It's not Sherwood!

[Ron Manager]

Who are they likely to play at centre half as Shawcross is out...thank god? Is Cameron banned for this match. At the other end Crouchy will need to be marked very closely, by Vlaar I should think.

[ozzjim]

First 3 league games are vital. Start with 5 plus points and we will survive. Start with less and there is no momentum. Saturday really is massive considering their injury and suspension issues.

[Tom_Mc9?]

I think we'll win fairly handsomely on Saturday. Shackles are off and we'll win 2 or 3 nil. Onwards and upwards.

[Jarpie]

From our last 13 games I'd say 9 are quite winnable:
Stoke H *
Newcastle A
WBA H *
Sunderland A *
Swansea H
QPR H *
Everton H *
West Ham H
Southampton A
Burnley H *

Marked the most "winnable" games with *, in my opinion. Southampton is a question mark as depends if they have chance to make it top 4 or not, if they have a chance they'll play with 100%, but if they're out of the top 4 contention, they're gonna be on the beach.

Given the games we have to play I'd say our chances to stay up are good.

[ozzjim]

Any manager would look at those home games and think they could win at least 4 of them. Benteke scores a couple this weekend and we will much better off

[spk]

Every single league game is a club we have beaten in the last two seasons.

[walsall villain]

From our last 13 games I'd say 9 are quite winnable:
Stoke H *
Newcastle A
WBA H *
Sunderland A *
Swansea H
QPR H *
Everton H *
West Ham H
Southampton A
Burnley H *

Marked the most "winnable" games with *, in my opinion. Southampton is a question mark as depends if they have chance to make it top 4 or not, if they have a chance they'll play with 100%, but if they're out of the top 4 contention, they're gonna be on the beach.

Given the games we have to play I'd say our chances to stay up are good.

With a more positive approach definitely, with the old approach and regime I would say we were buggered.
In Lamberts first year we were in a similar position and went for it, at times we rode our luck such as QPR at home, but it was exciting. I am ageing like Lerner with all this stress year after year.

[QBVILLA]

Sherwood had a short but successful spell at Spurs, he lost his job because they wanted someone with a higher profile.

Pochettino is hardly Fabio Capello or Sven.

I think they just wanted a better manager than the one that they had.

No he isn't but he had in a season and a half turned Southampton from relegation strugglers to 8th in the Prem. I doubt he's have got the Spurs gig without Southampton on his CV. Combined with the football his side played his stock and his profile was high in the summer.

[Dave]

They picked him up because of what he achieved with Southampton sure, but because of their results and style of play. Nothing to do with how "high profile" he was.

We wouldn't have taken Sherwood fom Spurs' youth team, so he wouldn't have got the Villa job without being Spurs' manager on his CV. But we didn't replace Lambert with Sherwood because of his profile it because we hope that he will be a better manager. Just as Spurs did with Pochettino.

[silhillvilla]

In recent seasons posters have been scoffed at for suggesting any certain game as "must win".
I honestly think we are now entering a vital period where there are genuine must win games starting with Stoke .

[silhillvilla]

Next 5 games is massive for us . I think we will be know after the Swansea game if it looks on or not .

[chrisw1]

Whilst you are right of course, we are far better placed squad wise to have a better end of season than a few teams around us. With the new manager ' bounce' I'd say we are strong fabourites to stay up.

[adrenachrome]

Whilst you are right of course, we are far better placed squad wise to have a better end of season than a few teams around us. With the new manager ' bounce' I'd say we are strong fabourites to stay up.

Yes, the best odds against us going down are now 13/8 compared with 10/11 for QPR.  5/1 against Sunderland which might tempt some of the posters on this forum.

[Steve67]

Twists and turns still to be had. I fancy Sunderland to join the bottom three at some point as they are looking very shabby at the moment.

[silhillvilla]

Twists and turns still to be had. I fancy Sunderland to join the bottom three at some point as they are looking very shabby at the moment.

Lose to WBA this weekend and I think poyet will be gone and they'll appoint Warnock ?