striker

I think the last time Villa needed to freshen it up and didn’t they lost the game so hopefully Bruce will have learn’t a lesson? Tough game today but if Bruce gets the team selection right then Villa should win.

No don't think it's anything due to fitness at the moment. More so that if villa keep losing possession eventually that will catch up with the team at the business end of the season. Thats what i think some posters are worried about. As to the cause of poor possession it might well be a lack of movement (options) around the player in possession or the way in which Villa are set up to play. Both those explanations ( only my opinion) would therefore reflect on the manager and coaches. Maybe reason enough to explain why Bruce isn't endearing himself to all the Villa faithful despite recent results?

At the root of that concern over performances is whether the inability of Villa to keep possession consistently especially when under the cosh or just inviting more pressure will take it's toll by the end of the season. I think it's certainly a valid concern if your players are, in almost every game, having to constantly track back and chase the ball due to losing possession which is going to mean a lot of your players hitting burn out before the season ends. Moreover if you are constantly giving the ball away to better teams they will hurt you. If Villa fail to obtain automatic promotion then they will most cerainly play one of those better teams in the playoffs on a more expansive sapping pitch.

The above posts (which are all excellent by the way) pretty much sum up my opinion as well. I just wonder if some of the Villa players are as frustrated as the fans the way Villa are being asked to play at the moment?

Thanks mate.

The loss of Kodjia is a blow alright but not as much as it would have been last season. Hasn't been the same since coming back from injury. I also feel Villa will play more as a team now without him if Bruce can get the setup right. The loss of Hogan is only a blow in as much as its a loss of numbers rather than missing him for his ability. He's been awful since going to Villa. It might be a godsend too as it may reduce Bruce's tinkering due to lack of options and concentrate his mind on playing the best players available to him just as it was at his previous clubs?

The thing is if Wolves are also interested and his people look at the table even if it stays as it is or Villa improve, I'm not sure he'll choose Villa? Can Villa afford to fork out 3m-4m in January without shifting players? If you believe what Bruce is currently saying then it must be no.

I really don’t think Bree was a poor signing. What I’ve seen of him he looks decent enough when played but Bruce chooses not to play him on a regular basis. The loss of Terry is a blow alright not only for his playing ability but his organisational skills and leadership qualities. Those last two traits will be a bigger loss than the first.

Just to touch on squad rotation. I remember Bruce stating a few games ago that he should have rested the younger players as they had looked tired and he blamed himself for that. The same should apply to all of the players yesterday when there was decent replacements available to freshen things up. This was a major worry for me (mentioned this previously) that due to the constant lose of possession and the way Bruce was setting the team up to compensate for that, the Villa players would start to suffer badly from fatigue and it would have a long term affect. Bruce has also said recently that the Championship was only starting now with a long winter ahead but he felt he had the squad to deal with it. Well the team wasn’t rotated yesterday after two tough games in a week so I guess Bruce must take part of the blame for that.

Didn’t see the full game just the hilights. You can’t legislate for a worldly so soon after the start of the game and their second goal was beautifully worked but it just seems to me under Bruce that the majority of the time Villa play a half decent side they are out thought, outplayed or both. Villa need to be winning these games or certainly not losing them if they want to get an automatic promotional spot and generally it’s not happening.

Yeah mate no worries (I didn't see the game against Fulham) but I just don't think he's affected the games that i've seen in the way that he did last season. That may be due to his recovery from injury of course but I certainly feel Villa this season are less reliant on his individuality because as we've seen goals are now coming from all the pitch and that is certainly a good thing would you not agree?

Disagree. He's been largely ineffective this season with Villa look better without him but its only my opinion.

Not too many of his ilk around at the moment and no doubt Premiership scouts are already watching so Villa need to sign him up long term especially if promotion isn't achieved this season. Love watching him play and when he learns to finish better Villa will have another Benteke on their hands.

Posted something similar in another thread. Considering the way Bruce wants to play and you seen it last night Villa are a better team without Kodjia. Only my opinion of course but I think after the emergence of Davis who is very much a team player and so important to the way in which Villa play now Kodjia would be better deployed as a super sub coming off the bench late in games to take advantage of a tiring defence. I know thats a very controversial point of view but Kodjia is a complete maverick and may not fit into Villa's way of playing anymore although I'm sure Bruce will try to shoe horn him into the side again when fit.

Stats can be deceiving though depending on circumstance. Its only my opinion of course but i'd rather use my eyes and my eyes are telling me that Villa are giving the ball away too much. Don't know whether you saw the game against Preston but Bruce was screaming at the players in the early stages of the game to keep the ball and he has done this repeatedly in previous games. Thats why I think Villa need someone like Gareth Barry just to sit in front of the defence to keep the ball as a calming influence. Jedinak can't do it, nor can Whelan. I'd give Jordan Lyden a chance. Better passer and more comfortable on the ball than Jedinak or Whelan but Bruce won't play him. Maybe Lansbury will improve things when he comes back from injury but he's played there before and been less than impressive. So if Villa are to make any signings in January a more technical midfielder would be first on my list just to add more composure which in turn would take some pressure of the defence. I'd also like to see another target man come in on loan maybe just to give Davis a rest. Bamford maybe at Boro? Really don't think Villa need much more than that.

Haha probably right mate. The whole point of having such a midfielder is to be able to retain possession longer and not invite just as much pressure on the defence as good as it is at the moment. The amount of times misplaced passes given to the opposition from Villa midfielders is really starting to irritate me when composure on the ball would see Villa retain possession more. Last night for instance against Preston heading the ball back to the opposition (particularly in the second half) like a game of ping pong instead of just controlling the ball with chest or trapping it, then passing to a team mate would probably have seen Villa win by more with less effort. If Villa continue in the same vain with their fullbacks and wide men having to go up and down the touch line like a yo yo dictated by loss of possession then by the business end of the season the Villa squad will suffer too much from fatigue and injury.

After watching Villa over the last couple of games a midfielder who can actually retain the ball would be the only signing I’d make in January. If I see Jedinak head the ball one more time to the opposition from the halfway line instead of trapping and laying it off to a team mate then I’m going to personally shave his beard off.

Decent professional performance by the Villa with Davis again very impressive and yet another clean sheet. Credit to Bruce as well. My only criticism is far too much poor retention of the ball which invites pressure and better teams than Preston will exploit that unless it improves but Villa up to fifth and heading in the right direction.

Decent performance but still highly frustrated at Villa losing the ball too easily and that has happen from early in the game hence seeing Bruce shouting at the players to keep the ball. Still feel that Villa are sitting a tad too deep but you can’t argue with the score line so far.

Very wary of this game concerning Villa. I hope with news that Preston may be under strength Bruce or the players don't think they just have to turn up to win. Preston are decent and it will still be a difficult game.

Sincerely hope you are right.

Starting off on a positive note concerning Bruce he has made some astute signings for not a lot of money and improved Villa defensively. I was against Villa signing Terry and didn’t think due to his age he would be able to stand up to the rigours of the Championship nor play enough games to warrant his mooted wages. I was wrong on both counts due to Terry proving to be one of the main reasons why Villa have improved defensively. That being said I still feel, watching Villa, that there is so much more to Villa’s squad than we’re actually seeing at the moment. For instance when Bruce played Hourihane further forward in his correct position there was a stark improvement in performance and goal return.That has been nullified once again by Bruce reverting to ultra defensive mode against a very poor Birmingham City side. When OHare was given his chance he excelled yet dropped back into the U21s. Davis should have started against Birmingham and that was highlighted by how much Villa improved when he finally came on and should have scored. I also don’t think it was the right decision to start Kodjia so quickly. Clearly Kodjia is still struggling for fitness and should have been given more time coming on from the bench rather than starting games. I’m also not sure with the current squad available that Kodjia’s maverick style fits into Bruce’s team. He’s been shoe horned with other players dropping out or changing position to accommodate him. Kodjia isn’t and never will be a team player. For me Bruce is still struggling to find his best team and formation. Considering other teams in the Championship Bruce has an embarrassment of riches available and maybe therein lies the problem? Bruce didn’t have that at his other promotional sides where generally the team picked itself. Many times I have thought to myself this season that there are better players on the bench than actually on the pitch or not even chosen in the match day squad. For many of the reasons stated above I don’t think Villa will achieve automatic promotion this season which is scandalous considering the quality available to Bruce but I do feel despite Bruce’s negative playing style Villa will probably scrape into the lottery of the playoffs. Whether that’s going to be good enough to get Villa back into the Premiership only time will tell?

I honestly feel at this moment in time Villa will be better as a team without him.

Pretty much this all day long. OHare has been excellent every time I’ve seen him play for Villa.

Really didn’t look like winning the game until Davis came on. Until then it was very dull stuff indeed and lucky to be on level terms. Bruce still has a lot to do for me to be convinced he is the right man to lead Villa back into the Premiership.