Now that Bristol have done their job and held Derby to a scoreless draw, can Villa capitalize with a win against visiting Barnsley? If so, we’ll overtake the Robins, move into third with a little luck, and draw within three of the Rams, regardless. I like the sound of that.

I’ll be the first to admit I didn’t think we’d be within striking distance of second place a few weeks ago. But here we are. And we are.

Because it’s January, the week since the win over Forest has mainly been dominated by transfer speculation. Not overly excited by any of it. Maybe Ulloa has something to offer, but I’m not really sold. But some sort of striker is definitely a priority, despite Hogan’s mad run of two in two, given we don’t have any others besides Davis and Hepburn-Murphy now that McKirdy has gone out on loan.

Shame we didn’t go for Van Persie. He could be 50 and do more than Gabby, who has apparently looked good in training and is likely to come back and put Small Heath to the sword yet again before needing medical attention until May. Maybe that makes his salary worthwhile, regardless. And of course we keep hearing about Tuanzebe, which raises questions at the back.

Apart from being lightweight up top, I’m not really fussed about the rest of the team. Okay, maybe I’m a little concerned about depth along the back line. But given our excellent record evaluating CBs, I’m sure we’ve got that covered.

All the right things are being said about the Reds, who currently sit 19th. They’ll be a challenge, held Wolves to a bore daw, blah blah blah. Bottom line is that if you’ve spent around £80 million, Barnsley should be the least of your worries. Which is why I had to laugh a little when Steve Bruce was rolling out the obligatory lines about the Championship.

The team has largely picked itself, and Bjarnason has earned another start. Not sure whether he’d get the nod if either Jedinak or Whelan were fully fit, but he gets another chance, and let’s hope he does something with it. We could use a bit of a headache at that position.

That’s really all I’ve got. COYVB, and over to you.

Comments 41

  1. The Match…

    Noticeable that Villa scored 3 from their first 4 attempts I think. Since then they’ve been more wayward. Barnsley have tried 9 times to Villa’s 10, so it’s just as well that our shooters have been on target.

  2. well it looks like 2018 loves us 🙂 some great results and some sticky games to come for our rivals, we really do have the best quality going forward bar maybe wolves and even then its close, like the way we are beginning to play, Maybe a better option in the goal threat department to come in Jan than Davis provides will be the push we need. Johnson I am liking more and more.

    Sheff utd look to have recovered and Fulham have woke up though 17 goals in 5 games and we have them soon, bring them on 🙂

  3. Well that first half was soooooo entertaining. Credit to Barnsley who never gave up and created plenty of chances in the second half . Had they scored again it may have become a little edgy, despite all our good play. . . . . and we really did play some lovely football in that first half!
    Jack is a real player now. . . . . confident, creative and cocky but a hard working team player too now.
    Everyone played their part today . . . . very happy

  4. I see that Spurs may take back Onamah.
    I don’t like criticising players because I don’t honestly feel I know enough about the game, compared with those that see them every day in training to be confident in my criticism. However . . . . please take him back and in his place, let’s give game time to a player who actually cares .
    I’ll just give one example from today.
    He’d been on the pitch for about 5 minutes so should have been bursting with energy.
    The ball went out for a Barnsley throw about 20m from our goal line.
    They had a man free in 10m of space who Onamah should have closed down. He didn’t even see the threat let alone do anything about it. I don’t know if he’s not committed enough or just naturally lazy but it just isn’t good enough.
    Maybe he’s petulant about not getting enough playing time and he’ll do better elsewhere but for both his sake and ours he needs to move on.

  5. The 2 early goals won it for us but might not have done had Barnsley taken their chances. Great 1st half and I was hoping for more from the 2nd period than what we got. Overall though, it’s 3 points and in light of the other results we’ve made progress.

    How can you call this division this season? Just 6 games ago we were 10 points off P2 with the teams up there flying. Using SB’s and Tony Xia’s mathamatical calc, we are currently -6 but just 3 points off the pace. You would not expect our form over the last 6 games (4-1-1) to gain 7 points but it has. Game on guys.

  6. SB talks in riddles when he speaks about Hogan. It’s taken him a year to get his buy scoring. Plenty of lifers on these pages were saying it was a matter of playing to his strengths and getting the supply right. Don’t think it is any coincidence that Hogan’s goals have started with the arrival of Agnew. So I’m hopeful that we are in for more Hogan goals over the remaining 18 games.

    It doesn’t matter who scores as long as we win. I’ve been critical of Snoddy in the past saying he owes us some goals or assists. Well he’ delivering now. Two excellent assists yesterday. Again down to Agnew?

  7. MK – Liking Johnstone more and more?

    My view is he’s a great shot stopper but remains rooted to his line. The 6 yard box is his. Had he dealt with the corner by coming and fisting if necessary we would not have shipped the goal. It was a double failure because as their FB moved up for the corner, Adomah tracked back with him but then lost him as the ball came in. Even if your man is taller than you, at least you jump with him and attempt to disrupt his header.

    More for Agnew to work on here.

  8. Hi everyone and JG,

    Drove through snow all the way to Villa Park, but fortunately it was just rain all the way back. Enjoyed some more celebratory pints then watched MOTD.

    Will put up my report later today.

  9. plug- yes mate plenty for Johnson to improve on but with the defence generally keeping shots to ones from distance he hasn’t missed many, I wouldn’t like to hazard a guess at how many games he’s won or saved for us this season, potentially our most influential player on outcome barring Albert. I must say keepers seem to dominate the box less and less these days? maybe through Tactics of the opposition?

    Got this off of The Villa blog makes for interesting reading, with several mid table teams and even bottom dwellers going on runs we need to beat those around us as it takes on even greater significance, even wolves are finding the scraping teams a struggle.

    http://www.soccerstats.com/formtable.asp?league=england2

  10. Mark
    I like that site and use it to help predicting results for our ‘workplace results prediction league’
    Not sure about your conclusion though. To my mind it has always shown that it really doesn’t matter ‘who’ you beat, it only matters that you end up with more points than the third placed team ( if you’re going for automatic promotion) or more points than the 7th placed team if you’re going for the playoffs.
    As those tables have shown throughout the season, different teams hit form at different times and a range of different teams have been ‘the teams around us that we need to beat’ throughout the season.
    Two weeks ago we wouldn’t have seen Fulham as one of those ‘teams around us’ . . . . in two weeks time (based on their current form) we probably will.
    A few weeks ago, Leeds were ‘one of the teams around us’ but now they’re mid table.
    We just need to win games. It doesn’t matter where they are in the table now, it’s where we, and they, will be at the end of the season.

  11. James Gill, I like Silva as a manager, but we already have one that is doing a good job at the moment so there is no vacancy.
    I doubt that Silva will be available by the time Bruce needs replacing.

  12. Robbo- If you are sitting in the top 10 at this point (Leeds are still only 3 of sixth 7 off of us at this point ) it becomes a bit of a mini league with those underneath unlikely to pick up enough to trouble the top six positionally but gaining there own momentum or urge to survive and becoming harder to gain points from. Therefore its paramount to beat the teams around you and increase the gap yourself while beating or drawing with the lower lot if possible. The lower lot are likely to draw closer to the top ten as the season gets tighter and take unexpected points from the top ten. so us beating them gives us the best chance of 2nd, they become 6 pointers.

    Until recently we were not beating the top sides now I feel we look more likely to by the way we are playing. If we had say just beaten all the lower teams it would be unlikely we would be anywhere near 2nd just play offs a probability with a poor or outside chance of success.

    If we end up in the play offs but perform poorly against the top ten then our chances in the play offs have to be diminished. If you look at our games this season then its not like we have a 100% record against all the lower teams anyway, if you more or less halve the teams you can get 3 points from by targeting the lower clubs then don’t beat them what then? its also a great moral booster and give the team and fans belief to beat the better teams.

    Yes in principle its possible to make the top by beating the lower clubs alone but just going on this season improbable.

    I just looked at Fulham and in a few games they have all the top teams in a row including us and are likely to have a greater effect on standings than if they beat all lower teams while the others do likewise.

  13. Mark
    We’re not going to agree on this as we both ‘know’ we’re right and can’t understand why the other one doesn’t ‘get it’ .

  14. Robbo- maybe mate 🙂 I will say this you have to target those above you and when you get within distance beat them to go past them especially when a league is as tight as this.

  15. I’ll partially agree with you when you say that we should target rams above us . . . . but where we differ is that I’ll say that you have to ‘equally’ target the teams below you.
    If you target every team you play and end up with enough points to be in second place at the end of the season you’ll be promoted.
    We’re on the heels of Cardiff now because they’ve recently lost to Bolton, Fulham, Preston, QPR and Sheffield Wednesday.
    Not one of those teams were ‘around them’ when they lost to them.
    Fulham have recently beaten Birmingham, Sunderland, Barnsley, Cardiff, Ipswich, Middlesbrough and Burton (theyvdrew with Hull) and we’re now rightfully worried about them because they have quickly moved up the table and aren’t now that far behind us.
    It’s points that matter . . . . wherever you get them.

  16. Robbo- I do see where your coming from mate, A while back you voiced the opinion that we could get by (playoffs) without beating the top teams and just beating those outside the top 10? if I remember right, points wise yep there are 28 wins to be had below 10th more wins than most get in a season. I maintained unless we began taking points of our peers then we would struggle as teams would improve and fight for survival and points would be harder to come by overall. All points count obviously and I’m not advocating losing to anyone for the sake of it in preference but as in relegation battles beating a team close to you has a greater effect in that week than if you had both played someone else because the game is in your hands to win, you can’t stop that team above you from winning unless your the team playing them. Physiologically it can be a killer too.

    Yes Fulham have beaten lower teams to get 7th and we have done similar but rose rapidly by beating a few around us, look at the difference in the atmosphere around the club? one or two wins say against Cardiff and Derby would have us 2nd though and them on less which is the crucial point. Mathematically potentially the same but Physiologically? and in that game week no imo?

  17. Back to keepers. I’ve noticed that a lot tend to stay on the line and like Plug says, the 6 yd box is his. You have to be a bit of a bull in a china shop for corners if you are a goalie IMO. It’s up to you to disrupt the opposition and get your hands on the ball.
    There is too much space to protect when you stay on the line.

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