brummie

We do not have a top six squad, but nor do we have a bottom six squad. Any manager with a modicum of talent and attention would get this squad performing better. I know you've improved yours, but look at the difference a progressive manager has made.

Yeah, he's gone full Bruce. The club had built a head of steam the last few years, since Smith took over and we did the ten wins in a row thing, there has been a much better club-fans connection, but Gerrard has pissed it all away. Apparently, Purslow had to convince Edens and Sawiris to employ Gerrard. Neither of those two - especially Edens who has other sports interests - tolerate failure gladly. I'm betting on a sacking at the weekend. It is quite clearly over, the away fans have turned on him - always the sign of end game - he's basically a football Liz Truss right now. I can't wait to see him go, he's fucking toxic.

Other than Luiz trying to score directly from corners, no. It really does smell of 'gee the lads up and send them out there', which is amazing if so as he has a huge coaching team. I actually don't think it is that, I think he's just wound up some players pointlessly (Mings, who is a big presence at the club), chosen a few who are utterly undroppable (McGinn, who has had about 2 good games EVER in the top flight), and then banished some more (Sanson, who had a good pre-season and looks very useful, Guilbert). The result is a clearly unhappy dressing room. Last night, Gerrard was straight down the tunnel, and of the players, Mings came right over to the away fans and talked with them. Gerrard will never understand people to the degree Mings does. His after match interviews are absolutely awful, last night's a great example "I need certain players to step forward and create the chances". No, we need YOU to fucking coach them to do that, you're the manager. Absolutely a dead man walking.

He's basically Paul Lambert with better players.

Ha, true, but I meant in terms of being young managers, rather than a true fucking relic like Bruce

worth remembering, Howe has way more experience than Gerrard, and it shows.

Emi Martinez was on Ben Foster’s podcast last year, before Beale left, and said he did (and ran) all the training, and described him as having an ‘unbelievable’ knowledge on football/ training etc

I think he's already had that stay. Ultimately, it will be Sawiris and Edens who make the decision. Edens with his NBA team has a back story of not fucking about with coaches.

Honestly, saying in his post match he 'needs certain players to step forward and create something'. No, Steven, that's your fucking job to make that happen through training. Unbelievable. What a cunt. I supported him but the way he has reacted when under real pressure is absolutely shameful. Horrible person.

Gerrard is finished. Away support turned on him last night. Always the sign of the end for managers with us (and prob most other clubs). Terrible football, no shape going forward, inexplicable line-up choices, and - and this has got way worse the last few weeks - being an absolute cunt, throwing players under the bus constantly. The players clearly are not playing for him, either. In a year he has not improved a single player, not one. A matter of time, wouldn't be at all surprised if it was today.

Ha ha, he definitely went for 'Quing' realising the mistake almost in time.

Atmosphere comparison - Man City game to Rangers game, remarkable.

I understand why he went there, but it's depressing to see the flair squeezed out of him after a move to the money team. A bit like getting Otis Redding to play in your rhythm section.

Man of the match for us yesterday, put in a great performance.

Ask any Villa fan and they’ll tell you he needs to leave McGinn on the bench from the off. Awful for ages.

Looks like a persistent beggar.

Can't believe Sky let Gary Cotterrill on air with teeth like those.

Arsenal are fucking nuts. I don't get Luiz at all. He really hasn't shown a great deal with us, and if it weren't for the fact it is deadline day, I would happily move him on.

Yeah but we weren't exactly brilliant when he was still here, either.

The bloke is fucking toast already. It's only a matter of time. Doing all the old Bruce stuff already - blaming the players, picking fights with some of them, insane stubborn decisions, no evidence of any coaching. He is finished.

One point of promise - we tried to sign Bissouma in the summer, we also tried to sign Bentancur in the last January window, and we did sign Kamara, the belief being we were after two DMs. That suggests he might have been thinking of playing a double pivot, which would make MUCH more sense, so let's see who else we get in this window. And that ^^^ is basically why the suggestion of signing Sarr was so stupidly bat shit.

I understand that. TBH when he joined the appointment was largely considered as stupid, and, like fans of pretty much every other club except Liverpool, most of us had thought of Gerrard as a wanker as a player, so he was starting from a tricky position. I don't like him, I thought it was a stupid appointment, but am prepared to give him a chance. It's hardly disaster territory, the window is still open, he can turn this around quite easily - but if he acts charlie big bollocks and goes down the stubborn route then he's not going to be getting very long to do so.

At very least top half of the table or top 8. Benitez blamed Purslow for him leaving Liverpool. It'd also be interesting to see Digne reacting to Rafa walking through the door ;-) The owners have thrown tons of money in so far, have been excellent. Gerrard is definitely Purslow's choice and the fans aren't stupid, that's a generally held view down here. Purslow said in his interview he blew him, Edens and Sawiris (owners) away and gave a brilliant presentation etc etc but it's hard to shift the idea the appointment might be about getting his mate in.

Zaha - who remains an absolute wanker, mind - was very very good on Saturday.

Given that Purslow is our CEO, I think I have more of a chance of getting the Villa job than Rafa ;-) The other thing I didn't mention, there's been a few signs of throwing players under the bus, which is not going down well with the fans. He can turn this around, though, he just needs to do it soon. Oh, and I also just read that the proposed Sarr deal involved Cameron Archer, who is unbelievably promising, going there on loan. He'd just made a big song and dance about how he's staying here for the season, but to now have considered loaning him seems insane.