The Fish

17/18 Lower half of the table, but safe. 18/19 Top half & a cup 19/20 European campaign has us struggling so lower half but safe. 20/21 Top half

I'm trying to explain it...

Fuck.

That link comes up as an error. Is it the bit about Sissoko's fee?

... I don't get it.

Aye, I heard that and was a bit baffled. Shelvey has been integral to the best team in the division, has scored and assisted, and is technically superior to Mooy. I'd say Conor Hourihane is better than Mooy too.

What have ITV got left? The internationals, but do they have any Cup rights yet?

Holy shit... Have we found him? Do you ply your trade alongside the apocryphal "Mag at Work"?

​Having a Brighton wobble.

Behave, I just wasn't going to tempt fate by declaring the league was over with over 30 minutes of the game left to go. Predicted before a ball was kicked we'd win the league and haven't waivered from that since. Huddersfield dominated possession and shots, but didn't dominate shots on target or, most importantly, goals. I can't think of an obvious chance that Huddersfield had, the saves Darlow made weren't spectacular and were mostly from potshots. So while they had the ball loads, they didn't create much if anything with it. High marks indeed for a well disciplined, well organised, well martialled defence that followed through on a well thought out plan. A plan that included sacrificing attacking intent fully aware that if we stretched the game, Huddersfield's movement and high-press would undo us. A plan that included getting the ball back into their half quickly, which is why Clark and Lascelles went Route 1 and didn't calmly knock it about at the back. High marks for an attacking display that got 3 goals at the 3rd best home defence in the league. Murphy lead the line well, Atsu and Ritchie were more focussed on providing defensive support and denying Huddersfield space, and they did that very well. We don't always need to dominate teams to win. Understand playing Anita, Yedlin will be tiring and Anita is more defensively minded. Diame wasn't great going forward but was busy defensively. Most on the pitch for successful tackles (8/10), and blocks (4). The wide men that Anita and Dummett were tasked with stopping produced no assists and scored no goals. See above. It was. Think you're being harsh on Huddersfield, they're a very good Championship side with a young promising manager. They were undone by a poor Premier League side with an exceptional manager. If they get promoted they'll cause a few of the weaker Premier League sides problems with their energy and movement, but they need to add quality up front. A mobile, pest of a striker would have caused us plenty of problems yesterday. It doesn't take a tactical genius to work out how to beat Huddersfield, but it takes a top coach to drill it into average players, and to give them the confidence in the plan, and in each other. Mind, I'm always nervous when that's the game plan as it only takes an early goal the other way to tear that strategy up. Had Huddersfield got an early soft pen, would we have kept with the plan or pushed out more?

I am what I am.

You're one of those monsters that spell it alright, aren't you?

That's about 5 higher than I was expecting from you.

Not criticising him, he's been all right and done what we've asked. That said, he's fluffed a few good chances and is a pretty stationary targetman which likely wouldn't have worked out well against Brighton's two monoliths.

Don't you bloody dare... Trying to get credit for Fishtradamus' predictions!

My bed is positively arid.

This totally happened in real life.

To be honest, after the Brighton game I'd be confident of all three points from anyone aside from Huddersfield (or a team in their form at least). But we're without Gayle, we're still playing Jack fucking Colback and we're still making daft mistakes at the back. Huddersfield are in great form, they're set up in a way that could undo Benitez's available options. Huddersfield have; lots of movement, lots of pressure on the ball, lots of possession. I'd be more confident if Mitrovic and Murphy looked assured up front, but they don't.

What's with the 5+? it's 4+! Are you trying​ to ruin my spreadsheet?

Hence our frankly offensive GD. Even when we do lose a league game, we're rarely spanked. In fact, we've only lost by more than 1 goal once, against Wolves.

One thing I don't get is their claim that the only reason they don't have comparable attendances to us is that we're a one club city. Villa have a huge catchment area (Birmingham Metropolitan area population = c3.7m ) from which they can claim a core Aston Villa fan base? Even if you permit that Birmingham City, West Brom, Walsall and Wolves eat into the available population, those clubs aren't exactly flooding their stadiums either. It's not competition that's keeping people from Villa Park, it's a lack of interest.

8)

I want Rafa as DoF and me as Head Coach.