M1tche

Have to agree with this, this is the 1st of 2 must wins that are coming in the next few weeks. This one and Chelsea are the must wins for me, win them both and it leaves us in a great positions still. Lose either and we'll have a hard task getting Champions League football

Loans should only be used for emergencies and to delay paying bigger fees for players, like we did for Hall. Otherwise it's not a longer term way to build a squad. With Botman back, we need to raise the ceiling at GK, RCB and RWF, then if there are funds left also get people that raise the floor at CM, CF, and LB. If we cover all of those our squad will look ridiculous going into next season

Welbeck does normally get the goal, but I feel that Pedro is the difference between then being a problem going forward, to being predictable. He does things that aren't the normal, dropping into hard to mark spaces to create space for the others

The Joao Pedro suspension is massive for the Brighton, which I think swings it our way. Also, bare in mind that Sven is due back in the next few games, so we'll be able to change the back 4 a little if required, or go to 3 against Arsenal. Don't forget that he is by far our best CB as well. I think we win the next 3, which will calm all the nerves in here, and give us breathing space. The mentality of the squad is different to last time we were in this position, they'll be looking at finishing 3rd rather than just making the Champions League

At what point did I say he wasn't? The Ipswich game is a week away, not tonight!

After today, I'll be shocked if he's not back at the club by Ipswich, he may not be on the touchline, but he'll want to be much closer things.

Perfect game to go into after today. Win the home games and we're back in the champs league

Im confused by so few getting that the rotation needed to come in the games at home against bottom half side, or even away to relegation fodder. So, we could go full strength, and full pace, away to top 5 contenders

Ive seen a few posts of Villa depth, so this isnt aimed at you but yours was a good post to quote tbf. Villa have better depth, but are also in a position that even without the loan ages they NEED champs league to not have a fire sale, they're backs to the wall with no way out. They had no choice but to gamble again in Jan to go as deep into the Champs league, and FA cup as possible, whilst also making charge for qualification next season. It'll be an absolute fire sale if they dont make it, and all the good work will be undone in 1 summer, or they face wherever reprocussions come with going over every single spend to turnover rate going.

What is even the point of posts like this? Can we not just have a football discussion?

I have not once mentioned Wilson, as i think he's done. Onto the others, Willock and Longstaff would both start for Leicester, so start them in that game. Willock and Miley both start for Manu and Palace, so why not give them a game? Kratfh has played is good wins over the last few years, use him, and straight up Gordon should have stated for Murphy today, or at the least been on at HT

I don't care if this place is up in arms, if players aren't capable of giving the required energy levels they don't play, or they come off. The fact is the rotation should have happen before today. It's the hardest of the run after playing 1 relegation fodder team and 2 teams in the bottom half. We need to be better at it, that is a literally fact

You look forward and rest players in other games. 1/2 vs Leicester (relegation fodder), 1/2 against Man U (rightly a bottom half side), 1/2 against C.Palace (another bottom half side). We have to start doing this to move forward from what is an excellent position to be in atm.

What's the point of quantity if we never use the players. The main problem in times like this, is that we need to use the squad better. The lack of rotation has lead us to today performance.

It's easy to question when we make subs late most games, never rotate and end up losing games because we haven't got the energy. Even at HT, we should have made 3 subs.

It's easy to question when we make subs late most games, never rotate and end up losing games because we haven't got the energy. Even at HT, we should have made 3 subs.

This is on the coaching staff. We have players capable of being rotated in, and we've chosen not to, which has lead this. Why are Willock, Miley, Krafth, Lognstaff, even Gordon for today's game not getting starts? Osula still getting zero minutes as well. You can't just keep saying "go again lads"

Refs been shit, but we've been worse. Need to lift massively in the 2nd half, or we'll lose. The whole RHS has been terrible so far.

Either subs at HT or make sure we are much better 2nd half, we look miles off it, and are lucky to still be in the game, let alone level

Catching up on this. Some of the takes on here are crazy to me. I'll stand by this, Miley will be a top Premier League midfielder over the next few season. He has everything needed, passing range, techique, finishing, a good engine, he's deceptively quick, and the game seems to slow down around him when he gets the ball, and one of the best managers to help him get there. He's captained above his age at England as well, which says a lot. This isn't just because he came through our academy, it's because he looks that good. My normal worry would be if his head isn't in it and he goes off the rails, but he also seems to be a very calm and quiet personality. So that takes that worry away.

The biggest change in him being on the left is that if/when Barnes/Gordon cut in, he has so much space to run into. He doesnt get that as much on the right with Murphy, which is why I think a more inverted RW will be on the cards and will help him massively.

Pretty sure Botman was part of the replacement. By that, I don't mean to play RCB, but for passing range. Botman has played some pretty outrageous passed off both feet when fit, and seems to have a better completion rate (I may be wrong on that). I think the CB we sign will be a line breaker, one that can find players feet with shorter range passing more than one that plays the glorious cross fields Schar does.

Is the data's says all are fine then go full strength, worry about the potential changes in the next game. A win here is huge and would mean a draw Vs Villa wouldn't be too bad.

Hear me out! I feel with how good his finishing is, if he could tone up a few areas, he could be our Salah.