I read a story yesterday that Aston Villa are considering selling Ezri Konsa. Then I saw the source and I relaxed. I mean, only a fool would consider selling a 24 year old with this much talent.
Steven Gerrard might be new into management but he isn't a fool and neither is Christian Purslow, the Aston Villa CEO.
Everyone knows that the job of the manager is to manage and the job of the coaches is to coach. Ezri Konsa, at 24 years old, is prime for coaching and only a fool would think selling him and not coaching him was the right thing to do.
And that I've dedicated so much to a nothing story shows that I'm looking for stuff to write about. And we should be focusing all efforts on Brighton because today is a big game. Brighton have picked up six points from the last six games, while we have picked up five.
Both sides are in a horrid run and that means it's either going to continue or change for one of us. Keep your fingers crossed it's the latter and it's for us. I'm not convinced, but I'm not as optimistic as I was. I never wanted the bounce.
Anyway, it's coming up and there is nothing we can do to change it. And today, I'm going to the pub and I'm going to eat hot wings and I'm going to hope for something positive. I'm going to stumble out a little drunk and hopefully happy.
The manager
Facts from the BBC
Head-to-head
- Brighton's only victory in the past 13 competitive meetings was by 2-1 in the Premier League at Villa Park in November 2020 (D5, L7).
- Albion's most recent home win against Aston Villa came in the top flight at the Goldstone Ground in December 1980.
- This season's reverse Premier League fixture was won 2-0 by Aston Villa in Steven Gerrard's first match as their head coach. Villa can do the league double over Brighton for the first time since 1981-82.
Brighton & Hove Albion
- Brighton have won only one of their past nine home league games, beating Brentford on Boxing Day (D5, L3).
- They have suffered back-to-back defeats, directly following a club record unbeaten run of seven Premier League matches.
- Albion can equal their longest Premier League losing streak under Graham Potter of three games.
- All seven of their league wins this season were against teams currently below them in the table.
- The Seagulls' Premier League record without Adam Webster this season is: W1, D6, L3.
- Danny Welbeck has scored in each of his last four Premier League starts versus Aston Villa.
Aston Villa
- Steven Gerrard's side have only won once in eight competitive fixtures since Christmas, taking five points from seven league games during that period.
- Excluding the three promoted clubs, Aston Villa's tally of 13 Premier League defeats this season is a joint-high alongside Everton.
- Villa have lost eight of their 12 top-flight away games in 2021-22, already one more defeat than in the whole of last season.
- They have only drawn one of their 19 away league matches since a goalless stalemate at Amex Stadium a year ago.