Monroe Transfer

Don't bite.

He's a beast.

Anyway - tonight I'm just delighted with the 3 points. Don't care about the performance, the league position, the longer term issues, the other results. Just so relieved. Haven't felt as nervous as I did before the game in a long time. Felt a bit sick at one point.

Pardew didn't spend £7m on a player to keep him on the bench behind Steven Taylor.

I'm not on about his performance tonight, more your amazement that he started a game ahead of MYM. Again, can see both arguments.

Think you're being OTT about Taylor if I'm honest. Not as good as MYM, and back from injury, true. But on other hand he's been in this sort of game before (in this league), he's occasionally useful for set-pieces, he's got a partnership with Colo etc. Maybe tonight wasn't the sort of game to introduce a new CB to the English game. Can see why he both should and shouldn't have started tbh.

Spot on.

The Reading subs were baffling, not tonight's (iyam).

Villa needed the win even more than we did, and were at home. We did well to hold on tbh.

Haidara or a pacey wing player (aside from Sammy) weren't on the bench. I assume Shola came on to hold the ball up in their half.

Spot on. Don't think some realise the pressure both sets of players and managers were operating under.

Villa were always going to come out firing in the second half, they made 2 good subs and scored a goal early on.. No surprise nerves kicked in and they became the better side. They've still got some quality going forward as they showed against West Brom the other night (and Bradford too).

Tbh I'd take an over-defensive second 45, and me losing my own body weight in sweat, if we get 3 points. 2-0, 2-1, 9-0. I don't care right now.

Plllleeeeeeeaaaaasssssseeee don't make them defend this lead Pardew. Villa will make changes at h-t but we should still be able to add to our lead given we've the better players. Have to go for a third.

Get a third.

This. No point sitting back now. They're beaten.

WHAT A FUCKING GOAL

Ruined my throat already

SCORE MORE

Is that a young Nobby Solano?

Get in!

Those Chinese moves (Anelka and Drogba) worked out well, then.