robby b

Tuanzebe did pretty well at centre back on Saturday and he actually is a centre back and he isn't slow because he isn't old. But he's been dropped and here we are again with the non-centre back in the position of centre back, who's getting on a bit now and for that reason a bit slow. Noooo! :<

We should have four centre-backs (to allow for cover for injuries), but we've effectively only got one and a half, with Tuanzebe as half as he has so little experience. And now the transfer window's shut. Great. So, regardless of whether Bruce continues as the manager or not, I think that suddenly this season's already looking likely to be a write-off.

Steve Bruce is a nice guy and I also like him for helping us to get a lot of wins in the last two seasons but maybe he needs to retire from football management very soon and look after his health, he really doesn't look well sometimes, including the last few weeks. I've felt concerned for him at times, not just for Aston Villa. I'm wondering if maybe losing both his parents recently might have affected his professional life a bit too much. Replacing John Terry with an other proven specialist centre-back was the priority and it hasn't been achieved, and I agree with the many people on here who've said that will probably cost us a play-off place this season. Today was the first time since we've been back in the Championship that we've conceded more than three goals in a league match.

Yeah he said that, but he said that after the Burton game, so I guess maybe he meant totally unrecognizable from the team in that Burton game, as we were so bad (first shot on goal in the 39th (thirty-ninth) minute, for example!). : (

Thanks imavillan! : )

Found it, Bruce said that Bree and Tuanzebe were the two players who did ok against Burton. Good to hear that two of our worrying defence did ok! I'm a bit surprised and disappointed that El Ghazi didn't after his great game last Saturday and that De Laet didn't after his good pre-season performances. Anyway come on Villa! Just one hour and 51 minutes to go now. :s

Steve Bruce said in a post-match interview that he thought only two of the players against Burton did ok... one was James Bree, at centre-back, but now I can't remember the other one. Can anyone remind me please?

Please don't get injured, Chester, pleeease! : (

Alan !

I'm worried about this game but on the other hand, looking on the bright side at least Bruce will have dusted himself down, he is good at dusting, you've got to admit, and he'll have got the players to dust themselves down too. So at least we won't be dusty.

After our 4-0 win there only a few months ago, on one hand they might be a bit wary of us but on the other hand I'm a bit worried because they'll be out for revenge! :s

Why do the highlights videos on the Sky website not play sometimes? Is it because it has too many adverts and they make the videos freeze? I don't know but it's a really annoying website!!! : < Grrr.

I'm so pleased for Birkir. Good man, well done sir! I thought he played really well last season, what brilliant goals he scored. And yesterday, as a few people have mentioned already, he made a good run towards the goal that enabled him to score... Then he made the perfect contact whilst sliding in to direct the ball into the corner. Not so easy! And he got himself in just the right place at the right time.

Start of season momentum maintained, 2nd in the league, winning the opening two games for the first time since 1999... Birkir Bjarnason is a hero!!!

"Twanzebra". I like that!

Blimey, going to play for our main rivals. :s I'm surprised by this news but anyway, thanks Gary for scoring that goal against them two seasons ago, a cracking long range looping header that I won't forget.

Thank you Jack ! : )

If he does well for Villa I think I might adopt Hibs as my Scottish team ! : ) (When I was a little kid I picked Morton but I can't remember why. Random. I followed their results as I grew up. Maybe I liked their badge, they were in one of my Panini sticker albums).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45122873 A very encouraging read on the BBC. I didn't know that Hibs have had a brilliant few years (winning the Scottish Cup a few years ago, then promotion back to the Scottish Premiership two seasons ago and then 4th place last season with a record number of points. Promising. : )

Possibly the silliest pink and grey cat in space.

Huttiñhooooooo ! : )

Oh sorry, you're right, I was getting mixed up with one or two of their other qualifiers in the second half of the campaign (which Bale couldn't play because of injury). So he didn't manage to score in that game, against Austria, but luckily Woodburn did. But then a bit later there was the deciding match against Ireland, boo.

Wales are my second favourite national team after England and I watched some of their world cup qualifiers... he scored an absolute screamer from outside the box, right into the corner, just after coming on as sub in the second half. Cracking shot. Wales were without Bale in that game and Woodburn saved the day, they won 1-0, without his goal they'd have been out of the hunt. He really took the game by the scruff of the neck, good lad.

1,955 pages on Steve Bruce, blimey. That's not just a book, that's a trilogy. If he gets us to the playoff final again then I just hope he manages to get the team to attack in the first half this time! I still feel gutted about how few attempts on goal we had in that first half. Steve Claridge said he couldn't believe how negative we were (in the first half). Sigh.

What a pass! I really like this guy... loyalty, hard work, passion for the club. Just watched his interview on the OS, thank you Alan!