It doesn’t get much tougher than this does it?
Liverpool are in my opinion, are the best side in the world at the moment and I firmly believe they’ll win the league.
So after sticking a fiver on them to beat Spurs (and losing), I think they’ve probably just had their worst run they’ll get for the rest of the season.
I know, they dropped two points is all.
Still, it proves that they are not totally invincible and you can get something against them.
We do have it in our favour that we only got beat 1-0 on their turf last time out and I don’t need to mention the major arse-kicking that we gave them, so maybe Klippety will be more cautious than usual?
Then again, I doubt it. He doesn’t do that, does he? and it’s probably why Liverpool are everyone’s favourites from the top however many clubs.
They play cracking football.
Squad news and on our part, Jacob Ramsey is still out. I’ve already said I’m not bothered by that. Is it a coincidence that we looked miles better without him on Saturday?
Kortney Hause is also out, as is Leon Bailey, our latest sicknote.
Gerrard has said that the squad will be very similar to that against Burnley.
Which makes sense. Why change what worked well?
Liverpool have Klopp moaning as per usual about the squad, but the actuality is that they’re in good shape and Roberto Firmino might well make it after being out for a good while. Otherwise, they have no issues.
Liverpool might look a bit down and out now they lag Man city for the title race and they have a cup final at the weekend, but I don’t think for one minute they’ll play a weakened side. Even if they did, it would still be seriously strong and probably enough to beat us.
Even so, I have a feeling and that’s all it is, that we might actually beat them.
I can’t back my feeling up with anything at all.
Liverpool have by far the better team and should beat us easily.
But it doesn’t always work like that, which is why we all love footy, isn’t it?
I’m going for a hopeful 1-1 as my realistic prediction, but you just never know.
I think I’m going to stick a tenner on Pool to win. Well, it’s a numbers game isn’t it?
Here’s hoping and UTV!
Nice finish from Ings then, but a shame it was off.
Klopp looks like he’s been in a tough game today.
I’m not convinced.
Buendia should have been on from the start.
Once again Buendia looks so much better than Coutinho
Like I said, don’t buy Coutinho; he hasn’t earned it. It doesn’t matter how much discount Barca apply. I got a loaf of bread from Aldi for 12p last week – 75% off. I was well pleased with myself until I bit into my stale toast. Don’t buy Coutinho. Not worth it. Gerrard made an error in not allowing Buendia to carry his form into this game.
My loaf from Aldi had 30% off and it was super. Suited us for the next 2 days.
Hmmmm. Mine was Best Before the day I bought it though. I froze it but not a patch on a fresh loaf. Not even cryogenics can save Coutinho then.
Bum bum that’s really funny mate đ¤Ł
Now Liverpool players are throwing themselves to the ground!
It’s exactly what I talked about Hitch.
Basically cheating, but it’s what winners do.
Moss was Pools man of the match! Two things that are starting to wind me up are:-
1) Mings is 6ft 5â and is incapable of heading a ball. One occasion when a Villa cross found him unmarked and he headed it back to a Pool player. Twice Mane beat him to headers in the box which shouldnât happen.
2) Martinez kicking rarely finds a Villa man. Great keeper but a bit like Bosnich becoming lousy with the ball at his feet.
Happy days for Stevie G though. A performance which was credible and 3 points for his team. đ
I can only say we was not disgraced was we, myself I wouldn’t say Mane was man of the match and we did play against 12 men because Moss is one of the refs that needs investigation on his decisions. Well done the lads.
Well said, Bill.
Overall I think that was a decnt performance seeing as it was 11 versus 12.
Moss, you utter wanker.
Agent Gerrard sorts his home town club out nicely, there.
Plays Nakamba who hasn’t kicked a ball in nearly 6 months and drops our best player for an ex-Liverpool icon. Add to that the shocking refereeing and we were actually playing against 13 men.
Spot on Guest
F****** ell Hitch. Surprised at you. Old enough to know better?
BFR – Iâm older but not wiser and I certainly donât know better đ
Why play Nakamba rather than Chambers? I have nothing against Nakamba but as Guest says – why pick this game rather than Norwich to start him?
Buendia is playing better than Coutinho so why drop him to the bench – yet again – and the ref was so bent Iâm surprised he could stand up straight!
Iâm not for a minute suggesting Gerrard was seeking to âaid Liverpoolâ but some of his decision making is questionable at best.
Is he playing games with the owners over the summer transfer window?l
Bollocks. All the comments I’m seeing suggest Villa played well and gave them a real scare. We’ve just played the best club team in the world currently and have not been overawed or overrun. That’s the fastest we’ve come out of the blocks in an opening half so Gerrard must have geed them up well.
The absolute wank-splat of a ref’ was the problem, as always. Add to that Mings, as always, and Ings, not for the first time. This was a game we weren’t expected to win. A draw was possible, but not with errors at either end of the pitch and a bent ref’. None of the above have anything to do with Gerrard. Grow up.
Behave, it’s clear you’ve got a hard on for Gerrard but take an impartial view, the facts are there for all to see, he weakened the side, simple as that, Gerrard is not the manager to take us forward, simple as that, i couldn’t give a fiddlers for what the BBC says.
Gerrard out.
An open goal with the ‘hard-on’ comment, ‘Guest’, but I won’t take it and cause a stink.
Cause a stink mate, what’s the issue there? i think you clearly love Gerrard, you defend every single decision he makes to the hilt, it’s so ridiculously biased i can only assume you are in love with him.
But if you want to be a baby and cause a stink over that comment go for it.
Just Ings was it? Not Watkins? Or Luiz? Or Konsa?
I never gave that a thought. Just why would you play a player out for months against possibly the best club team in the world??
And drop your man of the match from your previous game?
That is a little suspect.
Mate it’s way more than just suspect, it’s scandalous.
I’m sorry but Gerrard out, i do not rate him at all.
Mate I don’t care it’s a forum for opinions.
We competed well but weâre miles off where Liverpool are in terms of player quality but it doesnât help when the referee is so poor.
Ings missed two gilt edged chances – not impressed.
Coutinho – Barcelona should pay us to take him off their hands but Gerrard is besotted – that really worries me. Canât he see how much more Buendia offers the team? If he canât then we have real problems.
Overall I think we were slightly unlucky not to get something out of the game.
Watkins also fluffed his lines twice.
He did Guest but Ings had the two high XG (to use modern stats bollocks) whereas Watkins were more difficult.
In particular the first half miss from the free header for a striker of Ings reputation was so poor – had he scored that we may well have gone on to win.
We seem to follow the same script over and over again – simple mistakes in defence, poor passing and a failure to be clinical in the penalty area.
Having said that, we did compete well and can count ourselves unlucky not to have secured a point.
Just like against Spurs. So if Ings and Watkins don’t fluff their lines, like against Spurs, we win. So how is that Gerrard’s fault. As I said, get your opinions consistent, because they’re not.
Really?
Not you, Hitch. Mr mystery ‘guest’.
Hardly mystery BFR, just didn’t come up with a natty user name, doesn’t mean i’m trying to hide anything or be mysterious, if you like i can change it.
I’m not sure what the Spurs game has to do with anything, we are discussing what has happened this evening, at that time, Gerrard was playing what he thought was his best eleven and we hadn’t won a game in over a month, tonight, he weakened the side, not just my opinion, the opinion of many other fans, the Nakamba and Buendia decisions were really strange calls, you seem to be the only one that sees nothing wrong in that, thats your call.
Good result for Gerrard and Moss and sky tonight all getting together to keep the title race going to the end any other result tonight would have been bad for sky.
Why hell change a winning team and bringing nakhamba in plus old Liverpool icon.
What had chambers done wrong and why pick a player who hasn’t played in 6months????
And why bring Chuck on when he doesn’t want to play for villa and does nothing when does come on.
As for ref !!!!
Roy (and others). Palace on Sunday is MUST win. Tonight wasn’t. Three games in a week is too much. Buendia will start on Sunday, maybe Chambers, too. And I thought Chuk played well on Saturday.
Thatâs fair comment BFR but we could – and probably should – have taken a point from this game.
Iâm trying to be objective about Gerrard but is he being objective with some of his decisions?
Iâm not convinced, Iâm not calling for his head so I remain open minded. Iâve praised him in certain games so I think Iâm OK to criticise him as well.
Your’e well within your right to criticise him, BFR for whatever reason seems to think Gerrard walks on water, and that simply isn’t the case, a lot of his decision making has been amateurish at best, and tonights team selection is baffling not only to me but to so many other fans, you don’t have to explain yourself to him.
Guest, I’ve already said Gerrard messed up with Buendia. But we nearly got a result. The team put a shift in. We lost because the quality wasn’t there at the back or up front. AGAIN. And a bent ref’ vs Liverpool. AGAIN.
Some may recall me praising Southgate for much of the Euro’s but after the final I said he bottled it and absolutely blew it. So I am objective. None of the ant-Liverpool comments against Gerrard are objective. It’s you guys who are biased and subjective. Not me. Sorry.
You don’t think playing Nakamba after 6 months out against the best team in the world is odd?
You don’t think changing a team that won quite convincingly 3 days earlier is odd?
Ok then.
Yes, “3 days earlier” is the point. Against the best team in the world, who play with an intensity far beyond the likes of Burnely. Sunday vs Palace is MUST win. That’s why he made changes.I think. I wouldn’t have dropped Buendia, for the third time. But if we’d taken a point, or won, would you be criticising? If the usual suspects in the team had not made individual errors, we would have got a result, which makes the Nakamba point academic. Does it not?
Let me simplify. Does Nakamba being in the team contribute to the strikers misses or Mings’ cock-up? Or the referee being compromised, clearly? If the answer is ‘no’, then could it be you’re looking for a reason to hammer Gerrard, because you’re not objective?
Not the worst game today i mean i think we had the best chances and probably should have had at least 2 goals from ings. I think Carney looked good today, I’d like to see him and Buendia given the chance to play together I believe they would compliment each other well. Buendia must be pissed starting on the bench. Coutinho has been so poor the last 8 games not an assist or goal after a decent start, I wouldn’t be sorry to see him go elsewhere. Well at least we have 2 chances of getting another win before the final game against City that we will undoubtedly lose handsomely and see Grealish get his premier league medal.
BFR, steady mate, we all have the right to say what we see, Villa played well and we lost. Get over it.
Yes, Bill. Villa played well and lost. That’s what we all saw. We didn’t see Gerrard colluding with Sky, or the referee, or anyone associated with LFC.
I tell you what, lads, I’ve come to realise: Gerrard WON’T be successful at AVFC. Which means AVFC won’t be successful. Why? Because some ‘supporters’ have decided he won’t be. Google ‘self-fulfilling prophecy.’ This reminds me of how Houllier was received. Ex successful Liverpool – coincidentally. But the reception isn’t a coincidence. Also coincidence, he was a better manager than his predecessor, MON, but we couldn’t see beyond his red past. Ah well, f*** it. I’ll keep posting and debating until Badger censors me. Then I’ll f*** off like Pat57 and others.
Ask yourselves, if we’d got the 1-1, would you still be rolling out the Gerrard comments?
I won’t add ‘UTV’, because the club’s going nowhere. I quote the Spurs fans before checking-out. “Your support is f****** shit.” Quite.
Bore off pal.
A pathetic comment like that shows what a lazy shit-stirrer you are. Why don’t you debate the comment I made, instead? Could it be you know I have a point? If you really are a guest, you’ve outstayed your welcome. Oh sorry, you built the site, didn’t you? Silly me. Debate my comment. Explain why I’m wrong. If you can, I will agree with you, but you can’t, can you? You just keep chucking lazy comments out to stir. So it’s you who should bore off, as you’re not contributing anything of substance whatsoever to the debate.
Says the guy who starts a post with ‘Bollocks’ and then ends it with ‘Grow up’.
I’ve debating the points with you, you just don’t want to hear it, you won’t hear a bad word said about Gerrard, it’s as simple as that.
I couldn’t reply to your last comment as the reply thread had become too long, but out of pure interest, why is Palace a must win game exactly?
You haven’t debated, all you’ve done is make slanderous comments about a man’s professionalism. You haven’t once sensibly countered any valid argument I’ve made, not tonight or on other occasions. You say I’m biased but all I’m doing is “supporting” the manager of Aston Villa, who’s got some pedigree and hasn’t had a full season. Because I’m a Villa fan.
As you say, the jury is out, which means give a chance. You, on the other hand, have made your decision because you’re biased but you won’t admit it. If you admitted it, I would respect you. But you won’t. I supported Smith but thought, like many on here, his time was up. Now I’m supporting Gerrard and he hasn’t had enough time. So any comments explicitly calling for him to be sacked are patently biased. Does the swearing upset you, honestly? Are you a steward at VP? So even this site’s turning woke?
Anyway, I don’t even watch Gerrard’s press conferences. I don’t care. I don’t care what he says or how annoying his accent is. I don’t even care who he is. Really. It could be Cilla Black for all I care. I care about Villa’s results. Hitch’s post earlier suggests Villa would be 8th, based on Gerrard’s points since arriving. Can you seriously ask for more than that, with what he has at his disposal and the time he’s had? It sounds like he’s exactly where he needs to be going into the summer and a pre-season. But you’ve already decided, because he’s not ‘one of us’? Sorry, but that’s laughable, it really is.
*see PL table for why Palace is must win. And it’s at home. I’ve said before on here, it’s never OK to lose at VP. Not even tonight. But they gave it a go, and it wasn’t like the tepid performances of a few weeks ago.
If you disagree with any of that, great, but at least have the courtesy to debate and explain why you disagree, rather than make immature comments. If and when Gerrard looks ‘dead in the water’, like Smith, I will call for his head. That time is definitely not now.
And actually, whilst we are on the subject, your comment about me building the site has clearly been taken out of context, so let me clear this up, when i told you i built the site, that was because you had made a reference to me as being a newcomer, when in fact, i’ve been posting on the site since it’s first iteration way way back, my comment about about building it wasn’t to give some impression of authority, i have none, i am just a regular poster like anybody else on here, and Badger can ban me if he wishes, i have no sway here, it was just to inform you that i had been around a lot longer than you think.
But what i find interesting is you telling me i’ve outstayed my welcome, as if you are an authority on here, now unless i have missed something, i doubt that is the case, so, if you want to start posts with ‘Bollocks’ and end them with ‘Grow up’ i hardly think you can complain when i say you’ve got a hard-on for Gerrard, its hardly the most offensive comment anyone can make, and right now you remind me of a footballer rolling around, holding his knee, making card gestures to the referee, i think you need to grow up pal, and accept that not everybody has the same opinion as you, and that some on here don’t think Gerrard is the great white hope you seem to think he is.
Hope i’ve cleared that up for you.
Rolls eyes. The ‘outstayed’ comment was simply a play on ‘guest’. Nothing more. And no, I don’t think I’m an authority on here. I’d like to think my comments add to the fabric of the product, though. And like you, Badger can ban me if he wishes.
And to be fair, NOBODY seems to have the same opinion as me, yet at least I keep putting mine out there. The least you can do is debate them with some substance.
Was it just me who thought Jota fouled for their first goal with a karate type Bruce Lee kick?
Also agree that Buendia and Chukwuemeka seem to have a good understanding. I hope he signs a new contract. We donât know what is going on behind the scenes. I wonât knock the lad for wanting to play regularly. Hopefully his agent isnât feeding him bullshit that he can do that at a bigger club than Villa.
As for Buendia v Coutinho, I donât know why our two most gifted players canât play at the same time. Maybe instead of Ings!
It’s interesting that Chucky seems like Marmite.
I thought he was superb months back, but he’s done nothing recently, imo.
But it seems pretty universal thinking that Buendia should not have been dropped for PC.
And I totally agree. Buendia looks much the better player at the moment.
Gerrard says he’ll play those who look the best.
I’m just not seeing that at all.
It’s one of the reasons I’m not convinced by him in the slightest.
Maybe he’ll come out and give us a good reason as to why he started PC, but I don’t think it needs to be said really, does it?
As Guest pointed out why would you start Marvelous who’s been out for months?
Very odd.
BFR – youâre right; individual mistakes by players on the field canât be laid at Gerrardâs door but questions can legitimately asked over why certain decisions were made and did we play our strongest side?
OK we have a lot of games in a short period and some squad rotation can be expected but, for instance, was tonightâs game the right one to drop Chambers for Nakamba – after all Chambers has not played that many games all season and he was excellent against Burnley.
But my biggest concern is over his continual selection of Coutinho over Buendia.
Would it have changed the outcome – possibly not – but on current form Coutinho weakens the team and Buendia has earned the right to start.
Hitch, I totally agree about the Coutinho/Buendia point. I’ve explicitly said that I don’t want the club to sign Coutinho and that Buendia should have started tonight. Totally ironically, those who hate Gerrard have suggested they’d be pleased to see Coutinho sign for a ‘bargain’ fee. As I said, there are inconsistencies in the arguments. At least mine are consistent.
So how is one connected to the other?
Total nonsense to suit your own
( I’m always right) narrative.
Excellent question, RSS.
You hate Gerrard and that he loves Coutinho, but you want Coutinho.
You slam Gerrard for not playing Buendia and playing Coutinho. But you want Coutinho. No Gerrard – no Coutinho at VP. See the connection?
And I’ve never, ever once said I’m always right. Unless that’s what you think?
I do Ron.
Utter nonsense, Coutinho staying isnt completely dependant on. Gerrard staying at all.
BFR it’s libellous (speech vs written word)
Coutinho, lets see how that cookie crumbles, whether SG’s player charisma turns out to be as magnetic as PIF’s Saudi Riyal?
My likes / dislikes are irrelevant, sorry they upset you so much.
PS I’m over overly enamoured Pierce Morgan.
with
Whoa, calm down chaps.
I don’t want to ban anyone, as you’re all valued contributors here.
But let’s keep things civil, eh?
BFR, I’d take Coutinho at ÂŁ20 million.
You think he’d only come here because of Gerrard? I disagree.
He’ll go where the money is, because footballers don’t have a brain and that’s what his agent(s) will tell him to do.
I think Coutinho has his place at the Villa.
I just don’t think he is worth ÂŁ33 mill and his wages.
ÂŁ20 mill is a much better price.
Not because I don’t rate him, but because I just think the higher price is too risky.
I don’t see the Gerrard/ Coutinho link at all and think it was a Purslow thing, tbh.
Can I be honest and say Purslow is someone I definitely don’t like?
Villa did play well. Scored a good goal and created some more chances. The players on the pitch each gave one of their best performances, which is all you can ask. The reason we lost is our players best performances are not good enough to trouble teams at the top of the EPL.
Failings: Mings’ heading. Yes he is 6′ 5″ but he cant jump – and certainly not jump early. This is OK for making a defensive header which you don’t mind going high. This isn’t a racial comment either: he hasn’t got the best skull shape for heading goals. Round skulls without a flat forehead are common amongst tall black people. If you have that shape skull then to head a ball level or down you need to get up high enough so the centre of the ball is level with the bridge of your nose. A player with a flat forehead e.g.Hateley, Ferguson, Shearer can head the ball level if the centre of the ball is level with the middle of their forehead – and none of them used to chew gum while heading.
Mings defensive work on the ground – one howler every game and usually costly.
Ings: not quite good enough, he needs more time to fashion a shot than he will get.
Watkins put in a real shift today, but like Mcginn his taking and controlling of a pass up to him needs work, he often knocks it six yards forward when he needs to knock it only 2 yards to prevent the defender nipping in. I think he can improve this.
Coutinho / Buendia. Who ever started was going to get kicked by Liverpool’s thugs and get no protection from Moss Side. I think either way round – the sub would look brighter because he has fresh legs and no bruises.
Tactics. Reverted to long balls upfield to avoid being pressed when passing out of defence. Brain dead against the Reds or MOC – because the ball comes back, and even though it starts from further away, it does not take long to be in our final 3rd. Difficult to see the current squad getting the confidence to bin this fault, which is caused equally by no midfielder offering himself for a short pass.
” Doing the same thing and expecting different result is the definition of madness ” or something like that.
Gerrard does it every match – not just on this occasion.
Too much pessimism!
Villa played either the best or second best team in the world last night.
It was an entertaining match and we created chances to score more goals.
In terms of improvement:
1: Replace Mings and Konsa. Neither of them were capable of playing out of defence and did not look comfortable on the ball. Martinez would play it out, where they both played tippy- tally before passing back to Martinez who was then under pressure from the Liverpool press and launched it normally to the opposition.With 2 No. 9s on the pitch either the keeper of the two defenders can launch the ball. Same probability of retaining the ball as previous mentor but reduces the chance of the press helping the opposition score a goal due to own mistake.Both have at least one howler of a mistake in them at the moment.
2: Defensive Midfielder: Nakamba gave his all and would be a good back up.
3: Buendia V Coutinho: Room for both but pick who is on form.
4: Striker: Lethal finisher required with Ings as back up.
5: Youth players to gain more playing time next year: Kesler Hayden (RB) Archer (Striker), Philogene-Bodace (Winger) Iroegbunam (midfielder) and Chukwuemeka (midfielder- if he signs a new contract).
6: Sell or not renew contracts:
Traore
El Ghazi
Trezeguet
Davis
Mings
Targett
Luiz
Wesley
This should bring in funds to help purchase at least one good player.
Ings is awful, first touch terrible, wastes too many chances.
( Two absolute sitters last night)
For me he’d be one of the first out the door.
it was a good performance last night against a team far superior to ours. Liverpoolâs squad depth too was significant. We brought on Buendia who many fans (including myself) think should be starting plus Chukwuemeka and Traore. Liverpool bring on Henderson, Thiago and Salah! We donât possess one player good enough to start for Liverpool IMO, and thatâs why we are where we are.
As for Gerrard we have another Marmite situation going on. What are the reasons why there are Gerrard haters? Firstly I want to point out Iâm not one of them! One reason is some fans think Smith wasnât given time plus he is one of our own. Another reason is the stepping stone issue. To be fair on Gerrard, itâs the media and not him who constantly bring up the subject. We poached Little and Smith (Villa men) because they were doing well at Leicester and Brentford. Iâm remember too that Sheffield Wednesday fans werenât too happy when Ron Atkinson joined us and he had previous Villa links.
Fact is Gerrard wonât be Liverpool manager if he doesnât succeed at Villa, so I will wish him well if he has got us into the top six, which I think will be a bare minimum for his hopes of getting his dream job.
I do have concerns regarding what looks like favouritism towards Coutinho and Ings maybe because of his previous association. Thing is decisions like this could prove a flaw in his management and ruthlessness which is shown by the likes of Pep or Klopp get success. Look at Grealish who cost ÂŁ100m and isnât playing regularly!
If we beat Palace and Burnley we should get a top half finish and put us in a better position to attract better players. By the time the World Cup starts we MUST be top half minimum. If not, there will be many fans questioning whether Gerrard is the manager to take us forward, myself included.
I think I’m leaning towards the Buendia camp with PhilC misfiring.
And can you lot speak nicely to each other! Otherwise I’ll get yr Missus to cancel your Sky subscriptions!!!!