villianusa

Wanted to give Davis MOTM, as it all changed after he came on.

Bristol City win tomorrow and  we stay 1 point behind 2nd place!! How 30 minutes can change your season.

#UTV

11 minutes ago, cb_82 said:

Preston have lost 1 in 17 and 6 all season having beat Cardiff Away and drawn with Wolves Saturday despite having 10 men ...........

 

We have our best 3 attacking players injured and expect to pile through them and then boo because we dont win.....

 

So embarrassing at times......

Even with what I have said about creativity, I have watched the extended highlights and had a good number of chances. Their keeper made a number of good saves, but a lot did come from long distance. We road our luck a couple of times and Johnstone made up for another goalkeeping error.

I don't know if Chester called when he was on the line, but he would have headed that goal clear.

We have  pretty good squad and one of the better ones in the league, where we are short is in creativity. This isn't just the number ten role, this is the wide players also. We don't have the depth, and at the Bruce isn't willing to use the youth to fill in when any of the attack-minded players are out injured. We have enough quality in the center forward role to get us over the line, but if the three supply lines dry up then we will struggle to get through the play-offs, let alone get automatic promotion.

I have been a Bruce advocate, but if he tries to fit the squad players into the holes and not bring in like for like no matter of their age then he falls on his sword. For me, he has to bring in new players this weekend and continue to play the formation that has been successful with players who can produce in given areas. The reserve players should know be playing the same way as the first team, so when they are needed they can drop in. I don't watch the U23's enough to know if this is the case. Maybe, SGC can help with that one.

I haven’t seen either of the last two games due to work commitments, but it seems everyone (including Bruce), see that the creativity is missing.

Jack and Albert have missed the last two games, while Elmo and Snodgrass have missed partial parts of the game s due to injury or illness. Our first team is short on creativity from the start, with very little to come in an replace the players I mentioned earlier. We have a lot more defensive minded midfielders than attack minded. These means if Albert and Jack miss too many more games, I feel we will end up in a playoff position at the end of the season. Hogan’s resurgence was in part the creativity around him, with that gone, so as much of his effectiveness.

In my opinion, to prevent this, Bruce must do one of two things:

1. Bring in some of the attack minded players we have in the U23’s and see if they can fill the gaps in the formation that was successful a couple of games ago. It isn’t working with the players he is trying to fit in, so I don’t believe we would do any worse. Supplement the youngsters with the most relatable players and stop playing players because who aren’t performing. O’Hare needs to be given a chance before any loan players in my mind.

2. Change the formation - with the players. Bruce is using the way we played tactically suits them better. We need to go 442 and play the longer ball, and I would start Hogan with one of two who came on in the second half. The problem with this option, if the team haven’t practiced it, it may take time for it to settle and we don’t have this at the present time.

We are in a similar position team wise when Grealish wasn’t injured last time and we saw how those games went and how much we were able to create. Add Albert and the others on top and it doesn’t look very bright.

For me, Bruce needs to show his worth now, he needs to make the big decisions, tactical tweets to stop this mini slide. We don’t have the time at this time in the season to fall to much further behind. The good and the bad that has gone this season doesn’t matter anymore. He has 15 games to save his reputation, our future, and his job.

All the best Steve, you are going to need it if those players don’t get fit soon.

For me, I would bring in a couple of youngsters to give us a spark in the final third. Go for it, give the players a chance to succeed and not just complain about lack of creativity and fail.

8 hours ago, TRO said:

I'm trying to cast my mind back.....I don't think Goalkeepers years ago ,did that from those positions, so far out of goal......but i could be wrong.

I believe after the back pass rule came in 1992, goalkeepers have become more involved with the ball at their feet. More and more goalkeepers have taken kicks as years passed by.

Johnstone was on the right side of the field, and his standing foot slipped slightly causing him to strike the right side of the ball that brought it in-field. His whole body pivoted slightly to the left and it went bad from there. It could have fallen to a villa player, but sadly it fell to a Fulham player who finished very well.

4 minutes ago, Eastie said:

I don’t think any of the 4 are serious and although alberts seems the worst it was only on Friday he was ruled out of yesterday’s game . 

‘Should all be back soon .

That's great news. Hopefully, a more attacking team come Tuesday.

He has thrived because chances have been created for him, take that creativity out of the team he will struggle. If we are just got to lug the ball forward on Tuesday then I don't think he is the one who should start.

it was really bad kicking technique. As others have said his kick distribution is one of his worst attributes, but I had no problem him taking the kick, he just got it wrong.

Was always going to be difficult to continue the run, especially after losing your top goal scorer and our most creative player. The length of time those two are out will determine if we go up automatically or have to try and battle through the playoffs.

Green and Elmo being injured aren't going to help either. Bruce may have to be brave and bring some creativity up from the U23's

I believe he saw we were short of creativity on the field on Saturday and that is the change he needs to make. I would have O'Hare on the bench as a minimum.

Looking at who might be fit:

                 Johnstone

Taunzebe   Chester    Terry   Hutton

                Jedi            Bjarnason

   Snodgrass  Hourihane   Onomah

                      Hogan

I'd even be tempted to put Gabby in place of Onomah, as he hasn't done much or even bring in RHM.

Was he auditioning for if Snodgrass is injured? What a strike!

Three goals scored should have had us win convincingly, but some poor defending and dodgy ref kept it interesting.

Keep it up Bruce and all.

Finally being the player we have all prayed he would be. The winner against Blues would do nicely.

1 minute ago, Kingman said:

Any youtube links about pal?

No sorry, just following it on social email.  Seems the front four are running them ragged.

Winning 2-0 after 25 minutes, Green and O'Hare.

On 1/15/2018 at 19:05, sheepyvillian said:

All this love for Grealish , I'd be curious to know how many of these loving supporters were once deriding is every appearance . As as been often said , class is permanent .

I had often said he wasn't living up to his potential, and still don't he is there yet. He created a goal today but wasn't one of his best games. He needs to run with pace at players more like he did against Bristol City.

I'm glad he is hitting better form and he finally deserves his place in the team.

Glad to see Bruce getting the team where it needs to be. December was a rough month, but he has been able to turn it around and get the team back on track. The players need to run with the confidence that we have built up and take us up this season. I was happy with a playoff spot, but we can certainly now get automatic promotion.

The team has had players return from injury, recovered some form, and playing in new positions. The team has gelled and we are getting a bit of luck.

#UTV

Looks like he could be out for season.

He is still only 48, Dang, I forgot how much Villa aged him! 

1 minute ago, DCJonah said:

Poor again and once again look better without him. 

Tactics changed when he left the field, but did his job when he was on as we were winning 1-0.

If anyone can make a gif of when he threw himself to stop the shot at the edge of the box, would much appreciate it.

Keep grinding them out Brucey, get us back where we belong.

4 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

Let's get this said first; well played Peterborough, a performance of passion, purpose and pride. Their fans made a good noise throughout and they thoroughly deserved to win the game. They should enjoy their celebrations and I don't want the things I'll say about my club to in any way reflect on their success.

They were the better team in three ways:

Commitment - they cared and they played like they cared, they worked hard, they were brave with and without the ball and they worked for each other.

Passing - they played better football than we did, it was them trying to get it on the deck, it was them trying to pass and move, their football provided them with their opportunities.

Chances - they created a hatful and but for an excellent performance from Steer they could quite easily have doubled their tally today.

For us, we're out of what is arguably the biggest competition we get to take part in - you can bang on about promotion all you like, but the game is about more than money, it's about more than the big TV show, it's about glories and joys and this competition matters. It should matter more, but Sky have said no - that's a different debate, but in a half decade full of shocking seasons, performances and results, this still has to take it's place in the pantheon of shameful days in this new century.

I think once you accept one thing, there are then two ways to look at this defeat. Here's the thing; I think it's important to note that the team we put out were talented enough to have won that game, we had the better players almost without a doubt.

There are two themes for our disappointment, one collective and the other individual.

We'll start in the traditional way with the manager - he's not had a good day - he's picked a reasonably balanced side but they've not performed for him - not tactically, but in terms of their commitment, their enthusiasm and their desire - this wasn't a team that cared about the FA Cup, or the pride of Aston Villa or their personal pride - it's part of the role of the manager and his staff to ensure that's not the case, that the very least we can expect is that those players give 100%, that they try - today that's not true of all of them. He brought on the right substitutes although you can argue that he took off the wrong men - all the paper things he did today were fine for me, all the things that involve thinking about football were good - but this team had no heart and that's one of the things I would expect Bruce to be getting into them. 

The three things they beat us on are all things that a good manager has an influence on, he should be able to inspire and energise, and we should be able to play the kind of football that he'd expect - that we're struggling to play the kind of football that League 1 teams expect is a real concern.

Some things are clearer individually.

First up, let's absolve Jed Steer of any responsibility - he's made a good half dozen excellent saves of the type that might ordinarily win you a match and he can rightly be angry with his compatriots.

Those that can say that whilst they didn't contribute enough, they did at least show a little effort or composure would include DeLaet, Terry, Davis and probably Taylor - they at least showed a willingness to try. Bree isn't a centre half - and I wonder why we keep making this experiment try to work - bless him, he gives it a go, but it's just not his position - he can also be halfway excused. I'm prepared to go easy on Green too as he's just back from injury.

O'Hare was willing and put in some effort, but he looks lightweight and ineffective - after ten minutes when our collective confidence dropped and Peterborough realised we were there for the taking, his performance dropped noticeably and he might well be better in a more confident side, but at times today he looked lost.

Into midfield - Hourihane was the most willing of them, he put in a performance with maybe 80% of the usual vigour of his league performances, short changed us a bit and coasted a little - in comparison to his peers, that's almost acceptable.

Bjarnason then, a midfielder from a nation that doesn't have the talent of some of the larger nations, but has achieved so much through a collective spirit and  a willingness to work harder than anyone else - today he bought the talent bit, not the other bit - the longer the game went on, the less interested in it he looked.

Which puts him some way ahead of the worst player on the pitch - Josh Onomah is fit, strong, mobile and talented - but mentally? He left the field after somehow getting 90 minutes with absolutely spotless shorts and enough in the tank to have played in the 17:30 kick off. He was sloppy on the ball, he didn't chase back, he didn't make himself available - this was as lazy a performance as I've seen in a long time. He needs to take a long look at himself and figure out what kind of footballer he wants to be. I would not be in the slightest bit bothered if he was back at Tottenham next week - there have been hints of it in his play all season but on this performance he made it pretty clear he doesn't care a jot about this football club. I would hope he has the decency to be ashamed enough for it to improve him.

At half time, Henri Lansbury came on. I know this because it was on the big screen. He played a through ball for O'Hare that wasn't bad and later he bottled a tackle - those aren't the highlights of his performance, that's it - before and after those moments, he was less involved in the game than I was.

Overall, this was a performance with less heart than a Vegan stew, less passion than a dirty weekend with Jacob Rees-Mogg and less commitment than a relationship with Mick Jagger. You can say it's just the cup, you can write this game off, you can forget because it's happened so often of late that we should be better than this, but if you do, don't come complaining to me when we bottle a big game in the play off run or lose the derby - these players think the game should be easy and they play that way - fair play to Peterborough for showing them what can be achieved if you go at it right way.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the post OBE, it's sad to hear that the players can't find enough passion to give there all for 90 minutes. I hate that the modern game has given players the idea that they are better than certain games and opposition. They don't deserve the shirt or the wages. 

 I am not one to expect to win every game, but as others have said, I hate losing any game.

What bothers me is these players are supposed to be back up (bar Terry and Hourihane), yet they can't beat a Div.1 team. Let's sell them all and buy the Posh starting 11.

Yes, they haven't played together often, or if ever at all, but these players should all be practising the same system so they can drop in when need. I didn't see the game, so can't comment on what went wrong, but bring on next week. (quickly)