ViewFromT2

If it's not a break then absolutely it's ligaments. If torn that's it for him this season, if he's lucky then in theory he could be back running again in 2-3 weeks. Done this more times than I care to remember. As long as ligaments aren't torn then we may see him again by mid-end March.....

oh yeah...forgot all about that till you mention it. I wondered what on earth he'd be doing there when Sky camera panned to him....guessed he was checking us out with next season in mind! Imagine if that's who they are thinking?...dear god!

If he does go, and surely any loss over the next 3 games will seal it....then there is only one candidate in my opinion....Mark Warburton. Come with the added bonus of actually knowing how to get the best from Hogan aswell!

Not sure if he is susceptible to injuries or not, but one thing is clear....Collymore was bang on the money here....£15m on him is total lunacy.....he's a £4-5m player tops!

Leaving historic opinions and personal dislikes aside, in my view Gabby's performance at home to Preston was as good a centre forward's performance we've seen all season. He worked the defenders, ran the channels, held the ball up really well, brought wide players into game and caused them a real problem. I would have no problem with 'that' Gabby playing the rest of the season, none at all!

Kinda coming round to this way of thinking to be honest. It seems to me that Bruce is keeping his job because we have appointed so many crap managers consecutively. But where is the cut off point? What if we lose the next 5? does he still stay for 'stability'? The problem is whatever his message is, the players aren't buying it. There doesn't seem to be any belief in what they are trying to do.

I'm not sure how anyone could think that in all honestly, even with a fully fit squad, have you seen our results since Boxing Day? We concede too many goals, and we don't score anywhere near enough. We will not win the next three game. That's 100% certain! I'm mr positive, but even I have come to the end of all hope now. The complete lack of any semblance of a team was there for all to see last night whne Hogan was down and clearly in agony. With a spirit like that we are doomed! I really don't think our ship has hit the rocks yet....the similarities with last season are scarey as hell!

Excellent counter arguments my friend. Yeah the 'not my players' reference wasn't intended literally, and it's more of a fans things I guess. I just meant we'd be going into summer and potentially looking at another mass clearout. This is what I think we need to avoid. Don't forget we have quite a few players potentially coming back into the squad in the summer from loans. Now I don't think Carlos Sanchez is a superstar, but I bloody wish we had him in the squad right now....perfect cover whilst Jedinak is out no? Are the new midfielders really that much better than Veretout? Carles Gil vs Jack Grealish ? (I feel Grealish has to play as even last night he showed he is the only player we have that sees that little slid pass around the box)....but Gil is a better option in my view. The other thing to add, now play offs is out of the question, we need to know whether Davis, Green, Calder, Hepburn-Murphy etc etc are likely to be making the grade next season. If not we can ship them out in the summer. I thought Andre Green again impressed when he came on. Its not easy for the kids to come into a struggling team, but even our crap fans give them time. However, last night proved they don't give them forever....the treatment of Grealish when he was taken off was pathetic and embarrassing, and yet the same fans laud Kodija's performance! If there was a league table based on fan knowledge/appreciation of the game, I wonder where we'd be?

My take for what it's worth.... Sacking him now will achieve little. New manager comes in and has the ready made 'not my players' excuse, and we're back to square one. We have to stick with Bruce, whatever happens between now and May. It is pretty much his team now. Players he has kept in the side are clearly players he rates. I don't think we'll go down, but if we do we do, we wont be the first or the last....at some point the club has to wake up and smell the coffee, clearly relegation to the championship hasn't worked. I actually don't think we will go up next season either. It's going to take 18-24 months to stabilise in the championship from where we are right now in my opinion. I was chatting to a friend on facebook last night who follows Barnsley, he was at the game last night. He summed us up in a nutshell...we still play like we're in the premier league. No tempo, no passion, no urgency, no pressure on the ball. He actually couldn't believe how easy it was to come to Villa park and win. We had a very interesting chat about Hourihane. At Barnsley he had a player alongside him in midfield that did all his running, allowing him to get on the ball....we have bought him in and he is not being allowed to thrive in that way. This got me thinking about our recruitment policy. Spending big money really is not necessary to get out of this league. We have spent more money this season than Brentford have in their entire history....and they gave us a lesson. Barnsley have spent next to nothing, lost their two best players last month.....and they gave us a lesson. Something is fundamentally wrong at the club...still! These smaller clubs have a system and a style of play. They recruit players that will fit into that system. It's not rocket science. If they do sack their manager, or he moves on to better things, they bring in a manager that suits the players/philosophy in place. Revolutionary! We seem to just go out and buy the 'name' and then try and get all the names to play together...and it just don't work! Good examples...we buy two full backs in January, presumably after watching them play as full backs for their previous clubs. We bring them in and play them Wing Back! 3 games later neither are playing, for whatever reason. We bought a proven goalscorer in McCormack, who has scored goals everywhere he's been, every season. Has he ever done that playing as a lone striker?..No...where did we play him?..yep, lone striker. Gestede scored goals as part of a front 2 for Blackburn, thriving off crosses. Was he ever used in a front 2? No. Did we ever cross the ball for him? No....has he ever shown any form anywhere as a hold the ball up type lone striker?...No! Then our fans slate him for being poor. The list goes on and on. For me this is one of the reasons Rowett was so successful at Blues. As money was not an option for him, he had to find players that would fit his style and with the hunger to progress. In a way I hope Dr Xia pulls the plug on future funding. The last 3/4 windows proves that spending money without a plan is completely futile, and in a lot of respects detrimental to team building. The big money players are expected to perform from day one, or they are classes as 'crap' by our experts fan base. Make no mistake, most of these big money signings will be gone inside 3 years, I'll be amazed if we recoup what we have laid out again! For me Bruce has to decide how he wants to set up, decide on whether we are passing side or a more direct side. Decide if we are a high pressing side or counter attacking team....and then get players in that thrive in the chosen system/formation/tactic. This is Level 1, day one team management surely?

That's interesting, why would you think that? A 4-diamond-2 should suit us very well now in my view, particularly at home: LANSBURY BJARNASON HOURIHANE GREALISH Width from Hutton and Taylor or Amavi. Kodija looks better when he isn't the lone striker. Play him off Hogan and let him roam, drawing defenders out creating space for Hogan. Grealish and Hourihane will find him! Other option in a flat 4-4-2 might be: ADOMAH LANSBURY HOURIHANE GREEN

4-4-2: BUNN HUTTON - CHESTER - BAKER - AMAVI LANSBURY BJARNASON - HOURIHANE GREALISH HOGAN - KODIJA Reasons: Bunn is better than Johnstone. Hutton will play due to injuries, but that back four were doing ok before Johnstone came in. Amavi is better than Taylor on Saturdays showing but wouldn't necessarily mind Taylor being played in his correct position of FB. Lansbury can sit at base of diamond until Jedinak is fit, but he isn't a DM in my view. However his distribution and work rate are superb. Grealish really has to play. He does have his shortcomings, but we are a different side when he is on the pitch. Hogan should play on the last shoulder and let Kodija be a nuisance. At some point he needs to start seeing runs/passes!

All hope of play offs have left me now, I am slowly coming to terms with being in this crappy division for at least another season. I wanted Bruce out after Saturday, I think that was the due to this realization as I despondently left the ground....again! No point chopping manager again, give him the remaining 17 games to start moulding his team to be ready to rock in August! But I do have some questions regarding some of Bruce's decisions, which temper me with doubt going forward : After addressing the full back areas in January, by buying both a new LB and RB...he then switched formation immediately to a 3 at the back system? This is ludicrous. He bought out and out full backs, and has now decided to play them out of position in what is a specialist Wing Back role. Why? We already arguably has two players that would be suited to wing back (Amavi and Bacuna), really don't understand why anyone would bring in two full backs and play them out of position immediately. Wing Back and Full Back are NOT the same thing. His persistence with a poor goalkeeper Bringing in a rookie is one thing, and in fairness all of the worlds great goalkeepers were at some stage young, unknowns with potential. But after 4/5 games I just can't understand why he continues to pick him. Our defence has looked a total shambles since he came in. My lad wondered if the deal to bring him here from Man Utd included a clause that he has to play? Unbalancing the already unbalanced midfield Before the January transfer window it was universally accepted that our midfield lacked legs and creativity. Bruce bought in 3 attack minded midfielders, all of which are good quality players there is no doubt. However, in letting go 2 more defensively minded midfielders, we were left with only Jedinak to play in that vital deeper role, and when he duly got injured we now have 3 attack minded players occupying our midfield.....it's like we sat on a see-saw and went from one extreme to the other, almost over night! Perhaps introducing that midfield in front of the established back four may have been a better idea? What Bruce has done is not only change the starting XI, almost entirely, but he has done that at the same time as trying to implement a completely new system. A system that requires specialist players positionally, and without the one key element to make it all work....a deep lying midfielder. Jury is out for me on Steve Bruce. With the likes of Mark Warburton now available, I think Bruce has to get us going very, very quickly to give us any hope at all for next season. If he doesn't....how long are we supposed to wait?

We are not hard to beat. We don't dominate the ball. We don't create and we don't score goals! He persists with a dreadful goalkeeper that shouldn't be in the first team picture. Mark Warburton will do well in his next job. Personally, I would get him now before someone else does.

4 home wins and a draw up at Newcastle and we are right back in it going into March.....never say never in football. On paper we have one of the best squads in the division...sooner or later they are gonna show it. What we haven't seen yet this season is a Villa side brimming with confidence...confidence comes with results. We have been good at home and we can win the next 4 at Villa Park definitely....We have a squad full of players capable of excelling in the league, if we ever get some momentum we can still sneak in. Look at the results of some of the top 8 recently, they aren't all winning the games you think they will. Nerves come into it now and teams at the bottom are scrapping for every point. The league table can change radically over a month, especially in the championship. 99% of people think our season is over now, so If Steve Bruce can just get them to go out and play without fear who knows what might happen!

“He is a centre-forward who plays wide and does it very well. All of his goals, he’s got penalties, of course, have come from that way. It’s important. It helps me to get another centre-forward on the pitch.” - Steve Bruce 17/11/16 Cue Scott Hogan stage left! Still think he needs to see the bench for a couple of games though....he needs to realise he ain't the big fish at villa park!

Totally agree. You'll find ex-pro's always see the game differently to the average blinkered bloke in the stand. I love reading Shaun Teale's thoughts too. One thing's for sure....Kodija wouldn't be getting away with it if we had a Paul McGrath or Shaun Teale in the side now!

Yes he has apologised....hasn't retracted his thoughts though, just apologised for any upset?

Until we brought in a BETTER STRIKER....I agree, the idea would be insane. But now we have Hogan, in now way at all should Kodija's place be guaranteed. Are you on Twitter? If so, have a read through the tweets from Paul McGrath on Saturday night....he has Kodija summed up perfectly, and exactly what I see when I watch him. Maybe McGrath is wrong too...it's all opinions, and only one man's opinion counts!

Don't understand this at all. What difference does squad value make? Chelsea have one of the most expensively assembled squads on the planet....and they play 3 at the back! It depends how you play the system.

Would rather not say who it was....but when I get chance I will go back through my DM's to check I got my facts right. Would be harsh in my opinion.

opinions. he may be top scorer but he only has 10. do you think Hogan would have more than 10 by now? Neither of us are wrong or right...just opinion. I'm old school however, and sometimes even your 'best player' needs leaving out!

Not sure this belongs in this thread but here goes.... Brucey looks like sticking with 3 at the back. So for Saturday, assuming Jedinak is fit (is he?)....this is how I would go: BUNN has to replace Johnstone. In my view this is the biggest call Bruce has to make. I'm sure the lad will go on and have a good career....but right here, right now for Aston Villa, I'm sorry he just isn't good enough. He is making too many mistakes and costing the team goals. His confidence must be very low now. Some say he isn't to blame for every goal, but I don't remember him saving anything....seems that every shot on target is going in at the moment. Bunn is no world beater, but he does makes saves and the older more experienced head might be a more sensible option now. BJARNASON- If someone could show Steve Bruce the YouTube video of Bjarnason scoring goals for Basel last season, that would be great. He is far more suited to the the right of a midfield than he will ever be on the left. Has been likened...by Bruce himself, to Robbie Savage...and I can see why. Not the best footballer in the world but he will get around that pitch and be a nuisance. Playing him at LWB was just ridiculous. LANSBURY- Best position clearly is attacking midfield. Playing him anywhere else is crackers, and we may aswell of kept Westwood and tshibola as Lansbury is not a defensive midfielder. That attacking 3 for me is well balance and full of energy. I'm pretty certain these three were brought in to play together like that. With Jedinak covering....could be terrific given time. HOGAN - Showed enough on Saturday for me to regard him as our main man now. I wouldn't play Kodija again until he starts improving his work rate and attitude on the pitch. His inability to see passes around the box is frustrating enough, but he is so lacklustre it's untrue...Benteke all over again! He's only scored 10 goals FFS...he struts round like he's just notched his 50th for the season. Look how much ground Hogan covered without the ball...Kodija ain't interested in that side of the game, and we cannot carry players at the moment. Dwight Gayle has 20 goals so far this season...and never stops running. This is the championship...we cannot carry any primadonnas! That's my two pence worth. Elphick has to step up and be this leader we all keep hearing about. I wouldn't mind Richards in there though too, if Chester can keep him organised.

I remember being told at the time he was appointed that his remit was to get us into the playoffs or he is out. I was told he was the only manager that accepted that clause...which is why the move for the David Wagner fell through....remember he was hot favourite initially. I don't think it's as bad as a lot of people are making out. We missed chances to wrap the game up on Saturday and unfortunately for us Forest scored with their only two shots on target. Kodija for all his ability is a lazy shit that struts around like he's something special....I would leave him out on Saturday for sure. Hogan looks hungry and after one game looked as frustrated playing alongside Kodija as McCormack looked all season. Main problem we have, is that we have a completely new squad, for the 3rd time in 18 months...yes there are a few faces that have been there throughout, but in terms of a matchday 18, it is all new again. No matter where these players are from and what they have done before, they are now in a new environment and they need time to find their feet. However, Bruce must be held accountable for the side that takes the field, the system/formation he chooses to play and the changes he makes/doesn't make in a game. I thought he did ok when he came in and his in game management was good....he hasn't become a bad manager in 6 weeks. We need a win...and things will change very quickly! 3-5-2 works for me. What was bizarre is that of all the games to leave Amavi out, he chooses to do it when changing to a system that would arguably get the best out of him....and certainly more than Bjarnason! I'm still positive. This is going to sound crazy....but if we win the next two home games...I fancy we will go to St James and get something....we're not all that far away from getting it right. Follow that up with another 6pts at home before the end of the month and we're back in business. Fans have got to stop whinging and whining about get behind them now. We don't wanna be stuck down in this shit league for another season.

I Don't watch championship football.... but I'm always aware of who the top performers are. Still waiting to see him 'destroy' any defenders this year, seen him destroy plenty of good opportunities though!

I remember those two games....Lambert in charge, Weimann netted the winner at Stoke, and Gabby got the winner at Anfield! 10pts in first 4 games of the season...followed by 6 defeats in a row!