STM

Howe has pulled a masterstroke first half, from a tactical perspective.

I don't think the front 3 look right mind. Stick Murphy down the middle and Gordon left, Miggy right.

They were shite man. They didn't have "chances".

Wow

It's not the goal, man. It's the performance. It looks like us. We've turned a corner, whatever happens with the result. We've also got Miggy AND Livramento on the bench AND Wilson and Barnes coming back.

I'm massively encouraged by this. Villa are a good side and right now we look pretty decent. A good performance will breath life.

Right? Weird how you can see a difference in a couple of minutes.

It's a different world we live in man. You live in some fantasy pseudo football manager would where everything is dramatic, full of conflict and conspiracy. Our club is finally as I want it... TRYING... and perhaps to my own fault, people like you spoil it for me.

You believe everything you read.... except when it's positive. Of course I ignored you, you talk a load of shite.

It does seem astonishing that we don't seem willing sellers.... when we don't want to sell. And that we don't seem convincing buyers, when we have fuck all money to spend. Fuck sake it's not rocket science. We are skint, our options were limited, we decided to stick rather than twist... I back them.

Why doesn't it suprise me that you have some negative spin/conspiracy. Honestly it's so tiresome.

Yes but football doesn't work in such simple terms. Eddie wants a group that's bonded together and would probably have preferred sorting something longer term, like a loan with option. Man City wanted quite alot just for the loan. I like him as a player but I'm pleased we had our heads switched on.

Fuck me, you can't be complaining about the draw man.

Something that's really important to me is that the managers post game message fits with what I saw. After years of Bruce, Pardew and Souness doing everything from lying, blaming fans, blaming players... its so nice seeing a manager be honest about a performance. He knows we aren't playing well. It's going to take a bit of time for confidence to regrow.

Yeah, that wasn't really what I was saying. Let's hope for Maidstone and be done with it.

IF we sell someone, we will absolutely be trying to sign someone. I don't see a scenario where we sell a player and dont sign someone. That would be weakening our squad, during an injury crisis, and I've seen nothing from our owners to suggest that they would ever consider doing that. The only justification, would be a potential summer rebuild, where we went a signed 6/7 players and therefore the FFP benefit for selling Miggy would be worth it.

I know it won't happen, and I love that Eddie is resolved in his tactics but just to change formation once and get an opposition thinking would be kinda nice. I had something like this in mind: Dubravka Schar Botman Burn Trippier Livramento Bruno Longstaff Murphy Gordon Isak Or even Miley in for Murphy and play Gordon and Isak upfront. It doesn't pay to be predictable.

My prediction is a better performance than Fulham but a worse result.

Priority 1: Home game. Priority 2: Not Man City, Liverpool, Villa, Chelsea or Man United. I'd also like to avoid Leicester/Southampton away. More than anything, I just want to have a fuss free home game. Where we could perhaps play Krafth, Livramento, maybe even a return for Barnes, Willock etc.

Could it be.... that his appearance would trigger a permanent deal, and when that happens we have to give Chelsea a payment? The last thing we want is more FFP burden during January, just a thought. Perhaps when February arrives, the situation changes and the deal can be ratified sooner, then he gets more games.

Yet both are kind of true.

He's class but he's 17 and this isn't an ideal scenario anymore. In a normal world he gets pulled out of the starting 11 and plays a few cameos, which would aide his development.

Bet ya that it was Luke Edwards.

When is draw? Also what time is the ball warming ceremony? We absolutely DESERVE a reasonable home draw.

Here I'm as positive as the next guy but we've been terrible. Couldn't string a pass together.