Press-ing ever onward

[dave.woodhall]

I could enjoy this "Writing about a win" lark.

http://thebirminghampress.com/2016/11/its-all-in-the-mind/

[usav]

I bet.  Must have been tempting to throw the pen away over the last couple of years.

[darren woolley]

Another good read Dave.

[Legion]

Now on our FB Page.

[Diablo]

I had visions of Dave understandably (unable to take it any longer) falling on his pen, harakiri, Japanese samurai stylee.

[peter w]

Interesting to read about Grealish's performance as I don't think many on here included him as their MOTM.

[not3bad]

I would have put Grealish as joint MOTM with Amavi.

[Morleys left boot]

makes good reading Dave ,i got jack down for my man of the match i thought it was his best game for a long time

[frank]

I'd give MOTD to Grealish too, but I thought Chester had his best game for us. Gollini doesn't often come off his line and the back four plus Jedinak dealt efficiently with crosses and corners.

[dave.woodhall]

I'd give MOTD to Grealish too, but I thought Chester had his best game for us. Gollini doesn't often come off his line and the back four plus Jedinak dealt efficiently with crosses and corners.

We were talking about that t'other day. Is it just a Villa thing or do keepers seem a lot less dominant than they used to?

[adrenachrome]

I'd give MOTD to Grealish too, but I thought Chester had his best game for us. Gollini doesn't often come off his line and the back four plus Jedinak dealt efficiently with crosses and corners.

We were talking about that t'other day. Is it just a Villa thing or do keepers seem a lot less dominant than they used to?

Referees don't allow them to "clean out" anyone in their way anymore, and managers like Fergie, Wenger and Mouriinho got clever with bending any rule change by having players deliberately standing offside and using players purely for blocking.

When Peter McParland was asked about the Man Utd goalkeeper after a certain FA Cup  final, he said:   "he shouldn't have been in the fucking way".

An old cynic would say that football has become gentrified or poncified for its new audience.
 

[peter w]

I'd give MOTD to Grealish too, but I thought Chester had his best game for us. Gollini doesn't often come off his line and the back four plus Jedinak dealt efficiently with crosses and corners.

We were talking about that t'other day. Is it just a Villa thing or do keepers seem a lot less dominant than they used to?

I think things changed with the back pass rule. because keepers can't just come to the edge of the box to pick the ball up from a team mate they are forced to be deeper when the opposition have the ball and tend to barely venture out. I also think with the better athleticism and lighter balls keepers venturing to far off their goal line will find themselves beaten more often than not than seen previously. I think that has all contributed to keepers taking the safety first option of staying where they are more often than not. (You can throw in the change in the offside rule too).

[Bottom Right 89]

Good piece as always Dave. There were positive signs all over the pitch on Saturday, I actually want to pay to go and watch my team again. That bit of skill from Kodjia in the second half where he beat the Cardiff player with a game of charades was one of the best tricks I've seen at a football match. It would be easy to get carried away it's part of us Villa fans DNA but to see lads coming towards the fans after the game looking happy, enjoying their football and showing signs of togetherness is a step in the right direction. Acid test on Saturday get something there and I will start to believe it's 1988 again.

[andyh]

When was the last time we had 3 or 4 genuine contenders for MOTM ?
We are making steady progression for sure.