Digavilla

Yes if we managed to get Arteta or similar type manager , I feel its the right direction to take.  Wolve’s Nuno only need a season or 2 to make the change from Lambert & look where they are now. 

On 27/04/2018 at 02:47, villarocker said:

I think we've played some lovely football at times this season. My problem has been that when we have gone behind in games Bruce seemed to have gone a bit off kilter and simply decided that the only tactic is to put a big man up front,surround him with strikers, and hope someone can stick a knovk-down in the back of the net. Which, to be fair, hadn't happened too many times this season, overall. 

Having said that, I do understand your point about the qualities of the managers whose clubs will probably be relegated. You could definitely say Bruce is from that genre of manager and maybe that type is no longer for the top flight of English football. The way Wolves and Fulham have played this season, maybe it will no longer be good enough for the Championship!

I think so too. Many teams now will see how Wolves/Fulham did it & will emulate. 

Not sure how’s Wolves / Fulham playing style last season ? If they only change it this year & found such success over a season, than I am really worried. There maybe 2 or 3 similiar “ wolves “ next season. As I know it ,WBA owner Lai is a shrewd guy & has deep pockets , not difficult for them to be another Wolve next season... 

On 25/04/2018 at 19:56, Rodders said:

I think I'm coming round to think him staying may not be such a bad move next year even if we stay down. Maybe.  I don't think any side has the capacity to do a Wolves, or has the personnel and maanger to do a Fulham, looking at the likes of Stoke, Southampton, WBA coming down. They will be solid sides, like Middlesborough, and Derby, and Cardiff again, but even with our own restricted means, we would still be able to realistically aim for another promo tilt I think. Not unhappy if he leaves though.

I agreed that the 3 relegated teams from premier league this played a similiar style to Villa , even their managers are alike : Lambert / Hughes, Pullis, Pardew. I am sure there maybe other underlying reasons for their relegation, but I would say the main reason would be their style of play.. 

If we wish to be stay up if promoted & avoid the same fate as those 3 coming down,  shouldn’t we be changing our current style our play, to a more progressive one ? 

As I am a Chinese Villa Fan, just want to understand from a local prospective why there’s seemed a strong support for this direct style of football , despite lots of evidence suggesting these will not succeed in current Premier league. Pogba recent double against Citeh is the only exception in my view, but it don’t happen often. 

Just want to understand more. Sorry if my post offend anyone. Cheers.

14 minutes ago, Eastie said:

It’s possession .

Oops... Typo mistake. Sorry

7 minutes ago, BOF said:

Teams have opened the scoring against us 15 times this season.  In those 15 games our possession stats are as follows

65.2% at Cardiff (L3-0), 33.1% at Reading (L2-1), 48.6% at Bristol City (D1-1), 44.7% at Wolves (L2-0), 56.4% v Wednesday (L2-1), 48.5% at QPR (W2-1), 48.0% at Leeds (D1-1), 67.2% at Derby (L2-0), 47.3% at Brentford (L2-1), 37.0% at Fulham (L2-0), 52.1% v Preston (D1-1), 61.4% at Wednesday (W4-2), 61.4% v QPR (L3-1), 57.2% at Bolton (L1-0), 56.4% at Norwich (L3-1)

So we can see that in 7 of those games we had less than 50% possession.  That doesn't suggest the team who opens the scoring tends to sit back and defend their lead.  It's a pretty mixed bag really, both in terms of possession and eventual result.  It's a testament to our home form that 12 of those 15 matches were away from home too.
 

I'd say that's a reasonable assumption, yes, but expanding our possession discussion beyond just victories, we're seeing more of the ball in general. 9 times in the past 12 league games we've out-possessed our opponent.  Compare that with 4 times in our first 12.

Agree,  we are definitely getting more procession, especially after Grealish returned to the from injury.

Hopefully we make those procession count in the playoff ! 

On 25/04/2018 at 21:47, BOF said:

And yet the results don't bear that out.  Yes OK we did lose to Brentford, Fulham & Wolves, but they're the only games this season where we've lost and been out-possessed (with the bizarre exception of Reading away 33.1%).

In other words when we give up possession and allow the other team to play football, we very rarely lose.  It's when we have possession and the other team play the counter attacker game that we struggle.  The other times we've lost this season, without exception, are games where we've had the lion's share.  At Derby (we had 67.2% lost 2-0), at Cardiff (65.2% lost 3-0), home to QPR (61.4% lost 3-1), at Bolton (57.2% lost 1-0), home to Sheff Wed (56.4% lost 2-1) & at Norwich (56.4% lost 3-1).

It's worth pointing out though, we have become an awful lot better recently at winning games AND dominating possession.  In fact our last 4 wins all came with >50% possession.

* Possession stats from Sky website

I maybe wrong , the way I see it we are considered a big gun in the championship, if opposing team like Derby/ Bolton/ Cardiff score first it’s considered a great result,  thus they defend deep & give us procession , knowingly we do not have nippy/skillful/ quick midfielders to break them down, and try to hit on the break.Thus our procession stats %  show highs against those team.

Also in our last 4 wins, 2 of the teams got players send off if I remember correctly ? It’s natural to have high % against 10 men surely ?

11 hours ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

At the time I thought it was good business.

However since McCormack is pretty much a write off, for that sum, we prob actually could have gotten our version Neves/Sessegnon or some other top quality prodigy, wages included ffs.

Depressing.

Very very true.. but knowing Bruce even if we got Salah, he would have numerous crosses into the box & after half a season we would have a similar Hogan thread & many would agree he’s waste of money & should get rid.... 

I personally feel Hogan is the one we should keep, if we are getting rid of Bruce & appoint a modern manager for eg Marco Silva , Smith who plays the ‘pass & move’ game..None of our midfielders/wingers are playing the ball on the deck & are only crossing the ball to him, which is not his strength. He need to play with quick thinking /quick feet midfielder , similiar to players like Eriksen/Silva /Dele Ali etc who can release ball better , I am sure he will do well. O’Hare comes to mind..

21 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

As angry as I am at bruce I am happy he has slated the players in public today as they were complete and utter ahit and should not escape the critism either.

Pathetic and a total wimpy display. Where's the passion lads??

Yes, our players definite do not show enough fight today. Most of them basically has passed their peak in their career to be honest & bar the younger ones . Its so clear to see all the older Terry, Adomah etc are running on empty. At their age there’s no way they can play 3 games in 9 days. why can’t Bruce understand that & freshen things up with Bree/Davis/ Green etc ??  I would rather see these young  ones given a go & lose, rather than the rubbish we witnessed today. 

1 minute ago, Dick said:

If he gets us set up right at the beginning, he is brilliant. But when he has to make changes he cannot adapt. 

Every modern managers will tweak / change during matches in response to opponents tactics. It’s a must, like s chess game. 

The main problem I think is Bruce is trying to built a team like based on his beloved  Man U trebled winning team in 1999.. but most modern teams , even in Championship are emulating the playing style of the Barcelona team that gave Man U a football lessons in the Cl finals 2009 & 2011...Look at what Wolves has achieved this season & I know with their current playing style , they have captured many new China / Asia fans. 

All the new money will depend if team can get a big following in China / Asia & i am sure Wolves Chinese owners will have big sponsorship deals line up once they are promoted. WBA can’t cut it due to their dinosaur football under Pulis/Pardew and won few fans but I am sure Wolves won’t repeat the same mistake. 

That’s why  i think Bruce should go , even if he’s take us up. 

3 minutes ago, Nabby said:

We went too far one way , as it comes to end of the season those experienced players all look heavy legged ..what we need is an injection of youth and pace 

Exactly .. no way Adomah/ Snodgrass etc can play 3 games in 9 days. Bruce should recognized these & gave the youth a chance. But he’s too weak to make that decision.

Most of our players are late twenties/ thirties , no way they can play 3 games in 9 days without severe drop off in performance. I don’t remember seeing Adomah/ Snodgrass perform so badly it’s 100% fatigue .These shouldnt affect the 18-22 yr old too much. Davis / Bree /O HARE etc they all should be in the team today..

How Bruce can named an unchanged side from Reading’s  game  is beyond me...

If a manager only depends on individual brilliance ( aka Kodjia today trying to beat the whole defense himself) , Bruce may fluke some results if our team are flesh playing only  once a week. But if r playing a games every 3 days , your individual players will be too tired to come up with any magic/ brilliance. Teams with more tactical senses/ & with more passing etc will be much suited in such mad rush of games. We had the same poor run of results during Xmas Dec period too.. Bruce never learn.. 

The football scene is evolving.. more teams are playing expansive / pass & move / high pressing / players with technical skills , These are teams audience will pay to watch world wide, especially in Asia. 

In Asia we pay about USD 800 a season to watch a season. Considering the size of the Asia markets & in China, it’s important not to miss out.  Bruce’s brand of football will not get us far. Even if he got us up , his brand of football will make us a laughing stock. 

Bruce admit he don’t know who’s this new Norwich manager is... isn’t it his job to research his opponent to know their strength/ style of play/weaknesses etc & come up with a plan & what team to pick to play ? He’s really incompetent! 

The moment I read Bruce named an unchanged team from Tuesday , I know we are doomed 

It’s a good opportunity to increase our goal difference. Cmon Villa !

I am Chinese based in Singapore & Shanghai. Was about 10 yrs when was asked to join my elder cousin to support Liverpool, I choose Villa instead. For next 40 years I have followed them every single step. From the highs of 1981 to the lows of 2016 relegation ! What a journey ! It’s hard being a Villa fan , especially in Asia where it’s all Liv, Citeh etc

Am still currently trying to convince my 11 yr boy to support Villa , he agree , but he wants a Citeh’s jersey with De Bruyne name on it. Oh Dear !