Ratings & Reactions: Villa v Leeds

[ciggiesnbeer]

11 minutes ago, M_Afro said:

Maybe a bit harsh. I just watched his interview and he really is a good bloke but the truth is, I just do not enjoy watching Villa anymore. With the resources he has, we should be much better. He is scared of everyone we play despite all the advantages we have. I think we could smash this league with a positive approach. 

He is a good guy. I want him to prove me wrong. I just don’t think he will!

fair post. I disagree, but I get where you are coming from. Even when he gets us winning games there can be something a bit.. I dunno.. unsatisfying? about Bruce's tactics.

[GrassyNoel]

Roughly as good as we needed to be. Three points and injury free. Job done. I’ve no doubt we can raise our game when required to. VTID. 

[7392craig]

I know it’s trendy to slag Bruce off st the minute, but I’m going to go against the grain and say he’s done fairly well the last couple of games. I know it hasn’t been quite as attacking as we have been at other points in the season, but it’s been very well controlled. I never felt like we were in any danger tonight, and if their defenders hadn’t had such a good game then we could have been looking at 2 or 3 nil easily. I’m not Bruces’ biggest fan but if all our other games had been managed this way including our substitutions then I think we’d have been a little better off. My confidence for the playoffs increased a little bit tonight.

[richp999]

2 hours ago, briny_ear said:

Oh, and Onomah, another Villatalk hate figure, had a good game too. Pleased for him.

Really? 

Was at the ground tonight and followed him for 15 mins or so. Bloody awful. 

Strolled around completely uninterested, a total waste of space. 

Had a good 5 mins late in the second half. That's it. 

 

Edit-just for the record I don't hate him at all, thought he might be a top player when he first came.. But I think now he looks glad the season is over and can't wait to get back to spurs. 

I would have liked to see o'hare playing there tonight. 

Edited April 13, 2018 by richp999

[VillanousOne]

42 minutes ago, briny_ear said:

Snoddy ALWAYS busts his gut. I genuinely think his total commitment is why he gets picked so regularly. It’s a message from SB to the rest of the team - this is how you approach a football match.

Really really can’t understand the bile against him tonight. He is a gem for Villa. Hope he stays with us.

Snodgrass has been incredibly average for the last 4-5 games and his set pieces tonight were dreadful, he gives 100% though but needs to be rested.

Still a class player who has been awesome for us, but that doesn't change the fact that he and Adomah have had significant drops in form in recent matches.  

[OutByEaster?]

Strange game in a way that. We've won and we've got a clean sheet and individually we've had a number of players who've had good performances - but collectively we were a little less than the sum of our parts.

I never really felt nervous in the game and I don't recall too much of a real threat from Leeds other than a brief period after half time, but we just didn't quite click and get the second and third goal that we might have hoped for.

I thought Chester was superb tonight and that Jedinak was very good - there might be a future for him at centreback after all - they both did a good job of getting out to stop people turning and prevent anyone running at them. I thought Taylor wasn't far behind Chester for man of the match, he looked really assured both defensively and coming forward with the ball, especially late on.

Onomah had an interesting game, when he was on it he was good, energy and determination and good feet, but there were also parts of the game he ambled through. After an hour I thought he looked tired and wanted him subbed off - but then for the last twenty minutes he was everywhere, chasing things and making a nuisance of himself - I have a feeling he's just a player that looks tired. Overall it was a pretty reasonable performance. Better.

Snodgrass wasn't quite at it but he was always available and worked hard, I think he always gives you that at least, behind him Elmohamady is still far too keen to play 'that' ball and far too quick to run away from a winger and usher someone else in to deal with it, but he was lively pushing on.

Kodjia is great to watch; electric with the ball at his feet, but his selfishness doesn't help when the team are struggling to impose a pattern - another hour won't have hurt him though. I thought Grabban out left worked very hard to keep our shape and played well, but then struggled a little when Kodjia went off and he went up front. Whelan was good solid Whelan, nipping in to get the ball and making lots of good sensible decisions.

I could watch Grealish in a park all day - his first touch is phenomenal and his ability on the ball is mesmerising, In the first half we put in a lot of crosses, many of which were very poor - he put two in in a couple of minutes, one which was perfectly placed for Grabban's goal and one from the other side of the field (and quite possibly with his other foot) that was almost perfectly onto Kodjia's head. That little bit of extra quality wins games and he has is in spades. The work he's getting through is almost as impressive as his quality.

So, lots of people played well, we kept the opposition to just a couple of chances and we spent long periods camped around their box. It sounds better than it was. The good news is that we can win games when players play well, even when the team isn't as smooth or as slick as we'd like. The better news is that the rhythm is better than it was a couple of weeks ago and there's a little chance that we might just go into the playoffs purring.

 

 

[PieFacE]

Onomah just has that casual look to his game, plays like he's just smoked a big spliff 5 minutes before kick off.

[Demitri_C]

I think fatigue played a role. Let's not forget we played tues as well.

Solid win but comfortable most part

[OutByEaster?]

11 minutes ago, richp999 said:

Was at the ground tonight and followed him for 15 mins or so. Bloody awful. 

Strolled around completely uninterested, a total waste of space. 

You're right, but you might just have picked the wrong fifteen minutes - it's like he switches on and off. There was a fifteen minute period at the end where he was closing people down, making runs and busting a gut to do things - and there was a fifteen minute period in the first half where he looked like he was wondering what colour his next car should be. He's a strange one. I thought overall it was a decent performance, but he's frustrating in that if he could put in a full 90 of the good stuff he'd be a really good player.

 

[S-Platt]

Just got back from my view in the North Stand we did what we had to do got the goal and then played in first gear.  

Whelan had a good game and although some have slated him Onomah too. Snodgrass works his bollocks off but did nothing with the ball tonight.

Defence was solid Johnson scratched his balls the ref blew his whistle and now the pressure is on those above us.

Job done can enjoy the weekend I am happy.

[blunther]

1 hour ago, Spoony said:

God that was awful

Funny place this. I usually consider myself a miserable pessimist, but I come on here after a solid if unspectacular win to revel in thebthree points a bit longer and this is the first reply 

 

Thought we did alright. Should’ve been more comfortable but at least we created chances. I don’t rate Onomah to say the least but he was excellent tonight, as was Whelan. Chester got my vote for MotM, but Jedinak was also solid and strong in the air. 

 

Thought Snods was poor tonight. He tried hard but things didn’t come off for him. Not his fault, he’s been superb for us this season generally. Don’t think Johnstone had to make a save. That’s been a busy few week with a few players who are no spring chickens and a few injury niggles, and we won two on the bounce. Good work. 

 

Did the ref forget his cards tonight? Proper championship ref that, I quite liked him. 

[chappy]

Grealish and Chester excellent.

Did what we had to do, over to you now Fulham and Cardiff.

[briny_ear]

33 minutes ago, richp999 said:

Really? 

Was at the ground tonight and followed him for 15 mins or so. Bloody awful. 

Strolled around completely uninterested, a total waste of space. 

Had a good 5 mins late in the second half. That's it. 

Um , no.

[flamingsombrero]

[Davkaus]

20 minutes ago, briny_ear said:

Um , no.

I bet that's changed his mind. 

[sidcow]

Should have won by more, I'm sure if we had scored a second a third would have followed. 

Snodgrass totally awful again. 

Best game from Onomaha I think. 

Ref was OK overall but the Jedanik trip when he was done all ends up was possibly the worst decision I have seen by a ref all my life. I was literally guffawing with laughter at him waving play on. 

[lapal_fan]

The easiest 1 nil I've ever seen.

They had a 10 min spell where they tried to lump it into the box, got a couple of half chances off target, then nothing.

Maybe we could have scored more, we lacked a bit of cutting edge in the final third.  Albert came on and showed some good stuff, the absolutely fluffed a simple lay off.. which is a bit of a theme at the moment for him.

Grabban was a bit hit or miss, but he played good.

Jedi was great.  Won everything.

Chester was silky.  Turned their striker out his pants and is very calm.

Taylor got caught out of position twice badly.  But was ok apart from that.

Elmo played well, he loves that pass down the line don't he? Lol

Snoddy was quiet, lost the ball a few times but worked very hard.

Grealish was great.

Kodj was a bit isolated, but did well in bits and pieces. 

Motm by far was Whelan, everything he did was right. Ok, 1 or 2 stray passes, but nothing got past him, he intercepted, tackled, carried the ball a bit, made the right pass.  He was brilliant, well done!

[Cjay]

We were shite 1st half.

You should have had more.

 

Improved 2nd half relatively speaking but with 0 real threat, just bit better play.

Even so you had the better chances 2nd half and could have scored more.

Never felt like you got out of 2nd gear, average from you but thats all it took to be comfortably the better side overall.

Our manager used his usual "kick it forward, now Kick it arder, ed it Kemar, ger up there lad he's only 5 inches taller then you". 

1-0 could have been more.

Our young lads did well, apart from that blah.

[terrytini]

I enjoyed it, I think we played well barring 45-60 ( thought the subs needed to be earlier) and above all I absolutely love the 110% from the players....credit to Bruce it’s been years since I saw a Villa side work so hard.

 

(generally not just tonight)

Edited April 13, 2018 by terrytini

[LakotaDakota]

Maybe the day less break in the schedule had some impact on both teams, 3 games in 7 days for both of us rather than the usual 8 days and everyone seemed a bit lethargic other than Grabban who must have covered every single blade of grass on the pitch.

Before tonight we have only had 3 games in 7 days twice this season, Once over xmas/new year and the other occasion was mid august but Tuesday game that week was the league cup against wigan and a lot of the players were rested then anyway.

3 points is all that matters but some poor decision making up front and a good display from their keeper made it harder than it should have been

Edited April 13, 2018 by LakotaDakota