Keener window-cleaner

"Asked about his likely tactics, McLeish said: I don't think it's rocket science, when you talk about styles." (http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/11300891/alex-mcleish-says-he-has-always-tried-to-incorporate-sir-alex-ferguson39s-style-of-play) We noticed that yes.... I hope Snoddy doesn't even come near that team, I'm afraid of what it would do to him.

Looked like he had watched some videos of Bacuna, hey headless sideways passing straight to an opponent so they can get a free run at our defence, that looks like a good idé, I'll try it!

Throwing in 3 strikers and playing 4 of them at the same time was a bit of a deja vu from the Di Matteo school of desperation, have we done that this season?

I fully agree, we shouldn't make ourselves any illusions, this is the Villa we are. We don't have any real attacking game plan and no plan b. We are set up to be hard to beat and we rely on some individuals moments of brilliance or normal grit or luck to score goals. It works more times than not, but now and again we will get results like this. It wasn't a particular bad performance from us, nor any shocking tactical faults this time, it was just the way it is. Had we had a bit of luck and gotten the first goal we probably would have won. BUt this is the Villa we are and that's why we probably wont get into the top two. We have a good chance of play offs though, which in itself it a bit of a roulette, but I'm still optimistic!!

Anyone know how he's doing?

I get a whiff of a particular soft cheese, anyway I hope he stays in line during the game and doesn't breach any rules.

Feels like a fresh breeze of air in the line up.

I agree with the booing part, for me it would take quite much before I would start booing the players. The booing is a bad habit. But I don't buy the picture that we were rock bottom in terms of confidence 18 months ago and heading in the same direction as Sunderland are now. I think there are some important differences. Sunderland is in a complete shambles, they are litterarly rock bottom in the league, they have an owner who has wanted out for some time and is ready to give the club away. We on the other hand had a new owner with one of our largest (the largest?) net spend in a summer, and there was a feel good factor at the club. We had some mixed performances and lost some games, but mainly it was because of all our draws that we slipped down the table and was under the middle of the table for a period. There was a period of gloom where Di Matteo was questioned and we looked like we would blow our chances to get promoted. But I wouldn't call it rock bottom or a risk of getting to the shambles Sunderland are in now. The state the club was in the season before that though I would say we were heading in the Sunderland direction, or could even say that we actually were there.

I understand what you're saying and I partly agree, both players individually and the team collectively will have ups and downs during a season, will be lucky to win or unlucky to lose at times. What made me react was what I thought was shocking tactical decisions from the management team in the second half, no more no less.

That's a good point. We could however have played Elmo, Bree or Thor as a make shift left back. As was pointed out it led to Adomah and Grealish mostly spending time in our own half instead of in the opposition half. I hope this was the once in 6 months-routine of trying 3 at the back, and that it is abandonned as fast as the last times it hasn't worked. Alternatively we should work on it much more in training so that the players know what to do.

I'm still angry!!!!

Because some players, especially the ones over 30, get tired by playing 3 games in 8 days? And you thought the tactical switch in the second half worked out well? I usually don't overreact or jump on a Bruce-out bandwagon after we lose or play bad, but today I fully blame the management team. That wasn't a ridiculous comment at all imo.

Ok, if you go 5-3-2 one more time you're out.

I'm very unhappy with this, when the f***has 5-3-2 worked for us?? Was that supposed to be a more attacking formation when we were 2 goals down?? The result of that master stroke tactics was that Adomah, our best scorer was played further back. The same with Grealish, playing further down the pitch and disappeared. Hourihane? Where was he supposed to play, completely wanished. We lost our play completely and hardly created anything, just hoofing it towards Davis. In one stroke half of our team was played out of position. The last 15 mins of the first half we managed to put them under pressure and played well. If we wanted to play more attacking, why not just take one midfielder off and go 4-4-2? We looked tired and uninspired from the beginning, we should have seen that coming having played that huge game against wolves three days earlier, why not make one or two changes? Birkir scored the goal of his life, let him play instead of Jedinak who looked tired from the start for example. Very bad managed by the Steves and Colin. You made a mess of it.

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That's a good point, I didn't think of it that way. I don't really know how his attitude was or if he contributed to a bad team spirit or not. He scored a lot of goals of course, but he was at the same time constantly linked away and at least his agent gave the impression that he wanted to leave several times. I also remember that I thought he often complained and gesticulated on the pitch, something I've seen him do at Palace too lately. Not sure if he is much different to others, but I agree with you, if he would bring back the memories of the bad team spirit, then I'd hesitate as well. Though without knowing anything about it really, wasn't it the last season when we were relegated that the team spirit really deterioated, with the Gabby antics etc? Or was it there also the season before when Benteke & co was here?

It's perhaps been asked already in different threads, but what would you think about bringing back Benteke if we go up? I read some rumours that Palace would be happy to let him go for £20M. I think he would fit in perfectly and would love to have him back. I have no grudges that he left and that's very few players I'd say that about.

Happy to see him play against wolves, I've regarded him as our best all-round and most complete central midfielder (except Grealish of course), and I have been puzzled why he hasn't got a sniff of match action lately. Hope he plays a big role in the run in of the season and shows how good he is.

Well that depends on what the reflection is. My point is that if he is played in a team that suits his style of play he will score goals, and that he is not a bad player. I don't think we should have bought him in the first place, if we had used the money on say Grabban a year ago perhaps we would have been at the top of the league now, or if we had kept Ayew and Gestede instead. But as I see it he gives 100 % and the criticism shouldn't primarily be directed at him. It's not his fault that we paid too much money for him, or that he at times has been played as an isolated lone striker with long balls hoofed to him, which clearly doesn't work for him.

I think it was a mistake signing him and he was too expensive. But he has 8 goals in 19 starts, 0,42 goals a game, which isn't that bad. By the way, Gabby has 1 goal in 2 starts - bring on the goal machine! :-D

I'm still amazed that we managed to get one of the leading scorers on loan in the middle of the season. Really masterclass business! He seems to make a perfect fit. Him coming in shows it was a mistake to replace Ayew, Gestede and McCormack with only Hogan last January. Glad the lesson was learnt and let's hope he fires up to the PL now!

I didn't say that Hogan is as good as Bent or Solskjär was in their prime. I compared their playing styles saying that Hogan is a poacher type like they were, and not a target player like Benteke for example. You don't agree with that?

The clearance in the first half when he kicked it over the bar was immense!

vice captain, leader, legend, goalscorer!

I want to see it again!