I’m getting a bit bored of saying it, to be honest, but it is, isn’t it?
You can’t count your chickens, certainly not this early, but Norwich are beginning to look out of it to me.
Otherwise, it’s still really tight at the bottom and our once superior goal difference is practically neck and neck with the other teams around us.
We can score goals; that’s not a problem, but we concede far too many too. Even if you take out the Man City spanking we’ve still conceded the second highest in the league and it’s that which might be our undoing if we’re not very careful.
Squad news and little has changed. Borja was signed too late to be able to play in this one and I don’t think it makes much difference anyway as he’d be nowhere near the first team.
He seems a very strange signing to me and I’d rather have Rushian Hepburn-Murphy as backup, but I suppose it’s about him getting games and he’d have been unlikely to do that for us.
The good news is that Reina has got over his calf strain and will surely start, as much as Nyland did well against Leicester.
Samatta will no doubt start, although Dean Smith said he tired midweek, so we’ll probably see Davis come on too.
The other question is about Danny Drinkwater and will he start?
I’m guessing he will.
As for Bournemouth, they expect Jefferson Lerma and Diego Rico to be available, but it’s too early for Junior Stanislas, Jack Stacey and Joshua King.
So how do I see the game going?
Well, I definitely think we’re good enough to beat them on our day, but I’ve said many times that the way we play isn’t at all convincing and it worries me.
Even though we beat Leicester, our defence was atrocious again, but we’ve demonstrated that we can drag results from games where we look inferior. That’s a massive plus for a side in our position and it wouldn’t surprise me if our doggedness comes into play today.
I don’t see many goals because it’s going to be too cagey, I reckon, but I’m hoping we have enough to get the points.
A win would be massive, as it opens a gap on Bournemouth, but conversely, they’d go above us if they win.
So basically, its a “must win” and I think we will.
Villa 1-0.
I hope!
COYL!
Now we’re turning the screw.
Trez on for Nakamba. About time.
Our non-existent midfield has cost us this, imo.
Why haven’t villa played hourehan today especially after the hard game the midfield had on Tuesday bad management again
Would have to agree totally with that, Roy. And Trez could’ve started in place of El Ghazi.
This one could be a very damaging defeat.
Again can’t beat a team with 10men.should have brought tres on earlier and what’s wrong with the defence maybe we should get rid of Terry because he supposed be coaching the defence should have got franke with smith.not looking good now glad for sammata though and Davis played well time to go 2up top I think
And that’s it.
Now I’m really worried because we just looked so, so poor.
Well – I would say that’s us for the drop.
If we can’t at least draw with Bournemouth then we really are in a poor way. Our defence is a real problem and there’s no consistency from Nakamba and Luiz.
We should be 15th with daylight between Watford and Bournemouth. Instead, we’re still in deep shit. Massive missed opportunity.
very disappointing result and performance, we got what we deserved that was nothing, Bournemouth outfought villa first half and they continued to work harder second half with just 10 men. can not hide the fact that this result will come back to haunt us. looking very grim now allowing your rivals to beat you and leapfrog you. this is not the way to go about escaping relegation.
From early on all we did was launch it…then in last quarter we tapped it around like it was a day out at the beach…..joke.
Look at Everton since Ancellotti took over. Wow. They’ll finish top 5 and could even pip Chelsea for 4th the way they’re going. That’s the difference: bags of top level experience versus zero – nothing personal against Smith.
I agree to a point BFR but it’s fair to say that Everton were underperforming and needed an experienced boss to turn things round. Smith has Grealish, Mings and all the rest are average players at best, so difficult to compare.
Fair point, Holte. Sometimes, they don’t look average, though. Sometimes they just look like they’re either not trying or don’t know what to do. That’s either poor attitude or poor coaching, or poor attitude BECAUSE of poor coaching. I think that after Tuesday, Elmo, Trez, and Conor should’ve started today, without doubt.
I agree BFR. The team needed freshening up. Tuesday’s game was physically demanding and too many players looked lethargic today.
Poor management in playing all but the keeper 2 games in 4 days. We were never at the races. Our midfield was non existent and Hause was particularly poor. Too much reliance on Grealish to make things happen which makes us very predictable. Davis added some bite to our attack but will probably be dropped for next game.
No one on the same wavelength as Jack …3 times he sent the ball across the area and no one getting to it……and Davis IS the best forward we have .He has always been able to hold it and get into good positions.
Davis is the only striker we have who holds the ball up and retains possession. Maybe next game play two up top with Samatta. El Ghazi is anonymous most of the time. Play Grealish in his best position just behind the strikers. So a 3-4-1-2 formation.
Two players that need to take good look at themselves, Hause, Minns kept giving the ball away and this no hope Guilbert along with Tagartt, find another club they was dire , why did Grealish drop back into a defenceless position and give up our striking chances. i had to get out of the house to carm down it got to me,.
Yes Bill…who told Jack to patrol the half way line….should have been running into the area and their players so they might bring him down…someone has no idea.
I also had to turn it off near the end as it was just pathetic.
Couldn’t believe it when Trezeguet came on and told Jack to sit deep. After all he was the only one they were scared of.