jackbauer24

If I was Lincoln City playing Real Madrid, I'd still find it unacceptable to concede three goals in less than five minutes. Pathetic and weak, there are no excuses for that regardless of how solid you are for the rest of the game. What makes it worse is that none of us are really surprised, Villa are a mentally and physically weak team who buckle under the slightest push.

Incredibly poor and, arguably, unacceptable SINCE Gerrard took over. Smith could argue we were still dealing with the transition of Grealish's departure and new players bedding in. We also had a few injuries at that point I believe and ongoing Covid issues. I think he left at the right time as it would be horrible if that relationship had gone sour. Then in comes Gerrard with the almost inevitable bounce. But, since then, have we really done any better or had sustained periods of success or an improved style of play? Instrumental in bringing in Coutinho, small bounce then back to mediocrity at best. So many poor results, playing awfully against bad teams when we had a full strength squad that had been playing together much longer. We will finish this season 14th. Howe massively improved Newcastle who could actually finish top half and they were dead and buried. Everton, who have just secured safety could, possibly, finish the season three points behind us. They too were doomed only a few months ago. The more you look at the season, the worse it looks. Multiple runs without wins and poor home form. I'm more worried we're going into next season with a downward trajectory.

I was in the decline camp because I saw two major issues. First was the finances involved and value for money, the second was whether he was untouchable because his mate is the manager. The first one I feel a lot happier with, it seems a very solid if not fantastic deal now. However, the second one is up in the air still. Good start to the summer though.

I may be wrong here, but I'm sure it was V12 last time out. Zebra was year before that. I do wonder how many people could be turned down for this type of credit as it practically risk free for the lender bar a slight admin cost - you don't own a tangible product for them to lose (eg a car or laptop) and you've always paid far ahead of any services you've used. And, if you default they just cancel the season ticket surely? I'd put it more akin to a direct debit for a subscription service like Netflix or something, not sure what a credit check is needed for other than to save them the tiny hassle of potentially selling tickets to people who don't 'exist' or could never afford it anyway. I'd love to know how many get turned down as a percentage (less than 1% I'd hope and assume) and how many people have lost their season tickets due to missed/stopped DD (single digits, again I'd assume).

So Coutinho has to play because it's Liverpool but Buendia gets 10mins against Norwich?! Not sure I see, or appreciate, why who they played for should have any impact on game management from ASTON VILLA. Don't think Gerrard has improved Villa at all really. Think we've basically stood still. He's about his old mates before Villa, from coaching to players.

C5 - £615 to £677 so £62 more. Or £3.10 more per match. I really really can't complain. And it's just me and the wife so not multiple family members. Some of the other increases are bordering on scandalous though. Concessions in old zones are being unfairly burdened. As some one else mentioned, should have spread the increases for those - at least price freeze in new Zone 4 or something.

Voted 'decline' as that's where I feel the realistic answer should be but it's far more nuanced than that really. Finances obviously play a massive part. If it's him or investments in multiple other areas then decline. If the deal allows for plenty of other signings then sign. Then there's Gerrard. If he's going down the 'he's my mate and will always play' route, then I'm also decline. If he's been guaranteeing him a spot lately to convince him to sign/check him out and will use him properly then sign. Then there's Villa. If it's a statement signing then go for it. If it's a sign you're mugs and buying names for inflated prices and.wages then it sets a bad example. I think, analysing it all, he's going to cost so much.it hinders squad development, I think his mate Gerrard will sacrifice the team to keep him involved and I think it sets a bad example to other clubs and players about the kind of players we'll sign and on ridiculous wages for fairly minimal output. And no sell on. So, I settle on decline.

Is it? He's hardly steam rolling each frame, he's getting so many chances as Ronnie is having a mare. He's not had to fight at all, he's being gifted frame after frame by poor shots and bad decisions on Ronnie's part. Can see Trump winning every remaining frame this session.

Massive fan of Ronnie and think, throught positive and negative press, he's kept snooker in the spotlight. Given a choice, he'd always be one of the players I'd really want to win a tournament and especially this one to match Hendry who always bored me. However, when he's in one of these lazy, can't be bothered, lacking focus moods I'd rather he just got thrashed and retired! There is little as frustrating as watching gifted and talented people putting in such little effort and contempt for their craft.

I spent a lot of money to get the original version which I wear proudly to every match. If this was actually ever made I'd buy ten of them!

So Coutinho is undroppable and Gerrard plays his mates over form or team set up. Konsa dropped instantly though. Pleased to see TI in however. Really disappointed with Gerrard so far.

My lease is up in August. So I started looking in Feb (6 months before) and quickly found most the cars I was interested in were never going to be ready in time. So in March I ordered a Kia EV6. Due late Jan 2023! Will have to figure out what to do in the gap at some point but very few viable options; three month car subscription (onto type company) or cheap run around. Extending current lease is pointless as minimum term is 6 months and I'd be liable for big service cost.

Coutinho undoubtedly was a superstar. Is he now? Definitely he is still an incredibly talented player but for the figures mentioned, I'd seriously question the value for money. We've seen some sublime skills from him but I'm not sure how many games he's truly dictated or, more importantly, changed. In recent games Buendia has contributed more in his cameos and is arguably being held back from settling in to the team by accommodating Coutinho. So Coutinho or Buendia and £70-90m (inc wages) to spend on other areas of the squad? I like the idea of Coutinho and his stardom but I am actually pleased the Villa hierarchy aren't being dazzled by this and are looking at things in a cold, analytical sense. Doesn't matter who they are, all deals should suit the club in the short AND long term. We can let the likes of Newcastle and Everton buy superstars for astronomical figures and get a short term boost at the cost of long term progress and stability. It was fun for a while, but personally I think the figures would need to be significantly different to make it viable.

All about opinions, and done off the cuff without any great analysis - just gut. Bailey and Traore would be a useful sub for a lower league team. They're miles off top half. Same with Ings, he's well past his best and would be an asset to a team fighting relegation. Mings has reputation but no consistency... why is he never being courted by other teams like McGinn and Konsa and Cash have?

With the dodgiest methodology, I'd like to propose the following; assign each player a position in the league based on their level. So if you think a player is the best in the league, you may rank them 1, if you think they're pretty good and capable of Champions League then anything from 2 to 4etc etc. Then work out the average of the squad. If you don't think they're good enough for the Premier League, give them 20. So, based on the squad in our last fixture; Martinez 4 Cash 7 Konsa 12 Mings 14 Digne 7 McGinn 10 Luiz 14 Ramsey 7 Coutinho 7 Ings 17 Watkins 8 Sanson 14 Buendia 8 Traore 17 Chambers 16 Young 20, Nakamba 12, Olsen N/A, Bailey 17, Chukwuemeka 13 = 224. Divide that by 19 players (omit GK) and that averages this squad as being 11.8th in the league based on ability in my estimation. Which means we're currently underperforming in my opinion, but that are ceiling isn't even top half anyway.

Yes. Just park in club shop area. Loads of space.

New plan. Play them at their own game. Send a few serious fighter jets/ squads from US and NATO to the area and destroy the living sh*t out of all Russian hardwear. Then deny it. When Russia show proof, deny it. When Russia get evidence, say it's faked. Job done.

According to another well known fan site, Villa season tickets will be going up a minimum of 10% across the board with the added hit of some of the cheaper 'zones' being abolished and concession rates being reduced. Which, as I understand it, would mean a concession seat in, say Zone 5, would have a very big increase coming.

But when did this happen? It feels like a comparatively new phenomenon. Nazis, ISIS... whoever; they all seemed to own their actions under some messed up ideology. But now we're in a non-war, fighting the boogeyman, denying everything we do to our own citizens and the world in the face of any fact or evidence. You can't reason with, and ultimately achieve peace with, such insanity.

Although this increasingly applies to the world as whole, how does society deal with just complete unshakeable stubborness in the face of any logic, proof or reality? I can get my head round messed up ideology. However f*cked up it is, there is something to argue, to debate, to reason with and try to understand and, potentially, alter. But if everything is complete denied or claimed as fake or a conspiracy, how do we move forward? It is akin to a child standing in front of you eating sweets and saying they're not. I am at a loss for the next step. When you add in the fact that the accused are practically untouchable, it is a depressing time for humanity. It feels like it started with Trump, there is no truth anymore. Even dictators used to 'explain' their actions, now they stand there with a smoking gun, footage of them having shot it and dead bodies in the ground, saying they didn't even do it. How does humanity deal with this seemingly new 'obnoxiousness' for want of a better word? We now have cameras in every phone, mass media, the internet and hd satellites and yet there seems to be less acceptance of facts than ever.

This is an interesting point. Unfortunately, a very long time season ticket holder friend of mine died during lockdown and the club refused to allow a transfer. The argument being that it would make them almost legacy seats and not open to new supporters while mates of mates jumped the queue. However, my view is that after a given time this should be permittable - maybe ten years gives you the right to 'pass it on'. There is something nice about the idea of sitting in a family members seat and keeping the tradition going. Every time it's 'transferred' the clock resets. This avoids mates rotating sests every few years but also means that the child of a season ticket holder can keep their memory going in some small way by 'inheriting' the right to the seat. They need to stay in it for ten years to pass it on to their children. As for prices, I believe they're a relatively tiny percentage of club income so they should be aware of the cost of living increases and make sure payment plans remain in place and are spread over as many months as possible.

Started well, gone off the boil rapidly. Gets starts and left on longer than he should because his name is Coutinho and he's best mates with the manager. Is it possible to have a manager who selects players, and reacts in game, based on their performance rather than just their reputation?! Buendia, in a ten minute cameo, did more today than Coutinho. Should have come on at least twenty minutes earlier.

Him and Traore are basically the same. Freestyle footballers who have no place in a professional game. They should be outside the stadium showing off their silky skills to impressionable young kids who will clap and cheer and keep away from the pitch where some amount of end product is expected.

Maybe we're just skipping this one this season... Postponed last last minute, forgotten about for nearly four months and no word since. Longest ever time for a match to be rescheduled?!

There's absolutely no reason women couldn't compete with men in F1. Much like sports like snooker, it is only historical prejudices that prevent women from taking up male dominated sports or being given the same opportunities to learn from an early age. You'd be amazed how young children are when they start believing certain things, and sports in particular, are for a given gender. That comes from parents, peers and the media in that there are a lack of role models. But it's like all these things that are just outdated, there are the pace-setters, the pioneers that start a snowball effect. There will be a growing number of women in motorsports. The sadly deceased Sabine Schmitz (Top Gear) was incredible and there were a few drivers in the BTC too. If you're a lower placed F1 team and a female sponsored driver comes along now, the press focus would be brilliant for their bottom line alone.