, can't hold the ball up, winning an aerial header is different to directing a header. Unless we award contracts for people purely because of height?! We're full of awful and crap midfielders but he's the worst of the bunch by a country mile. I see not one single positive. Or is being an over the hill hipster enough in our darkest hours?! I've got nothing against his personality or even effort perhaps, I'm not just ranting, he just lacks ANY skill. I've not seen a worse midfielder in the entire division yet, that includes our only easy win against Rotherham. Westwood or Gardner or any of our youngsters would have offered more than him today even if they only managed one succesful pass.

Johnstone - 5 - mistake for goal, ok the rest Hutton - 4 - awful going forward, distribution awful, one or two last ditch tackles Elphick - 4 - panics, can't pass, weak on ball - an awful signing Chester - 7 - Stand out player, but can't hold us together by himself Amavi - 6 - awful lazy defending, occasional amazing attacks Jedinak - 1 - he was on the pitch...passed to Wolves player every time. Not hyberbole or intense anger; worst midfielder we've ever had. I genuinely belive that. Tshibola - 4 - works hard, lacks skill or composure. Adomah - 5 - thinks he's a world beater, takes on to many in attack. Offers nothing otherwise. Bacuna - 4 - see above but take away the ability to beat a man McCormack - 5 - still getting no service but devoidof confidence and should be hitting target with header Gabby - 6 - Ran his ass off, flicked on balls to no one and didn't threaten at all. The UKs least potent striker? Grealish - 3 - came on, did nothing. Our superstar player can't even get in a struggling Championship team Green/ Davis - 5 - didn't stand a chance, did nothing of note good or bad. Bruce - 2 - no excuse to start Gabby/ Jedinak ever. Poor substitutions, having minimal impact on performance. These team is approximately 6 players from being a play off team and 10 from being an automatic promotion team. Elphick can't defend, Jedinak can't play football and Gabby can't score. We then supplement that with Hutton and Bacuna who can't think and Adomah and Grealish who think they're 1000 times better than they are. Based on where we are, we're YEARS from being promoted.

In a pile of crap, Jedinak still manages to rise to the top to be the standout waste of space. The others are all rubbish or make big mistakes interspersed with the occasional run, tackle or even a pass that goes to a claret and blue shirt. But Jedinak. He is special, even when it looks impossible he will find an opposition player. He'll run slowly, he'll chicken out of tackles or time them incredibly badly. He puts in minimal effort, doesn't communicate and has zero thought process before anything he does. I genuinely think we'd be better with ten men than him on. In fact, I'd rather have Keiran Richardson back. Worst midfielder I have ever seen and that is not hyberbole - I think one of the most important skills a midfielder has to have is to be able to pass. I'd be surprised if he was on double figures this season. He's even worse than Lescott performance wise.

It's those mini videos that come up at the top in the main. Can't find old ones though. A few of the people around me at Villa say the same thing; all kids have a little bit of the faux gangsta thing going on but he's particularly bad for it. But, like I said, it's just a personal thing at the moment - it just comes across really poor and makes him look far too big for his boots. Other youngsters in the Villa squad post nothing like it, so it's not an age thing.

Keeper is now (temporarily) sorted. Defensively we could do with a Right Back, but it's not actually urgent. Midfield...three maybe four signings needed?! Tish, Westwood, Gardner then Jedinak is my current pecking order and that's necessity not choice. Attack... need a striker alongside McCormack. I'm still confident he'll come good with some service and a run of games. But I think our playoff chances hang by a thread that will probably not survive January.

The danger is it will now become a personal battle where egos will not allow either side to back down. Fortunately I've seen little to say that this lad is anything special and yet a fair bit to suggest he's got a bad attitude (his instagram is by far the worst of any of our young players and gives a really bad impression of him). I acknowledge it's completely personal and based on very little, but I just have big alarm bells about this kid and think we'd be better rid of him.

Games like today prove how overrated he is really. Spurs had a local boy that they all rave about but hasn't been in the press (good or bad) who absolutely danced around Grealish on several occasions. Grealish has done so little this season, and has achieved so little overall. I actually think he makes us weaker as a team. No one is going to be beating down the managers door to sign this lad any time soon and the whole England / Ireland thing is looking incredibly ridiculous now. I think he's the next in a long line of Villa youngsters who were talked about as world beaters who will never perform at a higher level than Villa.

He's poor yes, but he's still our best midfielder. Depressing as that is.

Great debut, kept the score down. But pointless getting overly pleased unless we are guaranteed signing him permanently, otherwise all we're doing is improving another teams keeper and leaving us high and dry in September whatever division we're in.

Minus Gabby (which is fair considering his record in the last few years) that Villa starting XI had scored around 15 goals combined in their Villa careers. Is it any surprise that we are of zero threat going forward in this games, or games in the Championship? This squad is always going to struggle to threaten any team at any level. On the positive side we are beginning to look more solid, mistakes are rarer and the keeper we don't own had a great debut. We didn't get embarrassed and didn't look overly stretched when we were defending with discipline. Tish has improved the midfield but I still think Jedinak only gets in to the squad due to his beard! He's weaker than Westwood or Gardner and think they would have performed better with Tshibola. On a final note, Grealish once again proved he is ridiculously over rated. No one is going to be chasing his signature. The local boy that Spurs have (Winks) had much more impact on the game, strolling past Grealish on several occasions; not seen his name splashed on the front pages either...

Err, yeah, I could try covering it up but I think Anglela Fletcher would see through that evil plan...