Today Villa travel to the Pirelli stadium to take on Burton Albion. They used to do some nice calendars, Pirelli, I think.
Anyway, last time at Villa Park, we came away 2-1 winners against the Brewers, who currently sit in 19th place, 13 points behind Villa. On 44 points, they’re definitely looking over their shoulders. Rotherham are going down and Wigan look likely too, as well, meaning Burton are just four points above the drop zone, and on a run of two wins, a draw and two losses in their last five.
The Brewers have actually scored five goals more than us so far, but in conceding 61 versus our 39, their goal differential of -14 says it all.
For Villa, who’ve now won four in a row, leaving us all a bit dizzy, it’s a chance to climb within six points of Sheffield Wednesday and sixth place. The Owls host Newcastle today, so Villa have a decent shot at closing the gap and making the run-in interesting. I’ll also be pulling for Ipswich to take points from Fulham.
Looks like Bacuna is keeping Hourihane on the bench again today, but it’s a decent enough bench with Conor joined by Jack Grealish and Scott Hogan. One wonders when Grealish is ever going to make a claim in training to rejoin the starting XI. But that’s neither here nor there at the moment. If we need to change things up, we can, and Steve Bruce is sticking with a side that keeps winning. Notably absent from the 18 is Andre Green.
So, we’ll see how it goes, but I think it’s fair to say that hopes are relatively high despite the fact Burton will be looking to win.
And even as I belatedly type this, Villa go 1-0 up on three minutes. and Jonathon Kodjia goes to 18 for the season. Game on.
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John Clark
John is co-owner of AVL, and has followed the Villa since the '70s. A journalist by trade, he is, by most accounts, a very nice person. You can follow me on Twitter @JClarkKohoutek. It's an astonishing experience. Or a complete waste of time.Comments 93
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JC,
Codger’s now scored 19 according to my notes.
Even better!
Kodjia off Hogan on we will find out whether they can supply anything for him from our half
reading losing 5-0 to Norwich 🙂
r0bb0,
Read your last post on the previous thread.
Yes, that’s basically what I’m saying … is where we are as a team good enough if we want promotion is a current question, and the answer is probably not. But I’m reading that Bruce is seeing the shortfalls and thus we hope to see them sorted.
We certainly can’t change the past, so (particularly as we’re at least getting points) the future is the real matter for discussion.
mark k
we didnt create anything with codja on ,going for five straight wins yet under cosh most half again
Didn’t sound too serious with Kodjia, fingers crossed. Hope Hogan can do something with his chance.
Just read that Burton hit the post in the last minutes of the half!
Here we go again … my finger nails are all gone! How about yours?
Catching The Play-offs
Let’s not forget, btw, that we’re lacking in the goal diff department and that the Wednesday and Fulham are some way ahead there. Which means (assuming we win today) realistically we’ll still need to catch up 8 points (not 7) as things stand.
I have to say we have by far the favourable run in and results are all over the place, reading getting tonked we really could creep in. But not without Kodjia and Jedi 😉
mark k
its been shown on face book we are penned in for most of match
regardless of what bruce is doing now he has blown it really as his remit was promotion, I think its only the fact we looked out of it after so many losses that we switched to the two year strategy quickly replaced by the keep trying to win rather than develop strategy when we started to win.
oh well 1-1 now we will see what they are made of
JG- same old mate we just don’t retain the ball and the out ball is Kodjia
Mark: “he has blown it really as his remit was promotion”
Oh no he hasn’t (blown it)! He’s get until 2018 – the Doc said so.
JL- really? grown ups world now John he blew the chance to take us straight back up and convincingly. Yes he may or may not get until 2018 but this is about this season and it still is while there is a chance
Bugger 🙁 sorry chaps cannot see where we have progressed, have a nice sunny evening
Mark,
No, I’m sure that Bruce did not find a good enough situation when he arrived to stand any chance of promotion. Too much bad stuff hanging over from before, still. I don’t think we’ve heard the whole story about that.
Anyway, the slight chance for promotion this season has now gone it would it seem.
Deflated effort in second half. Shame someone got in the way of Hutton’s volley.
Well, that was underwhelming, but don’t think we deserved anything else..
got second in the national at least 🙂
JL- I think you are being very generous there considering the sackings of RDM and Tim for less 1 point in 8? and I might add with his players in 5 of those, not much to do with things at Villa for them. He clearly shifted tactics and formation to much until The Kodj and Jedi returned and he went 433 and bingo, down to him I’m afraid and I am allowing for the crap he inherited with that and was winning with.
mark k
we used to have a saying he couldnt kick snow of a rope, of the hour i seen today could say it about most of our team, when the next time a young player [birr] becomes available will he come to a bruce led villa or go somewhere he will play
Mark: “I think you are being very generous there considering the sackings of RDM and Tim”
Not at all (particularly generous).
The Doc has said that they wanted a manager of character and they think they’ve got that in Bruce. Apparently not in RdiM. I’m only dealing with managers brought in during the Doc’s sojourn.
That’s why Bruce has not gone it would seem – cause he’s got a tiger in his tank! And – no – I didn’t mean a Hull City tiger!
Anyway, you of the moaning kind … 😉
In the last 9 matches this is the record: W 7 D 1 L 1.
It’s not bad!
JL- try the last 17 🙂
I will tell you something he is the first teflon manager we have had, If he can get away with saying he’s disappointed in the Jan/feb period he must have something on the doc 🙂 begs the question why he didn’t employ a manager with Character to begin with? whatever next one with a clue? 😉
Mark,
For a team that has turned things around these last 9 matches, this is a bit OTT.
We know the team is not there yet … it’s clear … but all that has to be built up. The manager has only been here 6 months and *is* getting somewhere whether you like it or not! I certainly prefer Bruce’s overall approach to that under RdiM.
Today we drew and had a bit of an off day. That’s always happened in Villa’s history. Nothing at all new there. Next week we start a new game.
sheff wed 2 up v newcastle stays like that we are 11 points from play offs, it was only 10 when spud took over and he spent nearly 30m in jan
john l
we havent seen any last few weeks matches since derby yet all reports from people at games it is horrer show,score and defend for your lives best players mentioned back 4 plus jedi cannot build a side with that kind of mentality ,today what i seen was shocking the villa fans where howling at team to get over half way line against mighty burton not necastle or brighton who are 30 points ahead of us
JL- well you see it your way mate, the team had all ready turned it around hadn’t it prior to Jan? yet here we are sitting back against Burton when 1 up and they were on the ropes, that I am afraid is not very good. Were is the team? well half of it left the field first half. We had an off day doesn’t cut it we are chasing the play offs, it was a cup final or should be, if all we have is repeats of Villas history then I don’t know what to say.Learning to pass to each other for instance? how gullible are we.
Right din dins and out for a beer
James,
I would suggest that as we had several shots more than Burton today – and more on goal – we must have got over the halfway line! 🙂 We also had 50% of play.
I’ve not heard of people saying the play is rubbish. Do you not read Paul Pears, who travels from afar to see matches.
Blogs and forums are inevitably places of emotion and hyperbole and we’re all guilty of quoting ‘facts’ that support our own perspectives, but try these on for size:
Since we were founded in 1884 we have had 31 managers who have overseen 10 or more games.
Over those 132 years, the one with the lowest win percentage of all, with a win percentage of just 8.33% was Robert Di Mateo.
The manager with the highest win percentage over that period is . . . . Steve Bruce.
Yep, it surprised me too.
Now there are loads of caveats of course
Di Mateo had the highest draw percentage of any manager and there were times when we all felt that we were unlucky not to turn those draws into wins.
Steve Bruce has been managing at a time when we are in the second tier rather than division 1 so the bar is set lower for him.
Bearing in mind the dire position that the club was in when Steve Bruce arrived however it would be churlish (at best) to deny that he has done well to deliver the results that he has.
Evening all,
After lurking every now and then, I decided that I would wait until we didn’t win and see what comments appeared …..
And hey presto – JG crawls out too the woodwork to denigrate the team and all who sail in her, plus of course MK is still comparing today with RDM et al – why not compare it with life under Vic Crowe is what I want to know. Makes as much sense.
But it’s good to see that there is some common sense on the site now and the belief that even though we all know that the AV world isn’t all that it should and will be, there is progress in the form of points on the board.
Iana – thanks for your thoughts mate, life is going ok and I am coping with what I have to cope with lol. Hope all is good with you and yours.
JL – I still mean to be in touch so thank can order some of your works if you can deliver to Switzerland?
I will retire to the background again now, take care all and enjoy the usual AVFC rollercoaster ……
Yours, oldvilla
john l
watched an hour of match today on face book from a villan in home end full of villa fans,its was embarrasing watching ex european champions sunk to that level,and from reading here pp was at couple matches and only players he was praising where back 4 plus keeper jedi and codja,why have we ended up in most matches with only 1 attacker on field, yes we have won a few but sky don t show us why ? because you be better watching paint dry, papers give us couple lines, talksport don t give any news on villa games why
JG. I’d be surprised if pp didn’t also praise Adomah as he has done well for us.
Based on what you’ve just said that would mean that he’s praised 8 out of 11 of our starting line up . That doesn’t sound bad to me.
Mind you, it does highlight that apart from Jedi we are still not looking great in midfield. Lansbury and Hourihane have looked good at times but have not yet shown the form we’d hoped from them.
Bruce has talked about trying to bring in a few key players and you’d imagine that a creative midfielder would be high on the wish list.
Seems as if Bruce may have caused the problem with the team by re-introducing Bacuna straightaway, when during his suspension, the team were improving, and the 1-0 scrappings became much more accomplished 2-0 wins.
The writing was on the wall against QPR when we scraped a lucky 1-0 win. I am sure some of the boys rae not so happy with his inclusion, after his stupid behaviour. Hourihane must be livid at being benched in his place. If we do not make more use of him and Bree, we may lose them.
Robbo,
You are right, and I would only have criticised Adomah in his last two outings, and I am also not convinced about playing Amavi, as he does not make the difference that he should do, and his shooting is atrocious, nearly as bad as Gardner’s.
Paul, one of Gardner’s strengths is his shooting which makes it doubly disappointing that he’s not demonstrating it this season. In his last game he looked tentative and somehow he needs to find a way to pick himself up and regain some self belief.
JL- one for you a fan that goes to games
“Thank God that is over, we all had a glimmer of hope, sadly we are stuck in this league with another season to look forward too.
I think, had we gone up, it would have disrupted the building process, there is no way we could survive in the big league with this squad, we may not be playing great football (was at Villa park Tuesday night, biting my nails for 60 mins), however it does feel like we are moving in the right direction, we were in a God awful mess, and hopefully we are looking forward with the changes made, albeit at times it seems the ‘same old same old’.
Must say, starting to feel like we are becoming one dimensional with Kodja, it is starting to feel like the Benteke situation, like some ones got your nuts in a vice and you hope everything turns out alright, sadly it doesn’t, as we know, we must get a plan B or C, as the money we have spent it should be the minimum requirement.
Me thinks stick with Bruce, however, he must look outside the box and earn his money, and start showing he has more savvy than he is tactically showing.”
Old Villa – so mentioning this season is pointless now? even though our venerated owner has just stated we had a wage bill of £93 mil!!!! yes I am sure that was massively easy for the incoming manager, thank god Steve Bruce arrived when most of the hard part had been done eh. By the way you come on and talk about the the bloggers again just saying some things never change.
Paul
Yes, I agree regards Amavi, thought he’d create more chances. He seems to lack an attacking threat. I’d prefer Green. Many of our players are merely better than average journeymen. I think they’ll bounce back, though.
Mark
Definitely need to vary things. Kodijah is only human, and will inevitably break down at times.
Old Villa
Good to hear you’re coping. Sounds like the medicine is helping. It’ll be beautiful in Switzerland this time of year. Do your neighbours yodel? Lol.
Mark: “… it does feel like we are moving in the right direction, we were in a God awful mess, and hopefully we are looking forward with the changes made, albeit at times it seems the ‘same old same old’.”
Sounds about right to me. 😉
Anyway, the important thing is that Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia are top of the Masters’ leaderboard! 🙂
OldVilla,
Very sadly, “my works” are pumped dry! That is, I don’t any longer have spare copies. The Steamers had my last spare copy of The First Superclub.
However … I am planning another production … in time for the club’s 175th anniversary (2019).
Many thanks for your kind interest!
JL- thank you for proving a point by focusing on that part of his comment and non of those dreaded negative bits 😉
Bruce on Kodjia’s injury
“He’s got a dead leg, we don’t think it’s too serious,” he said, as reported by the Express and Star. “He was sore. We certainly missed him.
“He’s made a huge difference to us. When you analyse the awful spell we had it was when he was away.”
Although Villa will be pleased that Kodjia seems set to be back fairly soon, it will probably come as little consolation for the Villans supporters given Saturday’s results in the division.
MK,
Your earlier remarks re being at the game, were exactly right. Villa really came out of the blocks, as they did at Burton, but did try for a whie to get that second goal, which makes things comfortable, but on both occasions we failed, and then try to defend our lead, and look for the odd breakaway, which was working until, as I say the return of Bacuna, and I just wonder if that has changed the dynamics of the team , and coincides with poorer performance of Adomah, who had built up a real partnership and understanding with Kodjia.
MK/Paul,
Well, I reckon that Bruce will make the appropriate adjustments against Reading.
BTW, it was Bacuna’s pass that rather made Codger’s goal against QPR, but though he has a good engine, we do need someone like Green to replace Bacuna or Amavi – perhaps the latter.
<b<Mark: " thank you for proving a point by focusing on that part of his comment and non of those dreaded negative bits"
Well I really can’t take those “bits” seriously. Sorry.
It’s not that I don’t agree that things are still not 100% right at Villa – they aren’t – but the fact is that some degree of improvement has been fashioned. We just have to wait a bit longer to see it getting even better, that’s all!
pp
do you think it is good football to sit back and try odd break away, is it a way to get out of this league, yes it worked for leicster last season but does it in general work get a team promoted
the goal we gave away yesterday was so like so many in last few seasons burton played a nice ball into corner where our winger was standing with hand up looking for offside
bruce said we where tired we played 3 matches in a week ,2 at home and one away at burton who had played away to huddesfield and newcastle in same time, yet he started with 25m of players on bench plus grealish gardner [no place for green who was looking good before injury], have burton even spent 25m in their history
JG,
I perhaps was not clear enough, but my view is always, that attack is the best form of attack.
What a cracking free kick just now from Albrighton for Leicester’s second goal, but disagree with the pundits that it was not meant, as we have all seen Marc does this before at Villa!!!
We could do with Idrissa Gueye back or a Demari Gray….
hello folks. hope you enjoyed the sunshine
disappointed with that from villa. last 2 games we have gone 1 up in 5 mins. an ideal position to control the game, get on the ball and show some confidence and get a few more goals. both times we didn’t do neither.
Bruce has said for 3 weeks the right things re need to keep the ball better but again its not happened.
5 games left. want to stay un beaten, smash the blues and introduce some youngsters.
hardest thing is going t0 be keeping the playings minds off the beach.
seasons over
if bruce had been in charge at the start of the season we would be 3rd according to the stats boffins!
2 tough games in 48 hours, reading and Fulham. good test that.
What a rolller-coaster at Georgia yesterday!
I hope you saw it … if not, then Rose unfortunately has himself to blame for not taking the chance to take a 4-stroke lead in the home run – he had two excellent chances. But Garcia – give him credit – chose to treat the situation as though it was his right to come back and win – and did. A great eagle at the 15th, but it took one hole of sudden death play off for him to finally win a major.
Great theatre. Wonderful play. Riviting to watch.
Can we agree that all opinion is valid on this site regardless of its content. Luckily we are all adult enough on this site to take disagreement but there should be some gentle moderation to remind people to refrain from shooting each other down for their beliefs.
I can’t stand this idea that MK’s or anyone else’s opinion is no less valid just because they disagree with the concensus opinion that winning is better than losing, why not provide analysis of the current based on events of the past (recent or otherwise).
The other idea I have no truck with is that the past is the past and it can’t be changed and therefore irrelevant seems to only serve one purpose and that is to propagate an idea that the only valid analysis is that which includes games that Bruce’s team has won.
If we are to truly understand where we are now we need to look at where we have been, I’d accept that its unfair to analyse Dr.T’s reign by mentioning anything that happened under Lerner but at a football level it’s perfectly valid to look at what RdiM did or didn’t do in comparison with what Bruce is or isn’t doing.
For me, Bruce has being saying the right things in terms of acknowledging how poor we are in retention and use of the ball but very little seems to have been done about it or at least very little has moved from the training pitch to match day.
Isn’t winning great, in isolation it’s feckin brilliant but this is Villa in the second division, it may have the positive mental effect we need in our push for promotion next season and isn’t it better than being constantly beaten, what seems to be forgotten is that we were being beaten in the top division by established teams with prem budgets when we had an owner who didn’t give a shit, fast forward and we have an owner who gives a shit but we manage to draw against Burton (I can list the teams we’ve beaten if it makes you feel good, still none of which are prem level).
So, I’m not excited by this season, it’s an aberration on Villa’s history to be in this league and an indictment on the Lerner years, there are currently no positives under Bruce unless he gets us promoted given the CURRENT evidence that we concede possession, we are profligate in front of goal and unable to control games against second division sides.
As this is a work-in-progress, I’ll give Bruce the benefit of the doubt but if we continue in the same vein next season and that is winning games but not being in control of them, all the work done in getting us promoted will be undone by even the most average of prem teams who will have bigger budgets and have already produced settled sides. If most of our players aren’t of prem standard and many have not been tested at that level so it’s unfair to denigrate them now, will it be in order to buy a new first 11 in the very season we are trying to retain prem status. I fear for the next few seasons if Bruce’s words remain just that.
I’m jumping the gun thinking about the 2018/19 season but these games are prep and now part of our pre-season to work on tactics, what we are good at and what we are bad at as well as assessing fringe players.
As for the Burton game, we didn’t make it hard enough for a team fighting relegation so let’s hope the players aren’t already on holiday. We need a manager with character to ensure they play at a high level in the remaining games and not go off the boil.
andrew
derby where below us when bruce took over, on 2nd manager and are above us without spending 30m on new players,on the 30 games bruce has had we are 10th in form table
why did bruce bring bacuna straight back into team?, 4 years here where is his best position other than on the bench
dor
how many of our players do you think are capable of playing in pl ,me very few
Not worried about going up at all. Keith has said loads of times we will build 3 teams. 1 that can get out the champ. another team that can stay in the prem then a team that kicks on.
factor in apart from the top 7 most of the teams are crepe.
its just getting out this league that’s the bugger! we defo should be more in control of games with the players we have, think it will get better but results are king in this league.
Hi Andrew
Do you think it’s appropriate to build a brand new team at the point of promotion, surely all the talk of stability we’ve been fed would lead most people to believe that upheaval is the last thing needed, especially when you consider we’ll be playing better opposition who’ve had a further year of prem money.
I know a lot on here are not impressed beyond the top 7 of the prem but for a promoted side facing a traditional mid-table side will prove very difficult if we are also bedding down a new team.
JG
In terms of capable as in walking straight in then actually most could/would probably find themselves at a level towards the bottom of the prem. I don’t see any being part of the phase 3 team Andrew refers to and most would be gone or bit parts in any phase 2 Aston Villa. Would any work out in the top 7 sides, Kodija possibly if the analogy the goal doesn’t move applies but less so given the standard of defending should be higher in the prem so would make it more difficult for him to carry out his current one man band approach.
Darren: “The other idea I have no truck with is that the past is the past and it can’t be changed and therefore irrelevant seems to only serve one purpose and that is to propagate an idea that the only valid analysis is that which includes games that Bruce’s team has won.”
Whoa!!!!!!!! That’s not my idea at all!
The point of my comment was that Bruce has – since January – got a new side together and that it clearly has made progress. Why, therefore, keep on analysing what happened before that is meaningless – to me at least – since the whole ball-park has changed since then.
That being the case, it seems rational to me to state that looking at the times before the squad changed are mostly irrelevant , especially as we’ve gained so many points since then.
As I keep saying, there’s a long way to go (no way do I think we have the matter compleetely sorted), but harping back to the past when the scenario has moved on is a bit like blaming Cameron for everything that May is doing.
Positivity creates positivity. Let’s talk positively, that’s what I seek. If you don’t, then so be it.
Darren: “Can we agree that all opinion is valid on this site regardless of its content. “
In my view it’s valid insomuch as people state what comes into their minds, regardless of how it is arrived at, and what they state is what they feel. Which is 100% valid. Whether the content is valid is another thing and thus why discussion develops.
But what if it’s a false positive, created only by wishful thinking, why not deal with the reality, why not give context to Bruce’s situation by referencing the recent past.
Why talk positively if there are negatives to be discussed like our performance in the Burton game.
I get what you are trying in terms of mindset but it doesn’t generate debate, it doesn’t allow for diversity of opinion and it doesn’t support the definition of a forum.
It would be writing a lead for AVL and not one person commenting on it bar maybe a few ‘I agree’ type comments, making AVL pointless.
JL- Isn’t it a bit arrogant to assume your view is the correct one? or the only one worth hearing? and also to assume no real thought has gone into it 😉
Darren,
Positivity is what drives the universe, Darren! What’s the point of trying to go against that particular flow – it’s bigger than us! 🙂
Discussion about the rights or wrongs of the Burton game are perfectively valid – although it’s now the past, it’s in the immediate past. Other matters in the past would be valid too if they were still related to today’s scenario. In my opinion, things have moved on since January.
Discussion about the situation as it may be at Villa is *exactly* what AVL is about, but I feel that to go on about things that have now past their expiry date is a bit pointless when we have moved on!
Actually I don’t think you do “get what [I] am trying in terms of mindset”. If I were doing what you suggest of course it wouldn’t allow for debate. I am simply suggesting that there are times on AVL where the same thing is being said over and over again (or we’re harping back to previously existing scenarios), and it constantly comes across as just different ways of saying “we don’t like Bruce”.
OK, so if some have an antipathy to Bruce, then that’s their right, but just as you suggest that maybe I’m trying to stifle debate, the other side of the coin certainly stifles debate as they cannot seem to see the positives he has created. But I do agree – whether he can fulfill any of the club’s remaining objectives is perhaps a valid question, and analysing what we see in each game – team selection wise and the play itself – probably helps in determining a view on that.
For me, the bottom line is that the current regime came into a club that had been massively run down, and to be where we are now (structurally and player-wise) in so short a period of time is something of a miraculous (but partial) recovery.
We have a way to go – that’s for sure.
Mark,
You often do not ‘see’ the essence of what I argue!
I am NOT saying my argument is valid … I’m talking about principles of dialectics. 😉
john l
you use transfer window as backing for bruce setting up his side. 6 permanent signings ,1 loan and 1 young lad,yet only 2 of permanent starting [birr injured] and to be honest none of them stand out so when bruce says its only 2/3 for summer is it another 7/8 to get 2/3 out of[bruce normal windows]
we won matches when promotion was gone no pressure,yet on saturday media was saying we still had chance we buckled against burton, yes in any game anything can happen ,but when smash and grab is style it usually runs out quicker
the goal we conceded was like so many before hutton awol so why buy bree and not play him get him bedded in, no bruce hands out another years contract to hutton
jl- well my friends there is a theory that all things are happening at once and time does not exist 🙂
James,
Yep … you’re not wrong. But the difference between now and before is that we’ve not been losing matches, and though Villa’s performance at Burton was clearly not as good as we would wish, we have still only conceded 2 in 9 games.
Let’s see after this week-end if there really are holes in the Villa team, or whether Burton was just a one-off poor turnout.
Mark,
Well, the ‘theory’ you state is supported in part at least in ancient scripture.
john l
it would have nice through the winning run that we could have smashed a team like norwich at weekend, 1/2 goal wins v qpr wigan norwich are results that don t really say yes we are going somewhere, too much like december scraping wins and we know how that ended,i can t stand that we are not on telly or no streams and after all matches sky showed i can t blame them for not showing us now
Jl so its all happening now and valid unless we are in different realities 🙂
I suggest whats really the problem is the flat refusal to entertain the possibility and discuss it therefore it remains unanswered to any satisfactory degree other than being told its not important and you should be happy/positive 😉
On JG’s point of the jan window, it truly was a mess when the team where in with a shout, I keep hearing Bruce would of done this and that in the summer but it truly was a very one off kind of situation that even he had not faced as a manager, few have. If we are to take his jan window as an indicator it would say we could possibly have been worse in august. Imagine a declaration that gabby, guzan, lescott etc were all in with a shout after last seasons behaviour?
I guess what baffles me is the idea its going to be all right when there are definite traits to our wins and defeats that say its not.
JL- and as that scripture is potentially from the past does it count? 😉
James: “1/2 goal wins v qpr wigan norwich are results that don t really say yes we are going somewhere”
Yes, but if they hadn’t happened then we’d never have heard the last of it from Mark – and you! 🙂
Seriously, the whole point – as I see it – in the recent run is of getting the team to be better defensively and through one trick or another (er, Codger!) to obtain wins to get used to the idea of winning. Winning does develop better understanding between the players, but only by seeing what transpires in these last few games will we gauge an impression of how much we have progressed – or not, as the case may be. It’s also a time when Bruce will get confirmation of what positions still need filling, I imagine.
Mark: “I suggest whats really the problem is the flat refusal to entertain the possibility and discuss”
Well, if that’s your view then so be it. But as I’ve stated several times for me I don’t see anything to discuss. of what happened before February in relation to where we are now – except that Bruce took some action and we seem to be getting somewhere as a result.
If we had not done as well – points wise – over these last 9 games then I’d have no argument, but the fact is that defensively at least we are much better (not just thru the Jedi, though I agree his contribution is v. significant), and we have collected quite a few points.
If it all goes into reverse then maybe that would be the time for comparison to identify similarities with pre-February. But you can’t start that argument just because of one match.
As I said, after this week-end may be a better time to assess the reality of where Villa are at, taking into account the opponents in those 2 matches.
john l
we cant see it [ the wins] we are not on the box, or not in a position to go to see live
the latest transfer news is bruce wants george boyd heaven forbid
JL- But surely the point I have been making about RDM’s time with what is now deemed a poorer team by some has merit? 3 defeats with a team barely together 11 matches and supposedly with no idea of defending. Definitely more adventurous going forward and with good overall stats but with a bad habit of conceding late. Bruce is given the Gelling time and eventually we begin to win but initially? why do we have to sacrifice so much time and effort to defending? is it because Bruce has never been great at attacking play and prefers to do exactly what we are seeing ? is this it until Promotion or failure? I kind of think it is.
john l
so my point isnt to some liking but i dont like reading everything is great when its blatantly obviously far from it, that we have good players when we are mid table in championship after spending over 80m [never done before and failed so bad either] but come on naming bloggers who annoy me, it is free speech we have
JL yes they are tougher games no Doubt, as for better defending? we have yet to win without Jedinak under Bruce, not one, the draw against PNE is it where we conceded two late goals, so until such time as we manage to win or get a clean sheet without him I cannot see how we have improved in that department for sure other than Taylor stays at home more.
James,
The Fulham match is being televised.
JL- yep sky sports 1 2.30 on Monday.
Mark,
I would have said that a lot of modern teams that have won anything have been based on a good defence, and I’m sure you’re right, that Bruce’s own tendencies must relate to his old job as a c-b. That’s the play he understands, and I would suspect that could be his undoing. In fact his number 2 was also a c-b!
But to get a team back on the rails you have to start somewhere and I’d suggest that the defence is the priority.
But added to the defensive side of his qualifications, Bruce appears to have a better ability to get fight out of his players. Again, a basic need.
john l
our last 5 matches are now meanless, unless we play bree right back, green out wide try davies and any rest kids that are fit,
JL- Totally agree a defence is the first step, I have to say though John that with two welsh internationals a Scottish international and all in the age range of 24-31 how they cannot know the fundamentals I don’t know. Kodjia for instance needs no lessons in shooting, I watched the Highlights and the amount of hoofing in those was shocking with attacks consisting of a big hoof forward or Adoama / hutton or amavi running the length of the pitch on the counter just shows how poor our basic game is, Hogan might as well sat on the bench.
Very good bit from carragher in the mail talking about defences. Dispairs no one sees the art of a clean sheet or being pragmatic.
Re style. Not fusses if its a counter, chelsea play that but its basic passing and moving, being better on the ball we must see.
No excuse with hourihan, grwalish, jedi, lansbury in centre mid.
U23s tonight.
Strong side out.
James
I like boyd!!
Mark,
If it’s any consolation, I’ve just heard from an old buddy who was once a footie coach. He’s a Villa man, and says…
“Regaining PL status will be very difficult, made more so by the extra tv money sloshing about the upper reaches. Even the journeymen we have recently signed are ridiculously overpriced. They will be sold at a loss, if anyone would take them at the wages we pay. I was King Opti but no longer. I fear it will get worse before it gets better. ”
Ah, well, I seem to be losing opti friends by the looks of it… 🙁
JL- thats why I’ve kept my tin hat on mate, One way of getting more from less is good coaching and if we are not seeing much change in 30 odd games then? All this bravado about building three teams well we are into our second already. You really have to have someone of quality to do it well, shame Wagner would not come, he has a great eye for a player and a workable plan, would of been a good fit a mad German and a mad chinaman 😉
Listened to a podcast today and they mentioned using Virtual reality programs to improve quarter backs ability to see runs from players, a good QB needs to keep an eye on 22 players and the refereeing staff simultaneously, our lot struggle to see each other 🙂
watching Palace what a front two Benteke and Kodjia would make
john l
reality starting to kick in for most fans,same style tacticsnot going to promote us next season,as for journey men footballers jedi lansby both on 40 thousand a week madness, same as paying 8m and 70 thousand a week for lansby and houirane for basically one spot, same with right back position 4 players for 1 place, our wage bill is going to be massive
JG – you have to think it was done to get us to the play offs this season imo
Darren
Good posts. Yes, both the positives and negatives need discussion.
Villa isn’t losing at the moment. However the nature of the football doesn’t bode well for the future. Some expensive flops have been bought. Hogan still needs to come through and prove he can score consistently at Villa. The main problem we have is lack of goals.
That said both negative and positive views are usually valid.
JL/Mark
Good comments.
Post-match thoughts are up.