TheAuthority Posted March 25, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted March 25, 2018 Now the absolute waste of time that international football is over, we can get back to the real stuff. So, is this a must win or are we now content with stumbling into the playoffs? Play young kids or stick with the oldies. Hull is Brucey's old club so he may well have some insight and have the skinny on how to beat them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted March 26, 2018 Moderator Share Posted March 26, 2018 In answer to your question on the playoffs and your note on international football, in both cases it's not quite over yet. I think we need to get back to winning games in order to take better form into the play offs; if anyone else slips up then good, but we could do with getting back into some sort of form asap. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 Any knocks picked up to date from the internationals?.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hornso Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 Don't think he picked up a knock but Jedinak played 61 minutes for Australia on Friday and 90 minutes for Australia today. Might need a rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Most of our players should be well rested now. Nothing less than a win is acceptable after the last two pitiful performances. Make it 2-0 Villa! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
striker Posted March 29, 2018 Visiting Supporter Share Posted March 29, 2018 Really for the first time this season this is a must win for the Villa if they are going to have any chance of securing that automatic second place spot. There can be no excuses for either Bruce or the players after the international break. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMelvillan Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 Of course they go for it, and continue to do so. Imagine if Brucie played the kids, got beat and then Fulham of Cardiff lose - he'd be rightly crucified for failing to take advantage of their slip up. Continue to field best team with best players until we mathematically cannot go up automatically. Only then can he "rest" the oldies 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czechlad Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 I expect Whelan back in the team. I'd also like to see Hogan back out there. He had 5 in 7 matches with Jack starting. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilko154 Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 Johnstone Elmo Chester Terry Hutton Whelan Snodgrass Grealish Hourihane Adomah Hogan Whelan back in as he will help us to break up the play. Bjarnasson was poor against Bolton, although I don't think it was the game for him. Jedinak will be knackered after playing in some more pointless friendlies. I would be half tempted to throw Davis in after his two goals in the last week. But I think Grealish works well with players who can make runs off the ball, Grabban hasn't worked for the last two games so give Scotty another go. We really should have too much for Hull and this could start us on another run on wins. There is 100% no point in throwing a load of kids out there at this stage of the season, it would be ridiculous and I find it strange that people would even consider that after the season we have had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A'Villan Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 (edited) It's my birthday on the 31st and what I want from Santa (wait, what?) is a Villa win. Rob @Robtaylor200 and Mark @TheStagMan you are both invited to the BBQ, however you are required to make your own way down to Melbourne, don't worry I've got you covered for food. I expect to see you both there at 3pm AEDT. Edited March 29, 2018 by A'Villan 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVTuco Posted March 30, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted March 30, 2018 Really don't know what to make of this. We should win, but do we turn up? Usually breaks have not been kind to us, but this one came at a good time, so maybe... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A'Villan Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Kodjia inclusion is a big boost. Can't see us losing this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
romavillan Posted March 30, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted March 30, 2018 Jedi being knackered might force Brue to play Thor in front of the back four, it's looked his best position and we've played our best football with him in there too. Desperately need 3 points tomorrow. Hopefully combined with Cardiff and Fulham and Wolves all getting turned over 10-0 Millwall into top 6 doesn't bode well for our game against them, especially if we need 3 points from it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViewFromT2 Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 All fit according to Bruce, although Whelan most likely not included tomorrow as will train all weekend and might be involved Tuesday. 'All fit' includes a certain Jonathan Kodija, whom Bruce says played 45 mins in a behind closed doors friendly this week and has trained since with no problems. Bruce says he will be involved this weekend...this is huge news! It's like we are signing a new player for the run in, a player that will hopefully want to finish the season on a high. I wouldn't want to be picking a starting lineup with everyone fit. We have a seriously strong squad in my opinion. Possibly.... Johnson Elmo Terry Chester Taylor or Hutton Bjarnasson or Jedi Snodgrass Grealish Adomah Grabban Kodija Bench from : Bjarnasson or Jedi, Hutton or Taylor, Lansbury, Hourihane, Hogan, Davis, Green, Whelan, O'Hare, Hepburn-Murphy Wow...if only we had avoided the long term injuries! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
striker Posted March 30, 2018 Visiting Supporter Share Posted March 30, 2018 (edited) Wouldn’t have Kodjia starting. Bring him on for the last twenty over the next two or three games to build his fitness up then start him. Bruce brought him back too early last time so hopefully the manager will have learnt from that? Edited March 30, 2018 by striker 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted March 30, 2018 Moderator Share Posted March 30, 2018 I'm also not for Kodjia starting - he doesn't play well in a team effort, he's great on his own, but we've developed a group that bring us danger from lots of areas - for my money, he makes Adomah, Snodgrass and Grealish less effective. Coming off the bench however, he's a brilliant weapon, creating chaos among tired defenders and taking the attacking load onto his shoulders with twenty minutes left he'd be a really valuable weapon. I'd start with Grabban. We've got great depth up front with Kodjia, Grabban, Hogan, Davis and Hepburn-Murphy - especially since in an emergency we could also call on Gabby or McCormack. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacbuddies Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Let's face it, every game we play from now on just determines where we finish in the play offs. Potato Head has screwed automatic promotion. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roonst83 Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 We absolutely need to get back to doing what we were doing well against Wolves. Hunting down the opposition when we don’t have the ball and press high and playing with a positive and fast tempo. In our past two games we have looked a total shadow of ourselves. Time for Bruce to fire them up for this very important game at the start of a very tough period of games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoelVilla Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 Don't expect anything and don't get disappointed. Kodjia is not very good anyway. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brumerican Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 38 minutes ago, NoelVilla said: Kodjia is not very good anyway. I think he's rather good. Scores all types of goals and lots of them. Gets bums off seats and loves playing for us. Not very good is a poor conclusion IMO. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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