Heretic

Hourihane 3-1!

Highlights of Villa v Bristol City: http://www.skysports.com/football/a-villa-vs-bristol-c/374919

If we can find another club with a similar player, maybe we could arrange a 'Strangers on a Train' situation? (To the law enforcement agencies reading this, this post is entirely comic).

Love your thinking. Fire us to second and nut Savage on his way to celebrate with the Holte.

Actually, I did. We have some of the division's top players, IMO. Chester, Terry, Kodjia, Jack (on form), Albert, Hourihane (yes, I think so). There's some good players surrounding them - e.g. Jedi. At home with the great support, I think we should look at this game and say, we should win this.

From the Twitterverse (quoting WM). Bruce on loaning a striker: “We dont think it’ll happen until the end of January. We’ve got one or two things bubbling.” [bbc wm] #avfc Wonder how poor old Scott Hogan's feeling... That said, it would be good to have an extra option heading into the home stretch. Could offer some crucial goals to keep us in the hunt.

I thought I couldn't like Bristol any more...

Now you really are full of shit...

Who cares? You. It's why you've quoted it. It was an assessment of Bristol's performance over 90 minutes, that's all. I imagine it's an assessment that their manager will share. When you assess the performance of Villa, it isn't irrelevant to assess the opposition. When assessing Celtic's 7-1 defeat, is it irrelevant to point out it was to PSG, not Greenock Morton? The real issue is why you take forum posts so personally? It's almost as if your entire night has been ruined. I didn't intend for that to happen, I assure you. I don't take posts as personal slights or let other fan opinions dilute or amplify my enjoyment or despair at Villa. I can't tarnish anything. I don't have the power. I'm sure the club, the players, and manager couldn't care less what I think and nothing I've said has tarnished anything for them. They doin't know I exist. I read views, offer mine as long as I'm allowed and choose to, and debate a little because we all have something in common despite often never meeting - Aston Villa. After a short while, I realise that the other person won't change (as I often don't, but sometimes do) so I move on unoffended. Nothing significant in my life turns on the forum.

You're as entitled to your opinion as I am. You watched the game as I did. I thought Jack was excellent. But IMO, they gave him far too much freedom in the middle. Sheff Utd had clearly identified his dangerousness. I don't think Bristol had heard of him before. They let him play and he ran rings around them. Great for us and Jack. Jack's showing the player that's always been there and hopefully will be there more consistently. Bristol made a tactical error in not getting to him quickly enough. He's the best player in the team with the ball at his feet. Allowing a guy to run from his own half (I think he started there) to the edge of your penalty area (the pass for Snoddy's goal) without any of your team near him isn't good play or Jack's brilliance. All you need is someone with the legs to get near him and put him off. That's not even football - it's athletics. It's just awful. It's the first thing the Bristol manager will bring up in the team meeting when they show the video - how can he waltz through untouched? He didn't even have to ride tackles. Just run. I acknowledge it's just one phase of play, quite true. But they stood off him too much, and got punished. Surely scouts seeing this match will scratch off the 'let Grealish roam unfettered' as a tactic.

No. You perceived something absent because you equated Bristol being poor with Villa being poor. I don't know why you would. You picked the interpretation that offered the opportunity for conflict. That's an issue with you, not me. Villa were very good. Who flukes their way to a 5-0 win? Whatever's put in front of you, you have to create the chances to beat it. But they weren't as hard to beat as Sheff Utd, as one example. Not even close.

No problem. You're entitled to your opinion. If that implies they played as well as Sheff Utd, I disagree with you. If I hadn't seen the table and you told me at the end of the game that Sheff Utd. were playoff contenders, I'd happily believe you. If we say the same but replace it with Bristol, I'd never believe it. I'm amazed this lot are anywhere near top 6. They even found time to push a big defender up front. A tactic derided here when Bruce does it with Samba, but for Bristol it's all part of their good play - the tactics branch. They created less than Sheff Utd. Didn't get to grips with Grealish as well (at all, all night actually). Didn't trouble Johnstone as much. Didn't close down nearly as well. Left far more space in the middle of the pitch for Grealish to roam through (take the 50yard Grealish run to Snoddy for the goal - Mr Basham of Sheff Utd would've stopped that). But if you think that means they were no more for the taking than Sheff Utd., so be it.

Good point. He looked like part of a team, rather than a sheepdog herding sheep he couldn't control.

Hutton's more dangerous at LB than RB. Certainly tonight. Hutton really is an enigma.

You told me my future. If you don't have a crystal ball, I don't know how else you predict the future of posters. Tarot? This all started because some posters felt that accurately appraising Bristol was a slight on Villa. If Bristol were bad, then Villa were bad too. I think that's a fool's logic. I didn't claim Villa were poor. They were very good. How could they fluke 5-0? Surely it was obvious that Villa had to play well. But there's a few very sensitive posters around here that live for conflict and they get their fill here by starting some if none comes their way. They analyse comments that can be interpreted two ways and always pick the one that offers the most conflict. Fortunately I don't share their troubled psychology.

For me, Jedinak offers a security in the middle that I don't get with Whelan.

The pass to Thor was excellent. Perfectly weighted. They had little answer to his energy and drive.

Thanks for telling me how to live and outlining the consequences if I choose not to take your sage counsel. I don't often meet fans with a crystal ball.

No, I referred to what you wrote. If they weren't crap for some of the game, who cares? Football is played from first whistle to last. Whatever they had it amounted to little and not for long enough. Sam Johnstone had an easy night. They didn't shackle Grealish like Sheff Utd. They didn't close down well enough. They left the gaps Sheff Utd didn't.

Re-read the first part, then the second.

We were very good. I'm simply saying, Bristol did not play well tonight. Sheff Utd were much better, for example. Better ball retention, better quality of passing. They got hold of Grealish (Basham targeted him). Bristol had zero answers for him.

No. Why would you draw that conclusion because of the result of one game? What's puzzling me is the praise for a team on the end of a 5-0 beating?

Well in the game, and outplayed? I think it's the latter.

Of course.

They were 'well in the game'? I wonder if the Bristol City manager and fans agree with you? If you're right, they must feel okay with today's performance. They were, as you say, 'well in the game?'