jackbauer24

If there are absolutely no viable options out there due to our pull (eg Poch) or due to us not liking their style (eg Dyche) then we still have to do something. I know. Let's get rid of a Liverpool legend who has some success in an obscure foreign league and replace him with a Villa legend who has some success in an obscure foreign league. Welcome Olof Mellberg!! I'm kidding... but he'd be better than Gerrard.

I don't think they do watch it. In fact I'm MORE worried if they do as it means they've had their eyes closed since the turn of the year!

I didn't clearly see the second but the first is not a keeper error for anyone who's ever played that position. His body is responding to the first shot and then does well to change to save from the deflection, he can't also hold it as his body weight is going the wrong way. Their player responds quickest. He messed up a few kicks/the roll back but he also had some really good saves tonight. He wasn't a problem.

Practically the worst result we could have had. The score flatters us and keeps him in his job. Should have been 4 or 5 by half time and that would have got him sacked.

What I want most is a win. If we can't get that, I'd rather we got thrashed than a narrow loss or a single point. Getting Gerrard out is worth more than gallant losses or a draw. But you've always got to go in to every game wanting a win.

That is pretty much the lineup I thought he'd go for. And apart from a tweak or two (McGinn/Konsa) I'd say it's not a bad lineup and apparent formation. However, this teamsheet is purely to backup his argument against it. Whoever we play, in whatever formation, will find the next two games tricky and this way he can throw them under the bus and argue he tried. Bring back two up front and Coutinho for Southampton and Leicester. Set up like we have today, against West Ham, and we'd have won that one.

He's never really got going at Villa, he seemingly refuses to sign a contract and there's one year left. For all potential he may have, we can't turn down £20m if it's on table. I'd take it. Probably ask for Milner for a year to add some experience, organisation and bite to the midfield. But Villa are feeling quite 'done' now and there's a real danger of us completely crumbling away.

Put Coutinho on against the poorer sides and he plays at best average every week til the clamour for Buendia gets too hard to ignore based on his cameos. Wait for a game against a big side, set up poorly and play Buendia instead. He can't get involved. Drop him instantly for the next run of games against the poorer teams. The Gerrard blueprint.

Martinez Cash (CB we get) Mings Digne Kamara Luiz Bailey Coutinho Buendia Watkins Against teams we should be attacking and dropping one of Bailey, Countinho and Buendia for another more defensive midfielder when we need to. Using subs appropriately. Reacting to players form. Change things based on how a game is going. Make players fight for the spot. This squad can easily be made to function without a transfer window for a new coach. That gets us solidly midtable at least. Then in January they add the missing piece or two. Gerrard's not quite messed us up enough yet but given more time he will do!

You joke but he's ten times the coach Gerrard is. Don't want him but if it was a choice between the two! Given a straight choice between Gerrard staying and any manager, probably in at least the top two divisions, I'd take the 'other'.

I personally think Mings is ill but it's mental health rather than physical (which is equally valid for the record). He's posted a few things about mental health and is a strong advocate for it too. He's lost his England spot, Villa spot until DCs injury, captaincy, been scapegoated by his boss, discussed in the media and Villa have had a bad start. I don't think he's in the right place at the moment and for good reason.

I think one could write a very long post about 'blame' but personally I think it can be simplified somewhat, whilst recognising it isn't necessarily a perfect answer; Basically I don't believe the players hold much blame at all, either for talent or effort. All players will have periods of poor form however. But if you're in your work place and you're not trained properly, you're not given clear roles, the aim isn't made explicit, you see valued colleagues being belittled in public, you see favourites and everyone is just doing their own thing... Well, then productivity falls, moral falls, confidence and even the most conscientious workers find it hard to motivate themselves. People can't perform to their best as the tools aren't there to do it. In our squads case I believe most players we have are trying and do have the talent to be a 8th/9th/10th based team. But they're lost, they're demoralised and they are being asked to do things they either can't do or don't respect. Or they're getting minutes rather than a match to get into a rhythm. The midfield have to come deep resulting in high risk hollywood pass attempts. Cash and Digne being asked to do way too much from an attacking side at the cost of defensive duties. The team being asked to play it high and long despite not being a physical team... I could go on and on. I think Gerrard has shattered several players confidence, including Coutinho by putting too much pressure on him and leaving him out there when there are alternatives and he could get him out spotlight. This is on Gerrard completely. This squad is good enough (no Gestedes) and seem to be trying (no accidental car tweets). The squad isn't the issue.

Smith was a happy marriage that went stale due to various reasons. However we handled the break up well and Smith and the club split before it became toxic and upset the kids (fans!). A sad end to a good thing but it worked for all parties and was the right thing to do at the right time. Smith moved on to a lovely lowkey new relationship. Villa rebounded to the closest bit of skirt with no morals or style but who looked pretty and will now get royally screwed over in the next divorce settlement after sticking with them for too long in the hope that this is 'the one'.

Highly unusual that not a single Villa player has posted on social media tonight. None of that normal 'not the result we wanted' stuff... Odd. Don't know what it means, if anything, but holding on to the hope it's because something is brewing behind the scenes.

How much would you pay for a CB who is full of confidence? £30m? How much would you pay for potentially one of the most creative midfielders in the league? £50m? How much would you pay for a solid midfield engine in a clearly defined role? £30m? Save £110m+, pay off Gerrard and get a renewed Mings, Buendia, Luiz and probably more. This squad should be fine for top half even with no investment.

I think fans have a tendency to blame the manager for some things that are out of their control. It might be out of form players, or injuries, or lack of investment, or little time to create their own team or inheriting a poor or poorly balanced squad. Gerrard has none of those excuses. We have some gaps but most people believe this squad should be pretty good. He's been supported, he's been given time, he's inherited a good squad and he has the right owners. I genuinely think most of outmost awful managers have been hamstrung in a various ways but I'd take every single one of them over Gerrard. And I included Sherwood and Garde in that.

Couldn't see anything on this forum and can't see anything obvious online; is there a secondary/ private traders or brokers market for airmiles? I'm looking specifically at Virgin Points and know you can transfer them to friends so wondered if people sold them somewhere? I've never really bothered with Airmiles before but have 48k of them and have discovered I can buy tickets to NYC for Xmas for 80k points plus £564 for two people. I can buy 32k extra points direct from Virgin for £495. Would mean total cost would be £1059 (£530 each) which seems quite reasonable in this stupid market. Cutting it down more would be better still! Tesco Clubcard do conversion but unfortunately used all those points to entertain nephews over Summer! So desperate to get away and we love NYC at Xmas, but in todays climate, I've got to cut costs to make it viable. A few years ago we could do this holiday for ten days for around £2k. Now it's looking closer to £3.5k+.

I can't remember what the exact odds were but it was something like 5 draws in 20 years. So we draw them 25% of the time. We should be drawing them once every 63 times if strictly 'fair', or 1.59% of the time. It's astronomically crazy odds to get them that reguarly.

I was very much in the 'time for Smith to go' camp and think Villa had become stagnant, he didnt have a plan without Grealish and he didnt deserve it to turn toxic after all the brilliant work he had done. He left at the right time for him and us. However, he is ten times the manager/man than Gerrard is and would be getting far more from this squad than we are currently getting. If it was now only a direct choice between the two options, I wouldn't hesitate to choose Smith. Careful what you wish for I suppose. Going forward, I doubt there are many worse options out there, Lampard maybe. There are good options and bad options, but even the bad options would be better than Gerrard. He is, considering his starting position/squad, probably the worst manager we've had in living memory. This squad should sleepwalk in to tenth with absolutely no direction. I'd be more than happy to see the back of him and leave a caretaker in place in the meantime. We need him out the club as soon as possible.

I still think this is very relevant. Got to feel today's result was despite Gerrard instead of because of him. Coutinho forced the change and Buendia then transformed the game. If Countinho wasn't feeling a niggle, he'd have stayed on performing well below par. We didnt exactly dominate and were very slow going forward but playing against an equally toothless Everton. The problem is that was a battle we just about shaded, at home against relegation candidates. With this squad. And we were holding on at the end. We didn't look like a top half table team til we had Buendia and Bailey on (two strikers into working) and that was reactionary substitions rather than tactical ones. Bailey was average last week, dropped instantly. Konsa was poor last week , dropped instantly. Countinho was the worst player we had last week (and has been poor all preseason) and is an automatic starter. No consistency. Today gave him a stay of execution, but I doubt anyone can point to some tactics or decisions he made of his own accord today that swung the game. He's got to do way more than rely on the substitions he's been forced to make.

I'm not sure I really count that as a good enough piece of news in the light of another loss. Luiz barely makes the starting XI and him leaving wouldn't greatly bother me! His contract status is largely inconsequential to my positivity/negativity towards Villa's future.

The Premier League announced earlier in the week that all weekend games would be having drinks breaks due to the weather. Resisting urge to suggest it will give Gerrard a chance to review the tactics as we're already a goal down by that point...

We're on Sky, everyone can see we're vulnerable!!

Was that behind closed doors?

Bolton Away - always bloomin away aren't we! How long ago did we have a home cup game?!