Stratvillan

Of all the things that villa do that annoy me. Inability to take throw ins, passing sideways etc. this is the one which really sets the tone of sitting deeper, game after game. You leave 2 up, they leave 3 back simple.

Watch Gabbys goal, who has the awareness to dummy it? If they play a similar number of games Hogan will outscore Gabby. He is never going to be the target man that will win, shield long balls up field. If we play like that to him he will be poor. In the first half on Saturday when we played football he looked impressive, in the second half half when when we didn't play football he looked terrible. Jesus, I think I've just joined the Bruce out group. I'm going for a lie down.

Yes, but to Hogan. When we realise the passes he needs are forward and positive, he'll score loads. Kodjia can provide the spark, hogan is a finisher he needs chances to finish. If he finished every chance he gets he'd be in the premier league. Very good player IMO.

Anyone not included in this is out the door. I expect to see Richards (sigh) and not to see elphick (blues), or McCormack (dog and duck). is it too early for Adomah?

Thought he was really good in 1st half, when the whole team were closing, he could have had a couple. I don't mind him not scoring at least he and the ball were in the same area. This with a totally imbalanced team line up.

Bacauna was poor as usual.

I actually think he's got a lot of promise. I think he'll play a lot next season and score a few. I hope he comes back , the only thing bad about the whole thing was the fee and that's not his fault.

Putting 20 crosses in, in one game. Well worth £1m.

243 pages on a really average player - how bored are we all?

Come on now, there's no room for optimism in this thread. It either has to be hate or love.

Yeah, would like to see Kodjia behind hogan (assuming we don't buy a target man, with Adomah and green either side. Was watching sky archive this morning Two forwards with an attacking midfield ( no defensive midfielder) supplying them.

Really like him, would really be effective if we moved the ball quickly to leave him 1 on 1 Instead of taking 10 passes to reach him when the whole opposition has shuffled sideways and doubled up on him. If we had another wide player on the other side (who?) and moved the ball quicker it'd be interesting.

Thought it was interesting when he talked about a huge clear out to continue this summer. I think we will see a lot leave and 4-5 come in. We are still woefully imbalanced.

If we accept that Amavi is not going be a full back for us at this level, and I've not seen anything to suggest he is, why play him? we can't go up and I genuinely can't see how playing Bree or a youngster from the u23 can be worse and will result in them getting time on the pitch. Gerard made his first few appearances for liverpool at left back. Interesting how we all watch the same, but see things differently.

I don't disagree, but, we were really poor, and Bruce didn't change it. id play Bree ahead of Amavi as a defender. If you look at every good team in the playoffs they have someone who "bosses" the midfield, not in terms of physicality but in terms of technique. The 12 year old in readings midfield, dare I say Bannan. Our boss "Lansbury" plays so deep he can't boss the game, the only player we have that I think could do this is Grealish in a central role where he is continually involved. I'm slightly critical of a manager who picks a team with a midfield of Jedi, Lansbury, Bacuna, ( I wouldn't include hourihan in this ) which really lacks any semblance of creativity.

Thought performance, team selection etc was really poor. I'm not for sacking him, but you have to question selecting amavi in defence and not bringing Grealish and hogan on earlier

Personally disappointed in Lansbury. Don't feel he does much. Whether this is tactics or him I'm not sure. I still maintain that him and Jedi in the same team is too defensive, especially at home.

All away games and a few home games.

Interesting discussion. I like him as a player, but if we play him and Jedi in the same team we lack a lot going forward. I see them both playing away but only one at home next season........... but out which one?

Starting to annoy me now. Lots of music blaring so no one sings, then game kicks off and it's silent. Go back to the silent movie theme from the 80s.

Happy with win, terrible performance. The squad is so imbalanced, we desperately need a number 9 so Kodjia can play wider, and also a Hughes type player who goes past someone in midfield. I thought that Grealish would be that player but....... the defence would be good enough to get us promoted if we scored goals. If........ ah well, onto Tuesday.

He was non existent today - we can't start with him as our no 9 next year. He should be widish!

Think string and a carrot might be pushing it!

When we get promoted, and we will, it may be next year or a couple of years after, the ground is increasingly becoming dated. The perfect time to update it is when we are not going to use all of it. In terms of money it'll cost less now than in 3 years time. When we go up we will need to spend the money on the team. If we are not going to develop the ground because we are currently down and out, it sends out the type of short term ism which has been evident on the pitch over the last 5 years. The prospect of playing in the prem. with 3 stands, a new team (stage 2), and a reduced capacity and reduced atmosphere doesn't bode well. I don't know about the financial situation, none of us do, so wether we are totally messed up is conjecture -spending 20m (?) on a new North stand is only selling RmC, and our loan players. ( Vertout, Sanchez, Gil -judging by the reviews of all 3 on VT since they've left they are well worth it)! Form is temporary -class is permanent, off the pitch we have to think like a big team, not an average championship team, otherwise we will be down in the championship for ever. On the pitch we need quality players with a championship work ethic. We have to realistic, but still ambitious -easier said than done!

I agree, attendances will dip next year one way or another. It's the perfect time to rebuild the North Stand (where I sit), and squeeze(lol) the fans in the other 3 stands. We've proven that spending money won't get us up, we might as well redevelop the ground with the money, and create a climate of a club on the up.