Villarocker

Why has Richards not been fit at any point since Bruce arrived? This definitely smells like Bruce is desperate. But, desperate for what? The defence is fine when there's cover in front of them. Bree is fine and, if out injured, we have better options at right back in Hutton and Bacuna - both of whom aren't great but are better than Richards. Where else would/could he play Richards? It's insane to consider ever playing him because he's a complete waste of space.

He needs players playing regularly together all around the pitch. He needs to drop Grealish because he's not bringing enough quality to the team. Hutton needs dropping too because he offers very little in terms of quality and should be back-up option only. He also needs to stop chopping and changing formation. Go 3-5-2 with Jedinak in the side (back 3 of Baker, Chester and Elphick. Amavi and Bree at wing back. Jedinak sitting in front of the back 3 with Hourihane and Lansbury ahead of him. Kodjia and Hogan up front) and 4-5-1 when Jedinak is out injured (back four of Amavi, Baker, Chester, Bree. Kodjia and Adomah on the wings with a middle of Hourihane, Lansbury with Thor playing behind Hogan up front). Keep to those formations/players and only change players with like-for-like replacements due to injury or suspension. Just see how it goes for 5 or 6 games and maybe some stability can be gained and we can move on from there.

That pass accuracy of 74% for RDM is totally misleading. Westwood's 5 yard sideward passes to Gardner accounted for at least 70% of that stat!

We have had the same problem throughout our slump - no midfield cover for our defence. This all started when Petrov became ill and we lost that player who could naturally sit in front of the back four and give them some protection. Delph was deployed here, there and everywhere until he eventually settled down in midfield and gave the back four some protection and actually turned out to be good. It's no coincidence we've lost so many games without Jedinak, despite the fact I actually think he could do better than he has. It was obvious he isn't fit before the January window opened and Bruce should have addressed that situation and brought in cover and not try to put a square peg in a round hole by playing an attacking midfielder in a defensive midfield position.

That scumbag Lerner was more interested in having loads of sales staff than having scouts for potential player recruitment. I believe (hope) that Bruce has better people around and above him to make the right footballing decisions for the club. If so, that would make it even more puzzling why he can't get the job done better.

I agree with you as long as the movement is upwards and not downwards!

That's not Brummie dude, that's yam yam! Maybe you're living too close to the Newton Road side of Great Barr?

How £77m? Surely it was more like £60m?

Loan him out to get game time somewhere else because he's doing nothing for us when given a chance.

Last night, I listened to the commentary on local radio. Tony Morley was asked how we can put things right and the only thing he could think of was for Bruce to pick a formation, select the best players for each position within that formation and then to persist with it for 5 or 6 games to see if things can settle down. I totally agree with him and think it is Bruce's best chance of saving his job. Bruce himself said that he thought about 3-5-2 for a while and it seemed like he bought players to fit that formation but, seemingly for fear of it not working and us sliding down the table, he gave up early on it. I actually think he should persist with it and play this line-up for the next 5 or 6 games to see if stability can be found: ------------------------------Bunn--------------------------- ----------Elphick---------Chester---------Baker--------- ----------------------------Jedinak ------------------------- Adomah-----Lansbury-------Hourihane-------Amavi -------------------Hogan----------Kodjia------------------- If Jedinak is injured I would move Lansbury or Hourihane back, replace them with Adomah and play Bacuna at right wing back.

Is that "otherwise there will be a major rant from me"? If so, can we not just get the rant from you now, out of the way? I mean, it's clear you no longer want Bruce here so maybe you could share with us your thoughts regarding who we should replace him with and, if you think there's any way back for Bruce?

Forget Dean Smith. Just because he masterminded our defeat it doesn't make him a good manager. Brentford are only one point above us. Rowett could be good but I'm not convinced by him and wouldn't want to take the chance. Look at our league now and there are a couple of managers who really stand out. Gary Monk and David Wagner. Monk never impressed me when he was at Swansea and although he's doing great at Leeds I am still not totally convinced by him. Wagner has done wonders for Huddersfield. They are 5 points away from Champions material. Imagine that, Huddersfield a Premier League club! That's Eddie Howe sized achievement. I'd take a gamble on Wagner and hope he can have the same impact here.

The run of results suggests that we should part company. Apart from really bizarre substitutions, constant changes in formation and, poor team selection, he failed to get a player in to fill the most important part of that team and that's someone to sit in front of the back four. I liked Jedinak before he came to Villa but haven't been impressed with his overall performances during his time here. However, there's no denying that our back four look more solid with that cover in front of them. Since he's been out we've struggled badly to nullify threats of opposing teams and Chester has lost the plot as a result of it. Bruce was aware of Jedinak's fitness during January and should have ensured that cover was brought in. Lansbury is not the answer and by playing him so deep we're costing ourselves a player who could do a lot of damage at the other end of the pitch. Bruce will pay with his job for not bringing in another defensive midfielder in January.

More like that Welsh/Spaniard goalie - Di Arrea

I think we will lose the next game, draw at home to Derby then lost at Rotherham and that's his last game.

How can a club spend circa £50m on three of the best strikers for this level and be second lowest scorers in the league. It's got to have something to do with the way we're set up and being coached.

Is Prandelli the guy who supports Villa? If so, maybe he would be interested. I like what Simon Grayson's doing at Preston. He's been taken two of our youth players and made them into good players at this level. He's right up there in terms of overachieving with that group of players. What about Karanka? Surely wouldn't take much to get him away from Boro as he seems to hate the owners there.

Tony, you might as well start loading your gun mate because you're going to be firing a few people soon.

I think that we will be in deep brown stuff if we lose the next three or take just one point. If that happens, I can see our guys go right into their shells for the relegation battles against Bristol City and Rotherham and that would leave us extremely vulnerable. For me, it is vital that we beat Barnsley tonight and get some much needed confidence back.

I thought that too and a couple of years later it turned out to be a very good decision!

No need to Mrs BOF, Pieface has already said that he won't be pestering you next season

Keep the faith guys, tonight's the night we're gonna turn this ship around start our rise back to the top (I am sure the above was musically influenced)

Brucey's gonna click tonight and get it right - Villa to win 7-0. I am so confident of this I am going to put 50p on it at 100/1 EDIT: I got 300/1 on Betflair

Anyone else think that Lansbury would be well suited to playing in the hole behind Hogan, with Kodjia out wide left and Adomah wide right? Jedinak can do the defensive cover role with Hourihane being the fetching and carrying midfielder.

I was thinking of a 442. But, if it's to be back to a 433 you're right. I just hope it includes Jedinak in front of the back four or we're back to square one.