Tomaszk

It'll be this apart from El Ghazi in for Trez I think. Need Targett stretching out those hamstrings before the game. I want a good 60/70 mins from him with a view to starting v Burnley.

Didn't make the bench on Saturday. They're flying high in the league so he might get some minutes v Man City in a cup side tonight.

Like the look of Calvin Stengs myself.

Didn't realise how bad it was. Doesn't look like professional football, he just passes it into the net. Sort that please because as usual he was solid with almost everything else. One half flap, though he still got something on it.

Not unless it's Utd, Liverpool or City it won't.

Don't worry, it will be when it happens.

We absolutely need either a striker or a winger. Probably both.

You're kidding. I've been assured it gets better after 10 episodes.

Opta.

What a **** brilliant year. Incredible. I think it's probably the most enjoyable I can remember fully. And I wasn't really concentrating for the first few months, I was out of Villa big time, Dean Smith has brought me back. Come on though, we aren't running a charity here. Dean knows that. If it was to fall apart and by May we were getting trounced every week putting in nothing performances, he wouldn't complain at getting the sack. I don't think we'll ever reach that point, the players look to be too up for working hard to slip back into the coma. We're nowhere near that anyway and that's where part of my frustration comes from. We're on the cusp of playing really well but haven't yet. It's right there and only a few tweaks are needed for us to click I think. Even without playing well we should have at least 4 more points. VAR doing us up the shaft a few times isn't helping either.

On my third attempt of the Wire and I've got further than ever before. 10 eps into season 1, I've always given up because it's so slow. Only thing keeping my coming back is the phenomenal reputation.

Chill out Steve.

Well if going in people are expecting points from Spurs and Arsenal away, yes that's silly. But bearing in mind performances and how the games played out, we could have got 6 or 4, we definitely should have 3 and we've got chuff all. Over the next three we've just got to get 5 absolute minimum. We can't keep giving up available points.

I've never been much of a fan of Tyrone's swagger but he was fine yesterday. Him and Engels are comfortable playing out as well, it makes a huge difference to us.

What are you saying here? It's not OK to be disappointed with losing to 10 men having been 1-0 up when they got the red? We should have beaten them, they weren't and aren't great at all. We should have beaten West Ham and did enough to earn points v Bournemouth and Palace for me. And yet we're here on 4 points in the relegation zone.

It could show that if you want to interpret it that way. We know McGinn though, he is a team player, he's the team player. He's maybe going about it the wrong way when we're under pressure. Is he pushing forward as support for Wes because no one else will/is? He's certainly showing a return in terms of goals/assists/chances created, he's our most involved offensive player easily. He's far from the most pressing issue, but I expect the best (or just better) from players like him and Jack because they're good enough to ask for it. He averaged being further forward than El Ghazi. We either need to get the ball up to him, or he's got to come and make himself available for it. Can't be having a centre mid with 18 passes against 10 men for most of the game. As usual I think he'll keep improving a this occasional lack of involvement will get solved.

He's brilliant. Still need more from him though. That second half he wasn't getting involved enough and we need him getting on the ball so we can have some "relaxed" possession. I'm sure that's part of the reason we're getting so tired. The least amount of passes bar Wes. Can't be right when the guy next to you playing the same position has the most.

Every time we attacked, we made chances. Every time. It was one of the strangest performances I've seen from us. When we went 2-1 up I thought that would be enough. The team, the manager would realise we need to keep going forwards because we'll score again. No. Let's sit back and force Arsenal back into the game. We'd have lost that v anyone else in the league. The opponents being Arsenal has saved the coach and players from more criticism.

He was as unsure of himself first half as I've ever seen him, was weird.

Luiz would have shone v 10 I think. I think Lansbury would have been better second half than Nakamba as well. Midfield was crying out for a change.

I also like Smith but he's got hardly anything right this season. We're six games in and haven't played well yet. There's no periods of control, everything is rush rush rush. He started the season with the wrong full backs, and still hasn't replaced one of them. That's cost us plenty of points. The midfield is disjointed and the wingers are having very little effect in supporting the striker. Every single match. Subs are too late every game. We have to slow down in possession and stop being careless or we're going down.

Because Mings is better than Konsa right now. Also, as with everyone else at Aston Villa he'll look a lot better when Neil Taylor isn't playing.

No. Unless he wants to play left back. He can have a go there ahead of Taylor.

Not well for me. Uncomfortable on the ball throughout. He definitely was a victim of Grealish and McGinn tiring massively in front of him but he was being pulled out of position regardless. Couple of 1-2s round him when he was pushing forward when unsure what to do. Tough for him with two shattered players next to him though.

Plenty of donkeys in the manger today.