villianusa

Pleasure to meet you, Mrs Bruce.

That's what I read, that's why I was wondering how he found his way here. Now we know what Calderwood does.

How do you know this? Did you hack his computer?

Individual mistakes

Maybe Agnew has taught them some new tricks.

I have played this formation with teams I have coached and it can be a negative or aggressive line up. I have played it where the front four don't come back unless any of the opponents back four come forward. Push the wide players on and make the fullbacks think about going forward. Play the attaching mid close to the forward and have them two work together to stop the two center halves moving forward, It is key the two centermids stick together and move in all directions as a unit. If they get pulled apart it could be trouble.

I'm hoping more like this with Hogan playing on the shoulder of last defender. I'm hoping this formation will make us get the ball down and play.

Not if Jedi and Whelan playing there allows the three other players to push forward an 10-15 feet and be a little lazy coming back.

My team suggestion for the Sheffield game. Hmmmmm!

I agree Tro, that is why a number of formation, patterns of play need to be practiced preseason. Don't think that has happened, so it might be too late.

i'll agree with most that he hasn't been used in a formation that suits him. For me, it has to be a standard 442, a diamond in the middle four. He needs to play off the shoulder of a big guy (Davis), or on the last defender. He needs balls slipped through behind the central defenders, or low balls in and around the penalty spot. This isn't happening, but I feel at the moment he needs to start come Tuesday. I see him playing slightly ahead of Grealish come Tuesday and struggling, but I hope to be presently surprised.

This is the Davis thread though right?

We will see the best from him when players closest to him push on ten yards or so. He becomes isolated and I have said before he does his best work too far from goal. The closer he gets to goal, the more nervous he seems to get, which is understandable considering his experience. He has a passing rate of over 80% according to stats, which I feel is more than adequate for the job he is doing. We need to start hitting balls between the penalty spot and six yard line from out wide and let him attack them. He will score goals and also create, but the team needs to play to his strengths.

1. For me it's probably the time I have been playing and coaching over the last 40 years or so. I know the impact that losing three key players down the spine of your team has and the effect it has on the rest of the team. Until, Terry went down, and to some effect Samba we were doing okay, and could of caught Cardiff. With Samba going and no really replacement of their quality we are struggling at the back. When your defense is weak the rest of the team feel it and don't perform at their level. Players become unsure and tentative in what they do. This cause errors that shouldn't be happening and the whole team plus fans get on edge. Fans won't see things the same and that's okay, people see things with different lens, but if Bruce is sacked now we won't know who would have been right. Performances haven't been great but we were getting results, the last three games haven't been the case. For me, this stems from not having a solid back four. 2. Not sure and I don't really care, but I do know he has got two teams promoted through the playoff with the last being in 2016.

He finished some way of the playoffs, but taking over what he did, he did okay. Nothing special but okay. This is the season he has to get us promoted, and even though he should be closer to the top two, he still has a chance of doing that. He could still possibly get us through the playoff but even that is the case. This style of football won't keep us in the Premier League for long. I'm would be happy to see him go at the end of the season even if we do go up. Recent results have been poor and we haven't been able to capitalize on slip-ups of other teams. The next few games are crucial to him and the team, and it wouldn't surprise me if the Dr. has already sounded managers out.

Two points from the last nine isn't what I expected. I expected 6 but would of been okay with four. Sadly, we are making individual errors in critical defensive areas, and we aren't scoring enough goals. Problem is, Terry isn't going to be back quick enough and neither is Codger. Our defensive unit relied on support for Chester from Terry and Samba, who both played very well, but both are now injured. We are relying our best center midfield from last season, who has been out most of the season through injury to come in an sort it out. If Jedi had been playing all season, I belief he could of dropped in there, but it has been a mistake and Bruce needs to rectify it before the next game. Our forward line has been decimated by injury also, and we are relying on 19 year old with his training wheels still on to be our savior in front of goal. Even though, he has done fairly well, he needs more support closer to their goal. Two center backs, one center midfielder (Jedi), and three forwards injured for a good part of the season, doesn't make for our best team, when our best central defender, center midfielder, and forward are missing. The squad is good enough but sadly they and Bruce have made mistakes. Bruce with player placement and players with Sunday League errors. Injuries have been an obstacle this season and would be for any manager, but if we don't get six points from the next nine and are outside the top six then I will join GH's bandwagon and say he needs to go.

To answer the OP, I would be talking to Bruce and find out what he is going to do to win on Tuesday.

Very poor today needs to back in center mid.

Thanks, Dr.

Great start to the game, then players bottle in and can't be asked. Said he should have started with Elphick and that was his big mistake from the game. Results can't go on for much longer than this.

A "So close, but no cigar sort of player" There always seems to be something game. Hopefully, we'll see it all before the season ends.

Poor defending and individual mistakes cost us an easy victory. Players have no urgency.

I'm glad you can see into the future. Lottery numbers anyone?

Slight change for me, I would Jedi in and push the four forward players on ten yards, and tell them only to come back if any of the back four of Utd came forward. I would also bring Hogan in as it would force us to play on the floor more, with him playing on the shoulder of the last man. Make the opponents worry about the "Fab Four", with the security of the "Solid Six" behind them. If we happened to go behind, I would revert to yours, but Jedi in for Whelan.

The games I have watched this season that we have played well in, we have played a high pressing game. This has to be done as a team and not as individuals. I have seen too many games where a Villa player will press and player, but the player will just lay it off to one of his team mates without a Villa player anywhere near him. The same will happen again, a Villa player will press the new player with a ball and everyone backs off the rest of the players and we give up too much space. Due to the above tactics the opposition have too much time on the ball and they become comfortable an can ease into the game. When we do win possession playing like that, our players are too far apart and we don't link up very well, and don't hang onto the ball on enough to mount an attack. For instance, if Davis presses the center defender with the ball, the two wide players (Albert and Snodgress), need to press closer to the two fullbacks, with Omonah, pushing a little bit closer to Davis on the side the open center half is. Hourihane and Whelan push up behind Omonah, covering the side the ball is likely to go, with the back four doing similar behind the center mids. Even though, I have supported Bruce and still do on most things, I see this falling at his feet and the tactics it looks like we play in certain games. In those positions, players have to do there part and as we see they make mistake that cost us dearly also. The times wehave set out at a higher press, we have created a lot more chances, but sadly we missed way too many, or players have been selfish in front of goal. The manager and the players have both mistakes this season, and they will continue to do so, but have to work harder as an unit off the ball, to give us more chances as an unit with the ball.