Lighthouse

Looking a bit like Rotherham, first 10 minutes looked like it could be a cricket score but we’ve run out of ideas in the final third.

Nothing will top David Silva against us in 2014.

Couldn't care less if he was on loan from Pompey, play your best team. As it happens Edozie then Fraser seems to be working fine, so I wouldn't change it, but his loan status has no bearing on that.

For all the arguments that it's mainly the defence that's improving, not Baz making saves; hang on, a few months ago it was his fault for not communicating with the defence and shouting loudly enough at the 'son-in-laws' etc. The best saves are the ones you don't have to make and if his calmness, control, communication and distribution are a huge part of that. If Baz never has to face another shot on target for the rest of the season then it'll be largely because of his own excellent goalkeeping.

Emery’s choices. Villa had a squad where Danny Ings was surplus to requirements, we had a squad where Juan Larios was starting games.

10 conceded in the last 16 games (only Leicester are slightly better with 9 in the same period) and only 2 in the last 7. Not bad for the worst keeper in the league.

That’s part of the whole process though. Saying you want to play it around neatly, be calm and composed in possession when defending AND play fast paced, direct attacking incisive football is like saying you want a 6ft, blonde, supermodel wife with size G knockers, who likes beer and fast cars. You’re basically asking for the same perfect football every other fan wants and to get anywhere near that from the absolute garbage we were playing six months ago was always a tall order. I’m not trying to say I always knew it would work out or even that I’ve always believed in RM, just that whatever happened was going to take time.

I’ve got a mate who used to support Ipswich but doesn’t really follow them any more. He’s an ex tractor fan.

I have an erection.

Smeg, Neff, Poggenpohl and Bosch!

£58m signings don’t go on loan to the Championship, even if you chop one if their legs off. He will 90% likely stay at Chelsea and ease his way into the side there, the 10% being a loan to a lower mid table team.

Probably just chilling out with his feet up, rent free in your head.

We’ll need to play a bit better than yesterday to keep the pressure on the three above. Hoping Leicester can turn the screw on Ipswich in the late k/o.

Finished article? The guy has done absolutely naff all in 18 months. I would expect the players with genuine potential to be taking the p*ss in this league. The likes of Bazunu, THB and Charles will need patience to become PL players, either with us or elsewhere, but they’re at least doing it at this level. Mara is not in that category, his only goal was a non-event in a game that was already over and he can’t seem to force his way into a team badly needing a decent striker.

I was hoping dropping down a division might help SM get a foothold in English football but so far he’s managed one goal, in the 96th minute, against a team 2-0 down, with ten men, who were mentally already halfway back up the A34. No reasonable offer refused IMO.

Mario Lemina turning it on against Chelsea. Better late than never. 🙄

Pleased with that, looking like a good winter for batsmen so far.

One from three.

Xmas/NY opening hours. Thankfully this year Xmas eve and NYE are both on a Sunday, so they’re out the way on a day which is sh*t and irritating the other 50 weeks of the year anyway.

He is right though. Our record signing in the PL was around £25m on Sully, I think a few people need to seriously readjust their expectations. All this chat around £30m signings and £80-100kpw wages… half it and you’re at the top end of what we might be spending. More realistically, divide by three.

What do you mean? That's literally what he's already done. Villa sold him to West Ham, for less than half what they paid for him, and he hasn't managed to turn it on at either club.

Cardiff fans probably said the same thing about Rickie Lambert. He scored four goals. I get that people are willing to take a punt on him but ‘unbelievable’? I don’t think so.

Nobody is doubting Ings finishing ability, it's his fitness and motivation to come here which is the problem. And yes, Theo DID do bad in the end, he was pretty much terrible for about 90% of his time here.

It pretty much is for a new signing who wasn’t relegated with the team originally. You may well be happy with Ings on £80kpw but the rest of the dressing room and our accountants won’t be. That’s triple the wages of the highest earner at about 18 of the 23 clubs in this league.

We’re not going to be offering any player half of £100kpw in the Championship, let alone one with as dubious a fitness record as Ings. Also, I wouldn’t be hoping for anything from Mara or Stewart at all TBH.