Peter Griffin

I am not so sure we will find that out too soon. So far SG has shown he can have a great run of results and a bad run of results. He has also shown us that he can play lovely football and that he can play fairly poor football. Sometime subs are good and sometime subs are bad. SG has done alright as manager, nothing more nothing less. But SG has something about him, he is a winner and he knows the game inside out. When we appointed SG, many people didn't want him due to his lack of experience at the top level. This was a very valid concern but CP appointed him due to his other attributes. SG is still a novice at PL management. I think he has only managed 20 games in total. He is still learning and he will likely improve. I think we need to give SG a couple of years as our manager to see the true manager that SG is, be that a good one or a bad one. As long as we are doing reasonably well and have no threat of relegation I hope CP gives him the time to make some mistakes and learn PL management and get comfortable in the job. We may then see a really good manager. If we don't then I would hope we would be in a better position than when he joined us

I would hope that the strategy is not just down to SG and that our Dir of Football has had an input too. However, I am not too worried about SG having a very significant input into the strategy. I like his views on football, he has the pedigree to know a good strategy and I am happy with this. He may not be the man that is able to deliver on the strategy and that would mean replacing him and getting someone in that can deliver it but the overall footballing ethos from Gerrard is something I like at Villa and I don't mind whether it is Gerrard or someone else that makes it happen

If the club has a clear and focused transfer strategy of players out and players / positions to fill which fit our footballing strategy then I don't think it will be a wasted year. Since NSWE bought us we haven't had a proper strategy with our players. In Smith's first transfer window we had no Centre backs. Then when got promoted we lost loads of players thru loans or retirement etc and were forced to get bums on seats. We are hopefully at a stage where we can buy players that match our footballing strategy. I think (hope) this is what CP us trying to do and having changed manager he knows he will have to take a hit on transfer fees

I agree with the bit that some/many players didn't fit the playing style. I suspect that during the interview process the current players were discussed and SG will have said that he will give everyone a chance but be prepared to get rid of <insert list of players names> in the next few transfer windows regardless of whether means taking a hit financially on not. AVFC is not at the stage of development where we simply get a new manager or buy one or two players and all will be fine. We need to reverse over a decade of decline and put in place the correct management, infrastructure, football management/coaches and playing staff. Management looks right, infrastructure is developing nicely, football management could be right (it could be wrong) but it is vital that the management support the football manager. The playing staff will be sorted when we have a clear footballing strategy and Dir of football and Team manager in place for a few seasons. Selling some players at a loss will be already budgeted for by CP.

I think I read somewhere it was 3%. I don't think the actual amount is too important, the important point is that CP has got skin in the game

Wow, I haven't been on here in a while and how things change. I can't believe people are seriously suggesting we will go down. I would love to find a bookies that held the same view and I would be a wealthy man come June.

It would be funny if we charged the Baggies a fee to send him there on loan for a season and then take him back after a stellar year in the Championship

After each goal we score they get possession for the restart so it may be difficult to keep it in the 90s, maybe the 80s is more realistic

I bet he would love to be his team mate. I understand why he went to City but I do believe his heart is at Villa

I don't agree it is going well for Villa, yes they are paying his wages but the benefit to Villa would be if he was playing games and increasing his value and making Everton wanting to sign him in the summer. With him just sitting on the bench his value is decreasing and it will be more difficult to get a transfer fee for him.

Has El Ghazi any minutes for Everton since they got him on loan. What a waste of money he has been for them.

I suspect everyone will be saying we bought our way there and we are just as bad as the rest of them. But hey, I don't give a **** what others think, I just can't wait to be dining at the top table. When the neutrals hate u it means u are successful. Bring on the hate

We are going to be one of those despicable scum in the not too distant future

Can I ask what u mean by the second question with regard to how do we feel about this season. I voted Very Optimistic as I think Villa has taken another step in the right direction towards the top. Some exciting new signings, a new manager, youth coming through and all the behind the scenes stuff: stadium, youth setup, financials etc seem to be ticking all the boxes. I am really excited that we are laying wonderful foundations for next season and beyond. But the majority are voting 'Average' for how they feel about this season. Should I be voting on where I think we should finish (which is between 8th and 10th) which is average or maybe optimistic or should I be voting on how I feel about AVFC this season which is very optimistic as I think we are doing just about everything right

My misses says fascinating how it flexes but just can't seem to get any structural integrity

Yeah, I agree, different positions need to be treated somewhat differently and absolutely agree about Kesler coming through, that is the ideal.

Add the Baggies to that too. They have even carried the philosophy through to the management teams and have Bruce and Brucie bonus Alex Bruce

I disagree and lots of clubs have 2 players of similar quality for positions. My post says to have two players of close to equal ability and not two players that are elite players. The is the only way possible to get competition for places. Anything else is just a backup player

I am not suggesting he is but the gulf in class between him and Targett make Targett a backup LB and not genuine competition for the LB position

By getting 2 players of close to equal quality for each position and then we will have competition. Having 2 players that have a big gulf in class in their respective abilities is not having competition for places as one will simply be backup

It is confirmed that Trippier has a broken bone in his foot. That will hurt the Toon

I agree, it is one last chance for some players to prove they can up their performance levels consistently and be worthy of a place int he team. I think SG will be ruthless with some

Its funny that prematch the discourse is that we will get a bad result due to our dodgy defence. Yet post match, the discourse is that we should not be looking to change our defenders and we couldn't get better than Mings and so much effort is put into trying to find some way of absolving him accountability. I have no idea what to expect today. Toon is not a good side, we should be going out for a comfortable win. But the result is going to be determined by our defenders and whether the PL defenders turn up or the League 1 defenders turn up.

It doesn't help Emi when our defence play badly and make silly errors.

Loving Villa and what we are doing and wanting to see us doing better are not mutually exclusive