Ratings & Reactions: Middlesbrough v Villa

[foreveryoung]

You Don't realise how big this win was today. I think a loss would have seen us 11th

[markavfc40]

I think over all we deserved it. We were poor for 45 minutes where as they were diabolical for 90 minutes.

Second half we played well and seemed to have some kind of game plan.

I think Bruce got lucky today with Onomah getting injured as it allowed Grealish to come on and once again he was the best attacking player on the pitch. He should be one of the first names on our team sheet.

Defensively we were solid and special mention to Elphick as he has stepped up to the plate.

Bring on Bristol City and I am looking forward to getting down to VP on Monday way more than I was a couple of hours ago.

[Vive_La_Villa]

Normally a point at Boro would be a good result but as we have dropped so many points lately the win was massive.

I thought it was well fought victory today. I can't recall Johnstone having a save to make.  Plus the fact we played 75 minutes with 10 men showed how hard the team worked. 

Well done Villa.

[Stockport_Villain]

17 minutes ago, LakotaDakota said:

Won away from home with a somewhat makeshift squad against a team with a strong new manager. Never really looked under threat and coped easily with everything they had. 3 points.

Didn’t see that as a make shift squad. That’s the future. Get rid of Jedinak and that will be the squad more often than not at the end of the season.

[Kingman]

I turned it off with 20mins left due to royal crapness.  

Hopefully won’t have to do that on Monday.  

[USA_Villa]

Please enlighten me Steve, why wasn't Grealish in the starting line-up?

[striker]

Stated in the pre match thread that due to playing against a Pulis side which suits Bruce more I thought Villa would get a point. It’s a massive bonus to get all three.

I feel the Bristol game will be more of a worry but for now a badly needed win when those above Villa have faltered slightly.

[villaglint]

A game where we showed decent character if not talent. 

Potentially a huge 3 points 

[rodders0223]

1 minute ago, USA_Villa said:

Please enlighten me Steve, why wasn't Grealish in the starting line-up?

I am guessing with no pre season and a fair few games in a short space of time he was protecting him or concerned with him picking up a muscle injury. Rightly or wrongly.

[carewjust4u]

That is the midfield we need to start with every game, Glenn needs to be an option off the bench. Jedinak nullified all their long balls, Hourhaine actually was able to play higher up the pitch and looked far more comfortable. Adomah is class, constantly driving at his man..he must be a nightmare to play 90 mins against. 

Hutton needs to be our starting left-back, he i strangely better in everyway in that position in comparison with neil taylor. Overall, the back 4 looked excellent today, and made Boro look pedestrian.

Grealish is so instrumental for us, he is the only player than can hold onto the ball and open up the attack, without him we can't work it up the pitch.

RHM looked very promising, hopefully he's going to get more chances to force his way onto that teamsheet.

Overall, the style is still the same and we all know that. The difference is that we actually looked confident today, and today was a huge win for us in the table.

Confident of a win on Monday night.

[Nigel]

5 minutes ago, USA_Villa said:

Please enlighten me Steve, why wasn't Grealish in the starting line-up?

He was pretty much our only decent sub so was always going to come on.

TBF to Bruce he has looked decent coming from the bench when faced with tired defenders.  Maybe this was in mind?

[Brumstopdogs]

Match highlights:

http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/11189841/middlesbrough-0-1-aston-villa

 

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

23 minutes ago, USA_Villa said:

Please enlighten me Steve, why wasn't Grealish in the starting line-up?

I said the same, and the football gods agreed by forcing the substitution.

[Lerner's Driver]

Middle Boring were shockingly bad, but given our recent form I was fully expecting a loss before the game and then at best a draw during it, so the three points are most welcome.

I'm no longer able to promote the hardcore wait and see line I did previously because there clearly isn't going to be any seismic uplift in performances, but... Bruce does have this uncanny knack for getting something when all seems lost.

Hepburn Murphy looked decent when he came on. Decent touch, good hold up and we finally looked a bit dangerous going forward. Hope he gets some more game time because Hogan is a busted flush.

 

[Harry]

And the majority of possession......Bruce in!!!

[AVTuco]

2 hours ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

I said the same, and the football gods agreed by forcing the substitution.

I like him more coming on as a sub. I know he won't like it in the long run, but he just might be more effective that way. Plus, it'll keep him on his toes, which may be something he needs.

[RotaxMax125]

Tough place to go today with a new manager for them to impress. Massive pressure too. Big result. Well done! 

[The Fun Factory]

Well I think we have helped to ruin Boro's season as none of the teams relegated last season from the Premier League are pulling up trees. Needed to pull a win out of the bag, which I was not expecting.  The Bristol, Leeds and Blades results have gone our way as well so that it something. I will be surprised if we can beat Bristol though.

[Jimzk5]

Papered over the cracks, we do well against similar teams with the same tactics, watch bristol on monday beat us and bruce will say were being hysterical again.

[GeordieVillan]

I was able to go to the game today, but sat with the Boro fans. Fair play to them, they were very vocal, much more than they ever have been when I’ve observed them from the away end of my previous visits. The villa fans were in great voice as usual.

A few observations -

Elphick was great in terms of organising the back 4, you actually hear him shouting at Elmo and telling him what to do.

In a very poor first half, Hutton was our attacking spark from left back. He offers us something different as someone who actually runs forward with the ball and tries to commit defenders. People might immediately say that Adomah, Grealish and Snodgrass do this, but there is something quite exciting when Hutton cuts inside from left back and darts into central midfield.

Hogan was a passenger, we might as well have played without a striker. Struggling to control the ball and rarely posing a threat. Hepburn-Murphy looked a better option when he came on.

Grealish changed the game when he came on. I’m not his biggest fan, but his ability to hold the ball and bring Adomah and Snodgrass into the game made a massive difference, that’s something which Onamah just wasn’t able to do.

It was a very poor game, but you have to say a great result. A win against Bristol City and I would say it hasn’t been a disastrous festive period.