Reluctant Striker

There is definitely a problem for Man United that the players just aren't good enough. To be where Liverpool & Arsenal are. Although there are aspects (the midfields) of both of them I find unconvincing. For a few seasons I've genuinely felt I would not want to swap Douglas Luiz & McGinn for any United midfielders. Or too many others I've seen around. Can now also add in the goalkeeper position. And probably centre forward. Diaby, Bailey, Ramsey & Buendia vs Rashford, Garnacho, Sancho & whoever else? Tielemans vs Mount? A few YouTubers around (Mark Goldbridge) now suggesting Villa are where they are, on work rate. I guess everyone pulls for their own, but to not see era's changing around you, while wearing a Big 6 baseball cap, is what Roy Keane is often on about. Who, still biased & pulling for Man United, often makes more sense than some suggesting any from Maguire, Evans, Lindelof, Martinez & Varane are walking into Villa's side. And not seeing what is staring them in the face. They need the hunger to be changing an era, that is not theirs. Along with a better recruitment policy.

Yes. Depends on what teams below & maybe above do. But draws at Wolves & Bournemouth. The loss at Forest. The really successful sides find ways for it to have been 2 wins & 1 draw. How the title points bar keeps getting close to 100 in so many recent seasons. It is still that kind of thing could make a difference to where Villa finish this season. But maybe not a bad run for the rest of December. Avoid defeat to Zrinjski to advance to UECL last 16. Brentford (a), Sheff United (h), Man United (a) & Burnley (h)

On Man United, the first & biggest thing that needs to happen is accept they are basically Liverpool of 10, 15 years ago. Roy Keane keeps hinting at it. Loose the comfy armchair of 'the big 6' mindset. The little inner circle thing. Because it's rapidly becoming a false focus group.

Perhaps understandably felt more open & with tired legs on both sides. Arsenals defence had plenty of the ball, in the 2nd half, but they just couldn't quite break through. Odegaard with the worst miss. I thought a couple of good decisions from the ref. The penalty shout seemed 2 players swinging a leg for a loose ball. And for the disallowed goal Havertz was playing volleyball on my TV..

Arsenal perhaps looking more dangerous the longer it went on. Personally, I would like to see Cash & Moreno, for fresh legs & perhaps better suited to pacy wingers. Also, for Villa to do something creative & more realistic with corners. We don't have the players to just try lumping balls into everyone in the 6 yard box.

Not sure, but seems at the very least Villa can be a side capable of beating anyone. They go to Old Trafford on Boxing Day. Still with a feeling they struggle in (big) away games. But have won at Spurs & Chelsea since that perception kicked in. And so 2nd half of the season, of the current top half, only Man City, Arsenal, Brighton & West Ham will be away games for Villa. Something quite under the radar it feels, right now.

Fair play to Pep, his post match comments actually very complimentary & not full of sour grapes. Rodri was a big absence. Phillips really needs to get himself out of there, regardless of the money. For Villa, it is now 14 consecutive home wins. Which BBC Sport is now saying equals club record of 1903 & 1931. But fairly sure 13 had supposedly equalled 2 other joint records, so at this point I think they are just guessing. Not sure if Diaby is one of those who had 'minor pain' or if Bailey is edging ahead right now.

Delighted. Honestly, perhaps slightly blemished that we didn't give them the drubbing nearly everyone else has taken at VP. Arsenal at the weekend.. no reason why not more of the same. Much like Unai, I don't quite accept we're in the title race. But, we finish where we finish. Good luck to any clubs supposedly wanting to entice any Villa individuals away from this joy ride anytime soon.

First of 2 rounds of fixtures for Amazon in December. My free trial is due again. Will likely fit in a few deliveries from the shop. Watch the new Matrix movie & the latest Thor. Becoming a nice December tradition really. On these matches, personally I am relishing the Villa vs Man City game. I still have them as favourites for the title. But closest we've been for so long. I'd be surprised if the neutral choice is Man United vs Chelsea. Which is huge credit to Unai Emery. And how the squad has coped without Mings, Moreno, Ramsey & Buendia for most of this season. Pau had to get up to speed rapidly. Digne has been used more than most, after a summer of rumours he might be sold off. A very significant chunk of the left side of the team to be missing. Villa could easily be 6th after these matches. But 3rd is also on the table. I would expect Spurs to get a win at home to West Ham. Spurs have played better than lost 3-drawn1 of the last 4 might suggest.

It has reached the stage that a draw at Bournemouth feels more like 2 dropped than 1 gained. But, still have to appreciate the change from just over a year ago. And time to look to Man City & Arsenal at Villa Park now.

1-1 at HT. There for the taking. Only a VAR offside stopped Villa from leading. While Solanke has been close a few times. Interestingly Cash & Diaby on the bench. Kamara is suspended for this 1. Neither Ramsey or Moreno starting, after doing so in Europe. So that is 3 certainties & a possible 5 there, who could start vs Man City on Wednesday. Also, very likely Diaby & Ramsey appear in the 2nd half today.

If it wasn't for the 10 point deduction, Everton would be on 17 points, in 11th, ahead of Chelsea.

It's certainly very early for a crowd to be properly excited & up for a football match. Derbies could be a bit unique in the west. There's only ever a few that feel like proper derbies. Villa-Birmingham (Birmingham) & West Brom-Wolves (Black Country) And doesn't really have quite the same vibe when they're mixed up. While Walsall are a lower league friend of Villa. There is still a bit of an anti-Villa or better Villa than that lot sort of thing that unifies some of the west. Coventry are not really paired with anyone. The club's from the east have a very Coventry feel to most fans of the west. Not sure if it's the same the other way around.

Big week for Villa. Qualified for the knock out rounds in Europe. Just missed securing top spot by 1 goal (& in the Conference, 2 less games) But just need to avoid defeat in final away game to lowest ranked team in the group. Bournemouth (a) not easy. Just as capable as Forest (a) were only a few weeks ago. But then Man City & Arsenal at Villa Park Wednesday & Saturday. Where all participants will have endured a similar schedule. But still bank on a false narrative if Villa get any W. Good timing to have Moreno & J Ramsey both fit (again) I would be surprised if Villa do not seem highly motivated to win at Bournemouth & so giving the next 2 as much of a free hit feel as they can be, with Spurs, Man United, Newcastle & Brighton all lingering around just 1 or 2 results from 4th.

.... maybe I missed something, but the whole of the West Midlands is a long way from 'Tory'. It does have comparable fed up of the whole thing types, like regions with comparable populations.. such as Scotland, I would suggest. And Liverpool as a political football club are not pleasant, whatever the wing it's directed from. Toxic is honestly the accurate word for Liverpool Lib Dem Middle Class FC. But, reads like you know Wolverhampton -the West Midlands only by Twitter & Liberal Democrat party manifesto.

Yes, probably one of the only clubs that could win 1 cup & lose in the final of the other, finish 3rd & still be in meltdown crisis before November of the next season. To be fair, mostly by Man United fans, who presumably are looking at Man City, Liverpool & Arsenal looking like the Top 3. Seeing Newcastle emerging. Chelsea spending crazy money. And Spurs & Villa with a 4th vs 5th match up.

Will be long remembered as the England manager at Euro 96. But also managed Barcelona (signing Lineker & Mark Hughes) Spurs & a few other clubs. Also 2 full England caps as a player. Spending most of his career with London area clubs.

I heard somewhere a few days ago that Portsmouth & Middlesbrough both had points deductions in the Premier League. I think both of those were standard 9 points deductions, for 'going into administration'. But this is the first to do with modern 'financial fair play' rules. And the most points. I also heard a defence of points deductions punishments, that if a club owner is happy to take the financial hit, then points deductions are a more effective deterrent.

It has been interesting seeing Big Ange & Unai emerge as new cool, trendy name managers pundits like to talk of. Often as being just below only Pep & Klopp sort of way. And both have done well to this point.

Delighted with that. At least 1 week gate crashing the Top 4. Villa have had problems in some away games. On another day, perhaps with Maddison fit, it could have gone a similar emphatic defeat way. Felt to me the available Spurs players just couldn't quite punish Villa enough. Villa certainly had to trust to luck a fair bit. Son with a hatrick of offsides is crazy. But, against some teams, that is kind of the best Villa can do, right now. Man City & Arsenal at Villa Park soon.

Very open game. Could easily have been a few more for both sides. Watkins with 1 disallowed, for offside. Spurs looked to be taking control & really threatening a 2nd. But Pau with a set piece headed equaliser. Personally, for Villa, I'd be looking at taking Cash off from his right midfield position. Not been going his way & the crowd are on his back for a tackle on reinjured Bentancur. McGinn to where Cash has been. Put Bailey on, risk going with a full front 3. But, at this stage, I'll still back whatever Unai does.

Villa did win at Tottenham last season. Actually did the double over them, for what must have been the first time in many years. But, even with the Spurs absences, which seems a bit more than Villa's, this kind of is not feeling like a great time to be going there. They have lost last 2 & have Man City next. But, it's getting to that sort of time we start to know more of where teams & squads really are. Should be entertaining. Any result possible. Goals almost guaranteed. And this does seem a week that Sky genuinely have the pick of the fixtures. Monday the only box ticker. For all the Everton-will-be-ok-this-is-actually-good-timing & they'll be up for it now, talk.. I'd back Bournemouth & Luton this weekend.. for at least a point.

Yes, for me, all I hear of FFP, is just wired up wrong. It feels designed to stop clubs doing a Man City, Chelsea, or if you go back far enough, a Blackburn. Coming from mid table, or even further back & getting to the top. I don't have any issue with that, in theory. It's a part of what I liked way back decades ago. For me, the issue is broadly spiralling market values, where smaller or less currently successful clubs, find it very difficult to compete. To the extent Luton & Sheffield United have arguably not even bothered to try. Clubs that were able to win league titles & cups in the 70s, 80s & 90s are now nowhere near. Or get a once in a blue moon shot. And in the case of Everton, being harshly punished for essentially messing up an attempt to change that. I'm not sure what the rules should be. But a more American twist of the least successful having more allowance to place big bets / take first pick, really would not be too bad. And less allowance for Champions League regulars to splash out crazy money when they finish mid table. It does start feeling like a tangled complicated mess to get to something everyone can be happy with & also level out the playing field, at the same time.

It does all seem harsh, but then maybe not any more or less than being just about relegated by a small margin. Of the 20 sides in the Premier League each season, a slight majority do spend more time contemplating the bottom 3, than how near top 4 is. You would certainly hope certain other sides do get treated at least equally. But I'm not quite sure where the connecting comparison line to the European Super League is.

Not quite sure I'd go that far. But wins & points for Villa from Spurs, Man City & Arsenal, all in the next month, by 9th December, could be as good for Villa as much as anyone else.