The play offs.

[ADVILLAFAN]

I’d settle for playing them in the final 

[Ads]

Doesn't matter who it is. We have the squad, the knowhow, the Play Off Specialist and the baking. Nobody else is going to be walking out with 40 odd thousand backing them at their home leg or Wembley.

Tunnel vision. The opposition are an irrelevance. Believe.

[villa `cross the mersey]

Doesn't matter who it is. We have the squad, the knowhow, the Play Off Specialist and the baking. Nobody else is going to be walking out with 40 odd thousand backing them at their home leg or Wembley.

Tunnel vision. The opposition are an irrelevance. Believe.

  if we have the baking we should cake walk it

[Richard]

The key for me is we have the squad strength to deal with 2 intense play off games in the space of 3 days which I dont think our likely opponents will have.

[footyskillz]

I've looked up the deal with the play off semi finals so it's clear.

But does anyone know if Villa at 4th place would be scheduled to  play Friday /Monday or Saturday and Tuesday.

I think championship 'A' match must be 3rd v 6th
And championship 'B' match 4th v 5th??

Listed info below

"The semi-final matches are played over two legs. In the first leg, the two teams who finished in third and fourth place in the League play away from home – the third placed team against the sixth, and the fourth placed team against the fifth. The second leg is a return match of the same pairs – this time the two teams who finished in third and fourth place in the League playing at home. The winner of each semi-final (based on the aggregate score of the first and second legs) goes forward into the play-off final.

In the second leg, if the aggregate scores are level at the end of ninety minutes, extra time is played. If the scores remain level at the end of extra time the tie is determined by the taking of kicks from the penalty mark."


The proposed 2017/18 Sky Bet Play-Off Semi-Final schedule is as follows: (kick off times could change)

Sky Bet Championship

Friday 11th May: Championship A – 7:45pm
Monday 14th May: Championship A – 7:45pm

Saturday 12th May: Championship B – 5:15pm
Tuesday 15th May: Championship B – 7:45pm

[Tony Erdington]

Doesn't matter who it is. We have the squad, the knowhow, the Play Off Specialist and the baking. Nobody else is going to be walking out with 40 odd thousand backing them at their home leg or Wembley.

Tunnel vision. The opposition are an irrelevance. Believe.

Ad's 100%

[ADVILLAFAN]

Think I heard that if we finish 4th, we’ll be away on Saturday at 5:15pm and then home on the Tuesday night. If 3rd, then away on Friday at 7:45pm.

[andyh]

First post in the thread gives times and dates

[Pete3206]

Doesn't matter who it is. We have the squad, the knowhow, the Play Off Specialist and the baking. Nobody else is going to be walking out with 40 odd thousand backing them at their home leg or Wembley.

Tunnel vision. The opposition are an irrelevance. Believe.

Absolutely.

The opposition will walking into a bear pit in that 2nd leg. It won't be easy, but I'm confident we can take anybody in this league on our day. Replicate that Wolves performance and atmosphere and we can get to the final.

[SoccerHQ]

Definitely can beat anyone - which is great. Think villa park second leg atmosphere should see us through.

But let’s say I’m 70% confident of that, and then a final v Fulham is 50/50. Both odds a bit kind to us. But even with that, that’s a one in three chance of going up via the play offs

So very hopeful but can’t say I’m uber confident

Probably the same. We need to be better at defending set pieces v Boro. If we can nulify them on that I fancy us to cause them problems at the back particularly if Kodjia is starting.

Final also worries me...Brentford or Fulham on a wide pitch like Wembley concerns as all season we've not been great at teams which press us in midfield and can move the ball around us quickly.

The record v Brentford since we've been down here says it all.

[footyskillz]

First post in the thread gives times and dates

Ahh yes thank you!!  I misunderstood and read dates wrong. Amended dates I put up just now for the 2 fixtures as read them wrongly thinking a week in between matches

[ChicagoLion]

Doesn't matter who it is. We have the squad, the knowhow, the Play Off Specialist and the baking. Nobody else is going to be walking out with 40 odd thousand backing them at their home leg or Wembley.

Tunnel vision. The opposition are an irrelevance. Believe.

  if we have the baking we should cake walk it

Mary Berry is taking over from Steve Bruce.

[footyskillz]

Think I heard that if we finish 4th, we’ll be away on Saturday at 5:15pm and then home on the Tuesday night. If 3rd, then away on Friday at 7:45pm.

Thanks anyway.

[footyskillz]

In prep for play offs I've looked at Versus (vs) all play off contenders.

Overall club v Villa record.
Results vs season 17/18
Bruce record vs opposition teams
Bruce record vs opposing managers.

Cardiff, Fulham, Boro,  Millwall, Derby, Brentford Preston.

Vs Cardiff
Games won:   27
Games drawn:   6
Games lost:   21

This season :
H. 1-0 Grealish screamer
A. 0-3.

Bruce vs Cardiff P12 W 6 D2 L4
Bruce has a great record v warnock. won 9 loss 2 from 11 matches v warnock . No draws between them. Ever!


Vs Fulham
Games won:   23
Games drawn:   22
Games lost:   23

This season
H. 2-1 win JT and Albert adomoah
A.  0-2 loss (no grealish or adomoah)

Vs  Jokanovic  : Played 5. 3 wins 2 loss

Bruce record v Fulham 24. W 8 D10 L 6.


Vs Boro
Games won:   65
Games drawn:34
Games lost:   43

This season
H.  0-0 v 10 men, (Traore sent off)
A.  1-0 win Snodgrass. ( new manager Pulis  charge of Boro for the first time)
Also fixture, lost 0-2 h, league cup

Vs Pulis : Played 12. 4 wins. 3 draws. 5 defeats.

Bruce record v Boro. W7 D2 L11

(Before the 1-0 win at boro
Pulis had never lost a home league match against Bruce.

No ground where Boro have won more times than Villa Park. They have won 16 games there since first visit in 1903)


Vs Milwall
Games won:   14
Games drawn:   10
Games lost:   8

This season :
H. 0-0
A. yet to play..

Vs Harris. Played 1. Drawn 1.

Bruce Vs Millwall P6. W3.D2. L1


Vs Derby
Games won:   69
Games drawn:24
Games lost:   44

This season :
H, next up so yet to play..
A 0-2 loss (weimann didn't celebrate goal)

Bruce v Derby P13 W9 L4 no draws!

Vs Rowett : Played 4. 1 win. 1 draws. 2 defeats


Vs Brentford
Games won:   6
Games drawn:4
Games lost:   2

This season :
H. 0-0
A. 1-2 L Onomah screamer

Bruce vs Brentford P5 W2 D1 L2

Vs. Smith. Played 4. 1 win. 1 draw. 2 defeats.

Vs Preston
Games won:   57
Games drawn:19
Games lost:   38

This season :
H. 1-1 Grabban penalty.
A. 0-2 Chester Snodgrass and one of our decent away showings in performance as well as result

Bruce v Preston P8 W3 D2 L3

Vs Neil: Played 3. 1 win. 1 draw. 1 defeat.


Steve Bruce has achieved 4 separate promotions in the championship.


Up the villa

[footyskillz]

Really don't fancy Boro in the play offs.

Oh man up!

I don't fancy them either, but only because Middlesbrough is a fucking shithole.

There's a good point to feeling as Bruce v Tp record Is interesting. As is his record v Boro. It's the most loss out of the teams listed for promo according to info I collated and researched.

Funny Bruce struggled with Pulis historically but less so with Warnock. Though Pulis has proven Prem league and been competitive  whereas Warnock never did much, that is struggled , when manages at highest level.

Both organise a team well.