Ratings and Reactions: Villa v Blackburn

[Villanun]

Can only go by the highlights, but Blackburn's goal was a poor one to concede - we don't need to be letting people have free headers. Thankfully we were able to turn it around. We might not be playing pretty football under Bruce, but right now we're playing winning football, and that's good enough for me.

[sidcow]

I liked that they looked less like scoring a goal in the last 15 minutes (including the 5 minutes of injury time) than they did in the rest of the game.  In that respect we have most definitely turned a corner. 

[thunderball]

Gollini is looking useful as he grows into the team, some good saves today, Adomah looked busy and firing some useful balls in, Kodjia exceeding my expectation - looks worthy of first choice striker, establishing himself now and someone who could be a great player for Villa, he has fairy dust in everything he does which bodes well.

[BigAl]

It's very simple this club has been crying out for manager like Bruce there are better managers out there  for sure but what Bruce brings is just what we needed we needed someone to give the players self belief ,get us more organised defensively ,cut out the individual defensive errors which were killing us .The football isn't great and we have a lot of work to do especially going forward where we look disjointed and are relying on individual moments more than any fluid passing movements but we had to start winning games somehow and getting the team right defensively was the first step plenty of work to do but very pleased with how it's going under Bruce .Thought we deserved the win today Jedinak and Kodjia outstanding and Amavi looks like he is getting back to his old self great to be feeling positive about the villa again .

[StewieGriffin]

Frustrating that Leeds won right at the end - we'd have been nicely tucked behind the playoff pack otherwise

We're the only unbeaten home team in the league now...

[Mantis]

No idea how we played but another 3 points is most welcome.

[DevonIsAPlaceOnEarth]

Funny old game. Didn't think we were that great today, but are grinding out results which is very pleasing. 

Perhaps most pleasing is Bruce's tactical awareness.

Obviously starting 4-4-2, then changing the shape after the second goal to 4-5-1 with Westwood on for Kodjia (enforced or not), and then seeing the game out when we came under the cosh by going narrower with 5-4-1 with Elphick on for Grealish. Not very showbiz, but very professional and wise considering the flow of the game.

I couldn't make out from my seat how decent that save from Gollini was early on but thought he was excellent. As was Jedinak, Baker, Amavi and Kodjia.

Finally, it was bloody freezing at Villa Park today. Not taking gloves was an amateurish mistake.

[Keener window-cleaner]

9 hours ago, Barney_avfc said:

 

I know the Dr tweeted something about this, but I don't understand why we play a Man C song at Villa Park?

[AVTuco]

9 hours ago, sidcow said:

I liked that they looked less like scoring a goal in the last 15 minutes (including the 5 minutes of injury time) than they did in the rest of the game.  In that respect we have most definitely turned a corner. 

This is great to hear. Thanks for the info.

It's so important to us not to panic in the final stages of a game. Just close it out confidently.

[AVFCDAN]

Adomah was our best player yesterday, proper wing play just bombing forward at every opportunity, similar to what Albrighton used to do for us.

Kodija definitely looks a player and probably deserves to be in the Prem soon if he keeps this up. Worth every penny of his transfer fee.

Players who weren't very good were McCormack who didn't really get into the game, I'm struggling to see what formation we can play that assists him and will allow him to score the goals that he did for Fulham, unfortunately seems like his transfer fee will not be worth it but 1 out 2 when compared with Kodija is not too bad. Also Gardner was pretty anonymous for most of the game, and I question why Bruce doesn't seem to fancy Tish who seems like he might have more to his game than just running around for 90 mins.

Amavi looked quite good and was busy, One of Bruce's best decisions was getting rid of Cissokho.

Overall we are winning games again and that's all we can really ask for right now, as I suspected the Championship is made up of many poor teams but our individual talent is making up for the fact we can't really play football at the moment, however it is slightly heartening that there's so much improvement possible but we are still winning games, only unbeaten home record as well.

 

[mattyvilla]

8 hours ago, Keener window-cleaner said:

I know the Dr tweeted something about this, but I don't understand why we play a Man C song at Villa Park?

It come from the fans singing it at the end of the win at reading , oasis are man city fans but wasnt aware it was a man city song

[This Could Be Rotterdam]

Not sure if it has been mentioned elsewhere, but aside from the great second half yesterday I thought it was a great touch to have the players do a guard of honour for the servicemen and women before the game. I had assumed it was the way everyone had decided to do it now but looking at the highlights it seems other teams had it the other way round. Nice touch from whoever changed it up! 

[dont_do_it_doug.]

1 hour ago, mattyvilla said:

It come from the fans singing it at the end of the win at reading , oasis are man city fans but wasnt aware it was a man city song

It's not. 

[alreadyexists]

Don't see what makes it a Man City song, other than that's who the two Gallagher brothers support? Hi Ho Silver Lining is by Jeff Beck who is from London and I'm pretty sure is a Spurs fan... by that logic that would make it a Spurs song.

[sidcow]

[LancsVillan]

Thought Saturday was what we are going to get until at least January.

A battling messy sort of game with some (few) periods of good passing and possession play.

1st half we probably deserved to go in behind they had three good chances whereas we had one shot from Kodjia and a poor header from Ross Mc.

2nd half we looked far better (a rocket at half time!!) and didnt deserve to go behind, albeit from a good cross and there forward getting on Chester not Baker who kept beating him in the air, teams will score goals and good ones too we simply have to accpet it and there doesn't have to be a mistake by anyone for it to happen.

We then took the game to them and deservedly got the three points, quite easily seeing out the last 15, despite there being pressure Gollini wasn't troubled.

For me Baker was MoTM as he performed for all of it.

The other candidates:

Jedi - sorry but being big and looking imposing around the middle isn't cutting it for me, he has improved but had dropped so low it wasn't hard.

Kodjia - frustrating as hell for me, at times looks a world beater at others offers nothing, no movement, no support in the role he was playing (thay over ran Amavi 1st half because of that)

Chester - very close but though the goal was a good, some sort of jump/challenge might have put him off 

Gards  n Jack - both had cracking 2nd halves but 1st were pretty anonymous.

 

Funny moment: When in the last few minutes our supposedly fast sub was outrun by a not very quick midfielder who had been on since the start, please no more of him and use RHM instead.

[Grasshopper]

2 hours ago, LancsVillan said:

Funny moment: When in the last few minutes our supposedly fast sub was outrun by a not very quick midfielder who had been on since the start, please no more of him and use RHM instead.

Gaby is finished

Pure PR & Cosmetics

Get rid

[BOF]

Another significant milestone that happened against Blackburn Rovers was that for the first time this season we won a league game after conceding the first goal.  In 4 other games we had 2 defeats (Sheff Wed & Preston) and 2 draws (Forest & Newcastle).

[DevonIsAPlaceOnEarth]

Probably just me, but I quite like the Don't look back in anger song for us. Very apt for our last few years, I hope we keep it going.

[dont_do_it_doug.]

5 hours ago, Grasshopper said:

Gaby is finished

Pure PR & Cosmetics

Get rid

It was his quick thinking and deft flick that set up Jedinaks pass for the goal. It was a very important contribution. Other than that I thought he looked lively again.

I think it's a shame that people can't be objective, but in Gabby's case I do understand it. Doesn't make you right. 

Edited November 7, 2016 by dont_do_it_doug.