brummie

i think you're nuts. No offence, but I really do. They'll get nothing like that. Having that sort of GD swing against you is awful, but keep it in perspective, Wigan are way behind, and have to get the points.

Shit the fucking bed. Shit the bed, then get out of it, make it, get back into it, and then shit the fucking bed again. I decided to totally detach myself from the world for two hours and just check at the end to see what had happened, and I can't believe it. About to watch the match now, I recorded it, but finally happy we're starting to get the results we've really deserved and not got for months now. There's an element of attacking because we can't defend about it, but that has really only made Lambert more popular amongst us. Long way to go yet, but winning alone is brilliant, to do so and massively change the GD is just truly immense for us.

Definitely good. Five games in fifteen days, with the FAC final in the middle of it, that's bound to take a toll on Wigan.

On the subject of relegation, I am sad to see Wolves in the state they are in, especially given their manager is one of my favourite ever Villa players. It scares the shit out of me when I think about relegation, and what can actually happen, when you just assume you'd bounce back up.

On the bright side, we seem to play much better away from home than we do at home. Norwich are turbo shit really, just decently organised because they have no attacking threat. Wouldn't be at all surprised if you beat them We will win there. I am sure of that. I think we'll win tomorrow night, too, but if i had to stake money one that one or the Norwich match as a win for us, I'd go Norwich.

It depends what side of Birmingham you are from. Villa - Albion is the original traditional hatred, as the teams go back longer than Blues do. However, these days, it is really about the north side of Brum, as there are both Villa and Albion fans living in the same areas there. I was brought up on the south side of the city, and as a result, never ever met an Albion fan, whereas I shared my living space with plenty of Blues fans, and they are the club I loathe. The midlands has some odd rivalries. Albion and Wolves hate each other, but there's next to no ill feeling between Wolves and Villa. Coventry absolutely loathe Villa, but Villa fans wil genuinely give as much of a shit about them as we do Northampton Town, ie none.

The man is brilliant. He's my role model.

Not too sure about that. WBA absolutely hate Villa, can't see them being too fired up for a victory here The fans do, the players won't give too much of a shit. Clark wants them to get their best points tally since whenever (about 300 years, I'd imagine).

On the bright side, we seem to play much better away from home than we do at home.

Did anyone else see C4's sports report on the news tonight, that utter wanker James Nesbitt in with the Man United fans, and have the strong, strong urge to throw the television to the floor and stamp on his smug, gurning fucking head?

It's horrible though, isn't it? This season and last (for us) have been awful. The Houllier one wasn't much fun, either. I didn't renew my ST this season, and have spent most of it actually *avoiding* our matches, it has been so terrifying. I'm behind what Lambert wants to do, and hope we dont do something daft and sack him if we go down, and the bloke has immense support from the fans still, but having said all that, I've watched most of our games this season through my fingers, it has been so stomach churningly terrifying to wawtch. I am not going tomorrow night, and won't be watching on the telly. I can't stand it any more. I'd spend the whole match shaking like a shitting puppy and wishing i still smoked so I could chain smoke. That stuff's not good for you, especially past 40.

Incidentally, Sunderland's revival is somewhat overstated. They won at your place, but really, you were so dreadful that day, I'd have backed South Shields Paper Boys XI to get at least a point. By all accounts Everton utterly terrible at their place, too. Di Canio has got them running more and chasing the ball down, but they're still a desperately poor side, and certainly not out of it yet.

I think you've been absolutely awful for months now, and I've been telling everyone who'll listen that. I also think you've picked up some pretty spawny points over that period, too. I genuinely can not believe how shit you've become this season, it is utterly bewildering, given how you were last season. After the january window, I thought there was no chance whatsoever that you'd be in trouble, but it's almost like you've decided to drop yourself in it. That old cliche about there sometimes being teams who just plummet towards the end of the season - that's what you look like. However .... You've got enough points on the board now to leave you with a pretty easy requirement from your remaining matches, one of which is against a poor, relegated side. I also think Wigan's time is up. Starting Saturday, they have 5 games in 15 days, one of which is the (distracting) FA Cup final, and none of which are "easy". I think they'll go. There wil be points gained which people don't expect. Two weeks ago, people were saying they couldn't see where Stoke would get another point this season, for example. It's definitely not politeness, I think you've been really poor for a long while now, and the football world seems not to have really noticed it, but you'll survive. A horrible season for all and sundry, mind.

If Villa do win then Sunderland will be bricking it again. Stoke with no pressure on them could be awkward and I reckon Southampton could take something off them. We will win tomorrow, no bother. We have been playing well of late. I know Man United took their foot off the gas somewhat, but I saw enough last Monday, even in comprehensive defeat, to not get downhearted about it. What's more, we'll also win at Norwich next week. Wigan, on the other hand, I think are fucked.

Have any of you had experience of buying tickets for your matches at Wigan, except in the home end? If so, I may need your advice. I suspect the weasel hand of Dave Whelan is behind this: http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~3158296,00.html

Mackem alert If that ever happened, I would have to demand a transfer to RTG.

I was shaking like a shitting puppy watching that match. City were wank, though.

He's 34 in a couple of months, so highly unlikely. I'd have thought that once through chemotherapy for a year, it'd be nigh on impossible to attain the level of fitness required to perform as a top flight footballer. There has been some talk of the club getting him involved in a coaching role, but I'd imagine his well-being is the only thing he's worried about at the moment. You think he'd make a good coach? Hard to tell really, is he doing or was doing badges? No idea. Not heard anything about badges, so assume not. Like I said, though, he's got more important stuff to worry about at the moment, so doubt any discussions have gone particularly far.

He's 34 in a couple of months, so highly unlikely. I'd have thought that once through chemotherapy for a year, it'd be nigh on impossible to attain the level of fitness required to perform as a top flight footballer. There has been some talk of the club getting him involved in a coaching role, but I'd imagine his well-being is the only thing he's worried about at the moment.

We've missed him this year. His first season and a half for us were poor as he hadn't adapted, but up until his illness, he was performing fantastically. He's exactly the sort of player we could use now, for the younger players to look up to.

Your not Kvillan are you? I am not.

Not as much as we will be. I fucking hate Wigan. Hopefully their Cup final exploits will massively distract them from league business.

I think there is a MON-esque situation developing at Newcastle. What I mean is, great swathes of the media (ie almost all of it) will be telling you what a great job Pardew has done for you, and is still doing, whilst you basically have to sit there, quietly fuming at the lack of insight this displays, and explaining to outsiders the mismatch between what the media would have you believe, and the truth as you see it, week in, week out.

<heard_it_ten_times_today>Three Welsh teams in the PL next year, then. Cardiff, Swansea and Gareth Bale </heard_it_ten_times_today>

Nah. Next home game is Sunderland, and there's no way we'd lose at home to a team that shit. *cheeky wink*