Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Forest

[OutByEaster?]

It was good, we got the ball forward early to Davis who won it consistently and held it up for Kodjia and Adomah to join in - those two are a nuisance and we looked like we had a route to scoring goals through that - and we scored through a set piece which is always nice.

It was bad, we don't pass the ball and we don't have the legs in the team to press our opponent, so if they get their passing game together, they look like they're going to slaughter us.

Both of those things are true - and on that basis, we'll win some and lose some dependent on our luck and our belief - both of those held today - and if Bruce stays lucky, we can win as many as we lose and one or two more. 

What we can't do is control games - we need a bit of luck, both going forwards and in keeping teams out - we've got some talent, but we're a very poor passing side and we don't have any energy in the middle of the park. What we do we do well; what we don't do well we do a lot of.

Johnstone (7) - so much better this season - two highlights were the excellent save from the free kick and the rollicking he gave Taylor after an error - including following him twenty yards so he got the message. I liked both.

Elmohamady (5) - for a guy who sometimes plays on the wing, he doesn't support much and as a defender he doesn't get tight. When he's alone on the wing, he's better, but for me he's a weakness in the side.

Chester (7) - much more Chester-y today - committed when he needed to be and fairly solid otherwise - I'm not sure who was responsible for their goal, but for that moment, it did look like much of our team had red balloons attached to their wrists, if it was Chester, take a couple of marks off him and send him to bed with no cocoa.

Terry (6) - solid - see also balloon/cocoa thing.

Taylor (6) - solid and also good in support of Adomah - he defended pretty well and was always available. Today was a good day for him.

Whelan (5) - a couple of howlers in the second half where he gave the ball away in dangerous spots count against him - he's the more defensive of our midfielders and we're asking an awful lot of him in terms of the chasing we want from him.

Hourihane (6) - in a midfield two, he seems to struggle to me - he doesn't put a lot of pressure on the ball and he's not someone who is going to power through things or knock people off if - he plays deeper than you'd like him to out of necessity and then he's not able to do as much of the creative stuff he's good at. At a dead ball, he's able to remind you what he's actually about and his goal was excellent - for me these two aren't quite working - we desperately need a running machine in the middle of the park. 

Adomah (7) - for me our best player today - energy, invention and a goal - he was involved in almost everything good we did. Bruce is rapidly becoming a lucky general and in our desperation for a left winger, putting our best right winger (third choice) out there is paying dividends - a revelation and a godsend. 

Snodgrass (6) - he's involved, he's trying, he moves and tries to pass and do stuff - it's just not quite 'clicked' for him yet. If it does, he'll be a good un - if not he'll be okay.

Davis (7) - our most important player - everything we do is based around banging balls up to this big fella - I reckon he could step out into Corporation Street and hold off a tram with a stiff arm and a strong back - he's excellent at winning the ball and bringing people into play. He's our only route to getting the ball to Adomah and Kodjia. Anything else he does is, quite frankly, a bonus.

Kodjia (7) - I'd love to hear the song that's playing in Kodjia's head when he's playing, it must be mental - he plays like he wants to take the whole of the opposition team on each time he gets the ball and he wants to do it at a million miles an hour and look flash while he's at it. Sometimes he manages it, usually he manages to create a bit of chaos - sometimes we profit from that. He brings the little bit of 'extra' we need.

subs

Hogan (6) - chased a lot of things.

Hutton (6) - showed he's a better defender than Elmohamady in the five minutes he was on.

For Forest - their left back Troare looked very good and their 31 whose name is too complicated for me to learn looked a good player (like a younger Jedinak) - but in general they looked a little toothless. 

Our luck held - if we dust it with confidence, it can hold a little longer - let's see.

 

[Czechlad]

I thought Hourihane was amazing today. Defensively he was breaking up so many plays, and he was spraying passing left and right. I was upset Snodgrass had taken over free kick duty, so I was happy Hourihane got his chance. 

 

Great match by him. Adomah also was fantastic. 

 

Whelan scares me a lot. Snodgrass was very underwhelming and poor.

[Vive_La_Villa]

1 hour ago, VillanousOne said:

not pretty but why are people slating Bruce?

You just answered you're own question. 

[AVFCDAN]

Goals from midfield are certainly helping us this season, if we are going to be up there come the end of the season we'll need 10+ goals from Hourihane and Adomah and they are both well on their way to doing that.

With Mccormak clearly not featuring for this season and Hogan continuing to just not suit our style of play we should be looking for another decent striker in January, no idea who that is.

[BigAl]

Cannot understand the negativity on here ,we won ,performance was decent ,plenty of positives and a few negatives.Played well first half controlled the game should have been more than 1 up .Second half Forest were better got a break for there goal and we showed character to go back in front this is defo a game we would have dropped points in last year .We will have to improve no doubt but we are heading in the right direction we are finally getting goals ,the biggest worry I would have is that we struggle to maintain possession our ball retention is very poor at times but we are a Steve Bruce team like it or lump it we will invite teams on soak up the pressure and hit teams on the break it's his way not pretty but has got him results in the past I would prefer if we were playing better football but it's all about results and promotion I'm nit going to complain if we get the results like I said thought we were better team tonight deserved the win it wasn't a very good performance but was decent one onward and upwards from here it's all about momentum.

[The Fun Factory]

Personally I would give Johnstone MOTM as the save at the end gained us two points. Not a great game but got the 3 points. I hope pefromances will come now we are getting a few results. Adomah had a good go as well as Kodja as he played a big part in both goals.  Need to stop giving the balll away so easily as we made very hard work of this versus a very average Forest side. 

[Harry]

Good three points which was just about deserved but we are just so unconvincing.

As OBE said above we never seem to manage to control games which worries me and we make silly mistakes mainly with our wayward passing. Against better sides we would be punished.

Having said that we stuck to the task and ground out a very decent result.

[snowychap]

Nice to get home and see that we won again. No idea if we were any good, obviously.

[SirSteveUK]

AS Onomah has been reckoned to have been MOTM in a couple of matches-I will allow him a poor performance

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

A fit Jedi will no doubt take Whelans spot, will do nothing for ball retention though, but will without a doubt solidify.

[Grasshopper]

3pts keeps that Bruce in a job.

We didnt see anything new here or anything that we didnt know before.

Painfull to watch

Forest had the ball -> Kodjia magic -> goal

Forest pull back after exposing their weakness - did we dominate and make sure of the win?

HT teamtalk from both managers then what happens - we conceed. So is our luck that we have Kodjia anymore creditable than Whelans unlucky touch teeing up a fine finish from their CF?

Then another piece of Kodjia magic (or was it terrible defensive play to pull him down?) gets us a freekick and Hourihane put the magical final touch.

Warburton subbed to get back in it whilst Bruce subbed to see it home. In all honesty their subs made as little difference as ours did. Things stayed as they were which tells us what?

We have the better players. Yet it was still a painfull game getting us over the line.

Against the lesser teams our superior players MAY Just get us results. The manager wont.

Against the better teams and better managers will it ge enough? I doubt it.

[TRO]

4 hours ago, markavfc40 said:

Just back. Good first half, crap second but overall I thought we just about edged it.  We need to stop being so casual in possession though as it will cost us points.

Bottom line is another 3 points and it is onwards and upwards.

Just back....i agree Mark.

[striker]

Take three points any day of the week but still not convinced there has been much improvement in performance level and I wonder will history repeat itself from last season when Villa went on a decent run?

For that not to happen performances must improve.

Whelan was awful today again so I can't understand why Lyden is not being given more of a chance to shine? More energy than Whelan and better technically imo.

 

[sheepyvillian]

Yeah , I'll happily take the 3 points, but so much for attacking football ,couldn't of been on the front foot that much, not with just 36% possession, and let's not forget we were playing on the manor .

Talks a good fight, this manager .

[NurembergVillan]

4 hours ago, OutByEaster? said:

Kodjia (7) - I'd love to hear the song that's playing in Kodjia's head when he's playing, it must be mental - he plays like he wants to take the whole of the opposition team on each time he gets the ball and he wants to do it at a million miles an hour and look flash while he's at it. Sometimes he manages it, usually he manages to create a bit of chaos - sometimes we profit from that. He brings the little bit of 'extra' we need.

 

 

[maqroll]

Happy to hear we won again. As much as I dislike the idea of Bruce managing this team, 2 wins on the trot is a good tonic. Tony is going to stick with his man now.

[Kingman]

Watched the game in town, I was pretty hammered but remember thinking and saying we were poor so I'm surprised at some of the comments.

Maybe I was more pi55ed than I thought  

[Paul33]

10 hours ago, BigAl said:

Cannot understand the negativity on here ,we won , performance was decent

That bit is wrong and that is why there is negativity. Thanks.

[PaulC]

Hourihane's great free kick was the difference so gave it motm 

[alreadyexists]

I don't think the performance was that bad personally, we lost possession too easily, and didn't battle hard enough in midfield, and being critical we weren't fluid enough with passing. Forest held the ball well, but as soon as they moved forward we nullified the threat. Their goal was a fairly fortunate rebound through ball off Whelan's shin, if that had been the other way around people would've been bashing us for 'fluking a goal'. 

I thought defensively we were good, although the old panic set in a couple of times I wasn't really too concerned as it didn't seem like they troubled us too much. Sam Johnstone should have special mention as that save from the free kick was fantastic.

Not trying to pick an argument at all, as I totally respect other people feel differently, but that's my opinion on the game.