A'Villan

Just keep the lines of communication honest and open with her. Don't play mind games with her feelings. Concern yourself with outcomes you want rather than ones you don't. Where the mind goes, energy flows.

I guess just by questioning the coaches about it you probably developed your own understanding for its strengths and weaknesses Makes sense, all of that. I read that the British style of direct play or long ball originates from research that was done in the 1960's and continued on. The analysis of data results showed that the strike rate of goals from shots was higher with a direct play approach than it was from possession based play, that's why the Brits adopted it. The research was a 'key landmark' in football analysis but only led to partial (at best) understanding of how goals were scored. Another indication the research showed was that successful teams scored more goals per possession from longer passing sequences than short, whereas there was no clear advantage for either tactic among unsuccessful teams. Back to Bruce, I think every coach's style is an accumulation of their experience both in football and life. Take Pochettino for example he was a CB by trade but simply due to being under the guidance of Bielsa learnt an approach that went beyond being your textbook defender and understanding of the game, and he credits Bielsa as a father figure in his success as a player and manager. I don't pretend to know much about Bruce's history as a footballer, or the 7 pass method, but I think a defining attribute of success is an ability to be dynamic and fluid in any approach and not get tied down by doctrines.

Being a coach is a complicated and delicate process. You have to balance the expectations of everyone, from your own to the players to the all important supporters. If you've ever had a coaching role you'd know that you can only control the controllable, some things are simply beyond a managers input. It is the players who are best placed to determine potential solutions to game related problems. Their ownership of problems and shared responsibility in formulating solutions is essential in cultivating a team to work on something greater than themselves, in other words producing the kind of performances you would like to see from Aston Villa. While I too share your frustration and concerns over the football we produce under Bruce and the above is not an attempt to absolve him from his obvious shortcomings, I think it a bit extreme to denounce him entirely from any credit for last seasons efforts, and if I'm honest I think calling him and his supporters archaic is more a reflection of your distaste than it is a reality. Bruce achieved a top 4 finish in a competition which went right to the very end. No team that achieved promotion was a cut above us, I think it's better not to let disappointment cloud that judgement.

I don't understand what any concerns about his performances are in relation to. He's competing, winning aerial battles, driving at defenders and has created at least one solid chance in each fixture. He still has the best close control of anyone on our team and can take it to the defenders in this league. While Grealish does an excellent job of protecting the ball, Kodjia has a bit more trickery and sharpness to his footwork and touches. Even if he doesn't reach the heights he has done previously, which you might say were prolific, we still seem to have a striker who can compete at every exchange and is above average for this level.

That is well before my time, that said, some things are timeless, like reaping the rewards of discipline and application. As the saying goes, 'Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard' We are totally on the same page in regard to off the ball movement and the work rate of great teams. It's disconcerting for me to say that I think that off the ball movement is one area of the game where the manager should be coaching his players as much as he allows the option for freedom. Having systems of movement not only makes the decision making process simple, it broadens the scope of potential outcomes in attack by having the players work together toward a common goal and using one another in a holistic manner rather than relying purely on individual bravado alone. Which leads me on to the next point, the work rate of great teams. Arguably the greatest athlete to grace team ball sports is Michael Jordan. He won six NBA championships, three consecutively on two separate occasions (a brief retirement separated the the two three-peats). He was incredible, long before his Chicago Bulls won their first title, 7 years to be exact, Jordan was imposing himself on the league as one of the brightest talents the game had ever seen. Undoubtedly the best ever in my mind and any fan of basketball who saw him knows how truly great he was, if athleticism can be described as a form of artistry, Jordan was your favourite artists favourite artist. Here's something a lot of people don't know about Jordan's success: It wasn't until an unorthodox coach from the minor-leagues was promoted to the Chicago Bulls coaching staff that the Bulls started to come together in a way that would surpass any individual efforts Jordan was displaying, turning them in to one of the greatest dynasties to grace the game of basketball. This coach was the philosophical and down-to earth Phil Jackson. You spoke of derision toward Ron, well Phil Jackson has been described as an odd-ball loner (I have no idea why people waste their energy on such prejudice) among other attempts to knock his character and legacy. Yet he is undeniably one of the all time greats. Anyway, I tend to go on a bit on this site so I will try and keep it relatively brief from here. Jordan gets all the plaudits, and rightfully so, he was their go-to man and his contributions were undeniable. What flies under the radar is facts like the average time any player would hold the ball was three seconds, before another pass was made. Whether you're a basketball fan or not, you know that's not a lot of time, certainly not enough time for one man to go passed five defenders on route to scoring. That's because it wasn't Jordan alone doing the hard yards. His teammates would work hard to create opportunities for one another. Off the ball movement was paramount to its efficiency. Here's a brief insight into what I'm talking about, an article on the Triangle Offense employed by the Bulls: Jackson’s tactical modus operandi is the Triangle Offence. He describes it himself as five man tai chi, whilst Michael Jordan called it a community oriented offence. Both of these statements allude to the equal opportunity nature of this attacking system. The Triangle requires discipline and sacrifice from players, rather than the expression of their individual talent alone. This offensive system does not rely on just one playmaker, but rather necessitates a team rhythm that responds to the opposing team’s energy, and plays into it when opportunities arise. In a way this is more like a philosophy in action. It operates under a clearly defined framework of guiding principles, which emphasise unselfishness, working in harmony, and how each player can be important within the system. It is beyond the realms of this article to describe the intricacies of the Triangle Offence in detail, but in essence it is a team strategy that reinforces the message that no player is more important than the team, and only by engaging with teamwork can players achieve true greatness. As that other great basketball coach, John Wooden, once said “It’s amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit” Whether it's Triangle Offense in Chicago, tiki-taka at Barcelona or Bielsa at Bilbao what these teams achieved is down to the philosophy and strategy of the coach combined with the work rate and application of the players. The reason I used the word disconcerting above is because I don't believe our manager has much emphasis on this sort of approach. Could be wrong but I think the evidence is pretty substantial and suggests we don't do much rehearsal of passing sequences in order for our attack to have added impetus. Ironically I think Lansbury understands the concept of pass and move better than most in our squad yet he finds himself without a role in the team.

This is where it helps to have a manager who can coach systems that inspire excellence from within. What's been frustrating for me is that we seem to employ personnel who have had resounding or at least notable success elsewhere but lose direction when at Villa. It's up to management to ensure we are nurturing a competitive spirit and a cohesive playing philosophy, it's then up to the players to show their leadership quality and do what's required of them. Grealish obviously loves the game and puts in the work on himself, I'd like to see him take on a leadership role where instead of carrying the load and masking the inefficiencies of the team, he inspires others to share the load and ask more of themselves to get the best out of their game, nurture greatness and the realising of potential. That's one way we'll get better players. By identifying who we want to be, how we want to play football and instilling it into the team. Instead of people coming here for the prestige of playing for Aston Villa and the paycheck above all else, there's actually a clear and concise plan for how we integrate them into the fold so that they go on to be the players we intended when we decided to recruit them. I could be wrong but I can't help but think the majority of our purchases leading up to this season were based on the results certain players produced rather than the reason those results came to fruition. I'd like to know if skill-sets were identified as compatible with the philosophy we intended to play with, or if it was presumed that success elsewhere could be emulated here with relative ease. I hope Grealish is not our only standout performer this season, it's a team game, just look at Argentina and Messi at the WC, you can nullify one man with a team a lot easier than a team can be nullified by one man.

Sadly I know exactly what you mean. It's like the mentality is that something as superficial as pure numbers and the betting odds that accompany them is more interesting than the game itself. Likewise for players, bragging rights around numbers and financial stock should never be focal above teamwork and sportsmanship. Otherwise the competition becomes purely egotistical rather than for the greater good of an art-form or area of expertise.

Well said, until you mentioned modern football only being concerned with goals and assists. To anyone with an actual interest in football, every aspect of the game is open to interpretation and consideration. Sure, goals and assists win games and are paramount to any success, though overlooking the other facets of football would only serve to hinder judgement, and would be detrimental to preparing a team for success. Otherwise I completely agree, it's what I was alluding to in my comment about his close control. Anything he can do to give him that extra second on the ball to fire a shot off, and as you say, having a left foot will add a dimension to his game that opponents will have a miserable time dealing with.

I think relationships with real chemistry are probably one of the most frightening experiences I've ever had. Dates and relationships which remain casual and shallow are easy in comparison to getting to know someone and building a lasting bond. You develop emotions for someone and it's a complete game changer, your experience becomes shared, mutual trust and commitment are fundamental to the health of the relationship, which means being accountable, and not exclusively when it suits you. Do you want to break out of the cycle you're in? Is it possible that you're putting unnecessary pressure on yourself to find a relationship? Maybe you have your own reasons for not pursuing these relationships beyond the points you're getting to? Whatever the reason, don't let fear dictate your thinking and actions. Emotions are habitual, and will heavily influence your attitude, actions and therefore outcomes. Focus on what you really want out of a situation and work toward that outcome. Being scared and self sabotaging is bad for your health, it actually deteriorates your well-being and body, so try to replace that with some constructive thinking and soul searching, as I said earlier, emotions are habitual. Be honest with yourself and you will break the cycle. Having your inner world in tact will make it much easier to navigate relationships, the good times and the disappointments.

The weight of his passes is pinpoint, he anticipates the run of a teammate and the defense so well and makes it look effortless. His shooting ability is also an asset, one that possibly gets less credit than it deserves. He generally is shooting from the top of the box and covered heavily by defenders, so no easy task, yet he always seems to force a desperate block or save from his opponent, if his shot isn't curling in, it's not too far wide. I'd love to see him get better at creating space for himself in order to get a shot off, I'm not knocking his ability to create space as is, I just think if he wants to add a decent tally of goal contributions, he's going to have to add to his game, because the opposition is going to hound Jack at every opportunity, as we've seen. We aren't really renowned for our passing sequences under Bruce yet, and I'm not sure i see that changing. So having players who can create space on their own is invaluable to us creating chances. I know Jack can carry the ball up the pitch fine, has a good first touch and draws in the defense with nearly every move he makes, I just would like to see him find a way to get more chances to score because right now, he's doing so much of our build up that he doesn't get free around the top of the box, and without sufficient passing sequences to change that, the way to get better shots off is by improving his close control in tight spaces, enabling him to dummy a defender or two before getting a shot off. I think the sky's the limit for Jack, so I really hope to see his growth continue and him adding to his game.

Maybe. Grealish has undoubtedly come some way under Bruce though, simply being fit to play a role suitable to the managers tactics has allowed Grealish the opportunity to hone his all round game, regardless of the quality of tactical approach, he has the platform to integrate his own efforts and work into his performances, because Bruce wants him on the pitch. Unlike say, Lansbury, who has not been allowed the same freedom or license to play his game, because he is not preferred in the way Bruce sets up, and therefore doesn't command a place and is not considered valuable enough to change the approach to accommodate him. One thrives while the other is relegated to bench warming and when given the opportunity to play, asked to play a role different to the one that he built his reputation on. McGinn, from what I read, had the choice between us and Celtic and had he come from League One he would have commanded a fee of around 10 million. So it would seem he is rated highly for this level and at the age of 23 I will assume is eager to learn and improve his game. He might just thrive under Bruce, not because of Bruce's instructions necessarily, but because Bruce wants him on the pitch and delivers his training and preparation accordingly. I just wonder if he has been brought in because he's a talent that was affordable and available or if there's a specific role he's meant to play for Bruce. I hope it's both, but I hope it's more the latter, because I'd have much more faith in Bruce's ability to get us promoted and playing with a philosophy beyond employing the best individual talent in order to compete, without providing directions that are concise and appropriate to the challenges of each fixture.

I didn't see the game, so that's encouraging to read. I'm not saying he's incapable of it, just that enough times to note he has chosen to try and create something himself instead passing to someone better placed. I suppose it's evident that he's built his game around taking charge of each opportunity on the ball, otherwise he wouldn't be able to compete, create and score like he does. I just think he could show a bit more trust in teammates when making the decision to go it solo or play a pass. I think we'd score more and he'd be improving his game.

Gets himself in to good positions but doesn't quite have the composure or technique to make the best of it. Could have had a number of goals to his name already this season, not to be. As long as he keeps putting himself into threatening situations and helping to create attempts he is doing a good job.

Kodjia has been vital to us having any attacking impetus. Whether it be through winning aerial battles or driving forward when we're playing it on the ground. He has a presence in both. My only concern with Kodjia's contribution is his decision making when it comes to playing a better placed teammate in. He doesn't. It's great to have a striker who is always looking to score, but detrimental to have one who is so tunnel-visioned that he doesn't make the most of his teammates.

Looked good against Wigan. If he can consistently perform to the standard he did in that fixture then he should have no problems with this league. How he fits in to the structure of the side will determine how good a season he has for us, but he seems to have good hustle, technique and delivery. It's not all up to McGiinn. I would say Lansbury is still a very capable player at this level. You can have determination, focus, drive, ability and yet still find yourself on the fringes of any plans that a coach has. Happens every season to someone. How a player performs is also largely down to the faith afforded them by the coach who sets up the agenda for both training and match days. In Lansbury's case it seems to me that Bruce doesn't have a role for him in the structure of our setup, and when he does it's not one that Lansbury has adapted to well. That doesn't mean Lansbury has lost his touch, it just means that Bruce doesn't see playing to Lansbury's strengths and giving him a suitable role in the team as a priority. You train in preparation for match day, and I have seen little evidence that Bruce has ever set out to incorporate Lansbury in to the team. I think any success McGinn enjoys will be largely down to his ability to play the way Bruce has set us up to play, and I hope that he has been selected based on that.

No need to apologise. It would be foolish of me to be posting sensitive aspects of my life without being able to handle a light hearted post like the one you made. So my bad for taking it personally. I wasn't aware of the acronyms meaning or the humour attached to it until your post, so it presented as a bit crude to me as I read it rather than something said in jest. I love a bit of cheek, I just missed the intent and humour of your post and it wasn't really in line with my mood given the circumstances. No offense taken though, just read a bit too seriously initially.

For all the praise our academy gets (want to clarify from the outset I am not pretending to be knowledgeable on the topic) somewhere along the line the system of integration is failing, and I wonder, what do the rest of VT think about the setup? While the academy teams have enjoyed some success and positive appraisal in the last decade. Since the 90's we have only really produced a handful, or dozen at most, players who have gone on to have any sort of memorable career in the top flight, and even less so on a European stage. The only player to enjoy a glimpse of the Premier League from the NextGen series champions is, Grealish (although to be fair, Loftus-Cheek is the only player from their opponents Chelsea to of made it). Will any players from the team that won the PL Div 2 cup last season have a career in the top tier? Will any of them find their opportunity come at Villa? With a history and facilities like Villa's and the population of Birmingham, I think Villa should be producing the kind of successful graduates that it's European neighbours are, at the very least trying to emulate them. But we're nothing close to it. Cities with smaller populations and less rich heritage than Villa's are producing more top tier players.

We are not a team that belongs in the Championship, really. We are the 7th oldest British club still in existence from a city with the second biggest population. It's a tragedy that we're no longer among other major cities like Manchester, Liverpool, London, Munich, Dortmund, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Paris, Turin, Naples, Rome etc. Leeds is the only other club I can think of which could be on the European stage that's in the second division currently. All that aside, we are here and for this season I see us having enough talent in the squad as is to push for promotion. Some more signings would be ideal, but we should have the best midfield in the division, and we could also have the best striker in the division, Kodjia. Will we be the best team? I'm far from confident but I also am not going to write us off. I don't know anything about the teams that have come down, or who's added or lost what among the rest. My biggest concern is Bruce but I've already covered that elsewhere.

Nearly sent ourselves in to administration in the process though. Crazy thing is that they became our immediate rivals from the moment we were relegated, and we should not be being generous or negligent in negotiations, we should be finding the middle ground. They are no longer lesser teams than us. Leeds is no longer greater than any other Championship regular outfit, are they? They could be. They have the history and the population, just like us. So it can happen. Our purchase of Championship players is in extreme contrast to the Chelsea/Spurs in for Grealish situation, on one hand you have a skint team paying way over what it can afford, on the other you have a rich team paying well below what it can afford. Both are consequence of our management failing.

It took me longer than I expected to find what that stands for, although I had a feeling I might encounter this sort of response. It is the internet after all. It's an inside joke on VT from what I read? Definitely not the kind of response I was looking for but now you've posted it I wish you all the props and giggles you intended on. I'll tell you something for nothing, even though you're joking, that's your fantasy not mine, and I'm going to leave you to it.

I tend to accompany her once a fortnight on her visits to see her parents (she visits them three times a week) and I did all the work on the maintenance of their property up until recently, when administrators took charge. She has a monumental workload though and sudoku in bed seems to be her only respite, so I could definitely lend a hand with the labour. Good shout.

Thanks, I did very briefly tell her I was feeling for her and acknowledged what she was going through, she started to tear up, so I think I will expand on that and write her a letter. She's the only one, not one other member of the family, has taken on her parents welfare as a personal responsibility. If I'm honest members of my family have proven themselves to be thoroughly lacking in any moral fiber, and the rest for god knows what reason, have not the discernment to see who's really responsible for the downfall of relationships, perhaps out of a lack of interest in getting involved, it's been disastrous. I'm not sure the story is appropriate or even of interest for VT, or if my Mum would appreciate me disclosing it. So I will leave it there. So thanks, NV. Telling her I'm in awe of her efforts is probably more meaningful than anything else I have to offer.

If it does contribute to FFP then it would be a consideration, for sure. Whilst paid a fraction of what a player gets we stumped out over a million per year on Fox. What I find amazing is, we have discussed negotiation, recruitment and management issues at Villa for some time, better part of a decade now. Clubs like Everton, Newcastle, Palace are paying their CEO's from 100-500k per year. Palace apparently don't even pay theirs (I find that hard to believe - source was the express). Villa just seem like everything comes at a premium with a poor standard of delivery in return.

Ross Barkley is 24, both Chelsea and Barkley should pull their finger out and work on progressing him in to a success. There's your English attacking mid for the next 5-10 years. Not Grealish, he's ours. Same as Spurs. They have one of the deepest and youngest midfields in Europe. Develop that. What kind of sportsmanship is in diminishing your rivals through superior capital and business clout? Purchasing highly prized assets for a pittance of their worth. That's something I enjoy about the Championship. It's more competitive than the Premier League in that the outcome of placement is less predictable and as mentioned above, determined by off-field factors. It's less competitive when it comes to performance levels, skill and ability and so less aesthetically pleasing but more interesting as to who might come out on top on any given day or season.