dn1982

6 hours ago, GeordieVillan said:

The more I look at it, the more I think we are still in it. We are currently 10 points from safety and arguably of the bottom 6 we have the "best" fixtures in the next 3 games. If we can get back to within 6 points from safety in the next 6 games, then we will only be 2 wins from safety with 10 games to play. Then we only need one good week to be within 3 points from safety. If we can be within 3 points of safety going into the the last 6 games, then we are right in the mix. 

Its all about momentum now. The teams around us are all picking up points here and there which is obviously making it more difficult, but in the last 6 games we have been doing the same (even though we've only won one), so they are probably saying the same about us. If we can put even just 2 back-to-back wins together, the teams above us will start to get nervous.

Saturday is massive - if we win that, then people will start to seriously think we can put a run together. If we lose, then I don't see us getting a result at West Ham, and we could end up being at least 12 points from safety before we play Norwich.

Every game between now and the end of the season is huge. It feels different to previous years as although we've been in the relegation mix, we've never been so far behind, and we've never been under this pressure so early in the season. Its normally in the last 5-10 games that we start to feel the pressure and every game seems to carry added weight.

Cracking post. If we can get 7 pts from the next 3 it'll be a massive boost. Albion are struggling with injury and a win there could be exactly the boost we need. We need to be within touching distance by Easter. I'll always keep the faith until it's mathematically impossible. We are actually playing well now but not getting the points we deserve something that was labelled at Leicester this time last year. If we go we go down fighting unlike a few on here who gave up months ago!! 

Can anyone clarify how many domestic and international loans we can have? Remy and Debuchy on loan added to Kalinic on a perm would be a great start. Would that be our domestic ones done? What's the rules for foreign ones? It seems we are creating a lot of room in the 25!! 

West Ham linked with Sturridge. I know he's hardly fit but if Klopp doesn't like his attitude maybe the pull of his boyhood club and best mate being here could tempt him. Even if he was fit for half the games he'd end up our top scorer!! 

8 minutes ago, mykeyb said:

It doesnt have to be two big men which is why I said 2 of the 3.

The Watford game we scored 2 goals and one of those was from Richards (CD) with Ayew scoring in the 89th minute, not sure of the number of shots on target though.

I'm not sure if you went to the game but we created loads but we haven't a Benteke to score which is a major problem. 

Gestede is crap. The strikers we have aren't suited to the style Garde wants that's why he's looking to get players in. Kozak is our best option as he has a high work rate but not the pace to be truly effective. Ayew IMO is class. He can play wide either side and in a front 2 we just need to get him someone to play with. One of biggest mistakes in the summer was buying a striker who needs crosses and not buying someone to cross to him!! Garde is giving players chances to show they're buying into his style of they don't he'll have them out. Regardless of what division we need to keep him and his squad together. 

Any idea on how many passes where involved in the Gana goal? I'm sure it was a load yet it's not been picked up on as its us!! 

Is there any highlights of the whole passing move for the 2nd goal? I'm sure there was loads of passes before the final move. 

The players were booed off at half time. I didn't hear any boos at them coming back on and Guzan was booed for putting Clark underpressure with a stupid pass which added to his first half shakiness probably was enough for some. Gana's introduction at half time got the tempo up and it was a lot better 2nd half which once Gil came on for Grealish turned into a decent last half hour. Garde is still finding out about some and having Sanchez in CM slows the tempo too much for the way he wants to play. You could tell some where still low on confidence but we won and if we add 2/3 to the team we may close the gap enough by Easter to have a final crack at it!! You never know I'll live in hope. 

I doubt Crespo leaving would've had any effect on Debuchy coming seeing as the amount of minutes he's played!! I hope we sign Debuchy but play Richards there till we do. That'll free Bacuna to play right side move Veretout left and drop Westwood. Last night showed Gestede isn't mobile enough for us so we desperately need a striker with a high work rate. I'd try for Shane Long on loan aswell as the foreign options knocking about. Add that to Kalinic and it'd be a decent window. 

The press are so anti villa at the minute it Unbelieveable. A simple constructive statement gets turned around as he skates the player. Garde even says he played in the hour that the whole team was crap and he'd just come back from injury!! Don't get me wrong I was dissapointed in him last night but he's a kid who came in firing and is now having a slump. I don't think it helps playing him as a 10 especially with a 9 who doesn't do any runs. If we got a few in I'd loan him to a championship side and get him to play LW to build him up as realistically we will be there next year. 

Kozak is the best big CF we have at the club at the minute. His work rate is very good and he seems to come alive around the box which from what I've seen so far is the complete opposite of Gestede. To have any chance of getting anywhere near survival we will need a better CF but until then he should be first choice. 

He has got worse year on year.  His kicks only just reach the half way line which immediately puts us under pressure especially being a small side. Look at the Leicester goal for how a good long kick can be effective. He is still a good shot stopper but he is getting less commanding in his box which maybe confidence and his overall demeanour spreads insecurity to the back line. It'd be best for all involve for him to get out and try to get his confidence back. MLS here he comes. 

5 hours ago, HanoiVillan said:

Except for that time we beat Stoke 3-1 and Lowton scored a wondergoal you mean?

Which kick started our run to stay up aswell!!! 

We seem to finally be putting up a fight. If we play like we did against Leicester every game it may not be enough but we will give ourselves a lot better chance of staying up obviously but more importantly we as a fan base will start to unite behind the team. A few weeks ago I couldn't see us staying up which hasn't really changed but what has is the belief we will come straight back up. I still have a small belief we can pull off a miracle and 7 pts from the next 3 would be immense.  All I want is for us to fight for everything and hopefully we may get some much needed luck on the way!! 

To those who say he parries a lot are you basing that on that YouTube video alone? As normally montages show the flashier bits not the boring easy saves. Also any parties he did do went away from the danger area. He must be crap at coming for crosses as there wasn't any of those on there I think or maybe that's too boring for a montage. 

20 minutes ago, Dr_Pangloss said:

It's not really a question of luck, it's ineptitude. We weren't unlucky against Watford, we deserved to lose based on our defending as a team. 

I never said we were unlucky. You stated that we don't look like winning and i pointed out that we should've beat Watford I even said it was our bad defending that cost us!! My original post said we need to get lucky. 

1 minute ago, Dr_Pangloss said:

According to some on here that's unreasonable to expect, however it's the only way.

Personally I think we're toast, I'd be surprised if we got more than 23 points this season, we are so far off the pace, and we do not ever look like winning a game. 

We should've beat Watford and created loads it was just awful defending that let them in but a lot of that is down to confidence. A confident average player can play good we have unconfident ones and they are prone to an error. If you look at the amount of points given away by mistakes we'd be out the bottom 3. 

To stay up we need to start getting the luck some of our rivals are getting. Some will say we are being lucky and will point to De Jongs miss but for me misses happen luck is getting a dodgy referees decision, an own goal an iffy penalty a mistake by a player that leads to a goal a dereliction past the keeper even something like Norwichs 2nd goal yesterday a badly miss hit toe poke which left De Gea stranded. Bornemouths winner at Chelsea was borderline offside which normally at those sort of places would be given it wasn't and they win then get confidence and go on a run. Hopefully yesterday's point will give us belief to go and beat West Ham then go on a little run to do that we will need some luck on the way. 

So links to Byram Toulalan Naismith tonight added to Cole Depoitre and numerous keepers. I think all would get in our team. Get it done early as every game counts. 

2 hours ago, briny_ear said:

 

Sorry to keep banging on about this, but it''s not "10 points off safety" - it's "10 points we have to catch up on our relegation rivals and have any chance at all of competing". Even catching up 10 points on our rivals would be a minor miracle.

Would you feel better if we started saying we are 33 pts off of safety as that'll get us to 40 which is seen as the safety figure? 

We aren't at the stage where we need other results to go our way as if we don't start winning it doesn't matter what the others do.  It's up to us to get points on the board. We do that and the gap will soon come down. The last month has shown that it's a crazy season with mad results turning up weekly. Let's get involved in that.  

5 hours ago, jackbauer24 said:

Agree 100% with him on both N'Zogbia and Gabby. Also think he's got a very strong point with his view on Traore. But it always sits uncomfortably with me when any manager of any team shares this in public, it should be kept in house. Just screams of divisions, fractured relationships and an unhappy squad.

Back every single one of them in public, then be honest with them at BMH. I always think clubs that share this kind of information and feelings with the press are in an even bigger mess than we think - and when that comes to Villa it must be bad!

Gabby and Nzogbia are lost causes so nothing can be said in public that's detrimental. As for Traore you miss out the fact he actually gives him a lot of credit but he highlights what we all know. He is young and raw and needs to work harder without the ball. It's nothing new and I guarantee it's the reason we have had the chance to sign him. The press and a lot of supporters want Traore to start Gard has given the reason why so there's no doubt in anyone's mind. How would you want him to answer the question? 

4 hours ago, maqroll said:

I think we need a bit of luck to kickstart the revival. A fluke win on a fluke goal, anything to get some momentum going. If Swansea, Sunderland, Norwich and even Chelsea continue to struggle, then there is still light ahead, an opening...it's possible to do this. Cue The Great Escape song...

We haven't had any luck this season but to be fair we haven't deserved any. Sunderland and Bournemouth both upped their work rate and started getting lucky! I do think if this team had confidence we'd be fine but that's the problem we haven't and don't look like getting any. 

The mismanagement of our squad is staggering. I actually think most of the signings have shown promise but a few things have been handled awfully. Guzan and Hutton were dropped and deemed not good enough last year yet became good enough over the summer to regain their place! We actually signed a decent LB but then kept the worst of the 2 rearming LB's. We sign Gestede who needs crosses but don't actually sign any wingers to cross to him. We needed another midfielder and never got one. All these things have contributed to this mess. The next 4 games will decide who we sign in Jan hopefully we can get enough points so that the board don't throw in the towel. 

We need a RB LB CM and a goalscorer and some how we need to get the thing you can't buy. Desire. 

9 hours ago, mikeyp102 said:

Why would he leave a championship club only to be in the same situation in a few months times? 

The 2 clubs don't compare. Even if we were in the same league next season we are probably the biggest club that'd be in for him. We may have to pay him big wages but when the payout is £100m+ we need to gamble. Something that should've happened in the summer.