Aston Villa v Brentford: Pre-Match Thread

[Toronto Villa]

When there is a specific player to mark in midfield then Jedinak’s yer man. A bit like Carlos Sanchez was. Or just acting as a shield to the back four. Ask him to be a midfield dynamo, especially now, you’re asking for trouble. And that’s before we get talking about him being played out of position.

[Fred Crump]

1-3. The usual hammering from Real Brentford and their manager ‘Pep’ Smith, I fear.

[GarTomas]

Results wise Brentford have started well.  Think both managers will settle for a draw but  expect us to be easily outplayed.

[Matt Collins]

Yeah we've not actually lost at home v Brentford

It feels due as they've been unlucky

But I wouldn't be surprised to see us take a fairly embarrassing draw whilst being played off the park for much of the game

Johnstone saved us last year from memory. Nyland inspires less xonfidence! Though I'm not sure we've actually seen him have to make a save yet?

[RussellC]

The annoying thing about Brentford is that I honestly don’t think they have many great individual players. They’re just all so well drilled and comfortable with what they’re being asked to do by their Manager. Look at Jota – a world-beater for the last 2 seasons at Brentford, bang average at Blues.  That’s why I honestly wouldn’t be too concerned about Ryan Woods going elsewhere.

I think they’re excellent at approaching every game like they’re the under-dog, doing their due diligence on how to best negate the oppositions attacking threat and then looking for whatever chinks they have in their own defensive armour.  I would like to think that Bruce will be approaching this fixture by concentrating as much on Brentford’s threat as much as our own, but sadly I think we’ll set-up as exactly as we do for every game, just hoping that our individuals produce.

[willenhall villa]

Hopefully we’ll play players in their correct positions. Yeah right!
RDL at right back with either Axel or Tommy next to Chester.
A midfield of Jack, Hourihane and McGinn. Let them play and they’ll do both jobs.

I’m a side note, Ryan Woods missed the first two games for Brentford due to Swansea not meeting the £6m valuation of Woods. He was only on the beach v Shef Wed.

[Axl Rose]

A comfortable 2-0 win for Brentford.

[Drummond]

Jedinak playing at all makes us so one dimensional.  He can't run, and he can't pass very well, so even though I'm not a fan of Bjarnason at all, he's the better option, as at least he gets around the pitch.

Nah, we don't want Bjarnason at Centre Half!

[Rudy Can't Fail]

A home win will go some way to forgiving and brushing under the carpet the surrender and cowardly tactics at the weekend.
Probably the only thing I love about the Championship is there's another game almost immediately.

FTF

[brontebilly]

Agreed on dropping Jedinak and getting Hourihane back in.

[mr underhill]

and it's a massive no to Elphick anywhere. Axel must be played in position otherwise it's pointless him being here.

[Paulo]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/football-league-blog/2018/aug/08/football-league-blog-brentford-happy-own-way-promotion

Interesting article on Brentford. Always liked Dean Smith and more so now. A couple of quotes

'A hybrid of careful planning, forensic scouting and sage spending is fundamental to their recruitment, headed by the technical director, Robert Rowan, in tandem with the co-directors Rasmus Ankersen, also the chairman of FC Midtjylland, the Danish club owned by Benham, and Phil Giles, a maths graduate with a PhD in statistics. Brentford buy not only by numbers but personality; they do their homework, extensive due diligence and referencing'........Imagine if we'd had this kind of planning with the money we've spent over the last few years.

'Brentford are fluid, teeming with pace and power, typified by the zest of Romaine Sawyers or Rico Henry, the England Under-20 international'....Pretty much the Anti Bruce.

Also they don't have a captain!

I'd like to think we can beat them and we have the players, just not the manager so 1-1 draw I think. 

[tomd2103]

and it's a massive no to Elphick anywhere. Axel must be played in position otherwise it's pointless him being here.

Agree.  I would play him centre half with Chester and play one of the multitude of RBs we have got in that position or play Taylor at LB and move Hutton back across.  I still think we need to bring a CB in and that Tuanzebe should be cover for if they or Chester gets injured.

[tomd2103]

When there is a specific player to mark in midfield then Jedinak’s yer man. A bit like Carlos Sanchez was. Or just acting as a shield to the back four. Ask him to be a midfield dynamo, especially now, you’re asking for trouble. And that’s before we get talking about him being played out of position.

He's best utilised when the opposition have got a target man striker and pump long balls up to him (like Blues did last season).  He sits just in front of them and the aerial battles are then between those two, which allows our CBs to drop off a bit and sweep up.  He is very effective against those kind of teams.   

[Damo70]

Villa cruising to a 2-0 win until a goalkeeper error makes it 2-1 and a nervy finish and win.