Cup final two of eight : pre chat the return of fistface

[Unused Sub]

I am a miserable so-and-so, glass half empty etc, but this is the most confident I have felt since we dropped. We are playing some really good stuff and shouldn’t be worried about anyone.

However, I feel this is the most difficult fixture of the run in. As a ST holder, Leeds and the 2 Sheffield clubs are the best teams I have seen at VP. I don’t think Bruce has had enough time to coach any football out of them.

Fingers crossed for a win, any kind of win will do please.

[VILLAMARV]

[Farlz]

Need a Smith masterclass against Bruce just like he done to us every single time for Brentford. We're in fantastic form right now and playing some of the best football I've ever seen at Villa, we have to keep this up. 

I really don't want to lose to Steve Bruce.

[Hornso]

2 hours ago, Farlz said:

Need a Smith masterclass against Bruce just like he done to us every single time for Brentford. We're in fantastic form right now and playing some of the best football I've ever seen at Villa, we have to keep this up. 

I really don't want to lose to Steve Bruce.

If we Brentford them I'll be so, so happy.

[Junxs]

On 03/04/2019 at 14:58, LakotaDakota said:

1.91 points per game isn't too far off 2 points per game to be fair and would work out at approx 88 points over a 46 game season.Easily enough for automatic promotion this year

Only Norwich have 2 or more points per game this season

Let's put a bit of context to this.

Do you realise they've only played 2 teams in the top half of the table and won neither. (Sheffield U & Derby County)

He's had 9 games against the teams 13th or below.

Youve taken a small sample of easy fixtures and believed the hype. Let's see if the points ratio is 1.91 by the end of the season, I'll eat my hat if it is!

You think that form would get them 88 points over a season, I beg to differ:

So, his average points against teams in the top half is top half is 1.0 ppg, and average against bottom half is 2.1 ppg 

over the season i make that 23 points v top half and 48 points against the bottom half, giving him 71 points over the season - usually not enough for playoffs, but will get you "there or thereabouts"

 

Edited April 5, 2019 by Junxs

[Nigel]

Makes me laugh how confident that the Wednesday fans are now they have a 'proper manager' in Bruce.

 Draws are no good apparently,  need to set up to win home or away...yep, very Bruce!

 

[Vive_La_Villa]

Bruce mentioned getting us to the playoff final was one of his biggest achievements due to our financial constraints. I wish somebody would show him what our wage bill was next time he says that. 

Really hope football prevails tomorrow.

[VillaFaninLondon]

After Steer's mistake last weekend you'd think that he would seriously be considering Kalinic, but something seems to be going on there. So I'd imagine Steer will be in again. Let's hope he doesn't have much to do, as he's clearly not gifted at shot stopping. 

 

This will be tough no doubt, but I am quietly confident we can make it six wins in a row. I think we are better than them, but they'll be difficult to break down. As someone said they have a great record against lower placed teams but couldn't beat Derby or Sheffield United (though against the latter neither could we) and were lucky to take a point at Stoke. We play as we have been and I'm confident we can win there and end their unbeaten run. Focus is key.

[villalad21]

1 hour ago, VillaFaninLondon said:

After Steer's mistake last weekend you'd think that he would seriously be considering Kalinic

You can't keep changing keepers after every mistake they make

[VillaFaninLondon]

 You can't keep changing keepers after every mistake they make

 

I agree and I'm happy to give Steer the benefit of the doubt, but it was a pretty bad goalkeeping error. If Kalinic had done that he would have been slated.

[Stevo985]

59 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

You can't keep changing keepers after every mistake they make

You can't, but when you have your number 1 keeper waiting in the wings it doesn't need much of an excuse to get him back in. Kalinic is clearly the long term option, the sooner he's bedded in the better.

[DCJonah]

3 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Bruce mentioned getting us to the playoff final was one of his biggest achievements due to our financial constraints. I wish somebody would show him what our wage bill was next time he says that. 

Really hope football prevails tomorrow.

How journalists don't push him on that nonsense is beyond me. 

[villalad21]

57 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

Kalinic is clearly the long term option, the sooner he's bedded in the better.

No he isn't necessarily .

Just because he costed us alot of money doesn't automatically make him better than Steer. We should play our best keeper and after watching Kalinic games coupled with highlights from the recent Croatian games, i'm not sure if Kalinic is actually better than Steer.

Edited April 5, 2019 by villalad21

[Vive_La_Villa]

3 hours ago, VillaFaninLondon said:

After Steer's mistake last weekend you'd think that he would seriously be considering Kalinic, but something seems to be going on there. So I'd imagine Steer will be in again. Let's hope he doesn't have much to do, as he's clearly not gifted at shot stopping. 

 

This will be tough no doubt, but I am quietly confident we can make it six wins in a row. I think we are better than them, but they'll be difficult to break down. As someone said they have a great record against lower placed teams but couldn't beat Derby or Sheffield United (though against the latter neither could we) and were lucky to take a point at Stoke. We play as we have been and I'm confident we can win there and end their unbeaten run. Focus is key.

I hope not. The back 5 look extremely settled and comfortable together and whilst I appriecate Kalanic is our long term option I really don’t think we should be changing anything right now.

[Vive_La_Villa]

1 minute ago, villalad21 said:

No he really isn't.

Just because he costed us alot of money doesn't automatically makes him better than Steer. We should play our best keeper and after watching Kalinic games coupled with highlights from the recent Croatian games, i'm not sure if Kalinic is actually better than Steer.

I really hope Villa don’t sign players based on a few games. 

[villalad21]

4 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

I really hope Villa don’t sign players based on a few games. 

You never know.

Kalinic had more than enough playtime to prove he should be our number one, he didn't take his chance and now it's for Steer to lose. Fans just needs to accept it. 

Sometimes you make bad transfers. And i'm not writing him off just yet, but from what i've seen from him both here and in Croatian national team i haven't been impressed.

Edited April 5, 2019 by villalad21

[Vive_La_Villa]

7 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

You never know.

Kalinic had more than enough playtime to prove he should be our number one, he didn't take his chance and now it's for Steer to lose. Fans just needs to accept it. 

Sometimes you make bad transfers. And i'm not writing him off just yet, but from what i've seen from him both here and in Croatian national team i haven't been impressed.

Wow I guess we should have wrote off Johnstone too after half a crap season.  Imagine if Man U wrote of De Gea after a shocking 1st season.

I accept he shouldn’t be number 1 right now. But I’ve seen enough of him to think he can be a decent keeper. 

[villalad21]

2 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Wow I guess we should have wrote off Johnstone too after half a crap season.  Imagine if Man U wrote of De Gea after a shocking 1st season.

I accept he shouldn’t be number 1 right now. But I’ve seen enough of him to think he can be a decent keeper. 

I haven't written him off yet, but i haven't been impressed based on what i've seen from him.

Also Kalinic is 29 years old, De Gea was just a kid.

[Vive_La_Villa]

6 minutes ago, villalad21 said:

I haven't written him off yet, but i haven't been impressed based on what i've seen from him.

Also Kalinic is 29 years old, De Gea was just a kid.

Yeh it was an extreme example. 

Kalanic will be fine. Trust me. 

[BOF]

Re- the keeper situation.  It's nice to have a manager who you trust will deal with the situation sensibly and properly, whichever decision he ends up taking. Smith has shown with his selection changes that he doesn't drop players who don't deserve it; as evidenced by McGinn not getting straight back into the line-up upon becoming available again - only to come in the following game and absolutely tear it up.  Good management in game 1 which further benefitted us in game 2.  Under Bruce it didn't matter what a youngster did on any given day.  If he wasn't part of the first 11 he was ousted as soon as possible.