So here we are. Last game of the first season following relegation. And we’re not going back up. Yet.
As luck would have it, the final installment of a remarkably unsatisfying yet controversial and historically significant season has Villa hosting Brighton & Hove Albion—who, as it stands coming into the final day, are this year’s cream of the crop. Last time out, we drew 1-1. Nathan Baker put Villa ahead 20 minutes in, and Glenn Murray equalized just before halftime. This time, a win guarantees Brighton the league crown. Lose, and Brighton’s promotion is assured regardless.
Well played, the Seagulls. They’ll fancy this one, and I wouldn’t blame them. Winning is good and they’re good at it. Why not go all out and be champions?
As far as the standings go, Aston Villa obviously have nothing meaningful to play for. We’ve finished the season on a down note. From chasing an improbable playoff spot, we’re going to finish a mid-table Championship side and well off the pace.
I’m not really going to say too much about that at the moment. We’ll do the post-mortem and all the rest in due course. But if I were to say something? Like last week, and at least the previous four or five weeks, I’m looking for Villa to be the ones saying something. Something positive. I’d say I want to see if these players A) have any pride, and/or B) want Steve Bruce to stay.
Maybe that’s oversimplifying things, but it seems to break down that way for me.
In Bruce’s pre-match comments, he said:
“A club like ours has only won four games away from home. Newcastle have won 14 times away from home – Brighton have won 11. They have that resilience and toughness which you need. You need to have the ability to roll up your sleeves, dig in, work hard and find a way to win. We’ve made slight progress because the club has had a downward spiral for a number of years. I think people understand that we’re in transition.”
Developing a “stronger group mentality” to perform on the “big stage” is what Bruce is said to be aiming to achieve over the summer.
He also said he’d like Villa to “sign off in a bit of style.”
It all sounds good enough. So it’s a simple thing I’ll be watching for: What do the players getting paid to wear the claret and blue today have to say in reply?
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 80
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Today’s team…
34Johnstone
16Bree
12Chester
2Baker
3Taylor
7Bacuna
14Hourihane
5Lansbury
37Adomah
9Hogan
23Amavi
Should be a good enough side to give anyone in this league a game. I guess I forgot to mention that it would really be encouraging if we can get a result without Jedi and Kodjia in the side.
JC- nothing to lose we need to come out of the traps, hopefully the mids will rotate and cover for Jedinaks absense
it doesn’t rain but it pours poor old Hogan, looking like a poor buy with his history and style of play both, perhaps injury is preferable to playing in the quietest stadium in Britain 😉
Bad challenge from Sidwell, there. We’ll see what the damage is, fingers crossed he got a bit lucky.
Overall, not a bad half, though. Could’ve had three, certainly should’ve had at least one.
Joe Bennett has 2 for Cardiff
looks like we will finish 13th thank god its Sunday not Friday 🙂
Well done, Jack.
woohoo grealish affects the title 🙂
Not sure how that wasn’t a penalty…
Only listening JC unfortunately, Davis did ok by the sounds of it, I really think we have to give the youth a much bigger part nest season. brum stay up harry has them firing in 4 games
Davis looked good, Mark. He earned himself some consideration today, I thought. And really, the team as a whole made a good showing. A draw was a harsh result for Villa.
But, I should add, it was a very decent result as well. Their heads didn’t sag after Baker was sent off (a bit undeservedly, I thought), Brighton were freed up with the lead, and Villa kept going forward and were rewarded for it. Villa were only a denied penalty shout away from coming all the way back with 10 men.
thank god that this season is over, now the doc and co need to take bit of time rest of this month and have us ready for next season no excuses from no one
James,
From what I saw today, there was a vote of confidence in Bruce from the players, and plenty of commitment. I’d been very much on the fence, but I liked what I saw. Not the finished article, but I think we can be good enough next year.
As you say, now they just have to go do it.
JC- Villa and going forward music to my ears shame it didn’t start before xmas though. If Bruce is to stay then he needs to remember who we are too, Villa don’t play park the bus.
At least we showed commitment.
I was watching on a stream & Davis impressed me, & if his shooting boots were on he would have been in with the goals today, he needs game time.
I saw Brighton being very physical & they got away with a few challenges.
We were a little unlucky in the second half.
Jack pulls one out of the bag [always the same as he always wants to come inside] but they didn’t put him under much pressure.
Hourihane had a reasonable match as did Bacuna, & I’m not sure about Baker’s red card either as he shot before the foul & slowed into Baker when he tripped.
Cardboard referees again in the championship.
Bree seems to have forgotten how to attack, but it was all coming down his side.
Unlucky Hogan
Apparently RMC has been put on a fitness program for next season.
Grealish’s goal was stonker too from outside the box
To add a bit of caution we played our best football against Brighton last time too, maybe its the way Brighton play that suits us, not really a high pressure side are they? same happened second half against Newcastle at home and PNE, we can play we are just not clinical enough
jc
turkeys don t vote for xmas
the players have let us down all season along with management of team
3 players that are musts
keeper no loans
centre half
centre mid that knows how to play
youth must be used , get a system 442 and stick with it we are villa we should not be scared of any team ,no more parking the bloody bus
James,
Ha…well, there’ll be incomings, and they’ll be needed, certainly.
Mark,
Could be a match-up thing, but Brighton were closing down fairly aggressively today, anyway.
It did sound like a vote of confidence for Bruce. Most expected a Villa loss, so a draw while trying to go forward is a fair result. Fair play to him.
IanG,
They did get away with a few challenges, and I thought Sidwell’s challenge on Hogan was very cynical. Stepped right into his knee, was definitely intending to go into the player, not playing the ball. He got away with several, in fact, and should’ve at least been booked for accumulation.
And I’ll watch the replay, but live it looked like Davis was largely wrestled to the ground and no attempt on the ball from the defender. Can’t really see how it wasn’t a foul, Davis’s end of it was only trying to get past the contact/grabbing and back to the ball.
funny brighton tried to park the bus and it didnt work
Iana,
I have to think you’re right. They had an excuse to quit, but they didn’t, and were well in the game throughout. They were trying, didn’t look like a side that wanted the manager gone.
James,
Very much so. It looked for a bit there that they were going to kick on and get the second, but a couple good saves saw Villa through, and then Brighton probably started choking a bit, to be honest.
jc
very few teams can defend a goal lead regularly bar italians, or sides managed by them, if from commentray brighton had kept pushing after goal would we have got back in game
Saw the game on a flaky stream here in Basel at a friends place. Sorry I couldnt let you know the URL but I didnt have my ipad with me.
Thought today was a day for giving it a good go with some players showing that they do have it in them to succeed at the Villa. Yep it did seem a positive vote for SB from the players.
Lansbury and Hourihane played with passion and whilst not absolutely there yet, certainly showed that they will be very useful next season. Davies did well when he came on, holding the ball up, showing good skill and being a handful for the Brighton defenders. Not the finished product but certainly seems to have what it takes.
Bree is still learning but again, shows promise …………. maybe next season will be his year for coming good.
Johnstone made some good saves and was pretty commanding and was covered by a solid defence. Taylor looking very good, Swansea may be kicking themselves for letting him go.
Grealish got the goal and did some good work and seemed to want it more today. But – I still am not completely convinced by him, but can’t quite put my finger on why I think that ……. but the signs are there that a good player is waiting to show himself.
I thought that even Bacuna showed well today – got through a lot of work, made some good contributions to defence, midfield and in attack.
So – another season comes to an end. And quite a mixed season it has been. The players and our new management structure will have learned from it and hopefully can carry this through to the benefit of AVFC next season. Whilst not thinking that all is rosy in the garden, the seeds are there and hopefully they will be cultivated over the next few months to provide a good crop next season. Blimey that was a bit flowery wasn’t it?
So let’s all have a good summer – I know I will, as I have my church wedding in 3 weeks – and come back with an open mind ready for the new season.
Kuddles and kisses,
oldvilla
Hard to say, James…I guess I’d just look at it as two teams’ psychologies on display. Brighton have stumbled down the stretch, and celebrated the goal as if it were a 94th minute winner. I think when the second didn’t come, and Villa didn’t stop trying to play and catch them on the counter, they got nervy and fell back. It never really looked like Villa were a man down.
But every game has some element of that in it. To be fair to Villa, we really could’ve been three up long before the penalty. And Brighton had only just forced Johnstone into a save for the first time a couple minutes before the penalty.
So, maybe it would also be fair to say that one team looked like it was feeling the pressure, and the other was free of it.
OldVilla,
Congrats on the wedding!
And that’s a good summary. Bacuna did have a good game, Lansbury, Hourihane, Bree, and Davis, too. Lansbury and Hourihane almost seemed like they were better for having more weight on their shoulders. And didn’t seem at all like they can’t play together. Was a shame neither of them found the net, they did most everything else right.
We’ll be here through the summer…Will be a very interesting window.
And, yes, Taylor did look good, too. I really couldn’t fault anyone today, other than Elphick for almost gifting them the second.
Looking at Villa’s stats for the last 14 matches (won 8, drawn 2): if we’d had stats like that for the whole season we would have finished at least in the play-offs.
But as for Bacuna … he moved well – to a point. But was usually then too slow/indecisive.
I can’t see a first-choice team selection future for him, nor Adomah, who has lost his way a bit.
It’s strange what a difference that late equaliser has done for us, I think.
If we’d lost that match then we’d be a bit grumpy and not thinking that the future is very great, and then Grealish (the player who really needs some tiger to be put in his tank) comes up ad makes the whole season suddenly seem 50% better.
Let’s hope that Jack – who finished as second highest scorer – can take note from that and start playing to his true capability.
Old Villa,
Please accept my very best wishes for your wedding, and yonks of Villa happiness to come! 🙂
JC – “We’ll be here through the summer…Will be a very interesting window.”
Apologies John, I didn’t mean that we should all disappear until the new season, it was just a figure of speech when I said about coming back after enjoying your summer(s).
After all, we rely on AVL to keep us sane during the long months until it all starts again. And to give us the whole truth and nothing but the truth about all things AV.
oldvilla
JL – “Please accept my very best wishes for your wedding, and yonks of Villa happiness to come!”
Thanks for that John, haven’t heard the word yonks for …… erm yonks!
I’ve got quite a few coming over for the wedding from the UK and even a couple from Tasmania ………. which is very gratifying.
Cheers, oldvilla
JL,
“But as for Bacuna … he moved well – to a point. But was usually then too slow/indecisive.”
As I was watching, the thing that struck me, and I made a mental note at 41 minutes, was that we really aren’t giving a player in the middle of the park an easy option. Bacuna drove forward with purpose, and then had to lay it off backward after he crossed midfield.
If I were to critique anything, it’s what the announcers pointed out, and you, as well. Individual decision-making is not where it should be. But, I think that has a lot to do with players not making decisions easy for their teammates.
OldVilla,
Ha…no worries! I’m with you in hoping everyone has a great summer. I’ll finally be tying the knot again myself in June, so we’ll both be rather happy it seems.
Congratulations again!
JC,
I just don’t think that Bauna has a really good constructive brain to create situations. He’s not able to get past players, for example, to create space or cause the opposition to worry.
He is probably best on the flanks, but even then he’s not great i.m.o.
No. For me, very much a player for the bench. And that’s one of the disappointing things – that players like he, Baker and Grealish who have all played in the top tier can’t do remarkably better in the lower division. I am still hoping that Jack will feel a spark after today’s goal, though.
JC – every congratulations to you and your betrothed! I did it once before and swore I wouldnt do it again – my 15 year younger than me Swiss lady has changed my mind!
Every happiness to you both and June is when we head off on honeymoon to Sardinia – so I’ll raise a glass of rather nice wine to you both 🙂
oldvilla
Cheers, OldVilla, thank you. I’ll be sure and drink to your happiness as well!
JL,
Agreed, we could do better than Bacuna…There’s a reasonable player in there, but he’s very inconsistent and never really had a chance to settle at one position.
Jack? He’s just got to want it more. Baker’s done well enough, imo, committed and honest, but he’s not a dominant presence.
At the end, given what Clark has said about Newcastle versus Villa (which might be sour grapes), it may be the case that none of these players has really been put in the best situations to succeed.
What’s in the air for all this marriage malarky taking place 😉
Congrats to both!
JL – “What’s in the air for all this marriage malarky taking place”
You’ve found us out JL – I’m marrying JC but we were trying to keep it quiet.
Sorry JC, just couldnt resist my sarcastic humour ….
oldvilla
yes congrats to both of you wish you all the best for the future 🙂
Back to Bruce’s marriage to Villa … 😉
He says:
“I have got to have a squad of players that are going to mount a challenge, otherwise I’ll not be sitting here,” Bruce said. “Quite simple.”
Thanks for the congrats Mark ……
JL – I like what SB has said there and makes me think that we can actually mount a serious challlenge next year. Today showed what we should expect from our players ……. and I thought that generally it was all quite good. Still a work in progress of course but something to build on and make progress with ……..
Oldvilla
What’s the song,,, ‘tie me down, tie me down, tie me down sport’
Good luck to all.
Bacuna has been showing flashes of who he thinks he is more lately, the trouble is that of consistency & as JL said, knowing what to do when he gets there.
I thought Davis had the best game so far & at least knows how to keep hold of the ball & can be tricky.
Just waiting for him & Green to score next season.
Jack seems to have not gone past being the teenage star yet, & seems to be in & out of his depth as he needs to learn how to graft & be positively aggressive all the match.
I’m looking forward to seeing De Laet play.
Adomah doesn’t seem to know what to do when a team defends deep & doesn’t give him space
JC
yes we should have won really, which is the same old story with bad decisions by the ref & bad finishing by the players.
The refs in the championship have been derailing my brain [temporarily], & that’s one thing I’m looking forward to when we get back in the premiership, decent referees & more room for skill.
Looks like Hull will be joining us.
I fancy the Udders for promotion, especially as he has been resting his players this week.
OV
Nice place Baasil.
Don’t worry about worrying mate & congrats & be happy
Old Villa
What! you’re getting married? You’ve been holding out on the lads, haven’t you?
Congratulations. Where’s the honeymoon? Nice time to visit family/friends in the UK.
Good to see Villa give it a fair go in the last match of the season. Everyone seems satisfied.
Iana,
Yes, I think that late goal gives a +ve feeling. Just hope that it gives Jack that extra lift to get his mojo working properly.
JL
Yes, the late goal did help. I think the team played reasonably well too.
Have Blues been relegated?
I see Blues haven’t been relegated. Locals can look forward to everyone’s favourite local derby again next season.
Someone has said that the fact that Blue are still around will mean 6 points guaranteed to Villa!
Its going to be an interesting play offs, 4 footballing sides not a bus in sight. to me thats a sure sign the times are a changing in the champs, 6 footballing sides in the top six, Leeds probably the most physical side I have seen this year miss out while we decide to actually have a go and surprise look better than Brighton with ten men. We can only think what could of been with more positive play on the field attempted.
Iana- yes they escaped, harry worked his magic and had them post 7+ shots on goal at Bristol in contrast Bristol had 20 shots 1 on target, lets hope harry buggers off.
IanG if Hull do join us I hope Silva doesn’t although I suspect he will be snapped up quickly by a prem team amazing to think when he came to Hull they had less points than Sunderland now 10 points above them, at the time the usual pundits like Merson slated his appointment and pointed to Moyes at Sunderland being the wise prem experienced choice oh dear. he said himself he would need a miracle to save Hull when he came but now has Palace and Spurs to survive while palace have to go to Manure, it will be tight. If Palace drop then what a fight we have on our hands for a top 2 place.
Tony Xia has been at it, rates our season a 6 out of ten boy oh boy.
Dr. Tony XiaVerified account @Dr_TonyXia 8h8 hours ago
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Don’t stop when you’re hurting, stop when you’re done. #UTV
21 replies . 62 retweets 333 likes
Reply 21 Retweet 62
Like 333
Dr. Tony XiaVerified account @Dr_TonyXia 18h18 hours ago
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59 of 100. That’s I rated our season. Only results matters. We need RESULT next season. #UTV
117 replies . 175 retweets 936 likes
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Dr. Tony XiaVerified account @Dr_TonyXia 18h18 hours ago
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Dr. Tony Xia Retweeted J
That’s what I exactly meant. We always wanted great ones but never thought putting a team together is more important !Dr. Tony Xia added,
J @Jasto_avfc
Replying to @Dr_TonyXia
Great individuals? Fuck me, we haven’t had some of them for a looooooong time!
19 replies . 23 retweets 170 likes
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Dr. Tony XiaVerified account @Dr_TonyXia 19h19 hours ago
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End of the season. A lot2do this summer as we almost wasted last one. Need focus on how2form a team rather always up2great individuals.#UTV
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So now we are trying to build a team rather than rely on individuals?! I am beginning to think we haven’t quite got this football lark yet
http://www.squawka.com/news/ross-mccormack-set-for-summer-fitness-programme-to-kick-start-aston-villa-career/944438#C2ZmhUcz3WEmgbDV.97
sorry for all the posts but this bloke would be great for no doubt Aden Flint, makes concrete look puny 🙂
http://www.footballinsider247.com/aston-villa-enter-four-way-chase-sign-championship-giant-rated-5m-reports/
I see the great silva at hull has gone back in the drop zone after a 2-0 home defeat to blunderland!.
Maybe bruce wont so stupid after all saying he needed to strengthen to keep them up!!
and the superb wagner suffered a 3-0 home defeat to Cardiff!
They do appear to take a thrashing more often than not.
Momentum for the play offs certainly not with them. could backfire making so many changes
sanchez and kozac gone along with 4 or 5 youngsters already.
did anyone go to the match sat? couldn’t make it.
they reckon we was half decent, even with 10 men!
Bree v good apparently
Andrew,
I and a few other saw on the streamer.
Lansbury missed a sitter, Hogan nearly scored from a wayward backpass but the keeper saved it, Hourihane had a couple of good on target shots, and Lansbury had one as well.
As intimated on here, Davis showed up well as Hogan’s second-half deputy and might have scored twice, particularly at the very end. He also should have earned a penalty but for bad refereeing. Davis looked a more natural lone striker i.m.o.
The general play was not too convincing but Villa still managed to look (amazingly) more likely to score. Jack’s late leveller was deserved. I think the 10 men with the subs looked a better team than the earlier selection over the last 30 minutes.
andrew
silva has done brilliant at hull,taking over a side certain to be relegated and yet 2 games to go has fighting chance, same as clement at swansea,
wagner at huddersfield making changes yes get main team injured [kodja] and then go into playoffs with reserve players
so we played half decent yesterday ,does it matter one bit in greater picture,bruce prefered to play gabby v blackburn instead of davies so why will it change in august
Thanks for the good wishes, everyone!
Will have The Good, Bad, and Ugly up later today…then season post-mortem and all the rest throughout the week.
Not my usual self yesterday….so decided to miss what appeared to probably be another poor Villa showing, but hey! I got it wrong, and the team proved me wrong and did actually give good account of themselves. Whether or not it will keep Bruce in a job remains to be seen, given DR Tony’s tweets.
I think Xia will expect to see some very serious improvement, very quickly, and will not tolerate any poor performances. Villa will need to have a very good pre-season and come out of the traps firing on all cylinders.
Bruce will have to put together his squad showing that it has balance and purpose. with proper leadership and level of fitness that is a great deal better than it has been.
Andrew
Sidwell deliberately trod on Hogan, & fouled all afternoon, & he was not the only one.
We’ve been a target for nasty fouls all season, with the injury list to show for it.
Physical intimidation instead of skill intimidation.
We’ve had more than our share of referee blindness as well, with the one concerning Davis typical.
Baker’s was a penalty but only just & I have seen them not given, but not for us.
thanks for the reports.
Even more shocking than our season has been the officials…the refs are totally useless.
Driving up the M5 at the weekend I was asking myself why I was bothering.
Well the beauty of sport is that you can never be sure of the outcome.
Although it was undeserved, we were down and out after the penalty, down to 10 men against the Champions elect, without our talismanic players from the season and seemingly without hope. . . . and yet . . . . we continued to be the better team!
Ten shots on target, ALL the clearcut chances, passion, team spirit, supportive crowd, and a totally deserved 89th minute Grealish goal.
Pure football drama
Loved it
Great to read some +ve feedback, r0bb0! 🙂
And Davis might even have grabbed the winner!
JL
Positive or not is your perception, but I’m glad you’re happy.
It was a great second half [regardless of decisions], & we should have seen more of it this season but it bodes well potentially for next season.
If it doesn’t as Bruce says, he’ll be sacked, so what is there not to be positive about from this distance
IanG: “Positive or not is your perception, but I’m glad you’re happy. … what is there not to be positive about from this distance”
In other words, you agree with my “perception”! 😀
JL
Just saying that you have good binoculars
😀
A big thanks to John Lerwill & John Clark for writing the leaders for the site during the season. Three cheers!
Thank you, Iana. It’s truly a pleasure setting out a table for such great supporters. I just get to sit back, have a drink or two, and enjoy a truly insightful conversation!
And yes, much credit to Mr. Lerwill…He’s a true gentleman and wonderful sparring partner. 😉 Couldn’t ask for more.
The Good, Bad, and Ugly are up now…