Eric Black

[sickbeggar]

I hope our next proper manager picks exactly the side the fans want otherwise he'll be getting dogs abuse after a month.

[john2710]

Whilst I'd like to see the likes of Bacuna, Richards and Lescott removed from our club, why should a group of young inexperienced players get damaged and attempt to pick up the shit created by the these useless fuckers.

Black has been placed in a shit position, with a group of players who are disgrace, throwing some random youngsters in before they are ready would, in my opinion, be criminal. Making the fuckers who got us here suffer is the lesser evil.

[LeeB]

Wholeheartedly disagree with just about everything being said. i think one of the only people coming through this period with any credit is Eric Black. First of all his team selections. Given the players at his disposal there is very little options he has. Also, he probably knows which players will be here next season and those that want to go. Seeing as Adama may be one of those not going to be here next season, why play him? for me Black is trying to stabilise the team before we go down. we need to have a team that finishes the season that finishes the season to have more of a togetherness for the new manager to come in and mould. We simply can't start the season with 11 new players so need to stabilise with players that we are going to need at the start of next season. That is likely to be the likes of Hutton, Clark, Westwood, Grealish, maybe Amavi, with question marks over Sanchez, Gestede, Sinclair, and even Bacuna.

We're not going to be able to shift 15 and buy 15 and expect to hit the ground running. We need a base. black recognises this and in all honesty there may not be as much surgery needed as is probably thought at first. Guzan is good enough for the Championship but maybe its time to move him on. At least one Steve Sims type stopper is needed. A couple of midfielders, one wide man and two forwards. Witha solid base that could be enough to not only stabilise us but keep us upward looking.

it would be total folly not to say remiss of Black, to just throw kids in now and not play players we may need to rely on next season. The players we don't want around the place - Gabby, Richardson (out of contract?), Richards, Lescott, Okores - need to be jettisoned and the ones we are either likely to move on or will want to move on - Cissokho, Gil, Veretout, Gana, Ayew, Adama aren't really important now and the odd one or two may be needed until the end of the season. Lescott for instance.

But I think Black is doing a great job in what is probably the worst environment he has probably ever worked in. When we get this if not right, at least calmed down and stable, I hope his input will be recognised. I think he deserves our support for what he's trying to do for us for next season. If we do well next season I think the work he is trying to do now will go and long way towards that.

I agree mate.

[brian green]

With respect, putting the young players into the team could do them a lot of good.

We, the long suffering bedrock of the club are being stereotyped as mouth foaming zombies hell bent on taking it out on the players.  Nothing could be further from the truth but the manager and the players and the club have access to the lazy rent a quote media and the fans do not.

We, the supporters need the chance to show, Okore, Traore, Grealish, Lyden, Green, Toner and all the U21s that we are not booing them, we are booing Agbonlahor, Guzan, Lescott, Richards, Lerner, Fox, O'Neill, McLeish, Lambert, Karsa, Culverhouse, McDonald, Sherwood, Wilkins, Keane, Garde and all the roll call of incompetent buffoons who have got us into this desperate, potentially terminal situation.

[Zouch Villa]

As a club, we do seem to have been very cautious to trust in youth over recent years, whilst other clubs regularly field 17/18 year olds with success.

I absolutely understand the need to not put them into situations that might expose them to too much pressure, but surely these last few games are the perfect opportunity to give them some valuable premiership experience while we still can, rather than allow the same old bloated, journeyman players go through the motions and further alienate the club from the fans?

I know very little about Black, and I understand the diabolical team he is trying to nurse through to the end of the season, but he quickly lost any good faith I might have had for him with his condescending remarks and spineless team selections.

[aj2k77]

As much use as putting a potato in the dugout and calling it boss.

[supertom]

Whilst I'd like to see the likes of Bacuna, Richards and Lescott removed from our club, why should a group of young inexperienced players get damaged and attempt to pick up the shit created by the these useless fuckers.

Black has been placed in a shit position, with a group of players who are disgrace, throwing some random youngsters in before they are ready would, in my opinion, be criminal. Making the fuckers who got us here suffer is the lesser evil.

I don't see that at all really. I think we have three free games left to give them valuable game experience. And as much as I'd like some of the cretins we have to be put on display to be booed to buggery and back, at the same time it still pains me to see a useless arse like Bacuna playing every game.

Just for a bit of goodwill I think he's got to drop the players who quite clearly, the Villa fans detest. We know who they are. The club know who they are. The players themselves know it by now. The press knows it. Lets at least try and enjoy the last home game and see some of the kids playing.

There seems to be some misconception, perhaps even from Black himself too, that there's no goodwill left with the Villa fans. That's not true. There's only a select minority that make our piss boil because their behaviour and/or professionalism this season. If we put the U-21's out, they'd get a very good reaction. We need to build for the future. Guzan, Lescott, Richards, Bacuna and Gabby for starters need to be the first names out. They're the rotten core. You start with them as there's no way back for them. If they don't play again this season the vitriol halves already.

[john e]

As much use as putting a potato in the dugout and calling it boss.

Next season we might get the actual potato

[supertom]

As a club, we do seem to have been very cautious to trust in youth over recent years, whilst other clubs regularly field 17/18 year olds with success.

I absolutely understand the need to not put them into situations that might expose them to too much pressure, but surely these last few games are the perfect opportunity to give them some valuable premiership experience while we still can, rather than allow the same old bloated, journeyman players go through the motions and further alienate the club from the fans?

I know very little about Black, and I understand the diabolical team he is trying to nurse through to the end of the season, but he quickly lost any good faith I might have had for him with his condescending remarks and spineless team selections.

It pains me seeing Rashford and that lad at City who's scored about a million goals against us this season. Everton have always chucked their good youngsters in too.
We have one of the most productive academy's. I don't buy that we can't produce better than Westwood, Bacuna, Bowery, Lowton, Sylla, etc, etc. I think we've wasted good money on signing players (regardless of them being "cheap") when we probably had potentially better in our youth set up. Johnson, Bannan and Albrighton are thriving at other clubs now. Some we gave up on too soon. Some we let their places go to inferior players (Cahill for one).

Lyden has looked okay. Green looked lively when he appeared. There's a group of players who seem to stand out most weeks for the u-21's. We've spent good money on this academy. We have a group now we need to bring through, if anything to put them in the shop window because with relegation I'd imagine we'll cut costs on the academy and the standard of player will drop even further. But we must be, at the very least, bringing up players who could play in the championship.

PLAY THEM!!

[peter w]

Sorry PW completely disagree, he is making a shit storm of it. If he put in a team made up of the few first teamers still with credit and the youngsters/b team the fans would be behind them 100% regardless of result. The atmosphere would change, heads would rise and foundations would be laid for next season. U talk about no choice but would this line up have done that much worse today;

Bunn
Hutton Okore Clarke Toner
Lyden Westwood Gueye Grealish
Ayew Green

Subs Gestede Traore Veretout and a few from the academy

So you'd have Bunn who hasn't shown he's much cop and despite his completely fallen stock with many Guzan has been okay ish recently. Clark was injured apparently, Toner is a kid who you'd introduce into a volatile atmosphere out of position, Okore has said he won't play, Lydein isn't a wide midfielder - I think - so you'd open him to scorn when yet another cross isn't successful or a run isn't made. Grealish for all his promise is coming off a very poor season and some injuries. Green is an interesting one but Black thought it best not to blood him right now. I can't see other than fans wanting or believing Green is going to make that much of an impact why Black's call isn't the right one.

Just because we don't like many of our players we shouldn't be shoehorning kids in.

[Proposition Joe]

It's not just Black's teams that concern me, but how much more damage is he doing behind the scenes?  He's already burnt all our bridges with Okore.

[brian green]

I just don't get the word "shoehorn".

[manic-road]

It's not just Black's teams that concern me, but how much more damage is he doing behind the scenes?  He's already burnt all our bridges with Okore.

Okore has burnt his own bridge by refusing to play for the Villa.

[Clampy]

I would have liked him to put some of the kids in but at the same time I can see why he hasn't. For me, his biggest fault is that he's too cautious. Last week he left it until 7 minutes from time to put on a striker and yesterday when he did put one on, he took Ayew off. We're down now, what's the point in playing one up front?

[Monty]

There's just no excuse in playing Bacuna when you can literally play anyone else. Play the fucking tea lady for all I care, that scrap of ordure should never appear in a Villa shirt ever again.