Demitri_C Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 Its clear bruce is massively under achieving. He blamed injuries fine. He had a whole squad to choose from and still got it wrong. I can't see us going up via play offs the team are just bottlers 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big mean bunny Posted April 1, 2018 Visiting Supporter Share Posted April 1, 2018 Hi all. I started following this thread about page 230 I think and have enjoyed dipping in and out reading your thoughts over the last few months. Can appreciate your disappointment but I wouldn't despair completely. The league is always full of surprises and the playoffs are no different. I did feel after your win over Wolves that scoreline aside, it wasn't particularly an impressive tactical performance from Bruce. You scored from two set pieces that were good deliveries and pure tennancity from your guys to get on the end of and then profited from some individual brilliance. I came away less dissapointed than when we lost to Fulham. Anyway I am not a fan of Bruce, but I feel that in the playoffs he'd be the manager I want most. I'd not want an away playoff match at Villa Park neither. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyblade Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 Our only silver lining is Kodjia having 7 games to get up to speed before the playoffs. If he's back on form, with Grealish behind him we should make it to the final at least. Then we have to hope our superior experience comes through for us. This is why we bought these players in the first place. Snodgrass and Elmo won the playoffs under Bruce just 2 seasons ago. We have Chester that's done it with him before too. Jedinak has won it a few seasons ago too. Then we have Terry who's won every club trophy imaginable. Played and captained his team to games orders of magnitude bigger than the playoff final. It's all really up to Bruce. If he plays with shit tactics like he did yesterday, it doesn't matter what players we have. But we have the tools available to us. The best of the teams in the playoff mix, by some distance too. Now that automatic promotion is out of the question, there is no excuse to not get promoted through the playoffs. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrytini Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 @KeybladeIt’s not a silver lining if we hoof it to him like we did yesterday....our tactics when JK came on were dreadful. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Pangloss Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 1 minute ago, terrytini said: @KeybladeIt’s not a silver lining if we hoof it to him like we did yesterday....our tactics when JK came on were dreadful. Fulham will murder us in the playoffs, they play much better football and have key players in form. Our football is disgraceful and our players increasingly out of form. This season is likely to pan out as a giant waste of time and we'll starting from scratch come July. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 18 minutes ago, Dr_Pangloss said: Fulham will murder us in the playoffs, they play much better football and have key players in form. Our football is disgraceful and our players increasingly out of form. This season is likely to pan out as a giant waste of time and we'll starting from scratch come July. If we play like we have in last three games they will. But if we play like we did at wolves we are capable of tearin* them apart. i have no idea which villa would turn up that’s the problem 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Villa Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 9 hours ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said: So what hit them a couple of games ago when it was within reach? Bruce messed up the team selection against QPR, players lost faith, individuals complacent after Wolves result, arses fell out as reality hit. You have to be prepared to work hard on the pitch in this league to earn the right to win the game. I am not convinced we possess the right mentality, even when it was in reach, that's why we got into 2nd place and flapped and that's why I feel we're all so worried about the play-offs. I hope I am wrong! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 Bruce gets his clubs up via the playoff's so his cunning plan is right on track. Three performances like the one we gave against Wolves at Villa Park in the last three games of this season is all we need. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntrimBlack Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 1 hour ago, big mean bunny said: Hi all. I started following this thread about page 230 I think and have enjoyed dipping in and out reading your thoughts over the last few months. Can appreciate your disappointment but I wouldn't despair completely. The league is always full of surprises and the playoffs are no different. I did feel after your win over Wolves that scoreline aside, it wasn't particularly an impressive tactical performance from Bruce. You scored from two set pieces that were good deliveries and pure tennancity from your guys to get on the end of and then profited from some individual brilliance. I came away less dissapointed than when we lost to Fulham. Anyway I am not a fan of Bruce, but I feel that in the playoffs he'd be the manager I want most. I'd not want an away playoff match at Villa Park neither. A wolf in Easter bunny's clothing. Always liked Wolves - proper club - good luck in the Premier League. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
striker Posted April 1, 2018 Visiting Supporter Share Posted April 1, 2018 Just a word of caution. Villa haven’t secured a playoff position yet and considering present form, should not be taken for granted. Lose against Reading with other results going against Villa I really don’t think at the present time Villa have the right mentality for a scrap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 10 hours ago, terrytini said: I’m not convinced improvement HAS been made, not only since the start of the season but since he arrived. I THOUGHT there had been an actual, real, discernible improvement noticeable since new Year. In the main, that we had a strength of character previously absent, and, crucially, that we had adopted a more positive attacking approach which appeared to be the product of - at last - some decent coaching. The nagging doubt ( voiced by many but not myself, I was pretty confident) was that nothing HAD changed, and that we simply had individuals doing well...and had a bit of joy with some of the opposition.......which had been the story on our previous good runs. But really, Fulham, Preston, QPR, Bolton, and Hull have not only got results against us, each of them - most of whom have also had turmoil of sorts, and “ rebuilding”, - has done so playing ( to a greater or lesser extent ) what looks like a better quality, more repeatable, better drilled, more cohesive brand of football. We have increasingly looked like a dogs dinner, with considerable echoes of our dreadful run from early 2017. I have gone from wanting him gone in September and again in December to having thought the upheaval of removing Bruce ( given the good signs in that good run) when so far down the road with players which are all his choices would be counterproductive. But I have to say, those with the decision to make have to ask themselves, do they really believe another summer will alter the deficiencies that are all too clear ? Because the question is, which would be worse, a new Manager struggling by October, or Bruce still getting performances like this come October ? In which scenario do they look more foolish ...... for me there ARE still pros and cons but I have to say, IF they keep Bruce and things remain the same it will look like “ well what did you expect “. Not easy, not easy at all. Todays resorting to hoofing was embarrassing, the use of a DM pointless, the slowness in recognising Grabban needed help infuriating, the lack of aggression costly and the lack of cohesion alarming. All those are to do with the Manager, and are not unusual or uncommon failings. Hard to argue with that Terry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 7 minutes ago, striker said: Just a word of caution. Villa haven’t secured a playoff position yet and considering present form, should not be taken for granted. Lose against Reading with other results going against Villa I really don’t think at the present time Villa have the right mentality for a scrap. I agree. its the being out fought so easily that worries me......that then goes on to create so many other failings in our play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jareth Posted April 1, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted April 1, 2018 Focus now is not to be completely sh*t and secure play-offs. We can probably do that. Then play-offs, we have a very good chance, especially if Kodjia is up and running. One thing we have been good at this season is pressure games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepyvillian Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 12 minutes ago, striker said: Just a word of caution. Villa haven’t secured a playoff position yet and considering present form, should not be taken for granted. Lose against Reading with other results going against Villa I really don’t think at the present time Villa have the right mentality for a scrap. Not the right mentality for a scrap ? And the responsibility for that lies at whose doorstep ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 12 hours ago, Eastie said: I’m sure they have covered all bases and time will tell. ‘It may well be Bruce may not want to continue under the restrictions in any case if it comes to that. ‘For now all we can do is hope it all comes good in the play offs . If we make it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 2 minutes ago, sheepyvillian said: Not the right mentality for a scrap ? And the responsibility for that lies at whose doorstep ? I actually agree with that.....and i think that same mentality is affecting everything we do. Its hard to dismiss the manager in all of this, but whether his personal life has affected his work is just speculation on my behalf. As a sideshow its interesting how Pepe explained his 4-0 defeat at Everton last season...He said " He didn't have a clue"....I just kept working on what I believe. Its a bitter pill to swallow for us right now, and I don't see too many options, I don't see changing players as necessarily the answer, its a collective problem imo. A crunching tackle or an aggressive bit of play in the early minutes of the Hull game might have changed the whole mood.....where as from where i was watching it was all melancholy and broodiness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastie Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 9 minutes ago, TRO said: I actually agree with that.....and i think that same mentality is affecting everything we do. Its hard to dismiss the manager in all of this, but whether his personal life has affected his work is just speculation on my behalf. As a sideshow its interesting how Pepe explained his 4-0 defeat at Everton last season...He said " He didn't have a clue"....I just kept working on what I believe. Its a bitter pill to swallow for us right now, and I don't see too many options, I don't see changing players as necessarily the answer, its a collective problem imo. A crunching tackle or an aggressive bit of play in the early minutes of the Hull game might have changed the whole mood.....where as from where i was watching it was all melancholy and broodiness. These issues were around long before Bruce’s recent family loss - I’m sure he’d be the first say that is not the reason - In fact we won 3 in a row scoring 9 goals either side of his dads funeral . whatever is wrong attitude wise with the players it is not to do with Bruce’s family loss - these blips have happened regularly throughout his 18 months in charge . maybe everyone thought we’d made it after hammering wolves and complacency set in? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 Just been looking at SB's last full season at this level which was at Hull in 15/16 so only two years ago. It's looking quite similar to this one. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35584437 After this win on 23rd Feb 2016 Hull went top so similar to us going second after beating SHA. Hull won 4 of their next 11 fixtures and finished 4th. They still won the play offs. I'm not too bothered about our results now (we just need 1 win as I doubt you'd miss out on 75 points) but clearly our team level and also level of individuals isn't what is needed to go up currently. Likes of Terry, Snodgrass and Adomah all look flat currently so I'd rest them over next few weeks. Give Axel a few games at CB for example, we may need him there in the play offs. Give Green a run out if he isn't injured. What's certain is to have a good chance of going up we need those three above to be fit and firing rather than 60% which they look at currently. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 27 minutes ago, Eastie said: These issues were around long before Bruce’s recent family loss - I’m sure he’d be the first say that is not the reason - In fact we won 3 in a row scoring 9 goals either side of his dads funeral . whatever is wrong attitude wise with the players it is not to do with Bruce’s family loss - these blips have happened regularly throughout his 18 months in charge . maybe everyone thought we’d made it after hammering wolves and complacency set in? Could be.....I am just offering speculative possibilities thats all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyblade Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 We need to secure 4th if we want to avoid Fulham/Cardiff in the semis. Simply limping through in 5th or 6th is unthinkable. If we can pip Fulham to 3rd by some miracle, even better. I would back us to beat any of the other 6 teams in the playoffs mix over 2 legs. PIt's the final that's the real lottery. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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