Aston Villa slumped to a 1-3 defeat at home against Reading on Saturday, and it didn’t make for great listening—I was left a bit despondent. However, after watching the highlights, there was a little bit more to be taken from the game than I might’ve thought.

In the succeeding fixture, Villa slumped to a 3-1 defeat to Fulham at Craven Cottage. It didn’t make for great listening, either. And of course, since this was the first televised game in a while, I was at work. But I’m not going to wait for the highlights to grace everyone with my wisdom.

The Good
As poor as it sounded on the radio, Villa actually did have chances to get back into the Reading game, and on a better day, would likely have converted one or two of those. The penalty shout…Villa were perhaps a little hard done by on that one, but those are always going to be 50-50 calls. At the other end, from the only vantage available, the penalty Bacuna conceded seemed a bit soft. Not saying you won’t see that called more often than not, but the player went down a bit too easily, I thought. It was academic at that point, regardless.

Main point being that while it sounded bad, it didn’t look as bad. And Reading themselves shipped 7 the week before, so it goes to show it’s a funny old game.

Fulham away? Well, that one went pear-shaped as soon as Jonathan Kodjia got himself sent off. The good? Once again Villa fell behind and found an equalizer, this time from a trademark Grealish cracker that we don’t see nearly enough of. I’m starting to wonder if it’s the only shot in his locker.

The Bad
Reading: Conceding so quickly after the start of the second half. You obviously have to be switched on the moment the ball’s put in play. I won’t really belabor this one since Villa did have decent opportunities afterward, but it was a silly way to fritter away a potential result.

Fulham: Kodjia getting himself sent off. Now, I understand Bruce’s take, and I know most of us will be sympathetic. But obviously, however it came about, it changed Villa’s 3-5-2 into a 4-4-1, and took our most dangerous player off the pitch. Whether he returns again before the end of the season will depend on an appeal.

Regarding the 3-5-2, I understand Bruce wants to play a 4-4-2, and get Kodjia and Hogan on the pitch at the same time. But this wasn’t a straight 4-4-2, rather a narrow 3-5-2. And with Gardner, Grealish, Bree, and Elphick all making now-rare starts, it seems to have been a strange time to alter the formation. Adomah made way for Hogan, taking away any real width, and asking Amavi and Bree to fly forward without any real cover on the flanks…Sort of seems a recipe for disaster. And indeed, Fulham bossed the wide areas the entire game.

The Ugly
Reading: Really, it was Amavi’s performance. The kid just isn’t defending well at Championship level, which is disconcerting. Obviously Neil Taylor is now first choice, and deservedly so. Perhaps you could chalk it up to rust. Bad day at the office. And it wasn’t like there weren’t players around who could’ve done just that little bit more to bail him out.

Bacuna’s slip at midfield was also rather embarrassing. Again, these things happen, but whenever they happen to Villa, we seem to get punished.

Fulham: For me, it was too much change all at once and what it exposed. Five changes from the previous game, which, given the 48-hour turnaround, you might think makes some sense. But none of the five covered themselves in glory, excepting Grealish, for a moment. Bree, in particular, had a torrid time of it. You’d like to think with such a supposedly deep bench, Villa could make changes and be a bit more credible.

One could also point the finger at the change in formation, and a degree of tactical, dare I say, cluelessness?

Obviously, we’re at the “it doesn’t really matter” stage of the season. Bruce can afford to experiment. Nothing’s riding on the result. But it raises two questions: 1) Why did Bruce feel the need to change formation with so many new faces, and 2) Why did the new faces fail to stake any claim?

Perhaps the questions answer each other, or…well, you know what I mean.

Final Verdict
This is hardly the way Villa want to be closing out the season. I’m a firm believer that you learn more from losing than winning, and perhaps a bit paradoxically especially when you’re trying to learn how to win and win well. But obviously it isn’t exactly like Villa are announcing themselves as front-runners for the next edition of “Villa In The Wilderness.”

Gardner? Apparently expendable, which none of us wanted to be the case. Grealish? Still a luxury, which none of us wanted to be the case. Bree? You can’t really draw any conclusions because he’s played so little. Elphick? Don’t think he’s really going to offer us much going forward. Dunno what he’s on wage-wise, but in his case it seems that perhaps character outweighed any other consideration. Hogan? Probably a bit like McCormack in that we’re not really setting up right for him to succeed. Unlike McCormack in that I do believe he could clear the garden wall. And probably more. And although Adomah is an actual winger, we still need at one more on the other side of the pitch. Frem, are you out there?

In short, as Steve Bruce has said, there’s a lot of work to be done. Is he up to it? Time will tell. I’m not exactly encouraged by the lack of progress since the January window. To borrow the analogy we’ve used a lot in the last few years, it still seems like someone’s in the garage with all sorts of parts and no real idea how they’re supposed to fit together.

But we’ve gotten results, which is a far cry from what we saw last year, and that’s to be celebrated. Villa have not been a constant source of despair. We’ve snapped some really woeful streaks, and the home fans have been able to see some wins and go away happy enough. Perhaps that’s really all we could ask for this year because last year was about as bad as it gets. We had to start from scratch.

And I do think that Dr. Tony will persevere…God knows he’s a breath of fresh air after Randy and his perpetually devolving clown show. One really does think that the overall revamp off the pitch should produce results, if for no other reason than Xia will demand them. We just have to trust he has that innate sense of when to be patient, and when it’s time to wield the axe. (Cue the RDM vs. SB debate.)

Overall, though, the immediate question remains: Are we seeing progress on the pitch?

It really would be nice to say yes, unequivocally, we’re on the up. And perhaps we are, little by little. But, at the risk of repeating myself, we’ve yet to see anything convincing. Two 3-1 losses after seven wins in nine will only underscore that.

But whether it’s convincing, we’ll take a win over the clowns any day in the only derby that really matters. And a convincing victory? That would do nicely, however many cracks it might be papering over.
So, over to you, and be nice. Which only means disagreeing agreeably. It’s the AVL way. It wouldn’t be worth talking if we all agreed the sky is blue, the grass is green, and two consecutive Champions League crowns are really all that impressive. I mean, how on earth are we going to keep it going? The end is nigh I tell you.

Share On:
Facebook
Google +
This entry was published on / John Clark. Posted in Aston Villa Blog, Clark's Call, Match Review, Match Reviews. Bookmark the permalink.

The Author

Profile Photo
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 67

  1. Trinity

    Top of the morning to you, JC. Must say, with initials like yours, you should be able to arrange a miraculous Champions League crown for Villa.

    Many Villans, especially Brummies see the Blues’ match as all that matters. Maybe that’s giving Blues too much respect, but I’m not a Brummie, so I better button my lips. Lucky Steamer’s not around to berate me for my ignorance, lack of education and colonial cockiness. Obviously, it’s the big Brum derby. However, JC, while I was reading your erudite leader, it dawned on me that small heath might be behind Villa’s and Steve Bruce’s failure to gain promotion this year. It’s possible they did a kind of reverse Joe 90 on the guy and he doesn’t even know it. The same thing happened a few years back with Big Eck. Steve Bruce is a plant. I don’t mean a spud, either. It’s something way more insidious.
    If one good thing has come of this season, it’s obvious many deficiencies need to be fixed. Those deficiencies are there to see. I’m pretty sure, Bruce’s position is safe for a while, but Dr. X will look to sack him before the damage is irreparable. That was Xia’s dilemma in sacking DiMatteo. Did that sacking pay off? It’s not clear. We weren’t promoted, but promotion was always a two year project, wasn’t it?

  3. John Lerwill

    JC: “Overall, though, the immediate question remains: Are we seeing progress on the pitch?
    It really would be nice to say yes, unequivocally, we’re on the up. And perhaps we are, little by little. But, at the risk of repeating myself, we’ve yet to see anything convincing.”

    As I’ve said to Mark, I honestly don’t see how we can be looking too much for progress (in terms of quality of play) because of the state of the club as it was left only 12 months ago.

    It was an absolute mess then, and as there are still players around from that era I would say we’ve got a way to go yet. When I look at Grealish I think of how a talent has been mismanaged, and that I hope we see no more of that. But at least the likes of Hutton (yes, and even Gabby) look as though they want to play for the club now, whereas before they seemed to be just playing out their time.

    The best thing we can say i.m.o. is that we’ve stabilised – in a funny kind of fashion. I suppose what I mean by that is that the club is stopped falling. And I think that is some kind of progress and possibly the only one to expect for this season.

    Next season we should expect to see a lot more “progress”. If it doesn’t happen, well…

  5. Mark King

    Thanks JC as per mate in line with my thoughts and so I don’t mind taking the flak for you mate all for one and one for all, keep the money coming 😉

    I remember yesterday looking at the scores on my phone at moms and seeing us 1-0 down and Rotherham 1-0 up at reading, Our score I let bypass me as I was kind of expecting it, but the Rotherham one I thought good on you because they although out gunned are always brave in their play. They stayed 1-0 until the 66th min then succumbed, they are rock bottom and have been all season but still they battle on every week. I mention them because last season they looked doomed and got in Neal Warnock in feb and went 11 unbeaten to end on 49 points 9 above the bottom 3. Now that is a pretty impressive turnaround done very quickly, this season? no Neal Warnock he’s saving Cardiff this year on the same points as us after a much worse start and a £3m spent in jan, again an instant progression.

    Wagner at Huddersfield, some 15+ players in and 16+ out, stam at reading some 17+ players in and 21+ out . Gary monk Leeds some 16+ players in 16+ out. don’t know about you but the to many players and turmoil excuse is wearing thin, teams can and have been brought together swiftly and look pretty accomplished and established enough to me.

    On to the match, I watched the full game yesterday eventually, first thoughts were why 352? then I thought it lets him get Kodjia and Hogan on the pitch (to not play together ) and adds an extra defender . why he played the players he did in that formation is another thing, what did he find out? GG is an ok player, Elphicks nothing special? Bree is rusty and not used to 352, Grealish feels dejected hunting the ball down when he should be fed in dangerous areas? The main take for me is he doesn’t feel we have 11 players that can execute 442 his favoured formation.

    We did have a spell just after 1/2 time when we dominated the play and scored but as the Fulham manager said he made a couple of subs to sort that and that was that.

  6. DarrenO

    Hi JC

    But we’ve gotten results, which is a far cry from what we saw last year, and that’s to be celebrated.

    Wish I could do the bold text like JL so you’d know it was your quote 🙂 . Why celebrate? What I mean is we are playing teams of a lesser standard, surely there would/should be some expectation that we would/should be winning these games anyway.

    We may have been in turmoil, we have had the baggage of relegation but we’ve spent a fine amount of money this season so surely we’ve bought well enough to beat the Wigan’s of this world. It’s not like we are facing the best in the world or else they’d be in the top divisions of Europe, unless it’s a muted celebration, a single woo-hoo.

    Hi JL

    Why not expect progress under a new manager via the implementation of a work ethic, a formation and a style of football. I’d suggest that work ethic has improved mainly due to those players who didn’t give a shite about Villa last year being removed or nowhere near the first team and the new lot bringing in their work ethic from their previous clubs plus Bruce’s own influence.

    As for formation, it’s been either too experimental, enforced changes due to injuries but definitely inconsistent and nowhere near the professed intention of 4-4-2.

    As for style of play, cautious is the kind word, heavily reliant on the Kodija out-ball and resorting too much to defending due to lack of possession and control and the enforced approach that returning to the prem has to be an immediacy so fear of losing is greater than the desire to win.

    As for the game, Kodija was a fool to raise his foot but never a red card and unequal punishment given Fredericks got away with lashing out. Equally bad was Gardner’s yellow, ref was poor in those key decisions. Great goal by Grealish but he needs to mature still, as a player either by his own inconsistency or mis-mgmt he has yet to fulfil his potential and may end up with that as his epitaph.

    Gardner sorry better off going down the division and play for another club, has never made the grade but undoubtedly deserves a career in football.

    The experimentation and the red card put pay to any concern I have about the result. Bruce would do well to have RHM and Green on the pitch for the derby, his hand is forced in terms of RHM after Kodija’s red, again the result is only relevant in terms of bragging rights or helping small heath towards Div 3 but the more Bruce experiments the less concerned I am about the result.

  8. John Lerwill

    Darren,

    All you have to do is put in front of the text you want to highlight, and after that text. 🙂

    Italics is and .

    As to your comment: “Why not expect progress under a new manager via the implementation of a work ethic”

    I agree there is a tendency to think we should be showing something for all the money that’s been expended. But I honestly believe that the heart of the club had been extracted from the club in Lerner’s last 5 years, and there has been a hangover because of that – new players or not.

    That’s what I believe, but whether I’m right or wrong, next season is surely *the* expectation time. There shouldn’t be any excuses left.;

  10. Mark King

    DOR- The rebuilds I mentioned in my post all achieved for £7.5 mil or less, all of these clubs have massive debt problems with less clout than us, time to stop thinking poor us and join the real world where Teams play football to win whenever they can, sitting back is a tactic you can use if a team overwhelms you but not as your starting point. Could be he doesn’t want us to play that that in which case WTF?

  11. Trinity

    “That’s what I believe, but whether I’m right or wrong, next season is surely *the* expectation time. There shouldn’t be any excuses left.;”
    Too right, JL. Steve Bruce will succeed or fail on the ability of the team to win games, and promotion. To win games consistently, the team needs to be a lot better than it is. Bruce will be sacked soon enough if the required wins aren’t forth coming. There will be no acceptable excuses left. Bruce will be getting it from all directions.. The managerial role at Villa next season will be the divisional hotseat.

  12. DarrenO

    Hi Mark

    Completely agree and that was my veiled point, that we should throw off the shackles and if we have attacking forwards then give them the right to attack, sit Jedinak in front of a back four and allow Hourihane and Lansbury support the striker when in possession.

    Hi JL

    Agree the heart was ripped out of the club but that is an ethereal heart, kicking a ball by 11 players isn’t wholly subject to it’s loss especially when most weren’t around to see the turmoil created by Lerner and Fox.

    In terms of next season, do you think a few additions, a few departures and a handful of friendlies will be sufficient to see us become a force in this league, given that the evidence so far suggests there is much to do, much being talked about what to do but no evidence on the pitch. We can’t keep talking about the 7 wins in isolation as evidence of improvement given who the opposition were and given how much money we’ve spent on players this season.

  13. John Lerwill

    Darren: “Agree the heart was ripped out of the club but that is an ethereal heart, kicking a ball by 11 players isn’t wholly subject to it’s loss especially when most weren’t around to see the turmoil created by Lerner and Fox.”

    Darren, there are a whole host of factors at play that affect how the team performs and which don’t disappear overnight. The effect of last year was that it left a marked affect on the players which didn’t (i.m.o.) diminish under RdiM and has only showed signs of disappearing under Bruce. But in the attitude of players like Grealish … and Bacuna … there seems to be a non-urgency and lack of care about their play which I can’t put down to anything but the previous administration and their time under that.

    I could talk a lot more on this, and my p.o.v. does need a lot more explaining, but I have to go out now. Sorry!

  14. DarrenO

    The blog will be hear when you get back, the two players you mention are only bit players this season and are two of those carried over from previous seasons, so absolutely subject to the issues of continuous degradation of the playing staff and the effects of relegation.

    Again, however fair or unfair, shouldn’t Bruce be seeing this on the training pitch and stamping it out, or if not does it explain their lack of game time and therefore high on the list of leavers esp Bacuna, Grealish will be given the benefit of the doubt while he continues to give us brief glimpses of what he is capable of.

  16. Mark King

    To provide a bit of contrast between managers, ours and fulhams, here’s their after match comments.

    “Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic revealed he took Scott Malone off and brought on Neeskens Kebano because he feared 10-man Aston Villa were beginning to “dominate” the ball.

    Despite being 1-0 down and a man short after Jonathan Kodjia’s sending-off, Villa began the second half well and equalised through Jack Grealish’s superb curling strike.

    After another spell of possession, Jokanovic brought on Kebano to play on the wing and pushed first goalscorer Ryan Sessegnon to left-back – and the change worked as Villa were overwhelmed by the extra attacker, with Sone Aluko restoring the lead.

    Kebano himself sealed the victory late on and the Whites boss was pleased to see the change have the desired effect.

    Jokanovic said: “We gave them 50 seconds possession of the ball, we didn’t press them enough and they equalised.

    “They controlled and dominated us around the time they scored the goal.

    “I decided to put on one more aggressive player and don’t give them so many chances to move us around.

    “At the end we found some benefits from this change. I didn’t change Scott Malone because he didn’t play a good game – I needed to make this decision for the benefit of my team.”

    STEVE BRUCE

    On Jack Grealish’s goal and return…

    “It was a great goal from Jack.

    We all know the ability he has and he has reminded us of it again. I was very pleased for him.

    It was just a pity we couldn’t wait and go on another 10 or 15 minutes because then, if we’d lasted a bit longer, they might have got a bit edgy. ”

    On Mile Jedinak’s display..

    “Mile Jedinak is a colossus. He’s some man.

    He keeps himself in great shape and he was right to play the two games in 48 hours.

    He was terrific and I was very, very pleased with him.”

    On Rushian Hepburn-Murphy’s introduction…

    It’s an ideal time to have a look at him.

    Obviously Jon could get a ban so Rushian could feature.

    We now have a big game to look forward to next week – and it’s all to play for.

    I think that these statements show how differently they see things tactically and lets be honest if the old man Jedinak can keep himself in great shape what about the rest? why the hell can’t these younger men play twice? beggars belief really. Its all to play for?

  17. DarrenO

    Don’t leave me alone with MK, he just goes on about RdiM and the past all the time 🙂 tongue firmly in cheek as evidenced by the smiley face.

    Hi lana

    ‘Bruce will be sacked soon enough if the required wins aren’t forth coming.’

    Isn’t that what we need to avoid, i’m no advocate of Bruce but it just means we’ll be repeating the same mangerial merry-go-round of the Lerner years and the first year of the Xia years. We should be a lot more clever and patient in our managerial appointment that should Bruce fail then given his replacement two years to succeed. Should that scenario occur, then we can’t do the same as this and expect someone to turn a season around having missed 3/4 months, using players that may not fit his system and expect promotion.

    It’s been my point all along that the impatience to get promoted is our undoing, we had a chance to build from this season and all we may be left with is the continuous lurching from one manager to the next in the hope we find the right formula.

  18. Mark King

    Heres a point worth considering, was Bruce the ideal candidate for the playing staff RDM had brought in and kept considering the emphasis was on attacking play which may or may not have changed over time or another Transfer window. Did we swing 180 degrees to a cautious manager where someone more middle ground would of cause less upheaval and provided a little continuity of play while tightening us up?

    Both these managers were unemployed when we took them on? was that coincidence or necessary prudence?

  21. DarrenO

    But we have a manager with character so all these futile attempts to suggest managers that believe playing good football will get you the required results as opposed to be being fearful of defeat will get you nowhere.

    The idea that you can bring in loads of players in a team that has avoided relegation to div 3 for two years and now have them challenging for a play off spot is immaterial, what you need to do is tighten up at the back from the 12 league goals conceded in 11 games under RdiM and keep tightening until you forget you’re meant to try and keep the ball and use it better than your opponents.

  22. Paul Pears

    Catch up time again ,with two more games played, and a new belief about to threaten us from the Alliance…..No doubt the players and fans having culminating in Zola walking out and ‘Arry being appointed, will be really up for it now, especially with the threat of relegation, may even now be on Sky, as a last minute introduction..!!

    Reading game, we were all impressed with the fight in the first half and llooked like we could make a game of it in the second half, but I suddenly sensed that Reading, having scored early in the first half ( a new Villa tactic in a couple of recent games), were out to do the same in the second half, when they put their own cones out a couple of minutes before the start, doing high intensity training to really fire themselves up, and of course, as we know Villa take the kick off, dont keep the ball, and boot it up the field, Reading say thank you, and immediately score from it.

    Do Bruce or Calderwood, never take note of what the opposition are doing???

    We werethen once again chasing the game, and Amavi, who should have never lasted beyond the first half, should have been replaced, stayed longer than he should, and the rest is history.

    Fulham yesterday, once again, we do not seem to get the rub of the green, withj refs, because if Kodjia was walking, then certainly Frederiks should have done.

    Once again tactics failed us, as this time, with Elphick in the mix, Baker at left back, didn’t work, and he ended up on the wrong side twice, and to me, Gardner should have been gone at half time, nice enough lad, but no contribution. If Bruce was going to bring RHM on and go for it, why did he not bring him on to play up front with Hogan, as soon as Kodjia went, and take Gardner off, keeping pressure on Reading.

  23. DarrenO

    Great to read your impressions of the games PP, certainly felt the same watching the Fulham game as i joined it 15 minutes in and seen Amavi pointing to Baker to cover left full position as he was in centreback mode, I didn’t realise having been on the road that Baker was left full and screamed at the TV for Amavi to do his job tracking the run and stop pointing.

  24. John Lerwill

    Darren: “The blog will be hear when you get back, the two players you mention are only bit players this season “

    Precisely! You’re to some extent making my point for me! 😉

    I get a sense that we’re thinking that we can only determine what’s happening from what we see or read about as fans. Well, I have eyes and ears inside the ground and have had for some years (including my own experience), so I to some extent listen to what I am told.

    On this overall topic, I’ve decided to write an article to appear Thursday morning.

  25. John Lerwill

    Darren,

    ‘Bruce will be sacked soon enough if the required wins aren’t forth coming.’

    Isn’t that what we need to avoid, i’m no advocate of Bruce but it just means we’ll be repeating the same mangerial merry-go-round of the Lerner years and the first year of the Xia years. We should be a lot more clever and patient in our managerial appointment that should Bruce fail then given his replacement two years to succeed. …

    Absolutely. But that’s all part and parcel of the situation created by Lerner’s sale and lack of experience on the part of the Doc, has brought us to.

    But whatever we say, Bruce is here and fixed – until and if things go awry seriously enough, then he will have to go according to normal football reasoning. When has it been different?

  26. James Gill

    back on telly, you would never known we had won 7 matches out of 8
    why when bruce was a really good defender is our defence so poor players marking space, not opposing players, space has yet to score,bree left with 2 for first goal chester ball watching, amavi baker pointing you do it no you do it, grealish standing like a policeman on traffic duty, 3rd goal fulham player ran 30/40 yards without a tackle

  27. Paul Pears

    Bruce’s remit was to get Villa promoted this season, and I feel that he has missed the boat. Dr Tony has said that he is willing to give him more time, and that he expects it to happen next season. I would go along with this, as would the majority of fans, but I also feel that Dr Tony, may not be as patient, if he feels that there is no real progress, and a lack of Bruce being able to cope with tactical changes and step up a gear, in the way that many sides have that have succeeded in beating us.

    Bruce will still need a reasonable finish to this season, and to make a flying start at the beginning of next season if he is to remain in place.

  28. DarrenO

    It’s never been different at Villa but why not try to be different, why not employ a manager with the primary task of getting Villa to play good football first.

    Letting the wins come from playing better than our opposition, this also considers that we may lose but we don’t need to pull the trigger as long as the primary task is being progressed. The secondary task of promotion will come naturally if we play better football than the oppo as it should invariably mean winning.

    Quite aware Bruce is our manager, that won’t stop me responding to posts that suggest if he is sacked that we revert to the same merry-go-round that I wish to avoid, it’s a different kind of stability that I’m looking for as opposed to the trigger happy ways of most clubs.

  29. John Lerwill

    Darren: “It’s never been different at Villa but why not try to be different, why not employ a manager with the primary task of getting Villa to play good football first.”

    Yes – I didn’t say not! 😉

    But of course the owner wants results and to use every means to get promoted. I expect he wanted a footballing man, hence the appointment of di Matteo (combined with his other achievements), but then realised from seeing him work in practise that he wasn’t cut for this particular task.

    We are where we are.

  31. Mark King

    As I recall Dr Xia said he was surprised how open to ideas SB was, to me that sounds like I thought he was a dinosaur, I have been told he is a dinosaur, I saw a lot of fans on social media thought he was a Dinosaur but enough still wanted him so I went along with Mr Rounds choice.

    As PP says he was defo brought in for the promotion push this season, on a rolling contract and the scale of the Jan window suggests that too, otherwise why not wait until summer for most of your transfers when Jan is notoriously tricky ?

    JL- I am intrigued to know what a footballing man is and can he be foreign?

  32. Mark King

    Docs latest tweets oh boy, I am sick of the word style, it denotes doing something like fred astaire would when what most people want is normality in our play

    Dr. Tony Xia‏Verified account @Dr_TonyXia 5h
    More
    Re Qof style: we need get the right environment&system back first, then build winning mentality, stable performance, and football style.

    Dr. Tony Xia‏Verified account @Dr_TonyXia 5h
    More
    Congrats to Brighton. It’s truly a demo case of ‘never give up’&’be patient’. Life is a marathon, so is the football business

  33. Paul Pears

    MK,

    Seeing your tweets from the Doc, seems to confirm my thoughts, Bruce must step up to the plate, and ensure he is building the right team with the right tactics, or he will be looking for a man that has the ability to do just that, whether it is a Wagner, Huyton or someone similar. Karanke did well enough at Middlesboro’, but at the end lacked the backing.

    Let us just hope that the last two results are just hiccups, and that Bruce can steady the ship, gaining some good results to finish on, or at least put out a team that has potential, and not just a couple of park the bus games….

  34. Trinity

    Darren
    “Isn’t that what we need to avoid…”
    It’s a moot point. Xia wants promotion next year. Not to get promoted would mean a loss of face for him. Where he’s from that is a big deal. To be fair, he has backed his manager, so he rightfully wants to see a return on his investment.

  36. Frem

    I was dreading the Scum game with Zola, I’m dreading it even more now. Bruce will be even more scared of the opposition than usual. He will park the bus and cram 5 in midfield.

    The Fulham display was a joke really. We were getting battered even when we had 11 men. Bruce doesn’t know what he wants to play game by game.

    Wish we had Hughton or someone. 442 every week

  39. John Clark

    Iana,

    From way up top, I do think Dr. Tony wanted to go up in one, probably couldn’t realize how badly things were broken. Two years was wiggle room. January tells me he still thought it was possible.

    Us, we’d have liked to believe it was possible, and perhaps it should’ve been. I think you’re right about the loss of face. He’s putting on a good show of patience at the moment, accepting two years now, but the pressure will be right up there as soon as this season’s done.

    Whether or not Bruce is still auditioning…I can’t imagine a terrible showing down the stretch is going to help anything.

  40. Trinity

    JC
    To me, if Villa looks impotent over the next few games, I’d hunt around for another manager, a manager who’ll clean up the squad; get it into shape; motivate players and improve the confidence and skills of individual players. Most of all it needs to be someone the players respect.
    The derby is a big match for the usual reasons, but also for others. The outcome could be detrimental for Bruce if Villa play poorly. If all the last games are poor showings, I’d look around for another manager.

  42. John Lerwill

    Darren: “You’re far too accepting of the now “

    Well, that’s your opinion of course, but I si9mply see little point harping on about what is (to me) clearly a transitional situation. We know that the management of the club don’t accept the current situation as being anywhere near the best that can be achieved, so let’s see what they do about it over the coming months.

  43. John Lerwill

    Iana: “To me, if Villa looks impotent over the next few games, I’d hunt around for another manager, a manager who’ll clean up the squad; get it into shape; motivate players and improve the confidence and skills of individual players. Most of all it needs to be someone the players respect”

    I think that’s a fair statement, but I think that even if we do look “impotant this next few games” it’s unlikely that Bruce will be replaced, simply as Xia does not want further upheavals after so many. Not yet at least.

    As for the players and respect for their manager – are we saying that Villa’s players don’t respect Bruce? Frankly, I’ve yet to see any real hint of that – in fact wasn’t it Collymore or Taylor that said there’d been a big change in the dressing room atmosphere (for the better) since Bruce’s arrival?

  45. Trinity

    JL
    The team certainly seems to like Steve Bruce. No, wasn’t saying they don’t respect him. I’m not sure how they view his coaching staff, though. I wonder if that’s Bruce’s real achilles heel. Calderwood seemed to do well with Brighton, but perhaps anyone could. Who knows?
    Looks like Green won’t be playing, recurring hamstring strain. Might see Gabby playing his last derby for Villa.

  46. DarrenO

    Hi JL

    The harp a the symbol of Ireland, I’m entitled to harp on about anything, and the less I know about a subject the more opinion I have, it’s an Irish thing 🙂

  47. IanG

    lana
    I think that even if we play badly for the rest of the season, that Bruce will be given the beginning of next season or we may become even more of a laughing stock.
    Also as any future players are not just a managers choice, they may see it as continuity.
    Personally I also think that if we lose on saturday with a dire performance, that Bruce will have not much of a future as far as the fans are concerned.
    Gabby? I hope not as we need to score goals, not fill up a large space.
    Sad that Green is injured, & apparently we are appealing the Codger red card.
    Should be interesting how Bruce approaches this match, whether he does his usual defensive approach, or has some imagination.
    Whether that would work with the current environment of the players where they often don’t seem sure of what they are supposed to be doing, or are playing out of position, who knows.

  51. Mark King

    sounds like Ross is a troubled man, wonder if it is drink as suggested or mental health? if its the latter then not very nice of Villa if they knew and sent him out there.

  61. IanG

    Oh no Mark you’re really a a cuddly one underneath all that
    Hate to sound negative with all the forgiveness, but he didn’t have the cysts at all when he left as apparently the cause was an infection from something that happened later.
    I think he’s basically suffering from the results of a lifestyle, then everything starts happening from my experience.
    Whether this changes his mental approach is anyone’s guess.
    Not sure we need him back as he would want to be more than a bit player.
    Although he may be able to play with Hogan or RHM, but we have too many strikers & not enough in other positions.
    Maybe Gabby will resign for the good of the club to make way for him

  64. James Gill

    well some one at clubs, head should roll, 12/4m transfer fee, 40thousand for 4 years and no one thought we need to look after him, january was a wake call for them which they didnt take, collymore curic now add rosss shocking way to run a business

  66. Trinity

    This is what I’d like to see on Sunday, though it won’t happen. Green is injured.

    Hogan/RHM
    Jack
    Hourihane Lansbury Hutton
    Baker Jedinak Chester Taylor
    Johnstone

    Subs: Adomah, Amavi, Bunn, Gabby, Bree
    I’d have Gabby as a sub. He might be good for 25 minutes in 2nd half if we need a change or there’s an injury to our injury prone forwards. If we had more choice… Gabby has done the job before and knows what a derby against Small Heath is about.
    Hourihane and Lansbury have been called similar players, but the derby might get them firing.
    Jack gets a go at 10. Will need to track back too.
    Adomah and Amavi could come on as wings later if change needed. Amavi can also cover wing back.
    Big game for RHM, but he’s a Villan. He’ll have the experience of Hogan next to him, been training/playing with Jack for years.
    Hutton is there on merit.
    With Jedinak at the back the formation would be more fluid. Got Baker there for height and he’d be up for the derby.

Leave a Reply