Renton

Aye, it's pretty much win win for us. I'm happy for them to miss the play offs. I'm happy for them to get to the play offs and miss the final. I'm happy for them to lose the final. I'm happy for them to win the play off final and get humped for 38 consecutive matches. My absolute favourite scenario would be for them to lose to Boro on penalties at Wembley. For the obvious hilarity and I would actually like to see another NE team in the Premiership, plus always quite liked smoggies. Be nice to have a sort of derby again without the edge tbh.

I think we'll (fans) be well up for it and it'll be very loud. I don't know why, but I always associate Spurs as a "day time" game for us.

Aye, it's the psychology of it. Like if Arsenal had come back from 2 goals down yesterday it might have felt like a positive, but throwing away a 2 goal lead is a psycological blow. I would have bitten your hands off for these points tbh. But, is there a nagging doubt after Brentford first half and Villa that sides have discovered a way of beating us, by playing us at our own game? I think maybe, but not sure many sides could pull it off. Looking forward to fuckling smashing spurs, ripping their head off with their spinal cord still dangling, and tossing them into oblivion. I think only Liverpool have beaten us at home since 2021, is that right? They will be shitting it and never have we got a better chance to get back on the horse.

Fuck knows. On a very basic level, we're apparently boring and turgid to watch, and we've averaged 1.60 goals per game in the league. Compared with their 1.43. Obviously we've a much better goals conceded ratio which frankly I can't be arsed to calculate, but keeping clean sheets must be boring? To be fair though, their league is a much higher standard. Wibble.

Bollocks. SOrry, I was wrong, they'll be straight into the Europe places apparently.

Aye. I do wonder if it's even that simple though. I think to make that work, you'd just have to give up on Premiership survival before you've even kicked off. Which would be pretty demoralising. And not guaranteed, look at Norwich struglling this year in the CL. To have a chance of survival, you have to invest, Sunderland would have to pay over the odds, and then if you're relegated, which you probably will be, you're up shit creek again. This would be the current Notts Forest model in action. I kind of have some sympathy for them tbh because the pyramid is pretty broken. But then again, there are plenty of clubs I would regard as at least as "big" as Sunderland also competing down there.

The Loch Ness Drogba (from Irvine) would batter us marra.

Watching a drama about fop, on ITV this week. Canny enough.

Were we shit or did they make us look shit? Lost count of how many times I've heard mackems say how lucky we are because our opposition have been shit. This is no different to me. We had an awful game but it was Villa's approach to the game that fucked us up. For me they were much better than Arsenal were at the Emirates, then again, our approach to that game was entirely different. Emery is a top class manager. Since he joined Villa he' gained 38 points with a GD of 13. During the same period Howe has achieved 32 points with a GD of 10. Yes, tgere may be an element of new manager bounce but that is pretty impressive considering the team he inherited. Villa's revival and even the way they play is Howesque imo. His limitation at Villa will be funding I suspect. I'm more than happy with Howe though and think he will be a much better fit for our club and ambitions going forward. I don't think Villa are a long term threat because of this.

Fuck me. Wrong again Gemmill. You're just getting wrong and wrongerer. Please.say Spurs will turn us over.

Still got us and Man City away. They're fucked.

I don't think being a brilliant player precludes you from being a great manager, but it doesn't qualify you either. Zidane is one of my all time favourite players and he seems a decent enough coach. When you're in this position, you have the benefit of accrued experience under other great managers. But you still need the communication skills as you say. I think people who were mediocre players, like Howe, are selected more on ability by working their way up, and are naturally more driven. They have to earn respect. And as the pool of unremarkable players is clearly several magnitudes greater than the pool of brilliant players, its not hard to see why the game is ultimately dominated by these types of managers.

On that day I said. And yeah, they played much better than any ManU team we have played this season, they were better than Arsenal, and better than Man City when we played them at home imo (struggling to remember the away leg tbh, might have missed it). Better than either game we played and lost against Liverpool too. They gave us no space or time, they bullied us, and they were clinical. Yeah, we were poor but had Villa played like this all season they would have been near the top of the table. They aren't mainly because of Gérard but also because they won't always play that well, which is the difference between good teams (us and Villa) and champions (Man City). Fortunately for us we couldn't have a better side to play against next match than Spurs. I think we'll win that and get back on track. I think though people are being OTT on the criticism of our team which isn't helpful.

Boring cunt.

We had a semi-decent spell early in the second half. I think the difference though here and the other games you mention is that Villa were by far the best team we have played against under Howes tenure yesterday. Credit where its due. I think they would have beaten anyone on the day, and if I'm honest, and completely changing what I said last week, I am more worried about them beating us to top 4 than Spurs. I think the gap will be enough though.

The weekend can still be saved vicariously.

Urghh, I also spunked up £30 for a BT Sports pass to watch this shit, because it covers 3 away matches. The others are teams I hate nearly as much as Villa, Everton and Leeds. If we lose them like this I'm going fucking postal.

Slight positive I guess is we didn't give up. Straw clutching I know. I fucking hate Villa like. They're right up there for me, absolute wankers. And having Birmingham as England's second city is an absolute embarrassment. Not one redeeming feature in that boring shithole. The only decent thing to come out of the West Midlands in general is the M6.

@Gemmill is in fucking disgrace now like. Out first hammering, under his fucking watch.

No fucking chance. @Alex first.

Can't see Spurs or ManU dropping points this weekend, so this has been shit all over. Then again, if you'd offered me 6 points from these 3 away games I'd have taken it. Next week against against Spurs is fucking huge. @Christmas Tree , where's the best place to buy adult nappies?

Just for you, piss flaps.

Piss flaps.

Thank fuck. Offside rule is a fucking joke mind.