Ratings & Reactions: Norwich v Villa

[Vive_La_Villa]

As mentioned already having an outlet that could hold the ball and give defenders a hard time really did take a lot of pressure of fans players and allow them to join in play. Davis was a revelation. 

We didn't dominate in terms of possession but chances wise we destroyed them and that's what's it's all about. 

[Vive_La_Villa]

32 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

Oh hello!

All change today with the non-performances of the last two being completely turned around in favour of some not unattractive football. We're a bit Jekyll and Hyde, but the good news is that the reasons why aren't a mystery. Put simply; Keinan Davis.

I went to the reserves earlier in the week and made a point of how impressed I was with his ability to fight for balls, hold the ball up and bring people into play - I must admit, I didn't think he was physically ready to do that in the first team, but there he was today - getting his body between the ball and defenders, fighting for it, winning it and making it ours. 

What that does is allow our midfield to catch up with play and get forward. If you're Conor Hourihane and you play a ball up to Hogan or Kodjia then, four times out of five, your involvement in the attack is over. When you play the ball up to Davis, four times out of five you have the opportunity to get involved in the next phase of play. When you're Conor Hourihane, being involved in the next phase of play is very interesting. Both Hourihane and Lansbury today looked like attacking threats, they looked like they were getting forward and getting into positions where they could make things happen - they haven't changed position - it's Keinan Davis's ability to hold up play, to control games from the front that has got them there. All our midfielders looked better today and for me, a lot of that is down to Davis.

Now, whether this tactical masterstroke is down to Bruce having watched the reserves and thought "that might work" or whether he's spoken to the medical team and said "Are there any fit strikers?" doesn't really matter - he's found it, it works and it'll now become a matter of figuring out how often we can play the young lad and whether we can find anyone else who can do the job when he needs a rest. If the manager whose head I called for earlier in the week can figure that out, then two things are true - we'll win a lot more matches and Bruce can come round my house, write "Who the f*** are you?" on a piece of paper, roll it into a ball and make me eat it.

I thought at the back we looked susceptible to pace and once Norwich figured that out that caused us a fair bit of difficulty. I thought the midfield revelled in being allowed to be more involved and I think we looked like we had a reasonable shape. It'll be interesting to see what we change for Tuesday's cup game - but this feels a lot, lot better.

When did we last score four at home?

 

Spot on. For Bruce's style of play to work it's a must he has a strong striker that brings players in to the game. Which is why Hogan was such a strange signing! 

[TheMightyVillans]

Our first league win without jedinak 

[HanoiVillan]

Voted Hourihane for MOTM since I can't remember the last time I saw a Villa central midfielder score a hattrick. Come to think of it, I'm not actually sure I can remember the last time I saw a Villa central midfielder score a goal, but I guess it must have happened at some point last season. 

Anyway, Hourihane, very well done - but it was Green and Davies who made that. They really showed a lot of heart, and more importantly a lot of quality. Davies was up for everything, and held the ball up well, and he's got good control too. He reminded me a little of Kodjia to be honest, and I was desperate for that volley that skimmed the bar to go in, it would have been no more than he deserved. Also Whelan was very good, and I thought Lansbury looked better than he has any time recently when he came on, but I hope Onomah isn't out for long, you can see he's a cut above. Also a decent cameo from Bree. 

[StewieGriffin]

To answer the question, our last 4 goals at home were the 4-3 vs WBA under Lambert. Last time we scored 4 in a game was Sunderland under Sherwood.

Last hattrick was Benteke vs qpr

 

According to the bbc...

Edited August 19, 2017 by StewieGriffin

[MCU]

Please sign their left winger/attacker that tore us a new one today. He was quality...

Much better today though, although best we don't get too complacent. They weren't great yet we still almost let them back in twice. Onwards and upwards. Oh, and to think Bacuna started over Hourihane against Hull is also a joke. Played brilliant today.

[Xela]

A win!

[HanoiVillan]

30 minutes ago, Warnock said:

Please sign their left winger/attacker that tore us a new one today. He was quality...

Agreed, he looks like a real talent to me. Think he'll go far. 

[lapal_fan]

Watched the first half and kept an eye on it when i could, but wow, we should have scored more.  Davies absolutely dominated their CBs, wonderful sight.  Thought Whelan played very well. Snappy with his passing and kept it simple, yet positive - much better than his other displays up to this point.

CH - well that was a shock! Absolutely excellent.  Arriving in the box at the right time? Lampard would have been proud.

Though Lansbury did well too when he came on.

I think it's Davies's day today.  He didn't look like a rookie what-so-ever.   That cross bar effort would have been the stuff of dreams! 

We've got to keep this going now.  We now know we have goals in the team, I hope the team trust each other more and play like this again. Really good result for us, even with the late-ish scare, we just went right up the other end and kept going.  Happy for the fans who have been going through the tough times, is like to think SB has dedicated that to you.

Edited August 19, 2017 by lapal_fan

[islingtonclaret]

A great first match to welcome me back to Brum. Hutton had a bit of a shocker, but Davis and Hourihane were excellent.

As an aside, I was sitting in L4 Holte and when I was trying to find my seat I encountered two of the most disgusting, vile people I have ever met at VP. Since 1992 I have never met or spoken to any other Villa fan like it.

[BruLan]

11 minutes ago, islingtonclaret said:

 

As an aside, I was sitting in L4 Holte and when I was trying to find my seat I encountered two of the most disgusting, vile people I have ever met at VP. Since 1992 I have never met or spoken to any other Villa fan like it.

Tell us more ...

I thought Davies was awesome young and raw, like a young Carew

[dounavilla]

12 minutes ago, islingtonclaret said:

A great first match to welcome me back to Brum. Hutton had a bit of a shocker, but Davis and Hourihane were excellent.

As an aside, I was sitting in L4 Holte and when I was trying to find my seat I encountered two of the most disgusting, vile people I have ever met at VP. Since 1992 I have never met or spoken to any other Villa fan like it.

I didn't know Bruce and Calderwood had touchline bans ?

[islingtonclaret]

Just now, BruLan said:

Tell us more ...

I thought Davies was awesome young and raw, like a young Carew

Two girls thought I was trying to take their place. They banged on about being season ticket holders and that I was a simple tourist having the nerve to tell them move. They spent the first 20 mins of the game talking about me and generally swearing and called me a disgusting prick with a nerve.

 

I was trying to find my seat and wanted help.

[BruLan]

3 minutes ago, islingtonclaret said:

Two girls thought I was trying to take their place. They banged on about being season ticket holders and that I was a simple tourist having the nerve to tell them move. They spent the first 20 mins of the game talking about me and generally swearing and called me a disgusting prick with a nerve.

 

I was trying to find my seat and wanted help.

Well maybe they will grow up, Dont let it spoil a wonderful day 

 

 

[chrisvilla4]

Well I don't know about anyone else but I'm buzzing! I'm not going to think about other results, papering over the cracks etc. Just going to enjoy the moment. UTV!

[The Fun Factory]

Well that was a total surprise. Much better. Davis was brilliant today and Hourihane had his best game for us for a country mile. Lovely.

[rodders0223]

45 minutes ago, BruLan said:

 

I thought Davies was awesome young and raw, like a young Carew

 

1 hour ago, lapal_fan said:

Watched the first half and kept an eye on it when i could, but wow, we should have scored more.  Davies absolutely dominated their CBs, wonderful sight.  Thought Whelan played very well. Snappy with his passing and kept it simple, yet positive - much better than his other displays up to this point.

CH - well that was a shock! Absolutely excellent.  Arriving in the box at the right time? Lampard would have been proud.

Though Lansbury did well too when he came on.

I think it's Davies's day today.  He didn't look like a rookie what-so-ever.   That cross bar effort would have been the stuff of dreams! 

We've got to keep this going now.  We now know we have goals in the team, I hope the team trust each other more and play like this again. Really good result for us, even with the late-ish scare, we just went right up the other end and kept going.  Happy for the fans who have been going through the tough times, is like to think SB has dedicated that to you.

It begins...

 

[a m ole]

2 hours ago, OutByEaster? said:

Just seen Bruce's press conference and he said the main reason he put him in was his performance on Monday. Fair play to him.

 

I think he might take credit for it but it's not lost on me that Hogan had to come off after 20 odd minutes on Tuesday with an injury. Having said that he could have picked Gabby.

[lapal_fan]

3 minutes ago, rodders0223 said:

 

It begins...

 

Haha!

I even went up thread to see how it was spelt because it drove me crazy with Clark!

[Mantis]

Excellent performance and this is going to sound weird but I'm glad we kept getting pegged back to only a goal back. On both occasions when Norwich scored pretty much everyone in the ground was expecting an equaliser but instead we went up the other end and scored again. That experience of pushing on instead of capitulating like usual will do wonders for the team.

2 hours ago, StewieGriffin said:

To answer the question, our last 4 goals at home were the 4-3 vs WBA under Lambert. Last time we scored 4 in a game was Sunderland under Sherwood.

Last hattrick was Benteke vs qpr

 

According to the bbc...

They're wrong - the last time we scored 4 goals at home was in March 2014 against... Norwich.