Villarocker

Mile Jedinak is Serbian for the term "Makes a difference". How different are we with this guy in front of the back four?

I have the aforementioned '82 European Cup Final official match programme together with an unused match ticket signed by Allan Evans. Plus the following: An official Aston Villa Football Club football (unused) signed by the entire squad from the 1993-1994 season (League Cup winning squad) that included the following players plus Ron Atkinson: Nigel Spink, Earl Barrett, Steve Staunton, Shaun Teale, Paul McGrath, Kevin Richardson, Ray Houghton, Garry Parker, Dean Saunders, Dalian Atkinson, Tony Daley, Steve Froggatt, Mark Bosnich, Andy Townsend, Ugo Ehiogu, Neil Cox, Dwight Yorke, Stefan Beinlich, Matthias Breitkreutz, David Farrell, Guy Whittingham, Bryan Small, Dariusz Kubicki, Graham Fenton & Michael Oakes. I also have an AVFC club book from around 1988 that is a complete record of every player that ever played for the Villa throughout its history. I sent it off to Bodymoor Heath and got it signed by every player together with Graham Taylor. Also, I used to work in a shop in Erdington and one of our regular customers was a friend of the shop owner. The friend was Jimmy MacEwan. He played for Villa from 1959 until 1966. Jimmy was a great bloke and he loved the fact his picture made it into this Villa book that I had. He kindly signed the inside cover for me . I've got other autographs that I have collected on match day programmes over the years but wouldn't have a clue which players.

If we'd kept McCormack up front all season and not signed Kodjia we would be staring at League 1 football next season. Love him or loathe him Kodjia will be fans and players' player of the season - and rightly so.

Looked more like an arrow to me mate!

Going slightly off topic, are the creation of gifs like the above one legal? If so, maybe some of the knowledgeable and kind folks on here could start up a thread and add a few highlight gifs for each game, for the benefit of those who are unable to see them - such as the overseas fans. Just an idea to try to help our overseas fans see the action.

How refreshing to see this young man take the opportunity he's being given and really having a go at it. A few games ago I was critical of his defensive side of the game but, eating humble pie now because I was being harsh in him. Andre is still only 18 and has a lot to learn and still needs to develop into a first team regular, that's when it will be fairer to judge his overall game. Well done so far and so happy for him to be making such an impact. It's even more pleasing knowing that he is one of our own. I also think Andre's plaudits and performances might just be the kick up the arse that Jack Grealish needs to make him fulfil his potential. Let's hope so.

I hope Dr Tony realises just how valuable our club is to the hearts and souls of those who love it. Lerner didn't and gambled with our existence. I hope Dr Tony doesn't!

Is it that Lerner took back some (or maybe all?) of what he was owed?

Can we please ask for a prayer mat

I was going to ask if you are suggesting he is a bit weak-kneed but after two ACL injuries there's no doubting that!

Maybe the Huddersfield manager has set players for certain formations and changes those formations depending on the opposition - meaning his changes are tactical. Whereas, our manager makes changes because he doesn't know which formation to play or which player is best within those formations - meaning his changes are because he is clueless?

Injury prone sounds to me like a player who is simply feigning their injuries in order to take time out. But, there's no doubting he messed his ankle up the other night and he's also done 2 x ACL's so he cannot be feigning those. Maybe he is simply unlucky when it comes to injuries? Either way, it's not good when you are 24 and only played 80 games. That stat in itself should be enough to deter potential buyers.

Turns out that Steve Bruce is a prophet after all. I just heard new weather forecast on the latest news bulletin and the forecaster said that storm Doris is about to land around 10am and that we should all batten down the hatches!

That Bristol City game is key for us as that will potentially give us an 7 point cushion over them. They're in complete free fall so losing that should be an instant dismissal type result for Bruce IMO. Wigan will be looking for points against Forest, Blackburn and Blues to drag themselves out of the bottom three. We simply have to take six points from the Bristol City and Rotherham games - nothing less will do.

I am not saying this is the answer mate but, I think that Bruce can bring what you say we are needing - stability. You - and many others - have said that we need stability but Bruce could go a long way to bringing about that himself by stop changing the system and the players that he's fielding. Imagine being a right back at the Villa for instance. One week the player to your immediate left is Elphick and the player directly in front of you is Adomah. Next game you have Chester to the left and Adomah in front. Next game it is Chester to the left and Bjarnason in front - the combinations are endless all around the pitch. Midfielders look for Kodjia as a central striker one game and next game he's out on the left wing. Bruce needs to find his formation, train to that formation and settle on his first eleven to fill those places. Just go with it, win or lose, for a few games and see if the players can gain some kind of confidence and belief in what they are doing.

There's one common trait amongst all the crap that's gone on in the last 10 years - our owners aren't based here and are not seen around the place on a day-to-day basis. I know that goes for some of the bigger clubs too but the fact they're so big enables them to get the better quality players who are hungry to win things. I'm not saying it's the reason for how bad we've been but it could be a factor in all this mess.

A group of grown men can't talk and sort out what the problems are - that's baffling. They need to sort themselves out and earn their overpaid wages!

Martin O'Neil, love or hate him, is the only manager of our last 10 years that I'd take back. At least he seemed able to motivate players and get them playing as a team. Maybe he'd take it on until the end of the season as that wouldn't affect his Ireland job?

I wouldn't be bothered in the slightest if they sack him soon. The last few weeks have shown him up as someone who seems absolutely clueless and, although I keep telling myself we won't go down because of the points difference, I am now wondering where the next win comes from? Kodjia, whether you love or hate him, is the closest thing to a goal we have. Last night he spent most of his time in the left back position. That's just mental. If you're not going to create anything for Hogan you might as well have a player up there who can do it all for himself, and Kodjia can do that. Taylor, on what I've seen so far, is in no way an improvement on Amavi. Same goes for Bjarnason when compared to Adomah and Johnstone when compared to any of our other 'keepers. After going in at half time a goal down and, with them losing Gayle to injury, we should have come out second half with a new look to us because we never looked like scoring in that first half. He should have changed it but, not only did he not change anything then, he waited until we were two goals down and way too late to make any difference to the game. It was almost like he didn't want to try to get the game back. I've got no doubts he will be gone and he can only blame himself for that. It's just a matter of time before Dr Tony sees enough. The question is; do we get a new manager in now - may help us back to safety, start getting the winning feeling back, which brings much needed confidence and, gives him chance to appraise the squad before summer arrives. Or, do we change in the summer?

Last night, before the game, they focused on Hogan and they displayed his career stats. I was shocked to see last night's game was just his 80th, at the age of 24. You'd have thought he'd have played at least 125-150 games at that age.

We've had no attacking game threat at all. They have a better midfield two than us and so we should switch to a 3-5-2 formation with Amavi replacing Taylor and Adomah replacing Hutton. That will make us more attacking and more of a goal threat. But, knowing Bruce, he'll probably wait til the 75th minute and replace Thor with Grealish before throwing on Bacuna for Jedinak on 80 followed by Green for Kodjia on 85.

None of us know the ins and outs of the wage to income values so we shouldn't panic until the accounts are announced where it should all become clearer. I feel sorry for Tony Xia because he seems like a genuine guy who wants our club to succeed but, there does seem like a lot of doubters out there - fans and critics alike - who seem to doubt him. I am willing to trust him until official statistics tell me not to.

After the way he went about his play last season I wouldn't even trust Richards to be a ball boy. I know Bruce is desperate to turn things around but after the failed experiment with Gabby I really think he would be hanging himself out to dry if he gives Richards another chance, especially after loaning out McCormack for not turning up to training.

I agree with not picking Hutton, Johnstone or Grealish but I'd persist with Amavi because he was outstanding first half against Norwich and looked a top quality left back. There's definitely a player in there and I think he's just feeling a bit unloved and unwanted maybe. I think he could turn his form around if he sorts his head out. Bunn, as much as I can't stand him and think he's shite, has to be recalled. Johnstone is saving nothing and knows he'll swanny off back to Manure in May so has no loyalty to us. Bunn is out of contract this summer so the idea of that might just prise a few decent performances out of him as it's a chance to put himself in the shop window. Hutton is just Hutton - gives his all but it is not good enough. Grealish isn't bringing anything decent to the team so needs dropping. Bruce needs to settle on his best available 11 and stick with them for a while. All this chopping and changing does our heads in, imagine what it does to the players.

I've got this terrible feeling that Bruce will sacrifice either Lansbury or Hourihane when Jedinak is fit. If he does it will be an insane move. I can't even believe I'm thinking he'll do it but the way he's chopped and changed the team recently, and considering the strange subs he had made, I can't help but think he'll do something strange when bringing back Jedinak.