Eric Black

[peter w]

Why? We don't know how Grealish has done in training? He has hardly set the world on fire when he has played so maybe BlACK'S FEELING IS THAT HE'LL TAKE HIM OUT OF THE FIRING LINE FOR THE REST OF THIS (I'll stop shouting) season and he can start witha f resh slate next season. As for Adama I don't know. But he has played little this season under any of the managers when fit, which hasn't been often.

Maybe he doesn't fit the shape at the moment, isn't ready, maybe Black's protecting him because he's been injuried quitye often after getting a start.

The manager must look after the youngsters as much as possible and that also means at times not throwing them in simply because the fans want them to play. Say he had played the pair of them and they had been crap, what then? If this was September and they were both match fit and the team were losing every game then I'd question the decision. But in April/May when a caretaker manager comes into a struggling team, that the fans have already turned on, that is seeing turmoil upstairs, that has seen relegation?? What's the point?

for the fans? The fans already make playing at Villa difficult for Villa players and it's not like we've seen anything this season that suggests Adama, Grealish, or whichever name out of the hat that you want to throw in would suddenly brighten the shite.

[peter w]

that team he picked for the last game of the season for the fans was an absolute disgrace

The team that got our first point in in the last 12 games?  The team that kept our first clean sheet since February?  The team that stopped Newcastle fans jubilantly dancing on our graves?  You mean that team?

Wow, way to describe a dismal 0-0 with the next worst team in the league.

Yes Newcastle were shit and so were we. However, we've been like this all season. What makes anyone think picking any other players that we've used would make things any different? Its almost like people are believing that black is just refusing to pick our world beaters just because he hates us. He's picking what he's picking because they're all as shit as each other.

[AVH87]

Why? We don't know how Grealish has done in training? He has hardly set the world on fire when he has played so maybe BlACK'S FEELING IS THAT HE'LL TAKE HIM OUT OF THE FIRING LINE FOR THE REST OF THIS (I'll stop shouting) season and he can start witha f resh slate next season. As for Adama I don't know. But he has played little this season under any of the managers when fit, which hasn't been often.

Maybe he doesn't fit the shape at the moment, isn't ready, maybe Black's protecting him because he's been injuried quitye often after getting a start.

The manager must look after the youngsters as much as possible and that also means at times not throwing them in simply because the fans want them to play. Say he had played the pair of them and they had been crap, what then? If this was September and they were both match fit and the team were losing every game then I'd question the decision. But in April/May when a caretaker manager comes into a struggling team, that the fans have already turned on, that is seeing turmoil upstairs, that has seen relegation?? What's the point?

for the fans? The fans already make playing at Villa difficult for Villa players and it's not like we've seen anything this season that suggests Adama, Grealish, or whichever name out of the hat that you want to throw in would suddenly brighten the shite.

As soon as you write that, it makes me think don't attend matches very often.

These aren't names plucked out of a hat, one has just been picked in an England Under-21 squad, the other was on Barcelona's books and had a valuation of £7m less than a year ago. Also, throwing the one youngster in so far that he has, Toner, did 'brighten the shite' slightly imo.

[edgysatsuma89]

He doesn't need to play all the kids to play some slightly more attacking football. The use of kids can be argued for ages, I get both views (I personally would). There is no excuse for the defensive football he has played regardless.

Black and Buttler are on the wicket and Black has been given a free hit. Buttler goes up to him and says 'Aim for middle leg and get some height on it... easy boundary'. Black - 'Nah, I'll go defensive. Might nick a run'. Buttler - 'What's the point? Just go for it, what is to lose? You might even look good'.

 I have no fucking idea what his response would be. I can't think why he's setting up like he is. It would probably piss me off anyway.

[peter w]

Toner has been given a chance so we'll see where he goes with it. I haven't seen anything from him to suggest he'll do anything for us other than be an extra defensive body rather than Richards or Okore.

Not sure what your point is about the emboldened bit. You think Villa Park has been great for the players over the past few months?

[PeterWithesShin]

Adama has brightened the shite pretty much every time he's played. I'm struggling to think of any appearance he's made where he doesn't done something exciting and caused the opposition problems.

[peter w]

He's raw granted, and has a lot of speed but too many blind alleys at the moment. Personally I'd like to see him start but given that appears to have chocolate ankles or legs I'd be quite happy for him to have the rest of the time off until August. i don't want him to play now just so I can get excited to see him running past an Arsenal player at full pelt.

[paul_e]

Adama does run down blind alleys , that's because he's inexperienced, keeping him on the bench until he no longer does that isn't a solution.  Aside from that have Bacuna and Sinclair done anything to warrant staying in the team ahead of him?  There have been some comments about training but we can't take that into account, only what we can see, and what we see is that players who are proven to not be good enough are still playing ahead of guys who just might make us a better team.

[AVH87]

Toner has been given a chance so we'll see where he goes with it. I haven't seen anything from him to suggest he'll do anything for us other than be an extra defensive body rather than Richards or Okore.

Not sure what your point is about the emboldened bit. You think Villa Park has been great for the players over the past few months?

I disagree that the fans make it difficult for players to play at VP, the likes of Lescott and Bacuna have had a hard time for a couple of months because of a series of high-profile gaffes off the pitch, so they have brought it on themselves. I highly doubt any young player thrown in to play at VP would find it a difficult atmosphere to play in, infact Toner's comments were 'Last home game of the season and have to say what an atmosphere' after the Newcastle game.

As for Traore, by continuing to leave him out as you suggest, the chances of him wanting to stick around next season can only decrease, he's had two injuries through the whole season and one was caused by playing against League 2 plodders.

[peter w]

Adama does run down blind alleys , that's because he's inexperienced, keeping him on the bench until he no longer does that isn't a solution.  Aside from that have Bacuna and Sinclair done anything to warrant staying in the team ahead of him?  There have been some comments about training but we can't take that into account, only what we can see, and what we see is that players who are proven to not be good enough are still playing ahead of guys who just might make us a better team.

But there must be a reason 3 managers this season have not played Adama (injuries aside) so there must be a reason behind that. It can't just be let's play him and see what he'll do - as I said I would like to see more of him - but those that are more knowledgeable and closer to what is actually going on haven't fancied him. With that he can't just be picked because the fans want him to be and he can't be used as a stick to beat Black's selection policy with.

[chrisw1]

Toner has been given a chance so we'll see where he goes with it. I haven't seen anything from him to suggest he'll do anything for us other than be an extra defensive body rather than Richards or Okore.

Not sure what your point is about the emboldened bit. You think Villa Park has been great for the players over the past few months?

I disagree that the fans make it difficult for players to play at VP, the likes of Lescott and Bacuna have had a hard time for a couple of months because of a series of high-profile gaffes off the pitch, so they have brought it on themselves. I highly doubt any young player thrown in to play at VP would find it a difficult atmosphere to play in, infact Toner's comments were 'Last home game of the season and have to say what an atmosphere' after the Newcastle game.

As for Traore, by continuing to leave him out as you suggest, the chances of him wanting to stick around next season can only decrease, he's had two injuries through the whole season and one was caused by playing against League 2 plodders.

Are you serious?  Thev'e make it almost impossible for the last 2 months with the ridiculous booing (which is another debate).  The atmosphere has been absolutely fucking poisonous.  It was good against Newcastle as we didn't concede and were laughing at them again.  Do you think it would have been so good if we had gone all gung-ho and they had scored a few?

[Chris Jameson]

Admittedly I've only been to three matches at Villa Park this season but it's laughable to suggest the support have made it difficult for the players, with our home record over the last three seasons our support has been incredibly patient. The very few players that got stick thoroughly deserved it, Lyden got a tremendous reception when his name was read out at the Bournemouth match.

[Witton Warrior]

Admittedly I've only been to three matches at Villa Park this season but it's laughable to suggest the support have made it difficult for the players, with our home record over the last three seasons our support has been incredibly patient. The very few players that got stick thoroughly deserved it, Lyden got a tremendous reception when his name was read out at the Bournemouth match.

Very specific players were booed - some basically ignored - a few clapped - and every youngster cheered. Several times the level of positive support has been superb; on 74 minutes the noise has been ramped up further.

[PeterWithesShin]

"Absolutely fucking poisonous" is a tad over the top. A few specific players getting booed and some songs against the owner. It's hardly been a cauldron of hate.

Besides, what were the excuses for them being shit at home for at least the previous 5 years prior to the last couple of months?

[AVH87]

Toner has been given a chance so we'll see where he goes with it. I haven't seen anything from him to suggest he'll do anything for us other than be an extra defensive body rather than Richards or Okore.

Not sure what your point is about the emboldened bit. You think Villa Park has been great for the players over the past few months?

I disagree that the fans make it difficult for players to play at VP, the likes of Lescott and Bacuna have had a hard time for a couple of months because of a series of high-profile gaffes off the pitch, so they have brought it on themselves. I highly doubt any young player thrown in to play at VP would find it a difficult atmosphere to play in, infact Toner's comments were 'Last home game of the season and have to say what an atmosphere' after the Newcastle game.

As for Traore, by continuing to leave him out as you suggest, the chances of him wanting to stick around next season can only decrease, he's had two injuries through the whole season and one was caused by playing against League 2 plodders.

Are you serious?  Thev'e make it almost impossible for the last 2 months with the ridiculous booing (which is another debate).  The atmosphere has been absolutely fucking poisonous.  It was good against Newcastle as we didn't concede and were laughing at them again.  Do you think it would have been so good if we had gone all gung-ho and they had scored a few?

Yep I'm deadly serious. 2 players getting booed for around 2-3 months max, which they brought on themselves with their behaviour/comments, does not mean that VP is a difficult place for our players to play. The atmosphere was very good for most games for the first 6 months of this season, in the hope that it might help things improve. Despite it being the worst season any of our fans can remember, they still made the Newcastle game an atmosphere better than anywhere else in the country, and get behind players who give their all for the shirt (which tends to be kids rather than mercenaries like Lescott/Richards/Bacuna).