Horrible first half. Slow start and scarcely improved. Agree with everyone that games this season are now about the future so why start with Conway and Bennett? In fairness Conway was not bad yesterday but Bennett is sadly now exposed as an athlete and not a footballer. Lenihan with Magliore is a combination I would like to see. Would Magliore have been so comprehensively beaten for Villa's second? Half time stats were possession 67-33 to Villa and at full time overall possession was 51-49; that alone is some turnaround against a team that needs continuing building goal difference when 3 of the chasing pack have games in hand and one really bad result could drop Villa to 10th. Glad Rothwell and Brereton helped change the tide. Both have been guilty of losing possession cheaply but not the case yesterday which for me dictates both should get starts against Stoke. Having said that, we didn't play like a side that believed it could equalise. If you are a top 6 Premier League side you can build a platform of second half possession and know you can grab the goal you need in the last ten minutes. Saying Rovers are not at that level is beyond a statement of the bleeding obvious. Mowbray's post match comments sounded slightly desperate to me.

Kid will be OK- he will come good.

Neither a hammering nor a performance until Joe came on.

Big swing at top with late goals for Leeds and Bristol City.

Bell goal machine keeps firing.

No shots on target yet from Rovers.

Bennett sending off is coming.

Well we had a sabbatical

Bennett living dangerously with these fouls.

Yes. PNE 2 down, Notlob winning, dingles winning. Villa bossing it.

Bennett booked so half time sub on the cards.

Conway woodwork. 2 corners for Rovers as well. Feeling shocked...

So much for seeing a performance from Rovers. 1-0 and Villa 84% possession.

Big game for me. Up until Brentford away we gave every team we played bar Sheff U at home and Derby away (but still nicked a point) a thorough examination for at least 60 minutes and most for at least 80 minutes. If the returning players are as good as they think they are and Mowbray can remember how to set a team up properly, we will give Villa a good game even if we lose. No shame in losing to a team in Villa's current form. If we don't give Villa plenty of scares then it's a case of thanks lads but time for an extensive renewal.

Dingles made £36.6m profit last year.

Oh boy this is embarrassing. I was thinking of Wagstaffe, not Cowans. You are absolutely correct. All Midlands clubs look the same from this distance in time and space.....

Yes Tugay was superbly accurate to feet and into space when his invisible friend was injured but Cowan's ability to stop a ball hit with pace was superior and produced more often- not unusual to do it four times in a match.

Never seen 25 and 30 yard passes with so much backspin before or since. Balls hit so they stopped in the path of the winger.

Huge difference between losing and making a real scrap of it and getting beaten without a scrap. Performance is all in this one.

thanks for the link. Sobering reading. Have to be grateful for Venky's not walking away from their own mess.

I received flak when I gave £250m as the rough number last year.

Incredible result! City should go through but odds on Liverpool going out.

Glad he scored again for u-23s

Need to win the next two

"That process has already started.”