Tomaszk

We'll never know how things could have been, but I look around every year and you can see teams that make good and bad signings. We needed the vast majority to be good to have any chance of survival. They weren't. My major problem is that I'm not sure half of them are good enough for promotion in the Championship. Wes, Trez, Engels, Guilbert, Marv, Konsa, Targett, Luiz, Hause. How many of them get into the Leeds/WBA/Brentford sides? Not many. The uproar you mention would have settled after a game or two when he held the ball up like an actual footballer unlike Wes. Yeah, never know if Kostic would have settled but he can run and cross and shoot and control and kick the ball so I think he'd have been a big jump up from Trez. We're incredibly unlikely to get another chance to overhaul the squad to that extent for another 20 years. I can't think of another time in my lifetime it's happened.

You're correct, but I meant we could have bought better players for the same money. Jay Rodriguez for £8m from WBA would have been infinitely more use than Wes. Filip Kostic went to Frankfurt for £6m, we could have got him instead of Trez. Look, I've just improved our squad and saved £15m. Now we can sign Kalvin Phillips instead of Marvellous. It was tough, and we failed. I don't want another penny going towards anyone Suso is interested in.

So say we stay up, by some mad act of god. You think we'd be fine next year if we just changed the manager? Let's say we even keep Jack.

We were poor absolutely. Chelsea were excellent throughout. Chelsea were foul tonight, stunk it out. We'd have done a lot more attacking tonight than West Ham. Probably wouldn't have scored three don't get me wrong, but we'd have had a go. I don't think you can simplify a win by another team against a side who beat us to "Smith didn't attack them", that's foolhardy IMO. The main reason we're heading down is because our players are shite. You could say the manager is as well if you want, but even a brilliant manager ain't getting much out of these mugs.

Disagree with this. It was difficult but we still cocked it up big time. Are the players we've bought even "good" Championship players? Time will tell. Keep your eye on Brentford if they get up. Give them £130m they'll be finishing 12th no problem.

I'll check this abacus and get back to you.

This thread is gold tonight. Really cheered me up.

OK fine, I'll revise. Bottom. Definitely. I've double double checked.

They were like animals against us. Closing down constantly, fizzing passes round. They were absolutely dog tonight. Whatever, it happens, form wavers. You can't simplify it "Smith didn't attack them". What does that even mean? We had three less shots and the same amount on target. Both backs to the wall, but they were playing a side with no legs. They had 29% possession, we had 26%. Would have been nice if we had a Yarmalenko to bring on and score. Or used a Michail Antonio to lead the line properly. Or a Declan Rice to screen the defence.

I've run out of reactions but this really made me laugh. What's going on tonight, people have lost their minds

Do you think Chelsea's performance vs us and their performance vs West Ham tonight was of a similar level?

You can always back them, they've got the bottle to win. Er. Except most games this season.

Not with you around mate, don't worry. So you don't want any new players in the summer? Think this lot are good enough?

YES BECAUSE THEY AINT BOTTLERS MAKE VILLA GREAT AGAIN

Antonio so so good for West Ham tonight. Always good on his own up front. Always a pain in the arse to mark. Intelligent, bullish hold-up play. A real menace and perfect for a team down the bottom.

In the summer to be exact

Not as tired as Chelsea were tonight, Christ. Like a pack of lions against us. Dead on their feet tonight.

Can I have more reasons we're going down from you please? They're funny.

We needed more bottle in pre-season. That's when the problems really started.

Chelsea useless tonight. Lucky to only be one goal behind. Opposite to how they were against us. Frank has flogged them in training.

Tammy like a stepladder falling over on the line

Right, I want a 5-0 win again for wasting my time with that VAR. Liven up Chelsea you pricks.

OK 2-1

Chelsea look very tired. I've read Frank gets them to run miles and miles in training because that's what he liked to do to keep his fitness up. They've had loads of muscle injuries this season. One to watch. After that opening 30 mins, I'll take a 2-0 Chelsea, won't be spoilt and ask for 5-0.

If Bournemouth stay up I'm sure they'll be running to Liverpool ready to give them £45m.