GrahamTaylor5

One thing this thread has proved, is that I have learnt from the Guéhi thread and now submit sensible votes. 27 votes to 1 is what I would have hoped would be the split. It is comforting after seeing the title and seeing 6 pages. Maybe this is another learning moment and we should learn when to engage? I notice, on Twitter, that there are some Villa fans (I think similar to our 'fans') calling out Unai Emery, the mind boggles.

I just typed this in my family WhatsApp group and my mother is now asking me why she has looked at falconry. I don't know why but it has really made me laugh.

The money spent has to factor in starting places as well. We will have had to pay over the odds for many targets because we needed them desperately rather than the fact people saw we had Saudi money. We will never know the players that we didn't get because of this. We have went from nailed on relegation to a really good season to some very average performances. It is difficult to make comparisons when we do not produce player with the quality that other teams manage. It is sad to see that we have a thread on this on this forum. I don't think Howe is perfect but Villa were seen as a very similar position as us, they have had similar investment (Not looked into it so probably going to be shot down) and they are performing at a similar standard to us. I understand frustrations but we are roughly where you would expect us to be.

Look at the history and we would say it has worked. Bruno didn't get in ahead of Shevley as he wasn't ready. Hall didn't get in ahead of Burn. I think there will be a time and I think his decisions have worked out well on the whole.

I just don't get it

For Longstaff?

Bruno Tino Gordon BDB Hall Tonali Botman He has been a joke of a manager I 100% agree with you.

What did you think of Barnes performance? I would have preferred Barnes over Murphy if it had been needed based on overall ability and overall performances for us from each player. I really like Barnes but, based on that one game, I don't think he did anything in the West Ham game that would make me want to see him start for us.

Not sure that I was watching the same game. It was a night that just didn't go for us and felt it never would. So may passes that 75% just make it through ended up getting deflections off West Ham players. On the other hand the few chances West Ham got, went their way. It really wasn't that bad a night (after their second, the changes blunted us and we seemed like creating zero). I still think we had a pen. I just don't get VAR, no conspiracy that they are against us, or pro top 6 (ratios does seem otherwise) it just seems inept. Longstaff was not our worst starting player. Gordon is great but tried to make about 5 pointless Shelvey style passes before he was subbed. On another night Isak would have scored at least 2 of the chances he got. Murphy was nowhere near the worst sub (Barnes for me). I really like Barnes but he seemed to be trying to prove that Willock didn't do that bad a job before he was taken off. I also think Tino seemed to lack instinct when he was attacking. It was not horrible. Fine margins, going against us and for West Ham, happens more often in football than just our games.

Spot on.

It is painful as we were the better team for a good spell. It feels if we were to score 4 goals, they would score 5.

You couldn't write it, unless you were a Sky commentator.

Can someone explain why there is less time added on in the first half of a match? There was a goal and Willock was down for ages. You can guarantee now there will be 7 minutes in the second half and it is not even half time.

Flummoxed.

Am I getting something wrong here or do his stats not look all that great? Not horrible, just not impressive either.