V Man yew

[TrianonDave]

Got to be mindful of their 3 man attack but they are suspect at the back!
I would go for wing backs and pack the midfield. Even a draw gives us some hope.

Team 3412

.................Reina

....Konsa......Mings....Hause

Elmo..McGinn..Luiz...Hourihane

..................Grealish

.........Elghazi.......Samatta


3 big guys at the back with Riena bringing the big game voice to defence.
Elmo to bomb forward on the right
Hourihane to keep swinging them in from the left including freekicks.
Grealish in the hole getting our front 2 making the runs.
Elghazi playing along side Samatta playing it on the ground, anything in the air will be gobbled up by McGuire.

Play the game as if it is the final, give it anything from the start, SJM and Grealish now owe us a big performance.

Score ......got to be a win...2-1

[Exiledvillan]

Difficult one Dave, that’s as good a starting X1, on paper, that we can field.

Problems arise on the pitch, where we have to compete in midfield. Matic, Pogba and the Portuguese fella will have a field day with whatever midfield we put out. If they play Greenwood, Rashford and Martial up top, then we’ll need 5 at the back.

CH doesn’t have the pace, game, or lungs for a wing-back, and Elmo is too old for more than 45 mins. Guilbert could be an option for the other 45. Jack might want to impress possible suitors, so he should be ok. SJM seems to be getting there but El Ghazi doesn’t play well 2 games running.

Samatta needs a partner or good aerial service, so pointless starting him.

I have no answers or solutions so your X1 has to be.

This is a horrible game for us, technically and potentially, soul-destroying. Yes, manure are poor at the back, but we are chronic offensively, so Maguire will be made to look like Franco Baresi.

Rotten 4 days over here, either side of me are plastic dippers and sh1t fans. I can see ‘social distancing’ being breached if we get tonked. It came very close on Sunday.

[TrianonDave]

Stay cool ExV, I feel it in me water, its going to lash down on thursday, the pitch will suit our hoof ball, pogba will be like bambi, Jack will get us a penalty. We will win we will win, just keep saying it, we will win👍

[samhubball]

Dave we don't play hoofball. Our strategy is slowly slowly catchy monkey. Tho I between the second slowly and the catchy bit we tend to lose possession. Our playing "style" is: "play out from the back, oh *******s that pass has been intercepted. It's OK Nyland will catch, oh **** how's he dropped that, OK ok he's got it again. Right play it out from, why has he thrown it to the attacker? OK, ball boys got it. Big kick now, Davis has won the header but there's ****ing no one there. OK ok we have it back now, make the pass, quick quick, down the wing, pass the ball, PASS THE ****ING BALL. Its ok, their defence is all back in position. Jack's been fouled"

We are 10/1 with some bookies for the win. Can't see it, unless it's a maguire own goal

[TrianonDave]

Well it really it shlt or bust now, were 4 pts from safety, we got to go for it, a point is not enough!
I would buy that own goal off mcguire right now.

[samhubball]

The championship was at least entertaining! We need to go down for several benefits...

1) Jack needs to go to a top club to build his chances of making it internationally, and with us being relegated there won't be a fan who can blame him. When he does go, we won't be relying on a single player to pick up points for us

2) we need to find the best formation and squad now they've had a season to gel. It's apparent that the likes of Trezerguet aren't fit for purpose.

3) Conor Hourihane will be used more, and for the 1m quid he cost, he is one of our better players

4) Mings will surely be captain if he doesn't get poached. Its always best to have a centre half as captain.

5) build on what we have and actually, maybe we might win a trophy and come up stronger, with a team ready for it and without having to spunk 130m pounds on a new team

6) Davies, Samatta, Wesley and Barrie will surely score some goals in the championship.

So, chin up... Its not the end of the world... That's happening in November I think.

[TrianonDave]

A new Manager or keep Smith?

[mondaze]

is the fat lady singing?

[samhubball]

Brentford are doing rather well aren't they. I would siggest Smith wasn't the reason for this. I'd also suggest thst if Smith had got the personnel he wanted (Benrahma, Phillips and Maupay) we probably wouldn't be in this position. Dean is obviously Villa thru and thru, and he might well be the best manager to get us back up again. I'd keep him, as I think it's too late to change him now. But, seriously, Suso needs to buy the men DS wants or he needs to leave.

Positives from this season:

Jack is truly a premier leahue quality player, We've had some memorable games and some close run matches against the big guns (Arsenal, Liverpool and Man Utd). We do have some parachute paymemts 'all be it, reduced thanks to Covid) and we have been back up, since our relegation in 2016.... We weren't double relegated like so many... Leeds, Wolves, Portsmouth, Blackburn, Wigan etc etc.

We will survive and we will be better prepared hopefully in 12 months time.

[westcountryvillain]

I often see comments on social media saying we would come straight back up, not with the strike force we have - Davis is a good hold-up player but not a natural finisher and our approach to buying players has been most telling here - no depth at all. Wesley was a £22M gamble that had limited success but he couldn't really do much when isolated which usually ends up with conceding possession.

The project hasn't worked and it's another re-build, I just hope we don't make the same mistakes again and end up promoted with a load of loanees or ageing players that cannot cope with the PL.