Well, there’s a to-do. There was I firm in the belief in January that before we went to Newcastle we’d have some good wins in our pocket. Instead we’ve had good (bad) defeats! So it’s eight games without a win for Villa and the Magpies are flying high at the top of the table. It does not augur well.

But the half-glass-full philosopher in me says that in this kind of situation you have to be positive, and the positive thoughts are that Villa nicked a point off Newcastle earlier in the season, albeit with a rather different team. Also to consider is the fact that Wolves, QPR and Blackburn have all taken points off Newcastle at St James’s Park this season; so why can’t Villa?

The problem, of course, is that having lost two games at home on the trot after previously being unbeaten on home turf, and making mistakes and not taking chances in the process, there must be a severe shortage of confidence in the Villa ranks.

But though reliance should never be put on one player, it would be good if the Jedi can be back to give an example to his team-mates. No, he’s not the most skilled passer of the ball, but he makes his presence felt, and at Newcastle that could be a prize asset in a Villa team which does not have many players with a killer instinct.

Although I’m not an advocate of this style of play in general, I don’t think it would be wise to attempt to take the game to the Geordies. Instead, I would like a 4-1-4-1 formation (the ‘1’ up front being Kodjia), and to break swiftly through a midfield and use Kodjia’s ‘try from all angles’ approach to score. Or to rest Kodjia on the bench and see what Hogan can do on his own: he seems to have skill that could cause Newcastle some problems. But as Kodjia still finds the net every couple of games, it’s unlikely he would be asked to stand down.

But this must be a team without Grealish starting in it. Have him on the bench by all means, but at this stage of affairs he must surely be a liability as we must fight to gain some points, even if it be only one at Newcastle.

I’d also like to see different full-backs in operation, but rather than chopping and changing again, perhaps we’d be better to stick with those that played against Barnsley. So long as Bruce gives them a reminding kick up the pants as they trudge onto the St. James’s pitch!

So, my team (are you reading this Steve?):

Johnstone or Bunn; Hutton, Chester, Baker, Amavi; Jedinak (or Gardner); Adomah, Hourihane, Lansbury, Green; Kodjia.

The bench (outfield players): Bacuna, Bree, Taylor, Bjarnason, Gardner/Elphick, Grealish, Hogan.

Comments 294

  1. Nice optimistic post JL

    I personally fear for the lads against the magpies – from what i have seen of us and them is chalk and cheese and i think we may get a good hiding in this game

    hope i am wrong

  2. JL,

    You have left out your dearly beloved Gabby, who would be ideal for the lone poacher role up front, especially menacing Clarke, who will then put through his own goal. Tactic, now Villa one up, which means we now have our ten man defence to rely on.
    Team:
    Bunn, Bree, Elphick, Chester, Baker, Taylor, Bacuna, Hourihane, Lansbury, Adomah, Agbonlahor,
    Bench: Sarkic, Hutton, Gardner, Hogan, Grealish, Kodjia, Bjarnason.

    We might just manage a draw, and then build again. If things are going well, we can use Hogan and Kodjia, or not so well, we have Gardner and Hutton, who will fight for the shirt.

  3. the club is finished mate as for hutton never been a footballer and never will be the club is now worse than at any time under lerner a fool for an owner and 4 complete con men in charge in round wyness spud and calderwood never have 4 more complete idiots been in charge of a club the loony’s have taken over the asylum not one of them has a clue spud only ever run small shyt pot teams fact cluelesss coaching from calderwood players brought for 91 mill who in fact if we paid 10 for all of them we would have been robbed spud has to go round wont do it because he is scared he has made another complete fu ck up i would welcome fatty falnker back as i have to say looking at this clueless bunch of Muppets he was far better the club is finished get rowett untill the endo of the season to keep us up sack spud he is clueless or doc sell the club to some one who will not be coned by the complete con men we now have in charge

  4. john l
    i admire your glass half full outlook
    i am going for a new style
    play hutton but tell him to mark shelvey kick him a few times
    bunn if at home sarkic
    bree amavi
    chester baker
    hutton lansby hourianne
    kodja adoamh
    hogan
    451 when we defend
    433 when we attack

  5. yeah away at toon we need to keep our shape. There not bloody barca though, I watched qpr go there and play very well, good on the ball and caused problems.

    Bunn
    Bree Chester Baker Taylor
    Jedi or gg
    Lansbury Hourihan
    Adomah Hogan Kodjer

  6. Bruce admits he’s rubbish 😉

    “The buck stops with me. It’s my responsibility. But we must roll our sleeves up and get back that pride which has eroded over the last six weeks. If we don’t, we’re going to get swallowed into it and we can’t allow that to happen. Am I worried? I think I’ve got to be worried, given how we’re performing at the moment.”

    Bruce’s honesty didn’t stop there with his open evaluation of Villa’s run of form leaving the manager to call a potential relegation dogfight ‘the biggest challenge I’ve ever had’ with Bruce continuing:

    “This is the best club I’ve ever had in 20 years management and I’m determined to turn it round. Given time, I know for a fact I’ll do it.”

    he’s also clairvoyant like JL 😉

  7. when we are calling for patience for what bruce is doing and putting up teams with hutton and gabby in them you know we have fallen to zero standards

    league 1 here we come

    top post JD

  8. Bunn in goal
    Bree, Hutton, Chester, Elphick, Baker, Amavi, Taylor in defence
    Hourihane, Kodija, Lansbury as a midfield three, with Kodija licence to attack but only when we have possession at kick off, no funny stuff though back to protecting the defence if Newcastle have possession, no forwards, we can’t score so no point wasting Newcastle’s time
    1-7-3 formation

    🙂 🙂 🙂

  9. runtings
    i am only playing hutton to kick shelvey other than that ,hutton would be useful to gather cones after training ,gabby not even useful for that he would probably look to eat the cones

  10. While we have been worrying about Villa, geoligists have discovered Zealandia, which has been around for several million years, but no=one had really noticed.

    Now also know about Gondwana, a 200 million year old supercontinent…..Oh and also that Bruce is still our manager, who has promised to fight until the death.

    Disappointed no-one liked my team….

  11. JG no dig at you intended apologies if that is how it came across

    i see your point in that sheverley must be stopped
    Just lost all faith with the current set up – but hopefully they will prove me wrong and put on a brilliant display

  12. Can’t help think that we should of spent some of the money on a really bloody good Keeper eh?
    I can’t remember poor Johnson making a save recently. A good keeper really does improve the defence and give confidence, a dodgy one well we know the answer to that.

  13. John Doyle…love your post.

    Club is full of incompetent garbage from top to bottom.

    A fortune spent on a stack of lightweights who come to Villa only for crazy wages..

    Would have been cheaper to have bought Huddersfield or Brighton outright and gone on from there.

    I’m on the verge of posting “come back Lerner and Lambert”

  14. Have you also considered the fact that agent Bruce was very open about his hatred for Villa during his time in charge of the scum?

    Have you also considered the fact that no good manager or player would want to come to a club in a horrendous state such as Villa are? If they were any good they’d be in the PL?

  15. 91m spent on a team that, if it were lucky enough to ever get promoted, does not have any players good enough for the PL…perhaps with the exception of Chester. All the others have failed already or simply aren’t good enough.

    Good business plan from Xia

  16. PW: “Club is full of incompetent garbage from top to bottom.”

    Though you’re as frustrated as any Villa fan, Paul, I’m sure you can’t really mean that. The chairman has put money when asked, he’s constructed a management team that will remain in place even when the manager changes. So those two factors – plus the fact that the Doctor communicates! – are big plus issues in my book. And a *big* improvement on what was there before, or have we forgotten what mess there was before last June?

    The problem I see it is purely at the playing level. Bruce – I will admit – has stuttered, but I do believe he sees his own mistakes and is honest enough to admit them. He’s not the guy (probably) for the long term either, but that’s future in any case.

    The issue as I see it is purely getting a properly motivated *team* organised out of the *huge* turnaround that has taken place player-wise.

    I don’t see anything else wrong at the club.

  17. PW- but we are not in the prem or likely to be, most teams in the champs don’t contain prem players until the get to the prem or at least not good proven ones.

  18. i don’t agree that our players are not good enough

    Every single buy in the last year have done very well indeed at other clubs under different managers and set ups

    personally i wouldn’t blame them for doing what almost every other player has done at villa in recent times which is get managed badly , instructed badly , lost all there confidence and performed badly

    this is why the likes of verotoot are excelling now because they are being managed properly in a set up that has clear direction and purpose

    I hope the fans do not alienate our current players because of the above reasons
    I am very confident they will do much better if the villa backroom finally get the managers position right

    MK refer to Blazing Saddles 🙂

  19. no one liked my team either 🙂 not enough room to shoehorn Gabby in, I wanted to stop goals going in, not punt the ball into space for Gabby to race onto so he can pass it back to their keeper 🙂

  20. Mark

    Right about the GK situation. It has killed us. Its one if not the main position in the team imo. No surprise since Johnson has come in chester and baker have gone to a bag of nerves.

    That’s what a good gk does. spreads confidence out through the team and a bad one does what Johnson is doing. bag of nerves at the back.

  21. Andrew seems crazy to me that two well known managers chose kids as keepers? Could of had marshall . I look at the oppositions keeper and think I’ve never heard of him he looks competent

  22. I’m patenting a system at the moment Bruce might like. You have 8 at the back, 4 across the back and 4 running in a circle around those players to keep gaps to a minimum from all directions, I’d have 3 keepers but the rules state 1 🙁

  23. runtings
    no offence taken just totally pissed of with villa and bruce,people on about westwood for burnley give westwood 10/5 games

    dor
    could take out hourriane lansby replace them with bacuna richards 1 9 1 bound to on to winner with that even big eck wasn t this bad

  24. spud should be sacked for two complete fuc k u ps that cannot be excused first one was diging up flabby and this kepper who would not get into a pub side and getting rid of a kid whois 1000 times beter plus wh hired calderwood all have to go the famouc four wyness round spud and calderwank 4 p45s please doc

  25. Injuey Update – The Jedi Will Be OK for Monday!

    From the OS:

    Mile Jedinak looks set to be back available for the trip to Newcastle.

    We face the Tyneside outfit on Monday, with an 8pm kick-off.

    Midfielder Jedinak has missed the last five games – against Preston, Brentford, Nottingham Forest, Ipswich Town and Barnsley.

    But manager Steve Bruce confirmed that the Aussie will be back in training on Friday ahead of next week’s encounter.

    In other injury news, left-back Neil Taylor will have a fitness test on Saturday to see if he makes the game, after suffering a badly cut ankle in the build-up to the Tykes clash.

    James Bree looks like missing out after failing to recover from his knee problem.

    Gabriel Agbonlahor, suffering with a hamstring issue, will also be absent.

  26. Mark King…most champ teams don’t contain Prem players…right, so in alphabetical order, please list the clubs and their 16/17 transfer fees paid, and let’s compare them to Villa…and also add the wages.

    You don’t really seem to understand the financial mess at Villa, it seems

  27. So let me explain that mess to you…

    The team has cost a fortune in fees and wages and is heading down to League 1. It will be stuck with that cost base for 3-4 years due to contracts and the income will decline.

    Xia will bail as Lerner did and then the next fire-sale buyer comes in and invests very little.

  28. paul whiting
    why the signing of taylor is complete farce typical bruce
    ayew for taylor plus 5m which will not go close to cover 4.5 year contract for a 28 year old player that swansea fans couldnt wait to see back off

  29. The rot is also underpinned by shocking lack of talent emerging from reserves. They’re all useless lightweights that nobody else would want, including Grealish and he’s the best FFS

  30. bree might be a good signing but is he any better than our youth
    green only got in after bruce got pressured to play him and then 1 st dropped
    tish sent out on loan when would he not been better playing with new players

  31. Anyway the fitness news should have read that Hutton and Taylor will have late tests to determine if they know which foot goes with which boot…they’re not expected to pass.

  32. Villa have missed genuine wingers for a long time. Villa always succeeded with wingers and a centre foreword. We have crap narrow midfield and incompetent fullbacks trying to make up for lack of width.

  33. Thanks for the fresh article, John.
    Jedi won’t be match fit. I’d be surprised if he lasted 60-70 minutes. Gabby will need about six games to get match fit when his hamstring is ready. Clark will score against Villa. Only a stranded whale in goal for Villa can stop Newcastle from scoring.
    The long trip to Newcastle will render many Villa players incapable of playing good football. Their glutius maximus muscles will be over stretched by sitting on the seats in the bus for too long. Many Villa players will be injured by this trip, especially defenders. Seriously, I think there are plenty of good players at Villa, but they’re going to get Toon thrashed.
    5-1

  34. PW- thanks for your enlightening update on what we have spent on non prem and lower prem players. Wonder what Newcastle are paying there’s? Seems to have no effect on their ability to play must be a pittance. Even Dwight Gayle looks like a real striker in this league, meanwhile at villa we have bought 17 players that can’t play unless they are in other teams under other managers, mmm wonder what’s happening there?

  35. King…you attack my post by stating that my point about the quality of our non-Pl players is wrong because we are not a PL club.

    The point is that there are 15 teams better off who spent a fraction, and whatever Newcastle have spent is justified because they will get promoted.

    Your argument, I assume is that we have great players, badly managed. I think it’s more like money-grabbing journeymen who are badly managed.

  36. PW- King? attack? oh come on mate be honest you generally attack most peoples opinions and come on for a rant now and then, by attack do you mean question? Newcastle have paid out £50 mil+ Norwich kept there team together, we were shit so had to change a lot of players and teams know we have money.

    Do you think it likely that if say Wagner had got the job in the summer he would of spent The same £2.5m net he did at Huddersfield? or would he have spent or had to spend more, Bruce spent £7m at hull first time and brought in 19 players and went up. Most were free or loans. what is the chance really that we have bought every chancer in the football leagues while Newcastle bought all the good ones? they bought Clark for one.

    we will see in April the state of the finances, £30mil loss 14-15 ?m last season and whatever this seasons is will be checked by the league for FFP compliance, I assume Xia has it covered who Knows?

  37. Mark: “…this seasons is will be checked by the league for FFP compliance, I assume Xia has it covered …

    Exactly. And we don’t know what exactly is in the players’ contracts. Being the canny Chinaman he is I feel that he won’t have missed a caveat or two.

  38. Gee John, I only have them scoring 5:)
    I think Villa will lose, just hope it isn’t humiliating. If it is the repercussions will speak for themselves. When did Villa last win at St James’ Park?

  39. remember how quite it was on here when bruce went on a 8 game un beaten run.

    hmmm. Easy to slag off when times are hard so im going to say these players have the talent and with a bit of training, games together we will come good.

    Up the villa

  40. The worry is we have brought well. What ever your argument about there potential for premier league Hogan has got 14 goals before coming to us, hourihane leads league in assists and Lansbury regarded as best CM in the division. Add in Taylor who may not be a world beater but is a solid PL player.
    They can’t suddenly have become rubbish in jan.
    Wish Bruce would pick a system & a team (his players) and go with it for a run of games.

  41. ra
    think you are new, well never come across you before so if
    you are new welcome to the madhouse

    andrew
    you are bit like weather ,chopping and changing,
    bruce 1st 7 matches where ok for the fact he was new in charge,
    not his players, problems started when bruce coaching came to the fore
    plus the fact he took gabby back
    even the wins in december where shocking bad football qpr wigan burton

  42. Thanks John
    “April, 2005 – 3-0.

    It doesn’t happen often!”
    They still haven’t forgotton 2008, either. I don’t think Tyneside is the safest place for Villa fans.

    Welcome to the board, Ross. Hope you enjoy your time on here.

  43. Andrew mate short memory, yes he scraped through games with RDMs squad but I think he pissed a few off with decisions and not backing them, I don’t think this is about some magic formation either
    its about how we approach games, we don’t work hard enough for me, Jedinak may be the only one that truly does and westwood who’s gone. So surprised hourihane hasn’t effected games but maybe thats down to Lansbury who plays the same role, not often you see teams with two mid playmakers, they both have different styles too which may not ever gel without one sacrificing his instincts. Remember the Lampard and Gerrard England farce?

  44. Ross Andrew,

    Welcome and well said.

    In all honesty I think he wants to have a settled team – I believe he has said so – but he seems to have gone a funny way about it! Trying to see what works I suppose…

  45. welcome Ross

    JL- And there lies the crux of the matter IMO, he should be buying with a definite plan in mind not sweet shop picking players in positions we lack in with now idea how they fit into things as a whole, that I believe is what is happening. RDM may have been poor in some decisions but he wanted attacking football in a 4231 formation and stuck to it.

    our inability to score is a mystery when you look at the number of chances created, I can only conclude most are not clear cut chances and mentally we have lost faith and second guess a lot.
    Kodjia has done well mainly due to hard work and natural ability independent of the team, Hogan so far who relies on the team to a greater extent no goals.

  46. JL- A question for you, Villa went down in the 80’s when we had won both league and European cup,
    Was their demotion at that time taken as badly as the present one? has the addition of TV money made it seem a greater scandal/problem than it is? with the modern day penchant for Hysteria in all things ( see Trumps situation) are we just a bunch of panickers these days?

  47. Veretoot clearly doing what all players that leave villa seem to do which is play better in a better environment

    Welcome Ross – good to have you here

  48. mark k
    reading yesterday on new PSG manager,the owners went for him because he signed players that fitted a system not like blanc who just wanted stars try bruce way lottery before match, blanc is another of failed fergie flops robson ince keane g neville bruce phelan mcleish and p neville as coach

  49. Mark: “A question for you…”

    An essay could probably be written on this topic!

    In general, the world has become “instant” – and only within the last 20 years; since about 2000. E-mails, blogs and mobile phones have become big business. It’s interesting to see some repeat programmes on TV from about 20 years ago and hardly see anything about computers and mobile phones then. In fact some such old programmes still show people using typewriters!

    Instant communication means that people often consider less about what they say … instant opinions get generated … and on a big scale … which means no peace of mind … unless you’re pholosophical by nature.

    I’ve no doubt that if back in 1987 we had the power of communication as we have it today then there would have been hyper disturbance about what happened at VP from when Doug came back in 1982. People were not pleased as it was (an understatement) but there was no medium of expressing it other than by letters to the chairman or to the press, or demonstrations at the ground.

    And since particularly the mid-1990s and the huge influx of foreign players and big big pay packets then there’s only been more expectation generated. That plus the communications facilities of these days is a poisoned cocktail.

    I could go on …

  50. JL
    Absolutly spot on, with the advent of Sky we have wall to wall football and a media service which generates sensational exclusives from self opinionated pundits. It was bad enough in 87, now there is so many more forums and opportunities for average fans like ourselves to identify where its all gone wrong. It used to be a bar room with a load of blokes now it goes viral through cyber space.
    So yes its just as bad as 87 but a wider audience is there now to tell you your wrong. Thats the cynic in me.
    Look in later, have a good day each.
    Archie

  51. JL- Totally agree John, add to that we are relatively rich but consider ourselves poor still, lets face it how many save up for anything when they can have it now on credit?

  52. james

    yes mate I do feel myself changing opinion….very split on the club needing stability which is my issue. How nice would it be to have these same players together for a few years and be settled! The players are are good enough. Going back to giving bruce till next Christmas!!

    May change after the toon game!!

  53. bruce needs to sort his shit out fast….pick a formation..and let the players play it for rest of season.

    JL

    Spot on. We live in an instant world where players are given abuse after 1 game via twitter.

    No time ant more…we want it all now!

    Angel, yorke might have had there confidence battered if they was on twtter and first joined the club!

  54. I was considering JL’s comment on the futility of my repeated opinion that change is a must and kinda feel now that everyone knows my opinion on Bruce and on how I wanted the club to really use relegation so in an effort to not sound like a broken record, i’ll refrain further from commenting on my position towards the club bar the final opinion below. In future it will focus solely on match day or comment on whatever the big story of the day is (football or otherwise).

    I don’t believe the new owner has learnt any lessons from the slow death of our premier league status as we repeated the same mistakes in terms of player acquisition without system and manager changes (to date). The point when the music should have stopped playing was when Garde or even RDM was the manager. They were the ones who should have been given the opportunity to build a team over a season. In the briefest possible terms my issue with Bruce is in my opinion he is not the saviour, any progression will be borne out of players playing consistently together not down to Bruce as evidenced by certain admissions on introducing too many new players and by getting back to basics in February, none of this instills me with any confidence that we have the right man in charge, these are football manager 101 basics. Bruce’s promotion pedigree that all Villa fans use as part of the stability argument presupposes the football was exceptional to get the likes of Hull and Small Heath promoted without considering he had established teams, not subject to any of the psychological trauma our club has gone through and not requiring mid-season rebuilds.

    Good football would get us the points we need for promotion next season and while we are dangerously close to a ‘double relegation’ (the joy of modern jargon), the team will actually gel and move away from our current position but it won’t be pretty and I won’t be overly enthusiastic about it. So a full season or as far as next Christmas for Bruce, can only have two outcomes, promotion or failure and that gives the next manager the same level of opportunity Bruce had for this season and if it is failure then we can be sure it’s because the players either haven’t performed or results went against us.

    If it’s promotion, who here thinks that the quality of football, the style, the formation will be anything but average, we surely can’t expect a football revolution under Bruce, so what’s the point. Change the manager on promotion and start again in a season where we need to re-establish ourselves as a prem team, do we need that upheaval again.

    The future is bleak either way, thankfully it’s just football. I’d have bought into a future that showed a young manager with forward thinking ideas on how football should be played given the chance, sadly it is but a pipe dream.

    Onwards to Geordieland

  55. DOR- pretty much agree with that apart from Bruce’s first season at hull where he got promotion. He bought 3 players and got 16 loans and frees. Hull also sent 30+ players out on loan. Question is did he hit on a formula and get players to suit or was it the players need to succeed and the band of brothers event it may of spawned? the perfect storm. As I see no formula at present it’s hard to say.

  56. I will say this, if we do go to another manager I hope it’s someone fearless like a Klopp or Wagner 100% committed to how they see the game should be played not reacting to each set back in hope of salvation.

  57. Darren: “I’d have bought into a future that showed a young manager with forward thinking ideas on how football should be played given the chance, sadly it is but a pipe dream.”

    That was probably in the chairman’s mind when he brought in RdiM, but the chairman was (1) not liking the fact we were near the foot of the table (2) he wants promotion as the immediate fix (here we go again!) and decided he’d better get a promotion expert. Only to find he’s got to wait until next year anyway (probably).

    As you quite rightly indicate, not an ideal mess we’re in, but as you also intimate it’s where we are at and have to see what happens.

    Having seen 60 years of mostly debacles at VP to me it’s just another one to experience – no change really!

  58. I think it is only a matter of time now before Dr X and his team get the managers position right

    He came in with next too no time to start this season and decided to go for someone with a champions league win under his belt thinking he must be good enough but RDM fell short in a number of ways

    He then had a backroom to advise him that if you want a chance to go up this season we should hire Bruce who has won promotion on a number of occasions only to discover later on that Steve’s way of doing things is not so valid as the game has taken a jump and teams are now set up brilliantly which means teams are getting the most out of what they have and are no longer easy nuts to crack

    We did try to get Wagner but he refused to move mid season and it was a bit of a disappointment for me that our backroom had not done enough research to find some of the other managers out there of similar quality and philosophy – but you can understand the reason they though Bruce would be good for a promotion push based on his past record

    The club has been burnt twice under DR X and i don’t think he is here to fail or to waste his time and money and remains for me the best thing to happen to Aston Villa in years , so i fully expect a forward thinking manager with a strong philosophy to finally be the next appointment or at the very minimum someone like Rowett who has shown what a great man manager he is and also how you get the best out of what you have which is Villa’s case is quite a lot

  59. Tactics? … at Villa? 😉

    Having now studied all the managers at Villa since 1934, then Jimmy Hogan must be amongst the top … if not the best coach we’ve had. But Ron Saunders and Ron Atkinson (remember that 1994 Final?) would also be up there. Atkinson had the benefit of Hogan’s coaching of course, as did Tommy Docherty. Mercer, Taylor and Little I liked but for different reasons. Gregory I wasn’t keen about, but having listened to him talking in the recent interviews I’ve changed my mind a bit.

    Eric Houghton was brilliant too (also a student of Hogan’s) but mainly in his ability to identify key signings. I’m not sure Houghton ever bought a dud and even had Dave MacKay in his sights the day he got sacked. What a signing that would have been…

  60. morning everybody
    JL
    Yes, it has always been veering from one disaster to another with very brief interludes of the opposite, but the light was bright when it did come.
    Been a while since we had a decent team that’s for sure.
    Managers?
    We’ve seen successful managers fail miserably on returning, when the situation wasn’t there to come together for them, & we’ve seen successful managers sabotaged by owners like Deadly so the club wasn’t outshining him.
    So it’s not really a science, more like learning how to fly

  61. nice one JL i too only got into watching a lot of games from big Ron’s times and i must say it was a very enjoyable time watching the Villa . win lose or draw we were mostly entertaining and had great balance and played on the front foot – we did throw away a title but it was exciting watching the team no matter the result

  62. IanG,

    The only periods of *continuous* excitement at Villa for me was between 1971 and 1984 (by far the longest single period) and 1991 to 1997. With a few single seasons really worth watching on top of that like 1956-57 (the last FA Cup win) and the promotion year 1959-60 (including that 11-1 win).

    So that’s a total of 19 years of two long-ish periods and (say) another 6 individual seasons on top of that, a total of 25 seasons out of 65 I’ve seen. Not a very high % is it?

  63. Villa Managers

    Let’s not forget that we’ve not only had ‘Deadly’ to contend with, but the Board of 1955-1968 was instrumental in sending Villa down into the pits, and the Board of 1945-55 was not much better. And then we had Mr. Learner…

  64. JL
    I’d concur with that over 60 years [add the 1957 cup final], & even some of that was a bit dire at times.
    Football used to be played by working people who were quite tough anyway as they had to be for the times.
    It often got them out of the mines & factories which was heavy labour up to the late 70s, so they knew their roots.
    It didn’t make them rich, but it did give them a leg up in more austere times.
    Football didn’t make them

  65. john l
    think little could been brilliant as manager till deadly bought collymore ,little was never the same after,and it was him signed barry
    liked big ron,taylor 1 st time saunders and was happy enough for 3 and 3/4 of mons time

  66. This is where he makes me laugh, does he not think his players will see or hear this? 🙂

    He told the media: “If they see you wilt, they will follow.

    “When you’re up against it, the only thing you can do is stick your chest out a bit and get on with it.

    “When you’ve been in football for 20 years as a manager, there are times when it’s tough – and there’s no disputing it’s tough right now. But you roll your sleeves up and get on with.”

  67. well will repeat my self sorry but unless the doc has a brain transplant or sees sense this club is going back to div 3 as i call it. and the reasons are simple
    1, Wyness was out the game for 7 years and is a dinosaur in the modern game he and he alone appointed Round who was an assistant to David Moyes yes another dinosaur in terms of modern football.
    2 then the pair of them got on a computer yes they installed a program to look for a manager from stats and stats alone and they say they agreed with the result and got yet another dinosaur in Bruce who is the same as them so far behind the modern game .
    3. then the three stooges got there head together and brought in Calderwood and his title is assistant manager and yes yet another dinosaur to join the clan .
    and unless these 4 are removed and quick i fear for the club as the doc will only take the shyte kicked in his face for so long .but the ball is in his court he is the main reason why the club is where it is.in deep deep shyte
    as i said the purchase of players since hugest is 91 mil and in this league that is a fortune when you consider the whole small heath team cost 3 mill brought by Rowett and are still above us.
    Round would never agree to Rowett coming here as he would tell him what he thinks and round would not like that but i think untill the end of the season he would be a good guy to get as he is there and available.
    but all this is just pie in the sky as it is up to the doc to see the complete mistakes he has made and get young football types to run the club unless this happens he will have to spend another 100 mill on rubbish before he learns his lessen we all well most of us know Bruce has to go but round and wyness will not allow it to save face and the other thing is round has brought 6 scouts coaches and various others to the club its just jobs for the boys so act now doc or this club is finished you have spent about 300 mill on buying the club and the debuts from Lerner and the dross of players act now or it will all be for nothing

  68. Heres what you could of won says Bully, this is why I think we can and should do better in a manager, Wagner at Huddersfield.

    They’ve barely stayed up the last two years. So what exactly has happened at Huddersfield this season?

    Simple – David Wagner. The German head coach has brought in his footballing philosophy of gegenpressing – a style popularised by Jurgen Klopp and Wagner at their time at Dortmund together – and it seems to be working in the Championship.

    The recruitment has been second-to-none as well. Owner Dean Hoyle, head of football operations Stuart Webber and the head coach have been on the same wavelength in all three transfer windows the former Dortmund man has been there and they have picked up some exceptional players on a shoestring budget.

    The likes of Michael Hefele, Christopher Schindler and top scorer Elias Kachunga were plucked from the lower German leagues and have quickly adapted to the English game.

    The dressing room is full of characters who have bought into the philosophy and have put their egos aside to create a really special squad spirit.

    Their run has been incredible. What has changed since November?

    October through to November was a strange time for Town and results seemed to evade the Terriers.

    There were questions over whether the brand of football had taken its toll on the players’ fitness, but an unbeaten December helped dismiss those theories.

    At the time, Wagner claimed his side had only been sub-par for one of the games – the 5-0 drubbing at Fulham – and I would tend to agree with him.

    Town’s game relies on a strong defence and shutting teams down through pressing in all areas of the pitch – the Terriers have scored more than two goals only twice in league matches this season.

    In the brief spell before Christmas, Wagner’s side were conceding sloppy goals from set pieces yet failing to net more than twice at the other end.

    That has changed somewhat with the introduction of Chelsea loanee Izzy Brown and Town have now scored three goals in in two of their last four matches – against Brighton and Rotherham.

    How good is David Wagner?

    It’s hard to overestimate David Wagner.

    He has cultivated an incredible dressing room atmosphere at the club and has got all of his players buying into the ‘Terrier identity’.

    The German’s side respect him and give everything they have for him and never give in – proven by the amount of last-gasp winners they convert.

    The squad is fitter than ever and each player knows their job both in attack and defence.

    A lot of teams are doing well but do they have the resources to cope with the games coming thick and fast?

    It’s hard to see Town’s run of form ending.

    Their fitness and determination to succeed, coupled with Wagner’s rotation policy makes them a definite threat for Newcastle and Brighton.

    In the January transfer window they brought in Collin Quaner and Izzy Brown to give them more options in attack.

    Quaner is a traditional centre-forward brought in from Union Berlin and – at 6’3” – gives Town the option of going more direct.

    Brown has been preferred over Kasey Palmer in the number 10 role since joining on loan, giving Wagner an extra creative midfield option.

    Palmer has suffered a hamstring injury and faces a spell on the sidelines, but Jack Payne – who scored the winner at St James’ Park – is a fine understudy.

    Can they keep it up until the end of the season?

    I don’t see why not.

    The fitness, squad and belief is there.

    Town will be looking up toward the automatic promotion spots – not down at the chasing play-off pack.

    Should Newcastle be scared?

    I think so.

    Newcastle’s recent history should surely fill any supporter with worry at this point in the season.

    Admittedly, Rafa Benitez seems to have made the Magpies more reliable, but consistency has been hard to come by at the Toon since before the Keegan era.

    Town look unbeatable at the minute, but Newcastle will have to do just that come March to dent the Terriers’ belief.

    What are their next few fixtures? Make or break?

    These next two months are make and break for Town – but also for the rest of the Championship promotion hopefuls.

    Town host Manchester City in the FA Cup this weekend, followed by a visit from Reading on Tuesday night.

    Away matches against Barnsley and Wolves come hot on the heels, while the Terriers host both Newcastle and Aston Villa the week after.

    After the visit of Steve Bruce’s side, Town have a decent looking run-in – with home fixtures against Norwich and Derby County looking the toughest prospects.

    I would not be surprised to see their automatic promotion push go all the way to the wire – when they host Cardiff City an May 7.

    Who are the main threats?

    Elias Kacuhnga and Nahki Wells have the lions-share of goals for the Terriers this season with 10 and nine league strikes to their names respectively.

    Both work hard for the side off the ball too, allowing the likes of Izzy Brown to roam forward with the ball.

    Brown’s creativity is dangerous, while Australian international Aaron Mooy plays the withdrawn ball-playing role – much like that of Jonjo Shelvey.

    Even centre-back Michael Hefele has been getting in on the act this season, scoring a brace in the FA Cup against Rochdale, an equaliser against Aston Villa and a last-minute winner against local rivals Leeds United.

    Right-back Tommy Smith has three goals and seven assists, so Town really do carry threats across the side.

  69. When you think of the in vogue Premier League managers, Steve Bruce is not amongst them. Bruce is deemed a bit of a dinosaur, stereotyped as a brutish central defender who has imprinted his robustness into the Premier League sides he’s managed over the years. In terms of influence and philosophy, Bruce hasn’t really left his mark on English football either. To name a few that have; Kevin Keegan created a Newcastle United side full of attacking verve, Jose Mourinho adopted a Chelsea team giving them structure with a reactive game plan and Brendan Rodgers’s Swansea side dominated teams in the Championship and the Premier League season by splicing intricacy with possession.

    However ‘Brucey’ is no luddite when it comes to tactics. The proof came after watching the World Cup this summer. Four years ago Spain revolutionised modern football by using the 4-2-3-1 formation to dazzling effect in the 2010 World Cup. The following season, this formation was used by almost every top club in European club football. However this summer, the 5-3-2 was the most prominent and successful formation. Mexico, Netherlands, Costa Rica and Algeria all used this line-up to a degree of excellence.

    The 5-3-2 seems an unbalanced set-up, but if used correctly it can be both secure and dynamic. The 5-3-2 contains three central defenders, two wing-backs, three central midfielders and two strikers. Huge responsibility is put on the wing-backs as they have to primarily defend but offer good positions in the offensive areas. Pace is vital as they have to make numerous overlapping runs and sprints into available space. The three central midfielders are usually given specific tasks involving marking, pressing, holding, movement and delivering a final ball. However during the World Cup some managers adapted and changed these individual roles to benefit the team.

    An example is Rafael Marquez for Mexico who would play as one of the three centre-backs in Miguel Herrera’s 5-3-2. He acted as a sweeper and would bring the ball out of defence looking to start attacks further up the pitch. Another case was Alexis Sanchez who had a flexible position in the Chile team although the Chilean’s formation would morph in and out of a 5-3-2.. Despite starting as one of the two strikers, he would often pull to the right wing and even go to deep to pick the ball up. Nigel de Jong was modified by Louis van Gaal to play almost as a deep-lying playmaker. His primary function was to break up the play but he would also look to start counter attacks which were key to the Netherlands’ game plan.

    The Netherlands and Costa Rica using the formation against each other in the World Cup 2014.
    The Netherlands and Costa Rica using the formation against each other in the World Cup 2014.

    While the managerial talents of van Gaal, Herrera and Jorge Sampaoli were using their versions of the 5-3-2 on the world’s stage, Bruce was has been using his in Hull. The last time that the 5-3-2 was notably used in England was when Glenn Hoddle managed the national side from 1996 to 1999. Although numerous teams have used it, it’s never been a formation that’s been as popular in the Premier League as the 4-4-2, the 4-2-3-1 or even the diamond. Yet Bruce first established his 5-3-2 when Hull City were in the Championship. Part of the reason for its inception may have been because of the acquisition of Ahmed Elmohamady from Sunderland on a season long loan in late August 2012. Elmohamady’s speed, directness and crossing ability made him one of Bruce’s strongest assets. He’s a full-back who is just as effective going forward as he is defending so it would have made sense to create a formation that adheres to these strengths.

    Bruce managed at Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic and Sunderland and his sides have traditionally been tough to break down and are built on a strong back line. A 5-3-2 would give Hull lots of protection in the Championship. It’s common in English football’s second tier to see many a porous defence. If Bruce could solidify Hull, then promotion would be a distinct possibility. However Hull’s defence in the previous season had been good, the second best in the league. The problem was scoring goals. Bringing in Nick Proschwitz seemed like a logical but expensive move. With Bruce deploying wing-backs as a part of his new formation, there would be an emphasis on putting lots of crosses into the penalty area. Proschwitz, a £2.6m signing from SC Paderborn 07, is 6 ft 4 and would be the target man to convert these balls. However the German turned out to have a very disappointing season only scoring three league goals.

    Sone Aluko in action for Hull City.
    Sone Aluko in action for Hull City.

    The star of the first half of the season turned out to be Sone Aluko, a free transfer from Rangers. When the 5-3-2 was in use, Aluko would play as the second striker. This can be a key role as it’s this players responsibility to drop deep pick up the ball and look to provide the main striker or the ‘number nine’. However it was Aluko who found the back of the net more than whoever he was paired with. He scored eight goals in the first part of the campaign but picked up an Achilles injury in November that would cruelly rule him out for the rest of the season. However in the latter stages George Boyd, a loan signing from Peterborough in February 2013 filled the second striker role that Aluko had vacated. He played every match till the end of the campaign scoring four goals and winning the March Player of the Month for the Football League.

    Despite a season in which they struggled to score, Hull were promoted on the final day of the season finishing in second place behind Cardiff City. However even though much reassembling was done, the system would remain the same. Bruce’s interpretation of the 5-3-2 had undoubtedly been flawed, but this wasn’t going to stop him from adding new personnel to tweak the formation. Bruce would search for a deep lying playmaker to be able to pick the ball up from the defence and start moves further up the pitch such as Van Gaal would use De Jong for the Netherlands a year later. Perhaps the most famous deep lying playmaker or ‘regista’ of the modern age is Andrea Pirlo. Already heralded as one of the best passers in the history of Italian football, Pirlo joined Juventus in 2011 and has had a remarkable three years playing at the base of midfield in Antonio Conte’s 3-4-1-2, an adaptation of the 5-3-2. Conte would lead Juventus to three league titles playing this formation and Pirlo would be the catalyst for this success. So impressive was this style that the Italian manager Cesare Prandelli would adapt Conte’s formation for the national team with Pirlo playing in the same position.

    Pirlo (left) and Conte (right) in discussion.

    Bruce needed a ‘Pirlo’. Impossible as it was to find a player of the same quality on his team’s modest budget, he looked to acquire a defensive midfielder who had the same strengths as Pirlo; good technique, accurate short and direct passing, intelligence, grace and consistency. Luckily for Bruce just a player was on the market in the figure of Tom Huddlestone. In and out of the first team for Tottenham Hotspur over the past few years, Huddlestone was finally ready to move to a smaller club but one that would almost guarantee him first team football. Playing in front of the defence in central midfield, Huddlestone won rave reviews throughout the season and was on the precipice of selection for the England squad due to his form. Memorable matches with Huddlestone playing as the anchor in the 5-3-2 was their win over Newcastle United in September 2013, their 6-0 demolition of Fulham at home in November and their crucial 4-0 away win against Cardiff in February. Huddlestone’s individual stats were strong throughout the campaign; he excelled in chances created, accurate crossing, accurate long balls and successful forward passes with a lack of defensive mistakes.

    However despite Huddlestone’s positive influence, it was a lack of goals that proved problematic for Hull. In the January 2014 transfer window, the club brought in strikers Shane Long from West Bromwich Albion and Nikica Jelavic from Everton for a combined total of around £15m. Both scored four league goals each to see Hull finish 16th in the table. However the club were the fourth lowest scoring team in the league. Thanks partially to the phenomenal performances of Curtis Davies who played in the middle of the three central defenders, Hull managed to win by narrow margins to avoid the drop. Davies would go on to win the fans’ player of the season award due to his efforts. The Tigers would also go on to have a successful run in the FA Cup. They would get to the final only to lose 3-2 to Arsenal in a game that went to Extra Time. Within their run to the final, the 5-3-2 really failed to be bare fruit like it did on specific occasions in the league. Yet Hull scored four goals from set pieces during their seven games in the competition. This is another positive in using this formation: with three tall centre backs on the pitch, a team has the potential to be more dangerous from dead balls.

    The results of Bruce’s 5-3-2 at the end of the 2013/2014 season were similar to that of the season before: the formation had given Hull a disciplined defence that conceded an average amount of goals but its rigidity meant a lack of movement and intricacy in the final third leading making them low scorers. Yet Bruce now into his third season had most of the pieces to the puzzle. He had a strong defence, he had a playmaker and he had a good strike force. Over the summer of 2014 he bought players who could provide and assist in attacking areas. It was very well having two adequate forwards in Long and Jelavic but if their was a lack of ingenuity behind them then there would be a continued impotence throughout the side. Essentially he needed more guile and craft as a part of the midfield triumvirate. Players who could create as well as score such as Aluko and Robert Koren were not permanent members of the team any more. Even though Koren had been a wonderful servant to the club, he was an underused figure in the club’s maiden season back in the Premier League. The gifted Aluko is too injury prone and had missed most of the winter yet again due to a recurring problem.

    Hull’s 5-3-2 after the signings of Jelavic and Long.
    Hull’s 5-3-2 after the signings of Jelavic and Long.

    In the summer window of 2014, Bruce targeted inventive players. His first three signings were Jake Livermore on a permanent basis, Tom Ince from Blackpool and Robert Snodgrass from Norwich City. Ince was known for his dribbling ability and his runs from deep which could be useful in a 5-3-2. Although more of a traditional winger, Snodgrass also too possessed good dribbling and averaged 2.1 successful crosses a game in the 2013/2014 campaign. This was the third highest in the Premier League. Snodgrass could also fill in as a left wing-back if needed.

    The success of Bruce’s formation is even more pertinent when looking at other managers using it in the first few games of the 2014/2015 season. Despite the Netherlands’ strong World Cup, Louis van Gaal has struggled to make his version of the 5-3-2 connect at Manchester United so far. The biggest problem has been the three central defenders in van Gaal’s selection. They have looked nervous, tentative and weak with and without the ball. Harry Redknapp too decided to start Queens Park Rangers’ campaign with a 5-3-2 based on the success of Bruce’s; Redknapp commented on how Hull’s effective tactics were in keeping them in the Premier League. Yet in the opening two games, QPR looked disorganised and lost both to Hull and Totteham Hotspur. Redknapp reverted to a back four against Sunderland and won 1-0 signalling the possible banishment of the 5-3-2 at Loftus Road for some time.

    However the end of the transfer window suggested a change of tact from Steve Bruce. On the final day he signed three attacking midfielders in Mohamed Diamé from West Ham, Gaston Ramírez from Southampton, Hatem Ben Arfa from Newcastle United along with striker Abel Hernandez from Palermo. With Diame, Ramirez and Ben Arfa in the squad it’s not unlikely that Bruce will want to switch to the Premier League’s default line-up of the 4-2-3-1. This could be to accommodate all the new arrivals as well as keeping the likes of Ince, Aluko and Robbie Brady part of the first team. Bruce has taken Hull a long way in terms of tactics, quality and club success. His take on the 5-3-2 has propelled them continually through his reign. Whether it’s still in an embryonic stage or if the Premier League is seeing the last of these tactics will be an intriguing development. Maybe ‘Brucey’ has left his mark on English football after all.

    For more football stuff follow me on Twitter – @samuellangan

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  70. How did that hull side go down though! He built a tidy side!! Bit of a worry!

    Snodgrass, brady, diame, ramierz, long, ben arfa livermore huddleston!

    Come on steve you need a settled formation and and stick to it. Have belief. He is clearly wanting 532 but not commiting to it. Injuries to bree and taylor aint helped him.

  71. Just wwatched clinton morrison, not the first player to say bruce is the best manger he has worked under. Said he sorted him out, made him live next to him out of brum centre as he would be out on the town else!

  72. The Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock believes Hull’s Steve Bruce deserved to win last season’s manager of the year award ahead of his Eagles predecessor Tony Pulis.

    After winning promotion from the Championship, Bruce steered Hull City to a 16th-placed finish in the top flight and led the club to their first ever FA Cup final.

    He was beaten to the top manager’s prize, however, by Pulis, who rescued Palace from the bottom three and guided the Eagles to 11th place.

    Palace travel to Hull on Saturday and Warnock believes his opposite number should have been given more recognition for his success last term.

    “I know Tony got manager of the year but I thought Steve Bruce was head and shoulders the best manager around,” Warnock said.

    AdvertisementReport this ad
    “To make a club like Hull very comfortable in the Premier League and to get to the FA Cup final – I thought that was fantastic.

    “He’s done an incredible job and he’s got fabulous support from his chairman too.

    “I know the chairman gets criticism but there aren’t many teams in the bottom half who have had as much money put in as Hull.

    “He’s been fantastic and they’ve bought some very good players.”

  73. Guys – er, I mean particularly JD and Mark…

    Remonstrating with Dr. Tonix and Wyness about signing Bruce and talking of bringing in someone else (apart from Bruce) is all very well but who was available at that time?

    Wagner and Rowett (you mention both) were not available then.

  74. The ignorant view of Steve Bruce is that he’s a managerial dinosaur. A figure from the bad old days who is out of touch with the modern game and its sophisticated ways, who only knows the long ball.

    He does not fit in with the new breed of young managers, such as Brendan Rodgers and Roberto Martinez. While they stand on the touchline in their smart suits, the portly Bruce cuts a very different figure in his Hull tracksuit.

    How totally wrong this view is. Bruce is the most underrated manager in the Premier League.

    Just look at his record. Look at what he did at Birmingham. He led that Cinderella club into the Premier League in 2002 and kept them there for four years. Then when they were relegated in 2006, he brought them straight back up in 2007.

    When Birmingham no longer appreciated him, he returned to Wigan and worked his magic there. The Latics were in deep relegation trouble when Bruce walked back into the club after Chris Hutchings’ disastrous spell in charge.

    Yet Bruce kept them up in 2008 and led them to 11th place the following season, despite losing top players like Emile Heskey and Wilson Palacios.

    I’ve always felt that Bruce’s 18 months at Wigan have been unfairly ignored in favour of Paul Jewell’s reign before him and Martinez’s after. Yet Martinez’s league record was worse and the Spaniard never took the Latics to 11th during his time.

    Hull vs Sunderland

    VIEW GALLERY

    There is also this perception that Wigan were little more than a poor man’s Wimbledon under Bruce, humping the ball long all the time. Yes, they did not pass the ball as much as Wigan subsequently did under Martinez, but they weren’t all long ball.

    Bruce’s time at Sunderland is seen as a failure, yet he guided them to 13th in his first season in 2010. I’m sure the Wearsiders would love to repeat such ‘failure’ this season as they fight relegation.

    As a Newcastle-loving Geordie, the Sunderland fans tolerated him at best and when things started to go wrong, they could not get rid of him quick enough. Their loss was Hull’s gain and seven months after his sacking by Sunderland, he was appointed Tigers boss in June 2012.

    He won promotion back to the Premier League in his first campaign and has topped that this season by leading Hull to the FA Cup semis for the first time since the 1930.

    Hull are also on course to stay up, making this potentially their best-ever season. Bruce has achieved this because he has an eye for a player and his signings of Tom Huddlestone for a bargain £5.5million, Jake Livermore and Nikica Jelavic have been inspired. He can switch formations and he play wing-backs or the traditional 4-4-2.

    He is an excellent man manager and he gets the best out of all his players at Hull, while letting them know who is boss.

    Out of all of Fergie’s former players, he has proved to be the best manager and he is still there managing in the Premier League, while the likes of Bryan Robson, Gordon Strachan and Roy Keane have fallen away.

    Bruce fully deserves his moment in the sun at Wembley and after being a three-time winner as a player, he is finally going back there in the Cup as a manager.

  75. Andrew that what makes Bruce’s player turnover statement a bit of a joke, first season 19 players in 32 sent out on loan, I think his lowest players in for hull in 4 seasons was 9! compare that to Wagner 12 players in and he’s got an effective side, I think they will trouble city tomorrow especially if city play a reduced side. Unfortunately town cannot play Mooy a brilliant midfielder from city on loan. what grabs me about Wagner and others is the ability to give players a job so they know there place in the team, Bruce is just hit and hope at the moment.

    guess who lansbury is? Tom Huddlestone 😉

  76. I’m as frustrated as every one else, but i am not going to get on the band wagon and start saying we are certs for relegation. Cant be bothered to go back up the page to see who it was, but i think it was DOR who was saying about pipe dreams. We’ll our forward thinking Prime Minister is to make Mary Jane legal this year, so very soon i can put some good stuff in my pipe to make my dreams a lot better. At least i wont feel suicidal after every game!!!

  77. Evening all,
    Really enjoy reading this blog, find myself chuckling every couple of comments. Especially when the meedja goes into overdrive on villa. This blog reminds me why i love villa and football despite spending too many years sitting next to a miserable git with no sense of humour at most home games.
    Always get a level perspective here you’re all better than the journos that get paid a fortune.
    Lets hope our team begin to show us the same quality on the pitch sooner rather than later.
    We all arrived on different ships but we are in the same boat now.
    UTV!
    Shots anyone ?

  78. Hey mark

    Just trying to see things from other side of coin. If we give bruce more than 17 games and 2 games with his own players we might see an improvemnt, but patience aint a thing no more!

    Great article on old man said tonight mate, sums it up for me. Things have to get better very soon is where we ar at, lets see what happens!

  79. Need to sort out attitude, which i think bruce will do. Under rdm at beginning of season old man said said they saw messages from players saying its a given they are going up…not the attitude!

  80. andrew do you go and actually watch the pure shyte spud is serving up i went to Leeds Norwich Cardiff brentford forest wolves mate and he is a fu ckin con man could not manage a piss up in a brewery pure shyte football 8 behind the ball thats with out the last two home games against two teams who sost 7 mill for the fu ckin 2 against 91 mill this season i dont give a fu ck what spud did i can see what he is doing now and it pure sh yte and i say again spud calder wood and wyness have to be cut out the club pure cancer all 4 worse than any thing lerner and fox did Why because we where losing to man u and chelski and top clubs in the prem not fu ckin barnsley and brentford doc has to wake up and all you fans who think spud has a clue need to get the pure shyte out your eyes

  81. andrew
    you may change your name to DC JEKYLL and MR HYDE
    for a team to play 532/352 you need certain type of players none of which villa have
    first a goaliee bruce choice is worst i have ever seen in villa shirt even worse than enklemen
    centre halves need to be comfortable on ball,definetly no words to describe our 3 options
    full backs bruce tried birr a right footer then taylor who makes hutton look good and leaves amavi on bench,the ony one who could play left wingback
    hutton will he ever go away 3 assists now in 110 matches yes first class wing back ,leaving bacuna on bench
    plus have to agree with JD from start of december its non football absolute garbage,
    and finally GABBY 13/4 MATCHES NO GOALS OR ASSISTS BUT BRUCE THINKS HE IS GREAT
    last reason is sackable offence on its own

  82. JD
    We hear you loud & clear.
    I’d call it ‘orrible at the moment, but they’re not going to change anything because we shout louder at each other.
    Fair play to you for going to the away matches as they have been cr*p a lot of the time, & I wish I could go.
    You may have noticed there isn’t anyone on here who thinks Bruce is doing a good job, & hardly anyone who wanted him in the first place, so there’s not so much disagreement most of the time except in timing of getting rid of Bruce.
    We can all have a daft moment such as wishful thinking thank goodness, with most of us being human, which is why we try to retain a sense of humour or we rage or cry.
    Those of us who can’t go to matches would probably appreciate a first hand account of the match from someone who was there if you felt up to it.

  83. JL
    Yes but on sky unfortunately, so as I haven’t a TV it’s a yo ho ho & pieces of 8 time for me on the brain leech machine, along with AV commentary if they haven’t cut me off again.

  84. Hello Bibulus. As Mark says ‘long time no see’, but nice to see you have been reading the comments.
    Shame about the football. Nothing much has changed in 6 years, except the inevitable relegation. The trip to Newcastle is pretty long, hope Villa play positively and go there with some gumption and self belief. If they play conservatively, they’ll be thrashed. I think they’ll lose, anyway, but if they have a go, they might score some goals.

  85. Welcome Ross.
    Andrew – they’re not bloody Barca – too right and look at what PSG did to Barca by pressing them and stifling their ball possession
    I like the idea of putting someone on Shelvey but probably not Hutton
    I have to wait until tomorrow to see if my sports channel is screening the game and then have to decide whether I will bother to watch it!
    I’m starting to think that when I go to Cornwall in September for my son’s wedding I might have a chance to go and watch Villa play away at Plymouth in League 1- I hope that doesn’t happen even though I trust Plymouth will get promoted on current form

  86. Andrew- the fact you are saying give Bruce 17 matches with his own players yet we gave the supposedly inept RDM 6 games with his complete squad baffles me. RDM’s stats were better too just did not get those wins
    (He may well of beat those bottom six teams though that Bruce beat and even the footballing sides of Fulham and reading) we really should of beat Huddersfield at villa and outplayed Newcastle once we stopped the negative first half tactics RDM adopted from fear. Now we are saying let him have a longer time he’ll get it right eventually? well they say given long enough and a typewriter chimps would reproduce the works of Shakespeare. I like to see a bit more method with my cooking not just boiled tripe.

  87. Mark
    “Richards can play right-back or centre-half and would bring experience, know-how and an added determination to drag Villa out of their current mess.”
    That’s what we heard last year, isn’t it? I almost think these guys are in cahoots with the bookies. Remember him giving Gabby stick for not scoring enough goals. Gabby went AWOL on the club and Micah just showed us that he is no centre back. Maybe, give him a chance at right back. He’s been out for a long time, though. Mmm. I don’t know about this, wouldn’t bet the house on it though.

  88. Morning all….oh dear my attempt at some positivity did not go down well!

    Yeah john mate been up to villa a few times this season not as much as id like, long trip from devon to see tripe!

    What annoyed me yesterday is bruce saying i need results quickly AND THEN i can get a team playing how i like…..just do that now!!

  89. James…yes sure for 352 or 532 wing backs are most important, thats why he got bree and taylor, typical they are both injured! Dont know why bacuna not trusted in that role over hutton! What we dont see is what players are like at training etc… I know collymore hates bacuna, apparently no dedication to the cause. And to be fair to hutton even though i cant stand him he has been one of the better players which says alot! Anyhow not worried about hutton or gabby they are toast and wont be starting for villa now

  90. Iana- what does it say about Bree? is he crocked? we are the full backs graveyard. Why couldn’t Bruce big up RMC like that all things I’d like to know

  91. Hmmm rdm. Went up to the rotherham game and even though we won 3-0 the first half was terrible, very lucky to go in 2-0 up. Second half a bit better. The strory of rdms short career, 1 half good the other not so good. Bit like bruce. 1st half against preston, 2nd half at brighton was the best we have played… Maybe itvwill click in time?!

  92. There is a lot of love for klopp, and now his mini me wagner. Tbf wagner i dont know about and only seen 1 half of a huddersfield match but klopp im not having. Most my mates are pool fans so watch a fair bit. His goofy smile and glasses have got him alot of media love. He aint fixed there defence or gk situation which was there obv main weakness under rodgers. He refuses to play with a striker and the tactis is the front 4 or 5 run and chase the ball! Pool finished 8th last year and lost 2 finals and this year out all the cups and will struggle to get top 4. He needs to find a plan b how to play.

  93. Andrew- RDM’s second game in charge and first at Villa park was a 3-0 and your moaning? if that was Bruce it would of been touted as a miracle. Two gestede goals, 7 shots on target 16 shots, clean sheet. Compare that to lest give Bruce 17 games with his players? well RDM had!! only just received a whole squad.

  94. For me pochitino is the man, i think he is superb. His spurs side a very very close to winning the league, should of done it last season. Just need a bit more depth to squad.

    Has the correct balance of attack, defence. Can close a game keeping the ball or go all barca and press a team to death.

  95. well Andrew I think you need to watch Huddersfield more you will see that although they play the pressing game they play great football too, recently they played a lower division side in the cup and instead of playing the same way he went direct and played a more physical game resulting in a 4-0 win .

    Huddersfield manager David Wagner: “It was not the type of football match and style that I like but I loved the result.”

    On Collin Quaner scoring in his first game: “It was a fantastic performance for his first game in difficult circumstances.

    “He scored what we in Germany call the ‘tin-opener’ and he had some good moments. He gave a great assist for the fourth goal so you cannot really ask for more.”

  96. No not moaning mark…i came away from vp happy we won! But seems you think under rdm we were like barca or summin. In that first half we let rotherham look like barca! Saw my mate at ht in the holte end and he was happy we was 2 up and he looked at me and said whats up cause i was so pissed off with the performance! Just saying rdm style of play was not great in the games i saw. Prob why he was bottom 3 and sacked!

  97. Mark yeah going to check huddy out. No doubt what he has done has been superb. Second season willbe time to judje him 100%. I thought there bubble had burst after huddy losing streak and 5-0 defeat at fulham but they bounced back well.

  98. well I watched all of our games on tele Andrew and all the bruce ones, and listened to every match otherwise. I know which one looked more like football to me, You have me completely wrong I don’t think RDM was some genius but his stats in everything even tackles was better than Bruces and Bruce got his wins in a very winnable patch of games, RDM had a new team going into the season, Bruce had to benefit from their time together for 12 games before he arrived didn’t he? otherwise this whole gelling excuse is just that, an excuse.

  99. Andrew- Right around the time Villa were looking for a manager and Wagner finally came out and said no Hudders had a blip, i call that suspicious and maybe his team feared him leaving, come the Jan window he has brought in 3 players 2 forwards and now they are scoring more, he knows what to look for in a player for his style and system.Would love to get him in but would settle for someone with similar principles not Bruce who may try different tactics but has no central tenant or idea why he’s doing things IMO.

  100. Thankfully this article says everything for me, no need to say much more IMO.

    “Bruce though cuts a likeable figure to both the media and some sections of fans, who now preach that stability is the key and change can’t happen over night. Yes, stability always helps, but while the players have demonstrated little on the pitch, Bruce has increasingly shown little evidence of being able to improve matters.

    There is no cut and dry formulae to turning a team around and the latest call for stability and patience may not necessarily bring the desired results, if the club continues down the same path.

    Surely Bruce should have made more of an impact by now?”

    http://www.myoldmansaid.com/whats-going-wrong-with-aston-villa-and-should-bruce-stay/

  101. Tony Xia now saying RDM was not sacked for results but his lack of guts? well Bruce has a gut but parking the bus does not show much bravery for me.

    I didn’t buy Villa4business purpose.Its only 1’firm’ losing money. I never expected making from it.Moaning is easier&not louder than action.

    Dr. Tony Xia ‏@Dr_TonyXia 2h2 hours ago
    More
    Dr. Tony Xia Retweeted Howard Hodgson
    Felt Insulted1,Para£ even can’t cover half wages;2,Chose RDM not4EC title, Sack not just caused by poor result;3 1stNeed was a man with guts

  102. Seems, reading MK’s Guardian article on Bruce at Hull, that he was given his dream by Dr Tony, by being given total freedom to introduce his own players and systems, which further proves the point, that Bruce controlled by a prudent board, would be far better than letting him have his head.

    He may surprise us all, and eventually get it right, with Richards team captain, and Gabby leading the line…..and another great Roy of the Rovers story…………….

    However, for the foreseable future, I do not see any change, other than us continuing to struggle for at least another 3/4 games.

    Xia would have saved himself a lot of money by getting the right manager in the first place.

  103. Andrew- 433 sounds fluid, it will be a rigid a 451.

    I’m heading up to Newcastle in a bit with my mate ( who’s actually a Liverpool fan) I’m not expecting Anything, just a very defensive set up from Bruce.

    Jedinak is back which is great, but means it will be 5 in midfield, hogan on his own up front and Adomah and Kodjia as secondary full backs

    I’ve lost all faith in Bruce. He makes it up as he goes along.

  104. runtings
    we only thought 2016 was bad, seen bruce press conference today don t know when it was but he looked up to heavens and asked for help
    listening all his mates on tv wait to summer to he gets another load players it will be his team, conte only signed 3/4 .warnock not sure how many, but worst of all zola 1 win in 14 and still 4 poinnts clear, holloway qpr above us as well

  105. Dropping Johnson for Bunn inst is much of a muchness for me Andy – i prefer the younger keeper as at least he has the change with experience to improve his game

  106. JL read that the other day I like how they have sorted to being able to criticise each other bit when RDM was here. Funny how it hasn’t changed the way they play and now they have even more to criticise each other for 😉

  107. Mark,

    I still think we’re not giving enough time … it’s barely a month since these players have been playing together.

    To me it’s a question of gelling, and since Brum was the home to Brylcream, we should be good at it! 😉 Perhaps it’s just a question of how you comb the hair!

  108. Brylcream originally belonged to the airforce boys, if my memory serves me correct..!!

    Great to see Bibolus and Frem back in the last couple of days.

    Just awaiting team news and deciding which game will bring the most magic….Sutton or Villa…!!!

    Wish they would give Sarkic a chance to show how good he is.

  109. Curtis Davies observes:

    Villa have defended well and limited Newcastle to very few chances. There was a 10-minute spell when they looked like they might get the goal. Unfortunately when it rains, it pours.

    They need someone in the number 10 role to get close to Scott Hogan. He’s working really hard but if he’s got three defenders around him, it doesn’t matter how good his touch is, it’s always going to be tough for him.

  110. Jedinak gets ball….and only passes to Villa players if it is sideways or backwards….every forward one has gone to the oppostion….

    Defence still a shambles when there is any pressure…..

    Sutton doing ok, and had a chance to level…!!!

  111. Evening all, been away and out of touch for a few weeks ………….. I thought Villa played well and looked in control until the goal. Just need to organise the attack a bit better ……………. all the new lads looking good I think, Hutton doing well ……. maybe just need that elusive goal and we will get some self-belief back.

    See you at full-time chaps ……
    oldvilla

  112. Wouldn’t have Bjarnasson in the 5th team. Looked useless from first minute he played.

    Jedinak is just a clogger who can’t pass. Lansbury too slow…does nothing. Hourihane…average.

    This is an over-priced bunch of crap.

  113. And having been away a while it’s good to see all the armchair managers are still here. Not sure I’ve heard anything as vitriolic as PW though. Are you having counseling Mate? I’m taking tablets for depression and now I know why I don’t get on here much lol …….
    still believe we have the makings of a good team and agree with JL that all we need is a bit of time with all the new lads.
    I’m ready for the flak now …….
    oldvilla

  114. OldVilla chap…this team will get plenty of time to find its feet in League 1….think Portsmouth if you believe it could never happen to this utter fucking excuse for a football club.

  115. Sad thing is that Newcastle are crap and will be coming straight back down…but Villa gave no clue hiw to beat them.

    Despite all the signings Villa still play with the striker 40 yards apart from the midfield…oh and then there’s Kodjia…he’s scored 10 and failed to score 20 with his sheer greed.

  116. If that Icelandic twat offered to play for my pub team I’d tell him to fuck off…yet Round and the fat bastard Wyness think he’s good enough for Villa. How does that work?

  117. Hello all Lifers.
    I just wanted to chip in woth my view on stability……well if you want to retain a manager who constantlyy loses for the sake of “stability” then that is the logic of the madhouse.Bruce is crepe.Stabiliry comes from success not the other way around.Stabiliry for me should be provided by Round and Wyness,meaning there is little disruption when a new manager takes over.Get shot of him,and just for once…can we stop throwing money at our problems.£££ is not the only answer.Make a clean break,get the new man in now,a la Rafa.He had the tail end of a seaon and a summer to assess and make his mark.Hope you are all well.Missing Steamer.Night Lifers.

  118. Another Bruce comic cuts display….

    I have seen nothing tonight which tells me that given time Bruce will produce a winning team….or even a team….we have 11 individuals, one of the worst being the selfish Kodjia…

    Still not teaching basic defensive skills, let alone attacking skills…. and relegation with the most expensive Villa team ever put together ever looming…

    Never mind we go again….maybe now with injuries we will start playing some of our talented youngsters…!!!!

  119. Aye, Hutton was our best player. As for the manager, it is up to Dr Xia now. I think he’ll give Brucey two or three more games before squeezing the trigger. Villa can’t keep losing, because relegation is a possibility.

  120. Kevin Nolan struggling to stop grinning, when he points out that Aston Villa have brought in eleven new players in the summer, and a further eight in January, and still cant get it together, while Steve Clark points out that RDM couldn’t get it right before he was sacked, and now Steve Bruce has had longer and it is still not right…..maybe we should have had Steve Clark from the start of the season, and it could have been a very different story…at least Dr Tony now has a great loss-making business to offset any new businesses…..!!!

  121. Oldvilla. Don’t get wound up by pw. He admitted in a previous posting to being a blues fan but for some reason likes to wind people up on here.
    Tonight, the Lansbury og summed things up. If things were going well he would have just calmly pushed the ball away. With the pressure on the team as it is now, he flailed at it and it crept in.
    We played ok in the first half and were unlucky to go in 1 down. We can’t keep making excuses though. I hate the thought of changing manager yet again but we’ll need to stop the rot in the next 2 or 3 games or it will become unavoidable.

  122. I did feel a bit sorry for bruce…, 1st half was ok. We battled and started to see a tiny bit of belief then a classic villa goal to concede just before half time. Then the classic fragillity sets in.

    Only hutton checked on hogan after 4 mins of being down. Great team spirit that!!

  123. Interesting comments on the Guardian from Toon fans- probably telling us what we already know.
    By the way Jenny – Dr X has ignored my suggestion he invite you in to give a motivational speech.

    1. If only Newcastle had got a manager who really knew the Championship, a Steve Bruce, Neil Warnock, maybe Nigel Pearson who had experience at SJP.

    2.I’m sure they’d be cruising the division by now. Rafa just doesn’t know the Championship.

    3. liking the inclusion of steve bruce.

    4. Notable BTW that whatshisname at Huddersfield doesn’t know the championship either…Jap Stam at Reading is new to it too.

    5. Wagner, he has the Terriers on a different pitch, operatically speaking.

    6. Carlos Carvalhal also had no knowledge of the Championship. And, come to think of it, Monk hadn’t managed in this league before had he?
    Just shows what all the talking heads know.

  124. You will never see more scrappy goals than the two they scored. Both needed to go in with the help of Villa players and in both situations they were bizarre. And the first goal was completely against the run of play. But Villa – for all their dominance – only got one shot on goal first half. In the second their keeper had to be brave when we were already 2-0 down but if we had scored then we may well have got a point.

    The problem for Villa is that although they played pretty well that first 40 minutes, there was not a proper link up to the two strikers. Villa need a “number 10” to provide that link, but the natural player for that job – Grealish – doesn’t show up well enough.

    Apparently the first time since 1974 that we’ve lost 5 on the trot. Both times in the second tier.

    It’s worrying – but not a situation that we can’t get out of.

  125. John
    Too right. Shame about the 1974 thing. You’re right that Villa need a real number 10 to help link the play. Could RMC play that role?
    Like Curtis Davis said, “When it rains it pours.” Agree with your last statement.
    UTV

  126. Well that was as tortuous as every game under Bruce, hope built by the typical early pressure, we went close and made the 15 place gap look mildly silly, then again as the efforts made didn’t return a goal, the opposition grow back into the game and start creating chances and we start running out of ideas.

    We fall asleep at a corner, Jedinak has two chances to put a foot through it and fails and we’re down one. The problem at half time is that our team talk will be of keep doing what you are doing because it looks effective, we’ve restricted Newcastle and created chances, the goal will come. In the other dressing room, talk will be of not doing enough, going out and finishing the game off. Every team manager from Rotheram up knows exactly how to play us, weather the early storm, Villa aren’t scoring and then take over the game.

    Our first shot on target was Bjarneson and that lack composure was because of the situation we were in and Lansbury’s og was just unfortunate, had he not stuck his leg out it would have been ok, fine lines when we aren’t playing well or being lucky. Newcastle continued to control the second half reducing us to a few counter-attacks, but the game was lost at half time.

    We need to manage a game for 90 minutes, that means being patient for the chances, not rush the first 20 minutes and try and get a goal up because of the losing streak we are on. There is too much panic in what Villa do in all parts of the pitch.

    Derby next and they’ll be too clever for us, Bristol and Rotheram will see us pick up some points. We won’t be relegated even if we are in relegation form but like the previous prem seasons there were three worse teams that saved us. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

    As for Bruce, his post match interview on sky shows a man bereft of ideas, it’s not about future tactical or player changes to address the issues, it’s about basics and going again and being unfortunate, stop the record. Tell us that we are working on a system on the training ground and it’s taking time to bed in, some sort of hope that you have a plan to change the results as opposed to looking disappointed and clueless.

    Think we need to go 4-1-4-1 for a while and become a bit more defensive, it won’t be pretty but it will turn losses into draws. We are missing partnerships around the pitch, Chester and Baker have started to develop one, Hutton and Adomah too, Hourihane and Lansbury have to and quickly, I think Amavi’s defensive mind but attacking ability would be a good foil for Taylor to be protected but also to know he can overlap Amavi and not have to chase back

    Hutton, Chester, Baker, Taylor
    Jedinak
    Adomah, Hourihane, Lansbury, Amavi
    Hogan if fit, Kodija if not

  127. “Only hutton checked on hogan after 4 mins of being down. Great team spirit that!!”
    I noticed that as well Andrew – as you say, you would have expected more of our lot to have taken an interest in an obviously badly injured team mate. Well done Hutton for showing some concern.

    Robbo – as I said I’ve been away so hadnt seen about PW being a nose. I suppose I can put up with the novelty and amusement value of a nose actually showing for once then …….

    My own view, for what it’s worth – we DO have the makings of a team as we showed on the first half when we seemed to be in control, bar scoring of course. I thought we pressed them high up the pitch and generally all players did well. Then came the usual errors. We desperately need to get a goal, get a win, no matter how as confidence levels will then be boosted and we may just see a more together team. Strikers are a problem though especially if we now have injuries to contend with. Maybe RHM and Davis will have to be blooded – if they are then I hope they do well for their sakes, as the crowd/social media will soon turn on them otherwise.

    Also – the Jedi. He is doing a job which is primarily to support the defence and link with attack. That will always involve sideways passing which may be perceived as being negative, but is what every team needs to link up play and to keep the ball instead of just hoofing it up the pitch. Westwood of course got hammered for doing this, Petrov did the same job and was moaned at, Gana the same ………………. and now the Jedi. Maybe we should accept that these players are doing a job and they don’t have to make 30 metre sprints whilst beating several players to do this job. They link up defence and midfield and most importantly try and keep the ball moving and keep possession. Maybe we should try and appreciate that a bit more and accept their role …… ie Carrick, Wilkins, etc etc ……

    oldvilla

  128. Chester’s comments about a toxic dressing room with no one ready to take feedback seeme to have carried on to the new boys and is reflected in the fragility shown on the pitch. We have half a dozen ex captains but no one ready to lead. I’d rather Bruce take us to the end of the season and have a new manager work with the team in the summer. Any new manager getting in now will have his soul crushed, no matter how good he is, as we’ve seen from each of our last few managers’s turn at the helm.

  129. Darren – I agree that Amavi in left midfield might work as Taylor is the more intelligent defender but lacks skill in the attack.
    Hutton linking with Bjarnason worked as each could cover where needed. Adomah might be needed up front with Kodjia if Hogan is still crook.
    I did think the team played more as a team until the first goal went in but we need to score from our chances – Gil?
    I found this amusing but not exactly helpful in the present situation http://7500toholte.sbnation.com/2017/2/21/14676458/tony-xia-randy-lerner-aston-villa-nothing-has-changed-everything-is-terrible

  130. OV there is no team spirit at Villa

    I don’t see us having one under bruce a man that points the finger at his players but has very little in tactical awareness and no real playing style for them to follow and improve collectively

    It seems like he decides on a formation and throws them out there hoping for the best — there is no formula of play hence 5 different formations

    Kodjia should not be played as a winger – it should be him or Hogan or two up top

    anyway the clock is ticking – a home loss in the next game may well mean Dr x has little choice but to push the button

  131. Darren,

    “Our first shot on target was Bjarneson” …. I think not. There was an effort from Codger that the keeper had to tip over for a corner first half.

    “that means being patient for the chances, not rush the first 20 minutes and try and get a goal up” – well I thought that Villa were just that in the first 40 minutes. I didn’t see any rushing to speak of and Newcatle – frankly – were getting frustrated by Villa’s dominance after half-an-hour. There two goals were fortunate – period. They only put one other shot on goal the whole match that caused much difficulty.

    No – for me Villa’s problem was a proper link between mid and attack. Villa’s tactic last night was mainly to contain them and keep them pressed back but if we’d had that extra bit of creativity we might have got the first goal.

  132. Runtings,

    Well I saw enough spirit last night. In fact I thought it was pretty good. It’s Villa’s lack of ground play that let’s ’em down.

    As for Codger being played wing-wards – that was clearly an effort to try to use Hogan’s strengths, but he didn’t get too much of a sniff.

    No, for me the main problem now is how to get that extra touch of creativity between the mids and the strikers. Yes, RMC may have made the difference, but I don’t like any player who tries to make his own rules on how to play for his club, no matter how good he is.

  133. nice to see ya here Brazil -and yes so weird AVL without steamer

    I must say i am disappointed with the about of flack Kodjia is getting

    only a month or so ago he was our hero as he was the only good striker at the club and he was the one scoring most of our goals and getting us out of a hole

    Now we have Hogan i keep hearing how crepe Kodj is

    the thing is he is doing what he has done since coming to the club which is trying to get a goal whenever possible

    Bruce brought Hogan who looks a very good player but doesn’t know how to play them together or utilise there strengths properly — there is no balance to his buys and how they are playing together — i think that comes with not really knowing exactly how you want your team to play for you

    i will repeat this again –Don’t blame the players

    these guys will all look good when brought by a manager that is buying a player to fit into a system and knowing that the player will fit into his team set up comfortably

  134. OV i noticed that with Hogan down – that is a sure sign that this bunch are not together — without a manager to build that team spirit and make all the guys feel part of something special things won’t change on that front

  135. Hi JL

    Bjarneson’s was our clearest chance to score and was rushed. Keeper saved a deflected shot with a tip over the bar, in fact my first thought at that angle was Kodija being greedy instead of lifting it to the back post.

    Sorry JL, those rose-tinted glasses that sees effort and application in comparison with previous games, doesn’t exist for me, it’s the continuous pattern over the 90 minutes that concerns me, there is an attempt to score early, there is an attempt to impose a game on the opposition but our inability to score and our own mental fragility comes to the fore and the moment any team score against us, there is a doubt in the plan because it bore no fruit i.e. goals and from there we are insecure and lack ideas. It’s at this point the Bruce should step in and change things in fact he could throw RHM and Green on who play without fear to give the opposition something to think about instead of expecting the same old fragile Villa in the second half.

    Despite having one other attempt of note, Newcastle also weren’t pushed to raise their game to get the win, agreed one unfortunate goal, laziness for the first though but where was the second half application, the desire to win, to turn things around. If as you say you were happy with the first 30/40 minutes fine but that’s not enough of an assessment to think we are turning a corner. It stems from the manager and the false position our early efforts suggest, we aren’t capable of maintaining that early application over 90 minutes which suggests that it is a rushed approach, that doesn’t mean we are hitting long balls or playing fast one touch football, it’s putting all the effort in at the start and end up being tired as well as paucity of thought and tactics undo us.

  136. I thought we gave it a go last night, I still acknowledge the despondency among other posters on this site. Just my personal view I honestly think we’re not that far away and we really should have put the ball away, Bjarnason could have put us in front and on another day would have put his second half chance away, good save from their keeper.
    As the second half wore on I felt they controlled the game for long spells. A lot of posters were predicting a spanking, well we didnt get that, in fact I didnt think there was that much between the two sides.
    As I posted previously, a mid table finish and next season we’ll tear this division up.
    Anyone know the extent of Scott Hogans injury. If he’s only turned over on his ankle he may be ok for the weekend.
    The journey continues. Archie

  137. archie

    brilliant with the positivity…I have tried but I thinks it’s been knocked out of me! Im done!

    bruce likes 2 up top..seemed to be his plan. then why leave only an injured gabby as back up to kodjer and Hogan!

    It will be a case of relying on other teams to keep us up. I just don’t see us getting anything rest of season.

    Rotherham are gone. prey burton, wigan cant catch us.

  138. we should play a fluent 433 now

    Johnson
    Bree Chester Elphick Taylor
    Lansbury Jedi Hourihan
    Adoamh Kodjer Green

    I though taylor did well last night. one point he made a good run but had to stop and turn cause no one had supported him.

  139. andrew
    johnson should be sent back to utd ASAP absolute crap ,no authority inkeeper every shot is a goal
    as for positivity while spud is in charge there is none 16 matches 3 wins 2 draws 11 defeats not even one decent half of football, sorry one when we went 2 up at home to PNE but still couldnt hold on
    we chop and change players like no other side i know,
    i get the doc went for bruce for his promoton record but look deeper into bruce history its all the same 10/5 players bought every window same amout sold loaned,promotion is gone so get right man in build team even if it means giving round the road so be it

  140. On ce again DOR, your summary is on the button. The problem, which I agree with Steve Clarke, was being addressed, and continued in Bruce’s early tenure, of building a new togetherness and team spirit, has been torn apart again, with too many new faces, and no new leader.

    Once we had a settled defence with Gollini, Hutton, Chester, Baker and Cissokho at the back, we started to look good. Bruce started to meddle with players and systems, and it all went pear-shaped, and now he blames the players, and his own nerves and frustrations, then start to manifest themselves in the players, in exactly the same way they did under Lambert and Sherwood.

    Under normal circumstances, Bruce would have handled it far better, but the pressure of managing a club the size of Villa, has taken its toll on him, and I do not believe that he can turn it round, unless he gets at least one win out of the next two games. His confidence is totally shot, and it is being reflected in the players.

  141. think it’s been harsh on green who has been one of the better players when played or brought on. Like to see him back now kodjer up top.

    Still think grealish is the link between mid and attack.

  142. Paul Whiting November 6, 2016 at 2:53 pm

    I married my sister today, we’re celebrating by getting matching BCFC tattoos.

    My two sons Trevor and Francis are so happy I’ve married their auntie.

    KRO

  143. Thanks for that insightful response pw.
    You also said that nobody on this site has more than 4 brain cells so you wouldn’t be posting on here again
    And yet . . . . here you are
    Oh . . . . and yes you did admit you were a blues fan and I notice that you didn’t even deny it in your last comment.

  144. Darren,

    Let’s face it, we didn’t think we were going to get anything last night anyway – in fact we thought it might be a heavy defeat.

    But we gave one of the two rampant leading teams a fright for 40 minutes, and their first goal was completely against the run of play.

    I thought that Bruce is gradually getting his best team working, but Hogan may well be out for awhile.

    Although I’d like to see a settled side, we need more life and imagination on the wing in the absence of a true ‘number 10’. I think Green and Albert should be started each match, and RHM ready to come on as a sub (is there still a fitness problem with him?).

  145. Andrew,

    Yes, your team was pretty well what I had in mind! 🙂

    Johnson
    Bree Chester Elphick Taylor
    Lansbury Jedi Hourihan
    Adomah Kodjer Green

    … though I’d prefer Chester and Baker as c-bs.

  146. Evening Folks,

    I thought yesterday Jedinak showed he is the only leader we have and the main reason the first half looked half decent. Even though Newcastle were being frustrated we still do not display any good passing and movement. Pretty much everything is a player athletically sprinting like a loon, the pressing was done as individuals and most of the attacks individual efforts.

    As I predicted Hogan is isolated and RMC would have been a better foil for him. I like Kodjia but he’s no team player, like Ayew he will try and do it all himself but at least he works his nuts off. As I watched Dwight Gayle I thought he’s very much like RHM although RHM is more skilful IMO. Lansbury and Hourihane are wasted, both are similar players, they have similar stats this season and both want to play the same role.

    I have had it with stability, I’m hearing people saying we played well, had 2-3 chances/shots on goal we were unlucky, well Under RDM we hit the woodwork 8 times made the keepers work more and played better football, RMC has still created most chances for us BTW. While we conceded late we never looked like billy smarts circus.

  147. Oh and Dean Saunders says we won’t go down, he says Bruce knows how to get a couple of 1-0 wins? well I know this is a bit obvious Mr Saunders but when is this going to happen and indeed why hasn’t it happened if he knows how to do it???

  148. Mark: ” I’m hearing people saying we played well, had 2-3 chances/shots on goal we were unlucky, well Under RDM we hit the woodwork 8 times made the keepers work more and played better football”

    Oh no we didn’t! 😉

    Against Newcastle our performance was a bit similar – and they only scored through an o.g. that time as well!

  149. johnl
    you can not seriously still be saying give spud more time, last night missed first half completly ,son was at football,came in seen goal looked at stats no shots again went from watching show how a team should play [sutton] to watching spud look up to sky for help,why no subs when it was only 1,why start icelandic player again, similar saying hutton mom what did he achieve [suppose he didnt give goal away] but did he get down wing to cross the ball[no point anyway no villa layers in box again] why was green dropped from squad

  150. James,

    I’m afraid if you missed the first 40 minutes then you missed the game from Villa’s p.o.v. 🙁

    After 30 minutes the Newcastle players (particularly Shelvey) were getting into a right tiz because Villa wouldn;t let them play.

    No, they had two lucky goals and they only had one other shot that you could say was worthwhile. We had 2 good shots on goal and another early on when our Icelander could have tried a bit harder to score, but didn’t.

    It was mainly a game of defences, we having the attacking edge first half, and they second half.

    The match should have been a draw in the end really. Newcastle were made to look not very good.

    As for Green etc. – well the boss is the boss; let him do it his way! Against Newcastle I think I can see why he went for the players he did. I would expect a couple of changes for Derby … on top of the one for Hogan.

  151. johnl a game is 90 mins which has not managed in 22/3 attempts
    we still don t know if we will go 433,352.532.631
    which players will start and where
    yet so far bruce choices
    johnson shocking bad
    birr really poor ,no real reason to keep playing but he is bruce signing
    lansby non effective so far
    houirrane same as lansby
    hogan same as last 2
    thats 5 players half a team
    his talk of playing richards thats as a bad as the decision to take gabby back

  152. john l
    i did write last week to play hutton in midfield to look after shelvey, what i would do to see players like shelvey playing for villa not the pusseys we got

  153. James,

    Relax my friend … it will all come out in the wash!

    I’ve seen too many crises at Villa – particularly these last 7 years – to worry too much.

    The chairman may be a touch naiive but I am pretty sure he’ll steer the club through all this – and without any more knee-jerk decisions.

  154. James…how dare you criticise the team. You must be a Blues fan.

    I’m a season ticket holder at the Villa so I must have a lot of time and money to impersonate being a Villa supporter

    Fuck the happy-clapping O’Rourkes and N0bb0s on here.

  155. JL- You don’t remember Ayew hitting the woodwork and jedinaks disallowed goal then? 9 shots 8 corners 50% possession we had them on the rack in the second half at VP and we tried to attack them not wait until 70+ minutes to have a go when losing second half 😉

  156. PW – you have a real problem, you talk like a 16 year old who thinks that swearing is a big and hard thing to do. Plus basically you just talk utter garbage.
    Do us all a favour and just disappear – head off to another blog that will welcome imbecilic rubbish and let you abuse other posters.

    oldvilla

  157. Hi JL

    Please stop calling the first goal lucky or explain what you think was lucky about it, we fell asleep at the short corner, calamitous swipes at the ball, that’s not unlucky, that’s Newcastle’s quick thinking and then desire to finish

  158. Darren: “Please stop calling the first goal lucky…”

    Mr. O’Rourke, you were complaining the other day as I appeared to be not allowing you your opinion! Now you are complaining because I am expressing mine! 😉

    To me, a goal that is scored after so many ricochets has to be at least called “scrappy” … even “very scrappy” … and if you get a goal like that then there is an element of luck that has run with it. In my opinion, of course! 😉

    All three goals that Newcastle have scored against Villa this season have been “scrappy” at the very least.

  159. Mark: “You don’t remember Ayew hitting the woodwork and jedinaks disallowed goal then?”

    Frankly, I don’t! I can recall Ayew hitting the bar against (I think) Nott’m Forest.

    I still think that Villa’s level of performance against Newcastle was not much different in both matches, and the earlier one was at VP, so you’d expect it to be more Villa’s way – a tad at least.

    Considering Villa’s recent record of defeats I think they showed up very well at Newcastle, but we certainly need a bit more tightening in defence and creativity going forward.

  160. James,

    Sacking yet another manager is not going to achieve much – if anything, i.m.o.

    As I said to Mark, it’s barely a month since the new signings came together – they weren’t here when the bad run started. It’s just unfortunate that better gelling has not yet occurred, but let’s hope we see it coming together during these next two (home) matches.

    But none of us expected Villa to get anything at Newcastle anyway.

  161. I did ask you to explain in the same sentence, but your explanation seems to neglect to mention the short corner that should have been stopped in the first place so our ‘luck’ rightly deserted us if we are going to switch off like that.

    Not complaining about your opinion or the right to have one, just challenging you because I disagree on it being a lucky goal.

  162. Darren,

    The short corner is an element of the play, of course, but I don’t include that in the scramble for the goal itself. It’s just the way I look at it in this case! 😉

    Don’t take me so seriously … it’s more like banter on here a.f.a.i.a.c. … unless it’s about really serious stuff!

  163. Really hope we don’t end up like TVB on here – i never go on that site anymore due to the childish insults from people that are unable to express themselves in a constructive manner , and the fact that someone can throw insults without me being able to get my hands on them to serve justice where appropriate

    As for the villa — the Pro Bruce thing is a real worry for me -there is a vast gulf in what one person things is good management and progression from another — its like the pro bruce and bruce out camps are going around in circles with the repetitive arguments for and against

    Obviously i am bruce out for the reasons i have already mentioned on here — it will be interesting to see how long the pro brucers will stick with him and his dire management of this once top flight club

    lots of excuses being banded about for what is in terms of spend and resources an unexceptionable return

    looks like another bunch of players are going to be destroyed at aston villa – how do we get things so consistently wrong ?

    utv

  164. st75 hope you are keeping your head up fella
    i saw a class comment from your cousin on my cuzzies FB page after they guy he was meant to fight at cage rage pulled out though injury48hrs before the fight — top man

  165. the short corner is not the first time we have conceded from it this season PNE 2nd goal, our set piece play is horrible, bruce was a centre half , shouldnt still be happening, manager to blame again

  166. Andrew – “Im not sure if its actually pro bruce or pro stabililty.”
    Absolutely right Andrew – I didnt particularly want Bruce but thought he could do a job and then we would look for the next stage of progress with a new manager. But I really fear and dread what might happen if we yet again change managers ……….. I still feel that for the sake of stability and maybe making some progress that we should stick with what we have until season end at least. Even if that does mean football that we dont agree with ……………….
    oldvilla

  167. we all can’t be against stability, it’s just unfortunate that the music stopped with Bruce in charge in my opinion, and as i’ve said before stability with progression has to be the standard, no point keeping a manager if we are going backwards.

  168. Andy AV

    fair comments

    I get were you are coming from to a large degree — the reason i think it could be better to change as bad as it looks is

    Because a new manager can come in and improve the football and i believe there is huge room for improvement and the manager can have the time to access the players and know who can work within there style of play and who definitely can’t

    Also if we manage to stay up all managers will already have one eye on next season so we will have more Bruce buys – if he then stays until Christmas any new manager will need until the following season to make his mark on the team in the way they may wish too

    the key thing in all this though is getting the right manager otherwise its yet another groundhog day for the villa

    there are some good managers about but may not all be available now – personally i would take Rowett until the end of the season and access things from there if he was up for it

  169. Runtings

    yeah agree stability is pointless if we aint going anywhere…re Wenger at arsenal.

    But we must also ask, sack bruce today…what do we do next. Who will realisticly come to us? and be good enough to give us the type of football we crave.

    Rowett did well at blues but not sure if he is known as the most exciting football being played? And do we really hire another blue manager! Board will have to take that into account. Cant see wagner leaving huddy anytime soon.

    Pearson is out of work?

  170. big result last night with wigan losing!

    Need Bristol city to loose tonight! I have gone thnking villa wont win again and looking at other teams reults instead!

    The decent Bristol city striker Abraham on loan from Chelsea is injured 🙂

    Out of the villa game next mid week.

  171. Darren,

    I’ve only come across the name. This is what I’ve stolen from the so-called Villa database:

    http://www.astonvillaplayerdatabase.com/335.html

    Birthdate: 1927-12-04 in Dublin, Ireland (Died: 2003-01-01)

    Position: Defender

    Playing for Villa: November 1949 – May 1951

    Previous clubs: Dublin City Boys, Shamrock Rovers

    Signed: – From Shamrock Rovers

    Sold: – To Shamrock Rovers

    League: 3 matches – 0 goals

    Cup: 1 match – 0 goals

    International: Republic of Ireland A (1949, 0 (1) – 0 goals)

  172. Is it raining again? has the world ended? can it please end 🙁

    At Blackburn, Samba was sporadically used as a striker, which, bizarrely, is also an option for Villa. With Hogan, Agbonlahor, Kozak, Hepburn-Murphy and potentially Kodjia too out injured, Aston Villa might have to rely on Keinan Davis to lead the line alone against Derby this weekend. Samba might just be a step up.

  173. Well I’m mainly keeping shtum, because it horrifyingly starkly simple to me & probably to my fellow masochist brethren.
    There’s a time frame to so called stability, because if we keep losing for too long then movement will happen anyway. So as usual the rest of us suffer constantly being put though a wringer which is fast becoming the new norm.
    The other problem for me is what if we get further stuck in the mediocrity groundhog day we’re all so used to if not enough changes one way or the other.
    So after a short burst of so called reality, then a reaction [bruce out – groucho marx in], then boredom – for so long it seems.
    It’s like Oscar Wilde said, “Whenever people agree with me, I always feel I must be wrong”.
    So yawn… when do we buy the next management lottery ticket?
    It’s all Greek to me!

  174. “Scientists announced today that they have discovered a cure for apathy. However, they claim no one has shown the slightest interest in it.”
    George Carlin
    Well, necessity, as they say, is the mother of all invention. The fright of another relegation has seemingly got all hands on deck. shame it takes near catastrophe for change to happen.
    It’s up to Dr. X as far as Brucey is concerned. At least, Brucey seems resolute. He says he needs wins. That’s it. Simple. If the wins come, he stays, if not, he goes.
    As the Hogan injury highlighted, there needs to be a lot more bonding at Villa. Being in the pressure cooker that is Villa will either speed up the process, or players, who can’t stand the heat, will fall away. I think Villa will gel together into something more palatable. We know what’ll happen if they don’t.

  175. ‘If the wins come, he stays, if not, he goes.’

    Seems to be a game of Russian roulette with Aston Villa, if we don’t win, given our position there’s a risk of relegation, probably don’t have a choice in playing that game but Villa are too big to be played with like this.

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