maqroll

Another L here and Smith comes under fire, IMO.

Heat pumps are the way to go.

Enjoyable Amazon prime doc about Galaxy Quest, which is such a great and underrated film.

Involuntary manslaughter at worst, but he's wealthy enough to afford a lawyer who has the juice to get him off. I doubt he spends a day behind bars.

The producer, Baldwin.

It's pure speculation, but I do think that Ollie is a confidence player, a sensitive type of guy who needs to be nurtured and feel like he is the top banana. Signing Ings may have made him feel like management wasn't 100% confident in him.

They brought in scabs for the day, so it seems like a total rando without union credentials was handed the responsibility. Baldwin is going to get sued for a fortune.

The Wolves collapse might end up being the defining moment for Dean. We need a big response vs West Ham or the pressure will really build on him.

The root of the problem is the Ings signing. It's shattered Watkins' confidence and forced Smith to try to crowbar them both in the side resulting in this goofy formation. The obvious fix is dropping Ings or Ollie and reverting back to 4-3-3. But because they've spent big money on a top striker like Ings, Smith feels compelled to start him every game. As much as I like Ings, Ollie was the real investment. Ings seemed like a luxury signing and maybe even a desperation signing made to appease the fans post-Jack. We should have settled for Ollie-Wesley-Archer and used the Ings money on Alvarez. Ings has thrown everything off balance, through no fault of his own. It's a conundrum.

The high press we used vs Man Utd worked a trick. Wonder why we stopped doing it?

I doubt it was formation related. But the fact that him and JT both abruptly quit suggests that something has happened behind the scenes. Or maybe they knew it would be a struggle without Grealish. But something just feels off with Villa.

Any replacements you think they might be considering if they drop the axe?

The brass will be chewing the fat over the next week. And making contingencies in case it all go belly up.

If we line up the same way vs West Ham, I will have to reassess my stance on Dean. But I still trust him to turn this around.

He will lose the players if he makes a habit of that.

We don't seem to have an identity or discernable style of play or even direction. We should be improving, not regressing. Coaching staff needs to figure this out, fast. We are leaking goals at an alarming rate.

Thank you for this lovely gif

I sensed there was more to this story.

Did Terry and O'Kelly see this coming?

I'm still backing Smith 100%, but he needed to scrap 3-5-2 for this and his stubbornness is a concern, as well as the fact that the players were flat from the start. Some disinterested performances. No heart. No pride. Very concerning indeed. Ings and Watkins doesn't work but he's trying to force it. Buendia as CAM is a black hole. If Sanson is fit he needs to play, and 3-5-2 must be scrapped for 4-3-3 with Ollie dropped. Ollie a shadow of himself. Targett needs to sit for Young. The owners will have expected much better tonight after last week's capitulation. Extra scrutiny on Smith until this gets turned around. If we keep losing or drawing while playing bad, real pressure will follow. We are in the weeds now.

Next match: Martinez Cash. Konsa. Mings. Young McGinn Luiz. Sanson Buendia. Ings. Bailey

What is our purpose?

Not at all important given the context, but I wonder if the film gets shut down for good or if they continue. They finished The Crow and it made money. Tragic situation. I do wonder about Baldwin. He has a wicked temper. And he shot two people, not one. I may be out of line to speculate like that, but I can't help it.

Er, 3 at the back again?