Reasons to be cheerful?

[N'ZMAV]

so then, what did I miss?

[Mister E]

Albrighton was superb, N'Zogbia much better. Hutton suspended, thank fuck. He really is quite shit...

Hutton? - no, he isn't. He's just mindless and a little thuggish.

[PaulWinch again]

The clear evidence that if we try to play football not hoofball we can compete and the fans appreciate that.

[villa `cross the mersey]

Couldn`t make it last night due to a prior engagement in Formby - glad to hear the performance was improved, however, not wishing to pee on your chips Legion but: We played well at home and lost, we conceded too many corners, we conceded a late goal, Hutton got his long awaited red card. We are not exactly in freefall but we are starting the slide down the table which was forecast by many - it does nor auger well for the New Year.
Clearly we are writing off the games against the top 5 or 6 - Lets just hope the "Ginger One" can get the troops rallied for the games against those who we will undoubtedly be close to, come early January. Supporting this club is never easy is it?

[lovejoy]

How can you say we're writing off games against the top6 if you didn't see it last night?

[Irish villain]

I think the last 18 months would have been much less painful if we'd seen more of Carlos and less of James Collins. Last night also showed that N'Zogbia and Albrighton are pretty good replacements for our former first choice wingers.

Clark has a lot of potential and Richard Dunne gets unfair criticism from villa fans. He is still a very solid defender.

[JUAN PABLO]

I think the last 18 months would have been much less painful if we'd seen more of Carlos and less of James Collins. Last night also showed that N'Zogbia and Albrighton are pretty good replacements for our former first choice wingers.

Clark has a lot of potential and Richard Dunne gets unfair criticism from villa fans. He is still a very solid defender.

Dunne looked a better defender without Collins .  Him and Cuelalr looked alot better together

[nigel]

Carlos Cuellar at centre half - unforunately Huttons red card probably means Collins will get his place back with Carlos filling in at right back again before being dropped again.
The continual re-emergence of Marc Albrighton - just what Bent needs when he is fit and back in the team.
Charles N'Zogbia finally starting to show there is a player in there somewhere - see above reference to Bent.
Stephen Ireland was very good. If he can do it against Arsenal as well as Hereford, then that really does have to bode well.   
Ciaran Clarke, did exactly what you knew he would do - should be one of the first names on the team sheet.
Brad Guzan - ensuring we are not missing Shay Given is a migthy achievement.
 
Succesfully defended 12 Arsenal corners until unlucky 13 - would we have kept the first 12 out with Collins ? (See above re: Carlos Cuellar)
Mcleish has the players with him, certainly more so than the fans  - despite some negative tactics and previously below par games at no time have I felt any sense that he may lose the dressing room.
We may have lost but at least we were entertained. I know the next opponents could not be a more different type of proposition, but they give you hope that we could go to Stoke and maybe win ?

With any luck Chris Herd will be back and he can go into the right back slot and we can offload Collins in Jan.
I've said for some time now that I thought Collins was a liability this season and that I thought his crap performances were affecting Huttons play. I actually thought Hutton was doing ok until the final 5 minutes of madness.
The red card was a booking so it had to be a red given that Van Persie "got" him booked a couple of minutes prior to that.
CN'Z, Albighton were great. I thought Ireland was doing it too until his knock.
Carlos, Clark and Dunne were a great trio and Guzan looks comfortable between the sticks.

It always seems to be, "Blame the manager" when we're bad, but, "Praise the players" when we do well.
I think a nod of approval should go McLeish's way too.

[JUAN PABLO]

I just wish sometimes AMC would say to Collins  ' stop fooking hoofing the ball , mindless tit '   

I mean , we looked better without JC hoofing it , so why does he do it , why isn't he told not to .  Cuellar only played because JC was not 100% fit .   It has taken 17 games for AMC to realise that passing the ball and not hoofing is the forward way for this club .

[Concrete John]

Couldn`t make it last night due to a prior engagement in Formby - glad to hear the performance was improved, however, not wishing to pee on your chips Legion but: We played well at home and lost, we conceded too many corners, we conceded a late goal, Hutton got his long awaited red card. We are not exactly in freefall but we are starting the slide down the table which was forecast by many - it does nor auger well for the New Year.
Clearly we are writing off the games against the top 5 or 6 - Lets just hope the "Ginger One" can get the troops rallied for the games against those who we will undoubtedly be close to, come early January. Supporting this club is never easy is it?

Away with your negativity.   There are other threads for that - this is a happy place!

[not3bad]

Everyone's suspicions that Villa would be a better footballing side without Heskey and Collins were proven correct.

[villa `cross the mersey]

How can you say we're writing off games against the top6 if you didn't see it last night?

Easy - by listening to the great ginger twat spouting on about the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool for example.

[villa `cross the mersey]

Couldn`t make it last night due to a prior engagement in Formby - glad to hear the performance was improved, however, not wishing to pee on your chips Legion but: We played well at home and lost, we conceded too many corners, we conceded a late goal, Hutton got his long awaited red card. We are not exactly in freefall but we are starting the slide down the table which was forecast by many - it does nor auger well for the New Year.
Clearly we are writing off the games against the top 5 or 6 - Lets just hope the "Ginger One" can get the troops rallied for the games against those who we will undoubtedly be close to, come early January. Supporting this club is never easy is it?

Away with your negativity. There are other threads for that - this is a happy place!

Ok - I am really pleased that we lost again at home - I am distraught that I missed the opportunity to see us play so well.

I shall however,  look forward to us playing equally as well at Stamford Bridge, Old Trafford, Anfield and The Emirates ! 

[not3bad]

Couldn`t make it last night due to a prior engagement in Formby - glad to hear the performance was improved, however, not wishing to pee on your chips Legion but: We played well at home and lost, we conceded too many corners, we conceded a late goal, Hutton got his long awaited red card. We are not exactly in freefall but we are starting the slide down the table which was forecast by many - it does nor auger well for the New Year.
Clearly we are writing off the games against the top 5 or 6 - Lets just hope the "Ginger One" can get the troops rallied for the games against those who we will undoubtedly be close to, come early January. Supporting this club is never easy is it?

Away with your negativity. There are other threads for that - this is a happy place!

Ok - I am really pleased that we lost again at home - I am distraught that I missed the opportunity to see us play so well.

I shall however,  look forward to us playing equally as well at Stamford Bridge, Old Trafford, Anfield and The Emirates ! 

To be fair mate, he wasn't saying you shouldn't complain, just that there about 1 billion other threads where people are complaining, but it would be nice if there was one thread where we could at least try to look at some of the positives.

[PaulWinch again]

How can you say we're writing off games against the top6 if you didn't see it last night?

Easy - by listening to the great ginger twat spouting on about the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool for example.

I understand that under normal circumstances, but there was no surrender last night. We had more possession than Arsenal and were on top most of the game and played some really good stuff. The performance was more important than the result last night, because it showed we can perform well and play football. Also the fact the fans were applauding the team off at the end shows how well we played. Even Wenger admitted they didn't deserve to win.