This one isn’t quite the six pointer that the Norwich game was, but it’s still massively important as although Watford won’t catch us, we’ll lose more ground to the clubs above us.
It’s a case of trying to not let those above us get too far away until we can get reinforcements in, I reckon.
There isn’t much squad news, with Abdoulaye Doucoure being in contention for Watford, but neither Mings or Davis will be available for us, although they are both training.
Which is maybe all academic as surely both sides will both want to change things up just to rest players, won’t they?
The problem is, I’m not sure how we can change it up really.
You could start Hourihane, I suppose and perhaps Smith will, although I don’t see him as anywhere near a 90 minute player. Yes, he has a “wand of a left foot” and all that, but I’ve often said he isn’t the type for a battle.
And this will surely be one, as Watford are undergoing the new manager bounce and will give their all for Nigel Pearson.
Targett was poor on Saturday, so you could maybe rest him and play Taylor.
Guilbert could come back instead of Elmohamady.
The point is we do have options, but I think it all depends what Dean Smith thinks, as he’ll have done his homework on Watford, as opposed to me having very little knowledge apart from thinking that Troy Deeney is a decent, bustling striker.
It appears the Watford fans are not overly worried about facing us and I can partly see why.
We’ve been quite poor in our last few games and our heads drop if we go a goal down, which makes me think Watford will come out all guns blazing.
I’m hoping the win over Norwich will have greatly improved our confidence, but the performance wasn’t at all convincing.
We need to be better; quicker in the build up, with more accurate, faster passing and more clinical.
In other words, basically a better Premier league team.
But I think this will boil down to who wants it more.
And that’s a tough call on my part.
My heart says we can win this, but my head says we’ll lose.
I’m going to go inbetween and say we’ll draw 1-1, which while not ideal, would do as long as we perform decently.
A loss, combined with a poor performance will just have me worryimg all the more.
Villa being hammered in BBC Final Score. “Just gave up”.
Burnley away next. I’m expecting a repeat of today if Smith is in charge.
Looking at the way the game changed – they gave up when Wesley failed to score first half.
It’s beginning to become evident that all is not right at VP
JT for manager?
Nothing would surprise me at VP.
Good god, no!
That wasn’t a recommendation but he’s probably the only guy that would take it on at the moment -:)
If JT learned anything from Mourinho, he would do a decent job. The siege mentality was always Mourinho’s mantra, before he decided he was ‘humble’.
three nil three clear and obvious mistakes. watford have won that game without really pulling anything out of the bag we gift wrapped them the three points. i just hope that sarr doesn’t suffer from any concussion with that nasty head injury.
i would try get some experience in fast, by begging borrowing or cheating. unfortunately we lack any players with leadership qualities. grealish leads by example missing mings. we took a step forward with a win against norwich but now taken three steps back into the championship. btw watford should be midtable they have top quality proven premiership players that was very evident today.
next game will be very tough, we are beaten team heads dropped big time.
So sad. The euphoria of the summer, record season ticket sales (thank, God I didn’t buy one)…where did it all go? Seems like decades ago.
Unless something remarkable happens, objectively Norwich and Villa are two for relegation.
All other EPL sides qualify under your comments Nath so it’s going to be a real scrum to see which is the third team to go down.
Watford were nailed on for relegation before the Watford board showed big balls to change manager twice in a season. Now look. Although, Peason’s arrival has coincided with Deaney’s return.
Regardless, we have to change course now. But do the board have the balls and do they have the knowledge to make the RIGHT change, not just a change?
The owners are wealthy by making brave decisions. Maybe Rafa would be the best option for us right now. If a decision needs to be made then it needs to be in the next 48 hours or we stick with what we’ve got.
Smith “We lost the game in the first half” Fact is we lost the second half too!
If I see Wesley’s name on the next team sheet, I will be fuming!
i havent given up and nor should i. villa have enough quality if they start to believe it themselves. we lack leadership on field. somebody you can lean on. if mings returns fast we have a chance. otherwise we are waiting for the players like hause and konsa to get premiership street wise. two players who happen to be in the heart of our defense.
norwich villa and probably newcastle but way too early to overdose all too play for
Talking to my son (Chris) tonight he made a good point.
Burnley came up, went down and came up again the following season. The one constant Sean Dyche.
Chris is a big Villa fan but pretty level headed (rather like Nath) and his take is that promotion last year was ahead of the game plan and this season would always be ‘on the edge’. We should stick with Smith as Burnley kept faith with Dyche come what may this season.
He reasons that we need to build not continually tear the house down like Fulham did last season and we did last time we were relegated.
OK other teams in the EPL have replaced managers but they have done that at clubs where there are established EPL quality squads underperforming – Watford being a prime example – as Nath so succinctly pointed out.
Our squad is probably not underperforming it just isn’t good enough to compete week in, week out, particularly having lost two of its best players from key positions. This recent run just highlights how important Mings is to the team.
OK, we can criticise Smith for playing Grealish wide left but today it wouldn’t have mattered where you played him we would still have lost.
On reflection then and on balance I believe we should stick with Smith and look to build a team for the future.
UTV
Sorry Nath I don’t share you sentiments, the writing on the wall Villa are candidate for the drop. Team out today was a joke after seeing boxing day saga. I’d love to have seen Dean Smith doing well but true be known he doesn’t cut it. His selection should say Kodja was a better candidate than Langsbury, he’s body language was saying I don’t want to be here. Luis was shocking, so was Targett, we spent a whole 45 minuts in our half that alone should say his team is in trouble. No, lost respect in Deans team and him.
We will be relegated. I previously posted we needed a minimum of 7 points from the last three games, we achieved 3.
But, let’s not tear the house down. We have already achieved more points than last time we were relegated. We have not had three managers this season. We are not a leaderless club.
I have no doubt that Purslow, Eden’s and Sawiris are chatting. If they are to dispatch Smith, it will be before Christmas. I hope they don’t. One of the big problems Villa has at the start of the season was to recruit virtually a whole new team. Due to loanees and players at the end of the contracts. They gambled on the players bought in. It’s not working on the short term. Don’t forget virtually alll the players they bought in and then sold last time we were relegated have gone onto bigger and better things.
My view for what it is worth, is keep this team together. There is a nucleus of a team that will become better over time. I appreciate that Grealish, McGinn and Mings will leave for decent money. This will be needed to help us meet FFP.
There should be some left to buy in replacements.
The only mistake I would hold against those in charge was only purchasing 1 striker. I would have loved Maupay to have joined us. Feisty and a knack of scoring, boy oh boy would that be good up front at the moment.