Sunderland v Aston Villa Saturday 2nd January 2016 3pm ko

Fantastic goal to claw us back level, only for pathetic keeping from Guzan... Ugh...

Pathetic refereeing...

1987 defending there ! - comical

Looks like I'll have to get myself a hobby. I've suddenly got months' of Saturday afternoons free because I'm done with spending my time watching this fucking shite.

It seems Sunderland both wanted and needed those points more than we did. Not much more to say really.

I don't care what anyone says Garde hasn't been brave enough, hasn't made the necessary changes - completely bottled the job.

Garde out. Give it anybody now. He can't get them motivated. Can't pick the right players and can't even coach them to run in the right place for corners.

Give it Ian Taylor for the rest of the season. At least he has some pride

I cannot fathom how after equalising with a beautiful finish it can go so so fucking wrong. Fuck them all.

mefromhere wrote:Garde out. Give it anybody now. He can't get them motivated. Can't pick the right players and can't even coach them to run in the right place for corners.

Give it Ian Taylor for the rest of the season. At least he has some pride

I think part of the criteria for getting the villa job is how often you say 'yes' - until that changes we will continue to slide - whatever the division....

We are a complete laughing stock!

Villa are comical now. The only thing that bothers me is Blues fans giving it all that. The fact I cant argue against them is depressing.

Dreadful! Are we going to stand by and let this happen. We should be protesting every game. I know people say we should be supporting the team but that's not working. So let's tell the club we want everyone out or have we just been subdued that much? That we've lost all hope and just accepting our fate

We need a January clearance sale. I'd rather see kids like Lydon now than some of these prima donnas.

This is what you get, when you continue to strip your assets, the team gets weaker and weaker each year.
Now what are the leaders going to do, buy players from the championship, because that is we're we are going,or spend big and get some decent footballers in?and try and stay up.
But it will be hard getting decent players in because of our position.
The light was switched of long ago.
I just hope we can survive in the championship, so that is we're I would be looking and try and buy some decent players. To keep us up in the championship,then try and get us out of it.but with this lot in charge I have little hope. UTV.

It was just so obvious we'd lose today the season was done weeks ago, i am surprised everyone appears to have still been harboring any hope.

It's all about Remi learning about who to keep and who to dispose of now ready for a huge promotion push nest season. All this hogwash he said about still not having given up is no doubt Fox & Lerner led in a feeble attempt to try & sell half season tickets... You never know there may be a few Fem Dom people out there who love the torture and decide to buy one.

The season is just a massive opportunity now to see who's good, who's bad and which of the signings are going to come good and which ones not. At least Remi has 18 actual games to find out now! Then a full pre season 2 transfer windows and some warm up games to get us ready for a massive promotion push.

Results this season are merely a sideshow now whilst all this takes place...i do feel sorry for ST holders mind and tbh they deserve a full refund

UnclePanda wrote:Villa are comical now. The only thing that bothers me is Blues fans giving it all that. The fact I cant argue against them is depressing.

i simply say shitest villa side in years 1 much improved small Heath 0, agree with you tho mate we are comical!utv

Richards replaces Okore in the central defence and we concede three goals in a game for the first time since the game against Watford (and the game before that, in which we conceded four?).

It's time to admit Richards was a duff buy, at least central defence.

Okore - Lescott have given us three 1-1 draws. They should be our main partnership.

However, the only thing that could save us is goals, which seems unlikely now.

Perhaps Richards should play right back to permit Okore and Lescott played together in central back.

Con wrote:Richards replaces Okore in the central defence and we concede three goals in a game for the first time since the game against Watford (and the game before that, in which we conceded four?).

It's time to admit Richards was a duff buy, at least central defence.

Okore - Lescott have given us three 1-1 draws. They should be our main partnership.

However, the only thing that could save us is goals, which seems unlikely now.

Good point, and time to try Richards at RB? Hutton at least makes the effort every week even if he's not that good. Richards makes some great passes and can defend, I'd say it was worth a try. Sure, Cissokho only has one foot but at least he can defend, and should be able to take some of the pressure off Lescott (or Clark). Gueye and Veretout are starting to form a partnership in the middle. Now we just need players around them to attack the bloody opposition, and a new goalie to take charge at the back.

Nothing much to say really, that hasn't already been said a thousand times.

We really are poor though and yes Fox we really are building something special here, especially if you are into pain and torture!

Uncle Panda, best way to shut those bluenoses up is to say "as shit as weve been and we have been shit we were still good enough to beat Small Heath" works every time for me, keep the faith VTID

Every good defence has a great organizer in the central defence position.

Last season Vlaar was "good" - not great but good, and good is apparently better than we have right now. Clark can have good games but is inconsistent.

Lescott is not as good as Vlaar and Richards is not an organizer. If he was brought in as an "organizer" then you must ask what the heck has gone on with our scouting over the summer.

Ideally, a good defence also needs their keeper to excel in being able to organize, especially at set pieces. I notice Arsenal seem to be more consistent this year with Cech in net. No coincidence. He is a great organizer.

Guzan is a reasonable organizer but is not the best. This only now makes us relegation favourites though because, unlike the most recent seasons, we don't have a good organizer in our central defence.

andrew24561 wrote:Uncle Panda, best way to shut those bluenoses up is to say "as shit as weve been and we have been shit we were still good enough to beat Small Heath" works every time for me, keep the faith VTID

As someone who doesn't live in Birmingham, the obsession with this club passes me by. I couldn't care less if they did well or badly.

How about just be fans of your own club and for good football without putting other people down. If Birmingham were promoted to the Premier League via playoffs this year, and if that quieted this annoying obsession, I would be very happy.

I like rivalries though. The rivalries I like best are us vs whichever club has the most annoying, arrogant, smug fans who need to be taken down a peg.

The Utterer wrote:It was just so obvious we'd lose today the season was done weeks ago, i am surprised everyone appears to have still been harboring any hope.

It's all about Remi learning about who to keep and who to dispose of now ready for a huge promotion push nest season. All this hogwash he said about still not having given up is no doubt Fox & Lerner led in a feeble attempt to try & sell half season tickets... You never know there may be a few Fem Dom people out there who love the torture and decide to buy one.

The season is just  a massive opportunity now to see who's good, who's bad and which of the signings are going to come good and which ones not. At least Remi has 18 actual games to find out now! Then a full pre season 2 transfer windows and some warm up games to get us ready for a massive promotion push.

Results this season are merely a sideshow now whilst all this takes place...i do feel sorry for ST holders mind and tbh they deserve a full refund

poor as these players are, Remi has to show more to be given next season. Being kind I reckon Remi might scramble 2 or three wins when the fixtures get meaningless - Thats not enough a platform to be hopeful for next season.

As for a clear out - who's going to want these players ? - Richards and Ayew aside I don't see many takers for the others -

féliré wrote:Perhaps Richards should play right back to permit Okore and Lescott played together in central back.

With Hutton limping off today, it might give Garde the opportunity to move him out to the right. It is becoming increasingly apparent that he is not a premier league centre half.