Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Reading

[dounavilla]

1 minute ago, briny_ear said:

By the way, I don’t think this comment reflects keeping up with the times. 

“Effeminate” FFS???

which century are we in?

Is that the one with wings ? 

[rodders0223]

Secons decent ref we have had all season, knew he was a good'un after 5 minutes when he failed to play advantage, admitted his mistake and apologised then warned Gunter about time wasting after 10.

[sheepyvillian]

35 minutes ago, terrytini said:

For me that was a top notch performance albeit against a woeful side.

Full marks  to Bruce who replaced exactly the right players with exactly the right players.

Everybtime he goes cautious, we struggle. Every time he goes positive, we are fine.

So why go cautious ?

[OutByEaster?]

Well that was a bit strange. 

Let's get this out of the way first, Reading were dreadful, we were in control against eleven and when they went down to ten, it was pretty much an attack versus defence training session. That said, there were elements of our performance that were very pleasing, we were patient for starters, nobody panicked at half time when it was nil nil. We kept putting decent balls into their box even when they weren't working for us - and we knew eventually it would pay off. Bjarnason was outstanding, in the first half, his workrate, his passing, his defensive work and his positioning were first class, the goal was the icing he'd earned for his cake.

This was also a game full of comic moments, Vito Mannone's balls up for Hogans goal, some peculiar moments of strange play, the daft tackle for the obvious second yellow and Glenn Whelan's somewhat strange cameo at the end - Whelan is a man who has forged a steely reputation in the trenches, a man with the determination and grit to keep out the most determined side, a warrior, a battler - he looked like he'd been dropped into a children's party and wasn't quite sure how to behave.

In fairness to Mannone, he also made a host of very decent saves, and the only worry for us was that given the way we dominated the game, we probably should have scored another three. No matter, sometimes, when you really need it the world serves you up exactly what you need and we needed Reading, we needed a win, we needed a couple of goals, we needed to regain a bit of confidence and momentum - they provided us with all of that. Surprisingly for a team in their kit, for Reading, there were very few highlights.

I'm not getting carried away with the result, or the performance, the rest of our games won't be this easy - but they'll be a bit easier for the way our players will feel for the win. I don't think we learn a great deal looking back at this one, we'll do well to look ahead instead. Does three points put us back in the chase for second? I'm not sure, does three points guarantee our playoff sport? Not quite yet - it's time to go back to the tables. Enough Reading, more arithemtic.

It was bit strange. I liked it.

 

 

[sidcow]

Looked OK before the sending off but still hardly created anything.  Only thing that changed after the sending off was that we had the ball all of the time instead of only most of the time. But still hardly created anything. 

Finally got a goal and it was then inevitable we would get another, though we still made very hard work of it. 

God our crossing is awful. Literally dozens of times we either hit the first defender, way over hit it or floated it high into the middle for easy defensive headers. 

But got the easy win against a poor team down to 10 men. Move on and must win the next one. 

Bjarnasson would have been man of the match even without the goal that broken the deadlock, always showing for the ball then moving it 9n quickly and accurately. Constantly involved today, grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck. 

[blunther]

Well there you go. I thought it’d be a snooze fest, like I thoigh Bristol City would be a pointless evening endeavour. Sometimes pessimism just works 

 

cant remember a more complete performance that that. Easy to think it’s because of the sending off but we were just as dominant beforehand. Bjarnasson was a phenomenon, and thoigh some players had weaker games than others (Admoah and Taylor I thought could have done better at times) no one had a mare. Lovely to see the passing probing play once Elmohamedy had got his first few swooping long balls down the right off his chest. Probe down one side, if nothing there, spread it across and try the other side. Going back to the defenders was just fine and thats how proper teams play. Quite amusing to still hear a few shouts of ‘forward forward’ when we’re playing textbook possession football and having attack after attack but some people are even harder to please than me. 

 

Grealish for Whelan seemed like the most anti-football switch of all time - I get not risking Grealish when the match is over but that’s the time to bring O’Hare or someone on. But in fairness Whelan did just fine. Even Onomah played well. Shame Jimmy couldn’t cap it off but it’s be churlish to find anything to complain about. 

 

Shame me about the last few results putting a realistic chance at 2nd out of reach - ultimately displays like this mean little u less we can do the same in the playoffs. 

[blunther]

Hogan deserved his goal for all the good runs he did that were never found. His hard work paid off and he seemed to enjoy that one. 

[Hoof hearted]

Was alright, nothing I wouldn't expect from playing possibly the worst team in the division with 10 men. Can't get enthused any longer, regarding this season that is, and just wish we could skip to the play offs now. 

Got to say, the ref was very good tonight, kept it flowing nicely where he could and Bruce cannot drop Birkir after that showing, tits to his tactical thinking, get him playing ffs! 

[limpid]

2 hours ago, TheAuthority said:

@limpid Hogan isn't in MOM poll - It's Grabban.

Thanks, fixed now. A report would have meant a mod not at the match could have fixed it sooner  

[midian]

Great win,totally dominant but Reading were shocking worst team who have been VP this season,got abit boring to the end with the pure domination.

[dounavilla]

Reading made Sunderland look hard to beat.

Easiest game this season

 

Edited April 3, 2018 by dounavilla

[Hornso]

2 hours ago, OutByEaster? said:

Let's get this out of the way first, Reading were dreadful, we were in control against eleven and when they went down to ten, it was pretty much an attack versus defence training session. That said, there were elements of our performance that were very pleasing, we were patient for starters, nobody panicked at half time when it was nil nil. We kept putting decent balls into their box even when they weren't working for us - and we knew eventually it would pay off. Bjarnason was outstanding, in the first half, his workrate, his passing, his defensive work and his positioning were first class, the goal was the icing he'd earned for his cake.

Same can't be said for the VT Match Thread 

[fifamad]

We completely dominated but I have to say I think Reading might go down they are by far the worst team I’ve seen this season. 

[privateer]

4 hours ago, briny_ear said:

By the way, I don’t think this comment reflects keeping up with the times. 

“Effeminate” FFS???

which century are we in?

 

[TRO]

The old chesnut springs to mind.....were they that bad or were we that good.

A bit of both i would say.

my main observation was Reading stood off us unlike the last few teams who challenged for every ball and got about us.....we don't like that, who does i guess you could say, but some of our competitors cope better with it.

My worry about us is.....when teams get in our faces, those skills we enjoyed last night, go missing.

For me the way Reading played, offering us space on a plate, this villa team will destroy most teams in this division.

I would still like to see us employ a dedicated target man who stays in the middle and makes oodles of crosses look worth while.... a glen murray or a chris woods type, i think if we had of signed one of them we would be out of sight by now.

I like all our strikers and I can understand why we bought them, i just think a big target man with nous was needed too.....maybe Keinan can develop into that.

[terrytini]

27 minutes ago, TRO said:

The old chesnut springs to mind.....were they that bad or were we that good.

A bit of both i would say.

my main observation was Reading stood off us unlike the last few teams who challenged for every ball and got about us.....we don't like that, who does i guess you could say, but some of our competitors cope better with it.

My worry about us is.....when teams get in our faces, those skills we enjoyed last night, go missing.

For me the way Reading played, offering us space on a plate, this villa team will destroy most teams in this division.

I would still like to see us employ a dedicated target man who stays in the middle and makes oodles of crosses look worth while.... a glen murray or a chris woods type, i think if we had of signed one of them we would be out of sight by now.

I like all our strikers and I can understand why we bought them, i just think a big target man with nous was needed too.....maybe Keinan can develop into that.

No no no no no no no ! 

I respectfully disagree.

The way WE played we would destroy most teams !

Got rid of Hutton and Jedi and replaced them with more mobile players, particularly Jedi.

Abandoned the Axel experiment which Fulham awaybshoukdve told him doesn’t work.

Reinstated the Elmo/ Snodgrass double act so strangely abandoned.

Reistated Hogan, another who featured through almost all of that winning run.

Pushed Jack back up and allowed both him and CH to attack first, defend second.

I don’t look at heat maps but I bet the difference between Hull and Reading for Grealish would be huge.

I give the credit to Bruce for picking the right players, the right approach, the right combinations. In exactly the way he has done quite a lot since December.

In exactly the same way he didn’t against Fulham away, QPR at Home, and Hull.

 

[terrytini]

One other thing I’ve not really seen mentioned - what a difference a good ref made.

Booking that guy EARLY put them on notice they couldn’t just hack Jack down. There was one at Hull where the bloke was wrestling him for thirty yards. More of that recently would’ve made a big difference, I don’t buy he goes down easy I think he’s treated abysmally.

We will need a ref performing like that against Cardiff that’s for sure.

[TRO]

6 minutes ago, terrytini said:

No no no no no no no ! 

I respectfully disagree.

The way WE played we would destroy most teams !

Got rid of Hutton and Jedi and replaced them with more mobile players, particularly Jedi.

Abandoned the Axel experiment which Fulham awaybshoukdve told him doesn’t work.

Reinstated the Elmo/ Snodgrass double act so strangely abandoned.

Reistated Hogan, another who featured through almost all of that winning run.

Pushed Jack back up and allowed both him and CH to attack first, defend second.

I don’t look at heat maps but I bet the difference between Hull and Reading for Grealish would be huge.

I give the credit to Bruce for picking the right players, the right approach, the right combinations. In exactly the way he has done quite a lot since December.

In exactly the same way he didn’t against Fulham away, QPR at Home, and Hull.

 

Well.....Here is a funny one.

You praising Bruce and me not quite so praiseworthy.

Terry....I can't say you are wrong, because its your opinion.

Lets see if he runs with this team for the next few games, when we will face a more robust and physical opposition.....lets see if all your observations are repeated and we impose ourselves on the game like we did last night.....If we do, I will take my hat off to you.

.....better go and buy one now, just in case

[The Fun Factory]

Routine win versus a poor side with 10 men most of the game. We need  6 more wins, Wolves to beat Cardiff, and a hail mary.

[flashingqwerty]

I dont understand people saying the manager got it right...

Yeah we were in control for the first 30 minites, we pumped cross after cross onto the box - and we creayed pretty much no goal scoring chances.

Little point flinging the ball into the box when our only forward on the pitch is a foot shorter than the defenders hes competing with and when said forward is the only one breaking into the box.

After the red card, we were able to commit more players forward which caused the defence to often be out of position - there was no sign of this happening before the red card.  Yes we dominated posession, but Reading were comfortable in defence and caused them little to no problems when ot was 11 v 11.

If bruce wants to play a style of football where we pump crosses in he needs to either give more players an attacking licence or he needs to play a bigger front man.  Otherwise we will be relying on a red card every game before we look likely to score.