Tomaszk

Few Benrahma rumours this weekend. We might look to bring in a few players, which is great, but we need to absolutely prioritise a striker. Hope we are. If we bring in only a winger it'll create the extra competition for places but open up the Grealish position debate again. Unless there's a plan to try El Ghazi up front, which would be a welcome experiment for me.

It's interesting yep. His role is unique, I wonder how much is him and how much is Smith to be honest. There was definitely a big change in his and Jack's starting central position when Smith first came in. They both went and stood 30 yards further forward when the CBs had the ball. It mentioning him the key man a couple of times just feels like the chat of a month ago. Links away also being thrown in.

Feels like that should have come out three weeks ago. He's struggled recently. Looking forward to him getting back on it. I actually thought he tried to pass too much around their box. Couple of club footed passes when he should have given it a rip on goal.

We'd be so good with a good striker, greater than the sum of our parts. There'd be a big upturn even with just an average striker as well to be honest. Someone that can join in with play. I'm sure we could pickup someone cheap like Grant or Hydra if Kodjia moves on and it'll be a great option.

Said this at the end of last season. He'd have been mad to to anywhere else. The difference in him from Bruce to Smith is night and day.

Giving him stick or booing losses and draws and bad performances in the Championship when we had about 25x the resources of our opponents? He made it up TRO. He got in there first to try and blame fans for the team underperforming. He made sure the media were fed this poppycock so he could fall back on it later. He's done it for years and years and years. He's a propaganda machine.

As they all did when he was here, despite him lying in the press Villa fans were giving him stick. A conniving, selfish man, who is a horrific excuse of a football manager to boot.

Work rate not usually an issue, which is good. Only consistent thing about his game.

Was Newcastle a sellout?

Marvelous for Luiz and Lansbury for McGinn were two clear subs that should have been made in my opinion. McGinn was shattered and Luiz was getting sloppy and lost it twice leading to chances. Sub usage remains an issue I think.

An embarrassment of a premier league manager. What the hell was that from Newcastle? Ah, I know what it was. Exactly what I saw almost every game from Villa, and we were in the division below. Absolutely no plan, just hope individuals can do something. Longer he stays there, more chance we stay up as it means there's one more weak side in the league.

Andre Green.

If he'd have scored that sitter this thread would be plenty saying he had a brilliant match. Goal or not he didn't, he just wasn't 100% useless.

Go on then, here's something silly. I think he's the best Villa keeper ever. Give me a better one. Nope, lalala, can't hear you.

Sharpen up please Tyrone. Need you to be better. You don't have to throw feints every time you have it to try and look cool. Strange characteristic of his play. If he's rushed and under pressure and hoofing it away. Very often mishits it and it scuttles along the floor into the dangerous middle of the pitch. Stop that as well please.

Dean Smith v Steve Bruce. Beautiful football v beast football.

Did the business. Two unbelievably good free-kicks. You could have Zanetti, Nesta, McGrath, Maldini across the back with Schmeichel in goal and I think we'd probably have scored that second. Just undefendable. Still think we have to select his games. Tonight was perfect for him. I wouldn't be playing him v Chelsea or Sheff Utd. Man Utd and Leicester yes.

Certainly not rough round the edges. He's got the smoothest edges I've ever seen at 21. There's just a couple of smudges to buff out. Quicken up a touch in possession. Learn to look around more often. Watch and learn from Grealish. Before the ball even gets to his feet, he's already looked around and knows how much room he's got. He's not quite as good as he thinks he is yet, but he's close. So good for his age.

He's set such a low bar for himself, it felt like he was OK tonight. The anti-Grealish. I judge Jack so harshly because he's a stupidly good player who I expect to be brilliant all the time. If Wes controls the ball I'm delighted because I expect everything to bounce off him. To bring another comparison in, it's all getting a bit Andre Green to be honest... Fans are desperate for him to be good, which is great, and the way it should definitely be. But he ain't, he's bad. Hope the support inspires him to repay the faith, it'd be a remarkable turnaround from what we've seen. He's young, he'll improve. Well, obviously he will, especially with this coaching team. Go and find any old bum from League Two, stick them with Dean Smith every day and they'll improve. I'd quite like a decent base level to be honest, not just going from absolutely rubbish every game to just quite rubbish most of the time. Will he improve to the extent we won't be looking replacing him in January, then again in the summer. Before probably looking to move him on the summer after because he's not getting a look in? Can't see it.

Plenty went wrong for him there. Overhit passes, ropey touches, wrong options picked. Seemed tentative to shoot which I've never seen from him. Give it a thrash John. As usual, he never hid. Certainly wasn't great though.

Really good. Legs on this guy are an absolute farce. Flying forward in the 88th minute to overlap the striker and demand the ball. Ridiculous. Battled well with their best player and only threat. Couple of sloppy moments in possession, which he will get over I think because he's technically very sound. It's hesitation looking for a pass rather than not having control of it.

Biggest news of all... Finally... FINALLY...Neil Taylor dropped from the squad. Hause on bench.

Hope Doug is deep. Don't ever like Hourihane in deep role.

Jack is back. Absolutely going for it. Marvelous dropped. Hourihane, McGinn, Doug in middle. Heaton starts. Konsa keeps his place.

I meant wins will change confidence. Everything else will hopefully kick on from there. We need to improve on everything you said yes. We got slightly unlucky that after back to back wins we had City then Liverpool. If we whip Newcastle, I'll fancy us to get something at Utd no problem.