Sibierski

Time to see if Wissa will be the saviour to the season that 95% of our fanbase are hoping for.

Think it was clear early on Burn was the back up LB. With Tino the third (Krafth / Trippier then RB). Just we currently have Botman, Burn, Trippier, Krafth and Hall all injured. Give Bunce a pay rise.

Think LB and CB have to be signed early in Jan. Summer targets brought forward.

If he’s being torn apart in training, there’s nothing to learn in a game.

Ever since that shoulder injury where it looked like it could be bad, he’s had a couple of knocks in games where it looks like he’s needed to come off and he’s played to end of game, so maybe his body is a bit bruised and we’re heavily resting him as much as possible before the much harder games to come. I also feel he’s lost a bit of quality on the ball ever since the leaks about him potentially leaving, so maybe his head has drifted a bit too alongside the niggles.

If the season is looking iffy still, I’d rather we doubled down on it being a poor season and forced out players that are questionable if they will be here next season and signed some young players so they can be bedded in ready for next season.

Really hope Hall is just rested fully and not got another niggle Think we have to have a LB signing lined up for start of Jan, please don’t recall Targett.

Sunday was our Brentford moment… (repeat again after Burnley A).

And it’s still extremely dumb business to have £100m back ups that are meh.

Exactly. Which makes the passive approach pointless as full throttle or not, injuries happen.

That’s been a thing for us for a while. Even if we didn’t concede, I remember many games last season we would all be saying after half time when we kicked off, “What the fuck did we say at HT” because we started off slow. And if we didn’t even concede in those 10 minutes, it was good chances being conceded to opposition with no response. We’d then eventually get a grip, but it was a common occurrence.

We’re now one head injury (which Schar 100% will have now he’s back starting games) from who partnering Thaiw at CB? Tino? And then Murphy RB? Joelinton CB? Good job this slow passive play is reducing risks of an injury crisis.

Nothing wrong playing late Wednesday and Sat midday, when both at home ffs. You can play away in Europe Thursday and Sunday 2pm most times. A couple of hours shouldn’t make a difference, especially when the games are are at home. It’s already making excuses for any issues we may encounter later in week.

Wrath of changes I want to see after that fucking pathetic display at weekend. Assume Trips / Krafth still injured which fucks things up, but team for me: Ramsdale: Tino, Schar, Thaiw, Hall: Joelinton, Bruno G, Ramsey: Barnes, Wissa, Murphy

If we’re not ahead of them come the next Derby, where it’s a win to move us like 7+ points ahead of them, then our season has been proper shit.

Wasn’t the injury crisis because of freak injuries mostly though, rather than muscle injuries. Anderson / Barnes / Burn at least were from my memory, which had a knock on. We’ve pivoted away from a style that was starting to be our identity, to something no-one really knows what it is anymore, with load more players that fit the 22-23 style. Something is completely off in training, and that’s been apparent since start of last season. Think there’s valid argument that the players who have been here since that 22-23 season are switching off to Howe / motivation has dipped 5% which in the prem will see a big drop off because we’re not at an elite level where we can ride through games when we dip effort.

Hall was a kid, again we need to stop using him as an example. Because of how little business we did other season, it’s really now looking at Kelly, Osula, Thaiw, Ramsey, Wissa, Woltemade and Elanga as our recent signings. Kelly gone after 6 months because he wasn’t deemed good enough. Osula a matter of time to be gone for same. Valid argument Elanga could be same if he doesn’t start to show something soon. Ramsey non-existent. The successes are now a lot fewer in recent times which continues downward trend of most things about us the past 18 months.

The one I’d want if we had to make a change in summer would be Tuchel. Not a huge fan of his football, but it’s a elite coach that’s still in his good years, point to proven and the name to say we want to push on (plus experience of juggling competitions). Also, comes with recent added bonus of working with England players we are keen on still as a market, and could be an added tip to eventually getting back Anderson. England approaching us for Howe later in 2026 I do think could be a good move for all involved if we’re still on similar up and downs. Howe is able to take on a role that’s less demanding, heading into a home Euros, he leaves us with everyone in love with one another, and the door firmly open for a return in years to come in a positive nature. We’re then able to steer squad in a new direction under a new guy without it being a ‘turmoil situation’.

That’s not a reason IMO. It still requires travelling, it still requires playing at a certain level, it still results in less training and it still sees them then face sides who’ve had longer to prepare. Difference for me, Emery is a seasoned pro at this level. He knows the crack with games quick and fast and expectations he demands. Howe we all said after first season he’d learn. Evidence on this season is he hasn’t. So if we didn’t get Europe again, but then qualified again in 26/27, are we to repeat this pattern and drop off again in 27/28? Villa were fractionally better last season (25 points) after 16 games, which saw them in 6th. Meant they were within arms length of top 5 (2 points). We’re trending pretty much similar to last season, but it current context it will mean us needing to win like next 7 games to give us a similar chance of top 5 because of all the hard away games we’ve got to come.

I’d expect us to turn over Chelsea because they’re a bit weak mentally and it’s the sort of home game we thrive on. Then it’s chatter of ‘only 4 off top 5’, before we go and take one point from next two away games.

This cunt not fired yet for selling Elanga to us for £50m?

If we could’ve spent in 2024, it would’ve most likely been £120m on Guehi and Elanga. We’ve now got one of them, and in Thaiw now, it’s negligible the step up Guehi would’ve gave IMO. We got UCL last season without it anyway, then spent it this summer and gone backwards somehow. Isak is a massive loss, but to fall apart on one player, isn’t a glowing endorsement. Especially when it’s now 3 months into the season with a new striker and if anything we’re getting worse the more time we have with him.

I just don’t know why we can’t go back to this. Reason we signed more of the same I thought was so we could keep playing that way with similar players and not have a drop off. Instead we’ve gone into a passive pragmatic side, and it’s not helping any players.

Just like any other striker when away, miles away from others, chasing shadows.

Not optimistic in short term, still optimistic about long term unless something negatively changes that above. Whilst we’re in all the cups there should be optimism, but how bad we’ve been away, it’s more blind optimism. It will seem small time to many, but finishing above Sunderland really is the first bar I just want to clear this season. Feels a bit shit we’re in UCL for 2nd time and it’s all a bit meh. Villa for me are our benchmark rivals because of what we’re trying to overcome (sky 6) and where we’ve had to come from (Bruce dark days), and whilst I don’t agree with their transfer policy, they’re are regularly making a better fist of things by staying attacking. May burn out, but they stick to it.