A happy day at Villa Park, Sunday, as Villa, and Gabby yet again, put one over on Small Health Alliance, giving the supporters a measure of satisfaction and joy you can’t really get from any other single fixture.
Moreover, it reminded us all of better days with Gabby’s song ringing round the crowd of 40,000 long before his introduction.
Now for the nitty gritty.
The Good
Rather obvious…a win over the blues, bragging rights, and a three-game winless streak snapped. Another clean sheet after shipping six in two games.
There was also that moment of redemption for Gabriel Agbonlahor, one of the most polarizing players in recent memory. The local boy once again found his passion, injected energy and attitude, and came up with the decisive goal in a fixture he clearly relishes. It really couldn’t have been anyone else. The supporters felt it and perhaps almost willed it into being. The bluenoses must have been gutted once gain being undone by a singular nemesis.
Kudos to Steve Bruce for also feeling it and for recognizing that Jack Grealish and Gary Gardner also should play a part. Whatever their merits, they deserved a taste of derby magic on their home turf.
The Bad
It was puzzling that after a week of preparing to play Scott Hogan in Jonathan Kodjia’s absence, we could not play to his strengths. As Kodjia has often experienced, Hogan was tasked with playing the role of hold-up man as much as anything else, which he shouldn’t be. You want him to score, you need to play him in on the carpet. Somehow we don’t seem to understand that. Or just can’t do it.
The Ugly
I’m not going to have anything here. Winning the game, this game, was enough however it came about.
Wait a minute…There’s Redknapp’s unnecessary post-match swipe at Gabby and the club. We supporters can, and have, criticized him. But it was classless coming from a manager. Just do the obligatory “we deserved something from the game” and “from our perspective it was a poor goal” and just go away, Harry. You’ll be gone soon enough anyway.
Final Verdict
We could, and will, harp on about all sorts of things. But some wins are bigger than others. Small Heath, who’d started the season well, succumbed to the temptation to mess with a good thing. Clearly a perfect example of panicking during a period of adversity. Instead of sticking with their man, they sacked Rowett while sitting seventh, put in Gianfranco Zola, slid down the table, sacked him in turn, and, in an act of further desperation, brought in good old ‘Arry to stave off the drop. He’s now got two games to keep them afloat.
Given that blues were sitting precariously just two points above the relegation places, and playing Villa, you expected nothing easy. You might have anticipated a new manager bounce. And, to be honest, I wouldn’t watch them in any fixture, why would anyone, so I have no idea whether they were better on the day than they have been recently. Redknapp had them organized, if nothing else. But Villa showed resilience and found a way. And Bruce showed at least a little savvy in turning to Gabby.
So we’ll resume our debates, and perhaps tomorrow, I’ll want to return to a few fine points made on here over the weekend. But for now, why muddy up a good day out?
Over to you.
The Author
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 49
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Thanks JC and Kudos to gabby for injecting some passion into an up to that point passionless game. I dare say he ended up man of the match, a place occupied right up to that point by Jedinak who headed every ball in more or less in the box all day, Only thing is he’s a DM, why is he so dominant in our area? why isn’t the keeper or CH’s doing that job?
He is for me the reason why the defence looks better. Taylor shored up the left but there is a reason we haven’t won under Bruce when Jedi’s out. If the defence had improved that much then surely it should do so without being a back 5? we lost recently to two teams that play it on the deck and got out wide bypassing the Jedmiester, we don’t look that clever when that happens. So if thats the improvement in the side it is built on a false position for me.
JL- learner spent a fortune didn’t he and his people lied through their teeth to get people in, why would Dr Xia be beyond spinning a yarn? he’s a business man and if you read his business articles elsewhere he talks about villa as an asset no more no less, he could just as easily be the part owner of Southampton who Recon were negotiating with right up until the Villa sale was agreed, no fiction there. He’s likeable but I’m not buying the cuddly chinaman thing just yet.
Good morning, JC. Thanks for writing.
To me, Villa just beat a relegation contender. It is always good to beat Blues, but it doesn’t make up for the deficiencies in the team. I keep hearing the next games don’t matter. Hope the players and staff aren’t thinking the same. One sandwich maketh the picnic not. If we end with poor football, the board need to talk to Bruce about where it is exactly he is headed.
Is it worth keeping Gabby as a AVFC vs BCFC specialist? What else does he offer? Might as well bring back RMC as a #10, Hogan might score more often. Jack was underwhelming again. He scores the odd great goal, then goes missing. Couldn’t muster for the derby. If Gabby were to come right attitude wise and fitness wise, I’d be happy, but what are the chances of that happening? I don’t want to see players picked on one short performance, bright as it was. Bruce needs to be objective. On the other hand, we know Gabby can turn a game, even though, he’s been poor for Villa in recent years. Bruce will keep him. RMC is a better footballer than Gabby. Why not bring him back and put his skills to use as a 10.
The last couple of games will be important to Hogan. If he doesn’t come right, he might lose out to Gabby. Even though , Kodjia went to the Africa Cup, he has scored more goals this season than Gabby ever did in one season. Gabby has had some success playing wide. Could become a utility impact player….
JC – A neat article! 🙂
Mark,
Lerner was not even a good businessman. He was an arty type who also tried to be crafty! ;-).
The Doc is i.m.o. different material having dealt with businessmen of different types. It’s not in his interests to put out Fake News … quite the reverse, especially early in the project. In Lerner’s case he let us be carried away for 5 years until he showed true colours, but he got away with that because he rarely communicated. This guy does.
Not saying he’s all blue eyes but he’s very much less a fraud than the previous regime for certain.
Iana: “If Gabby were to come right attitude wise and fitness wise, I’d be happy”
He did – yesterday! The whole of VP wanted him on the pitch, and he came, he saw and he conquered! 😀
JL- oh I agree John he’s the real deal but the Chinese don’t like failure and losing face, they don’t air them where possible, it would make him look weak, not so much here but in china. The big announcement of RDM’s arrival in Hong Kong was a show of intent as was the choice of RDM, two failures in a row? mmmm.
john l
i wish you were my boss, 10mins work in over 2 years and you are happy, i will take the win ,but god was it tough to listen to,
bruce said gabby has lost 10 kilos since he was appointed[10 bags of sugar ,put that in shopping trolley and try push it]and that was after been sent to train on his own in september by doc after he wouldnt go out on loan,plus black sent him to fat farm last april how any sportsman can get in such bad shape i ll never know
watched 2 great games over weekend first fa semi final plus el classico make you want to watch proper footie every week ,messi 22 goals in this fixture alone genius makes gabby 5 fairly average
Interesting reading andy grays tweets. Guy talks alot of sense.
Says the process of weeding out the poison from learners reighn still ongoing! Like i have thought and heard though he says some fans dont appreciate the task in hand , its directors, coaches, scouts, academy all changed from top to bottom.
Said it before, as the poison from learners reign filtered onto the pitch over time the goodness under dr will get onto the pitch in time.
No quick fix hauling this giant club around.
We have a new head of recruitment. Been tweeting pics of young players being signed. 2 in last month.
James.
El clasico was decent. But why the hell did real not settle for a point at 2-2. Mental
Could cost them the league
andrew
could you imagine villa under bruce coming from 2 1 down to draw level, and then lose god the excitement bruce heart would never stick it
5 goals some crackers. sending off ramos what is it 22/3 times now even mark dennis was never that mad,tackles saves everything i want in football not 1 corner 1 shot 1 goal verses a crap team at home, that only players praised are defenders and jedi
we cant have short memories, for the last 4 years and also under rdm, villa have conceded the most ridiculous amount of soft goals. Managing to loose or draw matches when we could be winning.
Just look at the highlights of rdm reign and the last 3 years.
Bruce first job….stop bloody conceding, giving away daft goals and find a way of winning.
Now like it or not bruce has done that and for first time in ages we have something solid to build from.
And ive always thought you build from the back when getting team together, give yourself something solid to work from. Its not pretty but its happening.
Now the next task as we all know who go and watch them every other week is to be better on the ball etc.
The last month bruce has been talking about it after most matches.
Lets see what he does with 4 more players who are better than what we have and a pre season.
Ramos
Christ if your a madrid fan you would worship him. The goals he gets too! He is mental though, shocking challenge.
Messi is insane, cool as a cucomber for the last goal.
andrew
so after 10/11 matches and we dont have 20/24 points what is plan,
we let 6 sloppy goals in previous 3 matches like most previous 3/4 years you are saying 4 players
most ofthe 7 signed in january all of a sudden look like dunces
JL
“He did – yesterday! The whole of VP wanted him on the pitch, and he came, he saw and he conquered! ”
True! And it probably would have ended up a goaless draw without his passion. Can he do it again on a better consistency than 2 goals over more than two years? I hope so, but the evidence points to a player that is all too often injured or unavailable for other well publicised reasons.
I think it’s all academic, anyway. Looks like he’s staying. I suspect the derby win has secured Bruce’s position, too. I’ll feel more confident if Villa looks more confident in the last two matches. The pressure is mostly off, Villa should be able to open up. It is a good thing the negatives have been exposed. It remains to be seen if Bruce has the solutions.
It’s ANZAC Day here, like Remembrance Day.
Darren: “Gabby[‘s]… the equivalent of two highly rated youngsters in salary terms that could offer more to Villa than Gabby has done in many a year:
Is that fair Darren? Gabby came on yesterday when Villa were getting nowhere and entirely changed the mood of the game! And scored in an important match.
No youngster would have been able to do what Gabby generated and did yesterday, surely?
In short – belief and impact. Youngsters don’t tend to have that to offer.
You mis-read what I said, a cameo yesterday doesn’t make up for the years of doing nothing for Villa. Great he scored a goal, got himself booked, looked like he cared, if I was a professional footballer surely that would be expected of me. I’ll repeat he’s robbed this club of a salary and we could have had two highly rated players on his salary alone who would have contributed more DOWN THE YEARS not in a single game
I’ll take a chance to read JC’s article now
However bad this sounds and I hope you understand where I’m coming from but not being from Birmingham or the West Midlands, I’ve never grown up with the levels of rivalry that some on here and other Villa fans have for Small Heath. I understand it, bragging rights amongst your co-workers and friends, I rivalry that’s lasted over a hundred years.
For me Sunday was a game of little relevance beyond getting the win and seeing (or in this case listening to) how the team played. We’ve nothing to play for league wise, so this was all about pride but one eye (ear) wanted to see further progression in how we play.
I’d love to feel that tribalistic joy at beating Small Heath but to me they are a nothing team in the same vein as a Rotheram or Wigan. We should be beating this team every time given our resources and the greater quality of player we’ve had down the years.
Given the above and looking at the football itself, my god we were average and that is against the background of this being a derby game so you’d expect some additional levels of performance. Jedinak, Hutton and Baker stood out for me but these are defensive players.
To all on here, continue to revel in the joy of the derby win, for me I’ll continue to think that the immediate future doesn’t look rosy under Bruce if he can’t get Villa to raise their game and is reliant on a player who did nothing for Villa but take a wage but ends up some sort of saviour, then it reflects badly on the rest of the team as opposed to Gabby being some sort of footballing god.
Darren
“For me Sunday was a game of little relevance beyond getting the win and seeing (or in this case listening to) how the team played. We’ve nothing to play for league wise, so this was all about pride but one eye (ear) wanted to see further progression in how we play.”
Me too. Being an outsider, I mostly see it as just another match, they’re all equally important. The only local derby I’ve been to at VP was against Wolves. It was a spiteful affair and the football was poor. We lost, too.
Looking at all the numbers, Gabby should be gone. I guess it’s up to Xia how he spends his money. Keeping Gabby would be more of a political move than an objective logical football choice. He’s certainly no footballing god.
We do need to improve a lot. That Brighton Hove game will be interesting.
Darren,
You’re right. Though I’m a Brummie I don’t get worked up about derby matches – except that extra little edge that creeps in.
As for Gabby, well he’s certainly a controversial topic. But for him to come on and whip up some desire to win that game on his tod does make him a pretty useful member of the squad.
Actually you say “for years” that he’s not done much to earn his wage, but up to 2 years ago, even though he wasn’t scoring many, he did make quite a number of assists. It’s in the last 2 years he’s disappointed really, and I simply put that down to slap-dash management allied to a not very strong-character of a player when it comes to setting an example under such management.
Strong enough of a character to get Keane sacked when Lambert wouldn’t stand up to him and back his No.2
Gabby’s stats – your opinion on Gabby’s assist rate doesn’t stack up, reality is he’s not contributed as a striker since 09/10 (save the 12/13 season) so I stand by my idea that his salary could have been better spent on other/better players who couldn’t have contributed any less.
Season Apps Mins Goals Assists
2016/2017 4(8) 478 1 1
2015/2016 13(2) 1037 1 2
2014/2015 30(4) 2695 6 1
2013/2014 29(1) 2447 4 5
2012/2013 24(4) 2191 9 3
2011/2012 32(1) 2765 5 5
2010/2011 17(9) 1605 3 1
2009/2010 35(1) 3083 13 3
I cant agree about the blues games. its huuuuge!
I detest them so much.
baggies, wolves I don’t really care about the blues I hate.
when they loose it always makes me happy.
Hi Andrew
Not looking for your agreement, just the understanding that as a Villa fan not born in B’ham, I don’t have the same perceptions of rivalry, I do completely understand why someone from B’ham or the surrounding area could/would feel more hatred to them, I wasn’t brought up in that environment so while the result is hugely important locally, it’s less so for me because Small Heath aren’t that important, especially at this time when we should be looking at improvement in the quality of the football being played from the very low levels we’ve come from.
Aye. They’re just Small Heath. We need to aim higher.
Paul Robinson, the scumsucker, needs suspending.
DOR
Those stats don’t lie, & apart from very, very occasionally, that’s how it’s been for years.
People really wish he would shape up & fulfil his talent, & if they give him a contract extension for political reasons it better be on much reduced wages, as he has robbed the club for years.
Then there’s taking the piss for the last season or two, which is very hard to forgive & forget when he scores against the Blues these days as it’s been going on for so long.
As Bruce said, he can’t just live off scoring in matches against the inbreds, & he has to do more than that to get a new contract.
How much of that is a gee up & whether it means more than that, is anyone’s guess.
Rivalries and derbies can be important markers insofar as like a cup-tie, you often get an intensity that belies the clubs’ relative status. Now, in the modern era with players from everywhere and few with a local stake, it’s really about the supporters. The players may or may not buy into that, and they may or may not care about having one up on the neighboring team.
Which is to say it might be a sterner test in reality than it should be on paper. Or maybe not. I’m nothing if not decisive.
With Gabby, as the stats above show, the problem has always been his rate of return. He and Andi fed well off of Benteke’s threat, but we’ve talked for a while about his finishing and how it seems that he can’t put the ball in the net when he’s got time to think about it, unlike Kodjia.
Whether he fills another role well enough to exclude someone else is also a question. He can occupy a defense, but the odds say he’s not going to score. He’s not a great passer, not great with the ball at his feet.
If money is no object and you want an impact sub that may or may not have an impact, and most likely won’t put away the single gilt-edged chance he might get, then Gabby might be the man.
No idea of his effect on the dressing room, and as JL says, he does generally add some commitment. Unless he doesn’t.
Overall, I think that as many are saying, the real challenge Bruce faces is clear. We can score one or two with Kodjia in the line-up, as he’ll generally make something out of nothing, and if we can absorb pressure we seem to stand a chance of nicking a second on the break.
But we aren’t seeing a system of play that can put in other players with proven goal-scoring records. On paper, we’ve got too much talent (or too much money on the field) to be so short of creativity or even just consistency (of threat) and adaptability. Our hope is that it’s just a short-term issue…
I also agree that while the stats obviously say we’ve been better defensively, it seems Jedinak is key to that.
Darren: “…he’s not contributed as a striker since…”
Maybe that’s because we still tend to think of him as an out-and-out striker when in fact various managers have tried to use his pace out on the wing.
I feel his role has never properly been defined (apart from his earlier years with John Carew).
JC: “…but we’ve talked for a while about his finishing and how it seems that he can’t put the ball in the net when he’s got time to think about it, unlike Kodjia.”
In fact I’m afraid that was – once-upon-a-time, I admit – not at all the truth. That hat-trick at the start of the 2008? season was a testament to that. And I’ve seen him score from running in on goal from distance on a few occasions.
The last 3 years or so he’s got podgy and which has made him dodgy (!), but I really do feel that he’s badly managed. I don’t think the various managers have been able to decide how to properly us him.
JL- It will be ironic if Bruce is the first to work out how to use gabby but not the striker and midfielders he has bought himself 🙂
Met a bloke at work today that when I mentioned I support villa said am I looking forward to 10 years in the champs? and followed that with Bruce doesn’t like entertaining football does he.
Iana/DOR it might help you understand what its like in Brum if I said if Blues could relegate us by losing as we can on the weekend by losing to Blackburn (quite likely too) they would be rubbing their grubby little hands in Glee. Very much like the Aussie v England or Ireland v England in anything. Can’t speak for the New Zealanders 🙂
JC- yep we are a two man team, and two of RDM’s team at that, Taylor is the only stand out from Bruces January all the others of worth were RDM’s or here already.
Steve Bruce has promised fierce rivals Birmingham City that Aston Villa will be “honest and genuine” at Blackburn Rovers this weekend.
Villa shoved Blues deeper into Championship relegation trouble with a 1-0 Second City derby victory at Villa Park on Sunday.
And Bruce’s men could have another say in his old club’s fortunes when they travel to Ewood Park on Saturday afternoon.
With two matches to play, Blues are just two points above the final relegation place which is currently occupied by Rovers.
Bruce has vowed that Villa, who will be backed by a bumper away following, will try their utmost to win in Lancashire.
“It’s about keeping everybody focused, we must, must finish as high as we can,” said Bruce.
“We go to Blackburn next weekend and we’ve got to be honest and genuine with everybody concerned in the league and we’ve got to go there and try and win.
“We’ve got arguably the Champions (Brighton) coming in two weeks time so that’s something to look forward to.”
what was the previous two aims? promotion and top ten I think 😉
heres Dr Xia celebrating the goal
https://twitter.com/AVFCOfficial/status/856489171606659074
I really do hope people are not writing off hourihan, lansbury, bree, hogan, viking.
Be jesus what are we like, they been here 4 months!
They are good players.
They will prove it.
Villa got a brand new players lounge!
Being lnked to a few. Gallagher a st who i lke look of.
Wilson a winger from barnsley and a dfender and hulls gk.
JL,
It’s that “once up a time” bit…I mean back in the day, we all loved him. And I don’t begrudge him anything. People go through ups and downs, and even though it seemed otherwise, he’s always been Villa through and through. That’s why I thought he deserved a second chance.
But over time his conversion rate became really woeful, and I hated that for him. He’d like nothing better than to score. If he earns a new deal, then fair play, but I can’t help thinking he’d be taking a spot that someone like RHM could do more with. The future rather than the past, cruel part of sports.
I’ve often heard, and agree with, “Better to let a player leave a year too soon than a year too late.”
Andrew,
Nope, not writing any of them off. We hear that Lansbury and Hourihane can’t be on the pitch at the same time, which isn’t a knock on either. But I think they’ve all been good buys. The question in most minds seems to be whether Bruce knows how to employ these players to the best effect.
In particular, I’m curious to see what Bjarnason can bring. He only just found his feet in those 20 or 30 minutes before he got injured. We need someone full of running and commitment, and he is. He could make a real impact once he’s back and integrated.
Mark,
Kodjia and Jedinak have had the biggest impact, I agree. But I think, or at least I have to believe, that Round & Co. know what they’re doing. I think we (and it’s a collective we, not just Bruce) bought well in January.
As I just said to Andrew, don’t think it’s the players that are underwhelming. They’ve done it elsewhere, we just have to set them up right to do it for us.
Andrew
I’m glad we got Hourihane, Lansbury, Hogan et al. They are good players. As JC said, the gaff just hasn’t got them working on all cylinders, yet.
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/birmingham-city-furious-aston-villa-12944696
Good to see Robinson charged.
JC- I can’t disagree that the new players are decent before they came here just haven’t fitted in to Bruces style which is a worry if he now has to adapt to them having singled them out as players to allow us to play his way.
I’d love to see more of Thor as the side lacks energy, lansbury and Hourihane need freedom to perform and like hogan, Grealish, ayew, Kodjia need a team behind them. I wonder if he can play CM as I would like to see him and green in the side not one or the other.
Andrew- don’t know why its ok for players to come to Villa and not be any good for months on end? should be busting a gut to impress should they not? feel for hogan as he relies on service which is just not there. The rest come from teams that don’t park the bus. Even so our best performers have been that since the start, took jedinak 5 games and he had injury issues and Kodjia had 3-4 chancres a game saved under RDM, he scored that one spectacular goal but I began to wonder whether it would go for him, then it did. Hogan doesn’t even register a shot on target, how’s he going to play his way in?
Met a Brum fan in the sauna last night and he’s watched both teams this season with his mates when the teams were at home, He thought that with the team we have at the moment we will be in the champs for the next 5 years, he said they lacked energy too. He also said Bruce will be making a lot of changes in the summer at least 6-7 new players to have a chance. He also said that he will get us up but what we are seeing is the norm as far as the football goes.
Mark,
Funny how every fan you speak to is right in their opinion! 😉
Hahaha – oh well, if a Brum fan in the sauna said all those things then we may as well all give up then lol.
We’re doooomed I tell you, doooooomed ………
That brightened up my day, keep ’em coming ……..
Morning JC – good, balanced article as usual ……..
oldvilla
JL- Funny how you decided they were, don’t shoot the messenger John 😉 they are the only two people I have spoken to in the last two days about football and no I did not prompt them I wanted to here there views and they said similar things and neither were Villa fans. The Brum fan gioes to our home games and was gobsmacked that Rowett got the sack and said Bruce would promote us, must be wrong then 🙂
Old Villa- Glad to have made your day 🙂
Andrew- the thought has crossed my mind that not all the players brought in were of Bruces choosing bearing in mind Villas wish to not keep adding to the pile of unflushables. may have been chosen from Rounds and the scouts recommendations.
I see Newcastles director has been pulled by the HMRC for transfers irregularities 🙂
Old Villa
“We’re doooomed I tell you, doooooomed ………”
Lol. You remind me of Fraser, the Scot from Dad’s Army.
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