Villarocker

Great minds........ Grasshopper For me, War Pigs is the ultimate Sabbath tune and a very meaningful one at that. When you think of all the politricks that goes on in numerous governments today that song really still has appeal. In fact, it's a song that will probably be relevant for the rest of time! I think it makes for a great anthem for any sporting club.

Perhaps Changes would be a more appropriate Ozzy song? Lol. Joking apart, War Pigs would be better, with changed lyrics of course: Villans gathered in their masses, at Villa Park where all the class is. Our football minds plot domination, to be the best team in the nation. On the field the players are yearning, to be the best - our tide is turning. Another victory today, and we'll soon be on our way. Back to the top yeah....

Just out of interest, from an outsider's POV, do you think Amavi is too good to sell if the rumoured £25m offer is true?

Sell Gestede. Loan out Kozak, Hepburn-Murphy & Green (if possible). Loan in Rhodes, Jenkinson and a midfielder (if possible). Buy Hourihane, Josh Morris and a box to box midfielder - Lansbury? Then we might have a chance.

Sell Gestede. Loan out Kozak, Hepburn-Murphy & Green (if possible). Loan in Rhodes, Jenkinson and a midfielder (if possible). Buy Hourihane, Josh Morris and a box to box midfielder - Lansbury? Then we might have a chance.

Is that the Bangladeshi Premier League or Belarusian?

That's not true! A couple of times at least, Ayew tracked back and actually got him out of trouble.

From the off he was looking like a tired man. It seemed like every time he went to sprint he had to put his head down first. Maybe he's not 100% fit right now?

He kills every attack when he's involved. Rubbish player.

He seemed to not do much early on and Bruce was screaming at him to close down. McCormack continued to do that when he came on. Very frustrating player who scores goals but prevents us from scoring more with his lack of vision and selfishness.

I noticed tonight that two or three times he was instructing Kodjia to move more. I've a feeling that playing alongside Kodjia frustrates him because he has a football brain whereas Kodjia is very selfish.

Miserable as f*** and even more so frustrating. Plays the game with no urgency, just like Bacuna, and I'm done with him being here. I'd sell to any team offering close to what we paid for him.

Absolutely! Hutton wastes good position all the time because of no end product and Bacuna simply doesn't get into the good position. Both are well short of what we need.

Guys, I get where you both are coming from but, had either of you ever heard of Amavi before he joined us? I mean, heard of him in a way you thought to yourselves "yeah, he looks great and I would love him to join us for £8m" or whatever the fee was? There must be other left backs out there that we could pick up for less than £25m that could do a good job for us. Look how Southampton have coped with losing player after player. In the 2013/14 season they finished 8th. In the summer they lost Luke Shaw for much more than they paid for Bertrand in the left back position. They Lost Lovren and brought in Alderweireld. They lost Lambert and brought in Pelle. Lost Lallana and brought in Mane - all in 2014. At the end of the 14/15 season they finished 7th, a place higher than the season before and following the sales of their star players, and all for a massive profit. In 2015 they lost Clyne to Liverpool and replaced him for a third of the price. They lost others too, replaced them and, still went on to finish a place higher than the previous season - 6th and in European competition. They have showed time and again that you can lose a decent player and replace him with at least the same quality, if not better. Gareth Barry has been used on here as an example. We lost him and brought in Delph. OK, Delph didn't hit the ground running but he eventually became our best midfielder and ended up going to Man City at a time when Barry was being moved out. Just because other scouts value Amavi at £25m it doesn't mean that there aren't other players out there that we could get in to do a job for us. Man Utd spent over £20m on Luke Shaw but it doesn't mean that they couldn't get a better left back in at that time for less - Bertrand springs to mind? Just because a big named team wants a player it doesn't mean there aren't any equal or better out there. Seriously, I would not lose any sleep over losing Amavi. I think he is a good player but I think that we can at least get equal quality in to replace him, and for less than the £25m being mentioned.

I agree that it doesn't always work out that the replacement is as good as the one we let go but, that is more down to who we had bringing the replacements in and with what available money that was given to them. For instance, the Benteke money was given to Sherwood (that's debatable considering the rumours that people higher than him chose the players) to replace him with. Gestede wasn't the replacement we needed and everyone bar Sherwood knew that. We are in a different position now and won't need to sell to buy so we can re-invest the money wiser rather than having to use it to buy a whole new squad with. Amavi is a good player and a decent prospect for sure but he was far from faultless in the few appearances last season and this season he's been hit and miss too. He was excellent first half against Norwich but second half he played like he was a poor lookalike. I wouldn't accept anything under £15m for him but £25m, in my opinion, is too much to turn down for him.

For the record, at £25m, I'd bite their hands off. We can replace him easily with that amount of money and still have plenty spare to spend elsewhere. Now, I don't know who I'd replace him with but, people paid to do the scouting should!

Who offered the £25m for Amavi? That's insane on one hand but, with all the new TV money floating around it isn't so crazy. Tony Xia would surely have consulted Steve Bruce before rejecting such an offer. The masterplan is to get back into the Premier League ASAP. Tony must have asked Brucey if he thinks Amavi is his intended left back when we get back up, otherwise why not sell him?

Parenthood is absolutely awesome and I am jealous of all you guys expecting to be Fathers. Makes me want to go home and get the missus in the mood for another. I adore my son and being a Dad is without the best feeling I have ever experienced. Congratulations to all who are expecting and all who have babies!

Always thought that he could have achieved more than he did because he had a great soulful voice. Even though he acted like a showman, It seemed like he lacked confidence in his own ability, well, that's how it seemed to me anyway. I'm finding it freaky that the man who originally sang "Last Christmas" died on Christmas Day!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all May the beauty of Aston Villa Football Club rekindle joys of our illustrious and successful past and bring much happiness to the lives of its devotees.

I think it's a bit unfair to compare what Mclaren and Bruce have done since they've been in their current jobs. Mclaren has gone back to a club that he's very familiar and comfortable with, he has worked with some of the players previously at Derby so already knows what players are made of and where best to play them also, he probably signed some of those players. Finally, the bulk of the team was already in place last season so have a lot of experience of playing together. Bruce came in to unfamiliar surroundings, the players are not his signings and so he would have had to develop a knowledge of their best positions, he's yet to sign any of his players and, the players are by and large new to each other and haven't had that experience of playing together that Derby have. I think it is fair to assume that Mclaren had the easier of the two tasks

Reminds me of Only Fools And Horses where Trigger always called Rodney Dave. I love that show so thanks for rekindling some funny memories, Wizard_Of_Oz!

in terms of victories in that period of time, do we have the worst record of all 92 teams in our top four divisions? I mean, 3 wins in 21 years of Boxing Day games is terrible! Suffice to say, I'll be betting on a draw or Burton victory next Monday, at least if we win it will lessen the impact of losing my money.

As they say, if the cap fits......

That must have been some New year for me then if it last that long! lol. Apologies mate, I got my games wrong, obviously.