Exciting times ahead

[darren woolley]

If we keep winning and playing good football then there will be exciting times ahead, i am pleased with the way we are playing we are going on a bit of a run and that will boost confidence, and i don't think we are finished in the transfer market it's certainly looking better than it did before christmas.

[Small Rodent]

O'Neill did very well with his "eleven", but we now are assembling a squad to use. I feel happier with the options, and will feel happier if the results keep on coming. I won't be upset if we lose to Man Utd, Arsenal or Liverpool, but draws and wins for the rest are very important.

[Olneythelonely]

Tonight's final ten mins was particularly bad.

I go into dread mode whenever we conceded on 75-80 minutes.

If we could stamp that out, we'd be well on our way to being a very good side indeed.

I agree, although at least we've managed to stop conceding a second for the time being.

[damon loves JT]

I watched a French feature film rather than follow the match thread last night, that's how nervous I was.

There was plenty of shooting and mumbled dialogue, and a bloke got stabbed, but hardly any sex. Onwards and upwards

[Ger Regan]

O'Neill did very well with his "eleven", but we now are assembling a squad to use. I feel happier with the options, and will feel happier if the results keep on coming. I won't be upset if we lose to Man Utd, Arsenal or Liverpool, but draws and wins for the rest are very important.

Arsenal and Utd I'll grant you, but we should be aiming to take points at home to liverpool.

Also, we're now twice as close to 7th as we are to the relegation places. IF (and I'm taking nothing for granted) we finish in 7th I think it will have been a success, considering what has happened to us this season, and would be a great platform to build on for next season.

[pablopicasso_10]

as someone mentioned, one game at a time, but there are more positive signs since the transfer window, and we have some players back fit, than there have been for a long time...

[Phil from the upper holte]

GH did look happy, I had to laugh when he stuck his thumbs up.

I was shitting it for the last 10 mins

[Gerrin]

There's an outside chance we could still finish 6th this season. Good run of fixtures coming up we really need to make the most of them. After Man U we only play one more team in the top 6 this season. Sunderland, have 4 games left against top 6 teams. 6th place could be anyones this season.

[jembob]

I know that I should move on but I still get very wound up about the way that MON left and the damage which he did to us. The last two games have shown what an improved (and rotating) squad can do for us and it's such a shame that it's taken until January to get it sorted out. We really should have been in this position back in August, and if we had been we would be back at the sharp end of the league. As it is, I predict a very strong finish to the end of the season and believe that with the exception of a resurgent Lplop, we can still finish 6th.

Our away support last night was superb and I'm not surprised that Houllier acknowledged everybody. Just imagine the consternation if he hadn't. The relationship between fans and manager ebbs and flows and it's really good to see Houllier rebuilding some of the goodwill and confidence which he so skillfully destroyed in the Autumn!

[TimTheVillain]

The signing of Darren Bent has given the club a massive lift - players and fans alike.

It means Villa do mean business, and that we don't have a 'sell to buy' policy as per Paul Faulkner's answer on tv a few weeks ago.

[Mazrim]

There was plenty of shooting and mumbled dialogue, and a bloke got stabbed, but hardly any sex.

Yes, that sounds like the match thread alright.

[sfx412]

On paper the squad has improved, but for the lack of willingness of Ireland and Warnock to perform. The downside is the start of the season, the injuries have put us on the back foot and it usually takes time for new recruits to settle
The recent upturn in performances are encouraging, but we are a long way off a top 10 side, but hopefully we will continue to improve over the last third of the season, although the 4 games in 2 weeks culminating in the Utd game will really stretch the squad we have. I'm not as convinced as some by the younger element. In time yes but now, no, they still got us into this mess and its taking the more experienced players to get us out of it.

[Pete3206]

I'll be happier when we're safe from relegation which hopefully won't be too far away. There's still some tricky games ahead, but I'm optimistic for the future.

[dutchvilla]

although he scored, I think Agbonlahor is a square peg in a round hole on the left, so to speak

playing people in their best players, plus an intent to rotate should meant that up front sometimes we have Bent, with Young behind him and Downing and Albrighton on the wings. Other times Agbonlahor would replace Bent or he or Heskey would play alongside him as 442 with any two of Young, Downing and Albrighton out wide.

I've no evidence for this, but just speculating, maybe GH is less willing to rotate Bent, Young, Downing, Agbonlahor since these are the prize assets and so they need to play to keep them sweet?