Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Preston

[TheAuthority]

2 minutes ago, Junxs said:

3 pages and no ones mentioned Johnstones clanger, thats 2 in 2 games now. If Steer was fit I would drop SJ for the next match. He seems to be going backwards just now.

I think dropping him is extreme but he's gifted the opposition at least 6 goals this season from corners. He just can't handle balls into the 6 yards area. I hope the coaching staff are drilling him like mad about it.

[VillaChris]

The dog says his team were robbed.

Edited February 20, 2018 by VillaChris

[Stratvillan]

Terrible set up which encouraged Preston to attack. Altered at half time, only 1 team in it in second half. I'd take the play offs now if I could guarantee Bruce would start with an attacking line up. But.......

[Vive_La_Villa]

Looking at Prestons form and recent results that's ok point considering the injuries. 

[Harry]

PNE what can I say. One of the dirtiest sides I have seen at VP and shameless time wasters. The antics when we were awarded the penalty were appalling but the ref did nothing. He seemed to reserve his effort for awarding non-existent fouls to PNE. They came to VP to mug us and largely did.

Having said that we were very poor in the first half, error strewn does not even begin to describe what I watched. Amazingly we managed to craft some half decent chances and were perhaps unlucky not to score. Their goal was the usual calamity defending from us which was not good.

Equally amazingly was after substituting our most creative players, on paper at least, we looked much better. At least we had a couple of big lads to hoof it too but we also strung together some decent moves and in the end were probably unlucky not to win the game. I think overall a point was a fair result but disappointing none the less.

Personally after the experience of the Fulham game I don’t think Bruce started with the right eleven, it was way too negative and invited pressure. In his defence he did not have too many options on the bench but I think he maybe could have used his available players better. Just my opinion of course.

 

[TRO]

They were too quick to the ball for us....and too too quick in thought.

They were physical, for sure.....but we can do that if we want to.

I think we were fortunate to get a point.

However, Davis's miss was very disappointing.

not good enough for me.

[Supervillan78]

Ref was crap, Hutton was superb. Everything else Meh. Happy with the point.

[8pints]

Need to be braver.

[sheepyvillian]

I really hope we get that 2nd place because I'm really not that confident this team would be attack minded enough to make it through the play - offs . Tonight's game was 2 points lost, however which way you spin it.

And this misconception, that getting points whilst playing badly is a good sign, I've never quite understood that cliche. Playing like we played tonight is not going to get us promoted. You don't create momentum with performances like that. The last thing this team needs, at this stage of the season,  is doubt.

[TRO]

Playing like that will not get us promoted automatically for sure.

I half expected a game like that tonight and said so on here before setting off to the game.

its that predictability that ****es me off.

Without Jack there is simply no guile in the team.

[Villan_of_oz]

7 minutes ago, TRO said:

Playing like that will not get us promoted automatically for sure.

I half expected a game like that tonight and said so on here before setting off to the game.

its that predictability that ****es me off.

Without Jack there is simply no guile in the team.

Well put TRO and whilst I'm not calling for Bruce's head, I think it's fair to say that this has been his biggest flaw since he has been here. 

With the injuries we have, I don't think you can blame him for not getting a result.

But there are managers who would've found a way to get a result. Bruce is very predictable with his set up and selection. 

If we can see it, is it not fair to say that gives our opposition not a lot to think about when working out how to play us.

[BleedClaretAndBlue]

3 hours ago, villa82 said:

When was the last time we won a game after 0-1? 

QPR away, actually played probably our best football this season after going behind.

Pleased in the end to come away from that with a point. Soon as I saw the lineup it was all too obvious we would struggle. 

Grabban for Hogan is the obvious change to make for Hillsbrough, if Jack and Adomah are back. Thor back to DM, Mile on the bench. Elmo for Axel and id even give Lansbury a run in place of Hourihane whos been very lacklustre of late bar the derby goal.

Hopefully Leeds win tomorrow and Fulham draw. Cant see Ipswich doing much, theyre terrible. Still a long way to go. Just need the main men back.

[TRO]

7 minutes ago, Villan_of_oz said:

Well put TRO and whilst I'm not calling for Bruce's head, I think it's fair to say that this has been his biggest flaw since he has been here. 

With the injuries we have, I don't think you can blame him for not getting a result.

But there are managers who would've found a way to get a result. Bruce is very predictable with his set up and selection. 

If we can see it, is it not fair to say that gives our opposition not a lot to think about when working out how to play us.

I thought Bruce got it wrong from the start.....but I also think too many highly paid players with premier league experience, could of given us better....i seen too many beaten first to the ball and slow laboured play in losing it.

I also think the squad is lacking players with guile.....one is not enough.

you have to compete in this league.....we played like we had time and we hadn't.

[TRO]

3 hours ago, Stratvillan said:

Terrible set up which encouraged Preston to attack. Altered at half time, only 1 team in it in second half. I'd take the play offs now if I could guarantee Bruce would start with an attacking line up. But.......

I think you might have to take the play offs, because they are not going up automatically playing like that. Too many players, below par.

Edited February 21, 2018 by TRO

[Eastie]

9 hours ago, villa82 said:

Grabban from the start next game. As a striker if Adomah and Snoddgras are back, if not as a winger and Davis up front. Hogan does nothing for the team.

Have to agree , Grealish helps get the best from hogan as he creates space and links with him more - with jack out go for grabban davis snoddy on Saturday .

[Eastie]

5 hours ago, TRO said:

I thought Bruce got it wrong from the start.....but I also think too many highly paid players with premier league experience, could of given us better....i seen too many beaten first to the ball and slow laboured play in losing it.

I also think the squad is lacking players with guile.....one is not enough.

you have to compete in this league.....we played like we had time and we hadn't.

Can handle one or two below par but last night we’re more like 7 or 8 - hard to pick a man of match in all honesty - I feel Bruce  needs now to make changes for Saturday with hogan, hourihane , Jedi and Hutton ,left out for me and Taylor coming back with grabban , lansbury and Elmo .

i like Hutton  effort but he constantly got in decent positions and had to come back on his right foot - he’s earned his place recently but time for Taylor to get another go .

Edited February 21, 2018 by Eastie

[OutByEaster?]

That's a really frustrating game - we didn't play well, we made individual errors, they used the weak referee to make it horrible to watch and it felt like two points dropped. 

I thought the first half was our worst 45 minutes of the season, the lack of movement was appalling - I know we have players injured, but there was simply no running into the channels, no one getting up in support of Hogan and no real desire to be brave with the ball. Without Grelaish and Adomah we miss a bit of spark and adventure, the first half side had no magic and no mischief. A really poor piece of goalkeeping to gift them a goal was entirely in keeping with the team performance.

I thought Bruce did the right thing at half time by bringing on the two strikers - I wasn't sure he took the right players off, and I wasn't sure about Grabban on right wing, but we desperately needed a change - if we couldn't football them, then at least we could launch it to a big man. It half worked and we created more chances in the second half, but Preston tied us up, wasted time, used the ref and stopped any sort of flow to the game to hold on for a point they celebrated like a win - with a little more ambition they could have taken us, but they lacked the good sense to realise it.

Johnstone (5) - two goals in two games - when the ball floats directly up in the air in the six yard box, I expect the keeper to catch it; he barely got off the ground. If you can't catch it, punch it a good distance - standing there and letting it hit your hand is only ever going to result in one thing. He made good stops later in the game, but keepers aren't judged on their strengths, they're judged on their lack of weaknesses - until he's able to deal with balls in the air, he's flawed.

Hutton (7) - If that shot had gone in the roof would have come off Villa park. When everyone else is struggling you can rely on Hutton to continue to give you what he's got - I thought he did pretty well.

Terry (6) - uncharacteristically nervy - his strength is in his ability to be in control, today he wasn't.

Chester (7) - I thought he was our second best player on the night. A little like Hutton in that his consistent solidity is much more visible when others don't play well.

Tuanzebe (6) - he's a little bit bambi and can look like he's not quite sure what to do with the ball and I was a little disappointed in his lack of aggression and bite - that said, he can look classy when he's in full flight and he didn't have a bad game.

Hourihane (5) - I didn't think he was as bad as some of the papers have painted him - unlike Hutton and Chester, his normal game looks poorer for the lack of more exciting colleagues - when he's doing the neatening up in central midfield while people are building and attacking off it, he's very effective, when all of our midfield are playing triangles just inside our own half to absolutely no end whatsoever, he's a bit more exposed. Tidy-ish, but didn't make anything happen.

Jedinak (3) - slower than sausages. He's had a very good career Mr Jedinak, but I think we saw its end tonight. He simply wasn't able to keep pace with the game - now he's not lost any pace overnight, he's always been a little slow - but they just ran around him all night. In fight games when up against the likes of the heath, he's a useful thing to have, but he can't run and he can't pass - tonight he also lost more headers than he won. I felt he should have come off at half time with Bjarnason moving to defensive mid.

Onomah (5) - four of those five are for his second half. Of late the team has taken its cue from Grealish and his energy and impudence - in the first half last night we took our cue from Onomah's lack of interest and endeavour. I would imagine he came into the dressing room cold at half time. In fairness to him, his second half was much better, he made some good bursts from midfield, he took men on and pushed forward into better positions. I wonder if he's a twin.

Bjarnason (6) - unlike Onomah, there's no lack of effort, he buzzes around and tries to get involved, he just lacks a bit of quality. A very good first half effort and the legs to get into some good positions weren't matched by his ability to produce when he got there. If you could put his heart into Onomah's talent you'd have a player.

Snodgrass (5) - a bird with one wing lacks a bit of balance and without Adomah, Snodgrass is struggling. He gives you a decent effort in every game and we know he has the ability to do it - but when there are ten other blokes waiting for you to make things happen, it's hard to beat an opposition who have noticed. Hope he's okay.

Hogan (5) - the big number nine struggled in the first half, largely through not being a big number nine - thirty yards from the nearest midfielder and on his own competing for aerial balls against big centre halves isn't page 1 of the 'Get the best out of Scott Hogan' book. That said, he wasn't quite sharp enough in the second half when we played a little more to his strengths. Maybe he'd worn himself out.

subs

Grabban (7) - our most positive thing on the night was the realisation that we've got a footballer here - he injected urgency and a willingness to try to do things and his penalty took balls of steel after two or three of their lot took turns trying to put him off. 

Davis (6) - the good, the bad and the ugly - he did a great job of helping the ball stick at the right end of the pitch, he made life much easier for the rest of the team by giving them a simple ball available all of the time. He made some really good turns and he won a very soft penalty - he made lots of positive contributions - but that last minute chance......

Elmohamady (-) Not on for long. Not on for any particular reason as far as I could make out.

 

Ultimately the star of the show was the referee - he allowed some appalling time wasting and allowed a little too much to go. Preston fans will think he was a bad un for the penalty, but I think on the balance of things he was more bad for us than them. If he'd played the full added time we'd have had nine minutes. I think the best example I can give of his lack of control of the game was a moment where Grabban tried a little ball to Onomah who was wider, it was a poor ball and went out of play - he'd played it forward from the edge of the box and it went out around the six yard line in front of the Witton Land stand. There was (as always) a break in play while a Preston player received treatment and when we resumed, Preston took the throw five yards from the half way line - a gain of about fifty yards. Most of their throw ins were taken from wherever they liked throughout the game - it's not on its own a big thing, but it tells you how little care and attention he put into his refereeing.

For them, I'm baffled - they're capable of playing some decent football, but they don't seem particularly interested in it. Their number 14 and their keeper were horrible creatures and I have a feeling that the keeper blowing kisses to the Holte End on the final whistle to celebrate a draw in a game they might have won should probably have a word with himself.

Anyway, a horrible night - horrible us in the first half, horrible Preston throughout and a shocking referee. 

Next please.

 

 

[blunther]

1 hour ago, Eastie said:

Can handle one or two below par but last night we’re more like 7 or 8 - hard to pick a man of match in all honesty - I feel Bruce  needs now to make changes for Saturday with hogan, hourihane , Jedi and Hutton ,left out for me and Taylor coming back with grabban , lansbury and Elmo .

i like Hutton  effort but he constantly got in decent positions and had to come back on his right foot - he’s earned his place recently but time for Taylor to get another go .

I thought Hutton put our best cross of the night in with his left in the first half. He also consistently drove us forward and had a couple of decent efforts. I’d drop eight or nine from last night before dropping Hutton

[omariqy]

Well that was a pretty terrible performance apart from the first 10 minutes and the last 10 minutes. It's a point I made in the pre-match thread but when you have no real game plan and rely on individual talent to win you games you will invariably get games like this. Yes we are missing our better players but we still have a hell of a squad to pick from. I think the line-up and formation set the tone of the match. No way should you be playing Jedi and Thor in the same team at home or Hogan up top by himself with no attacking midfielder. Preston do not have a physical midfield. Grabban and to some extent Davis changed the game for us and we got a goal out of nothing. If Davis was sharper then we could have nicked it.

Johnstone - 5 - poor poor mistake and needs to be more dominant. 

Tuanzebe - 5 - some really good tackles first half but Barkhuizen (sp?) absolutely tore him a new one at times.

Chester - 7 - class above again and got Terry out of a few holes.

Terry - 5 - his worst game for us since August.

Hutton - 7 - Some of his passing is terrible but he was one of our best attacking players. That usually means we were shit. 

Snodgrass - 4 - Looked up for it for the first 10 minutes and then looked like he went down throwing up and did nothing thereafter. 

Onomah - 5 - terrible first half but much better second half. No end product though.  I can't understand how a professional footballer can play floating balls in the box like he did. Whip it in man!

Jedinak - 5 - Much better 2nd half but Pearson et al ran him ragged.

Hourihane - 3 - terrible.

Thor - 6 - Great effort first half but he is not a left winger. We looked so much better with him in the middle.

Hogan - 5 - no service at all first half and created a good opportunity for himself through hard work. He was sprinting all over the place but some of his touches were poor.

Subs

Grabban - 7.5 - my MOTM. Changed the game for us.

Davis - 6.5 - Did well holding it up and for the pen but his final ball and shooting were so bad.

Elmo - N/A

Bruce - 4/10 - I think his line-up set the tone and probably cost us a win. 

 

[Chap of Steel]

Poor performance and poor mid-week atmosphere. We'd probably have lost that last season though, so the result isn't too bad I guess.