Aston Villa v Sheff Weds Post-Match Thread

[Clampy]

I thought Sheffield deserved more than their two goals yesterday. We didn't deserve much at all. I thought Bolaise should have come on just after we got the equaliser whilst the place was rocking after Mcginn's goal. That's the first time i've heard Bruce Out chants at home and to be honest, he can't complain too much.

[Tom_Mc9?]

Its atrocious. Same errors week in, week out.

McGinn played okay and scored a wonderful goal but what else was there? Aimless passing, shoddy defending, pathetic, toothless attack.

People (Bruce and the media) keep saying ‘who is better?’ but actually I can’t think of many managers who would serve up such a smorgasbord of shit every match.

[Dave P]

If you give Barry Bannan the freedom of Villa Park, what do you expect. No-one within 10 yards of him all afternoon. The team is built around him and yet no-one got anywhere near him. It was like a royal visit.

Yep. Same with Woods when he was at Brentford. No attention to detail whatsoever.

He does what he does, and if he we don't fuck him off, he will do for us.

Compare this to attention Jack got. Rarely had fewer then 2 players around him. Almost as if you stop Jack, you stop Villa (sarcastic face thing)

[Dave P]

I thought Sheffield deserved more than their two goals yesterday. We didn't deserve much at all. I thought Bolaise should have come on just after we got the equaliser whilst the place was rocking after Mcginn's goal. That's the first time i've heard Bruce Out chants at home and to be honest, he can't complain too much.

Spot on, word for word.

[itbrvilla]

I was amazed at the amount of people around me who were blaming the keeper for the winner.

[Mister E]

Slept on it and it remains as horrible as it was in real time.  The single fundamental defect in our slide to where we now are is that we play too deep, we move the ball too slowly and we make unforced errors.

Yesterday was typical.  We try to mimic top flight teams by retaining possession with backwards and sideways passing.  For that to work you need players with the pace and technique to make the killer pass or the killer run into the heart of the opposition.  Our players are not good enough for that so we shuffle the ball about until it is hoofed forward or we lose possession.
We would be infinitely more successful if we played Route 1 with strength and pace.  Leicester won the Premiership doing it.

As somebody said, we are so easy to play against.  Let us shuffle the ball about until we either lump it aimlessly (Yes Hutton I am looking at you) or misplace a five yard pass (and you Jedinak).  It is what we have become.

The big, big problem is the defence. In McGinn, Grealish and Hourihane we have a midfield bursting with talent, but in front of a Frankenstein’s Monster of a defence, it hugely affects their play. They all have to drop deep to collect the ball, which means they’re often dispossessed not far from our area. Jedinak was utterly pathetic yesterday, and Chester is suffering for it too.

Agree with all of this, but there’s something else.
It’s the combination of (i) aimless passing across the back, (ii) slow speed of thinking in releasing the ball, (iii) lack of movement upfront, and (iv) midfielders who are not breaking quickly forward very often.
When we play 2 wingers (of which I’m not really a fan), we have to release them early; we don’t. And, we need to have players haring into the box; we don’t.
When Bruce attacks the fans, he insults us because - based on what i read here - many seem to have a better idea than him about what is going wrong and therefore what needs to be done.

[Walmley_Villa]

As my son said to me Bruce's whole game plan revolves around hoping for individual bits of brilliance. We never control games.

Yesterday Wednesday outworked us which is unforgivable.

At the end if the day we have very little chance of going up as we have no defence. A new coach needs to drill the team to keep the ball as far up the pitch as possible for the majority of the game. Bruce just wants us to pass to wingers hoping that eventually one of their crosses will come off.

[Tom_Mc9?]

Incidentally if Bolasie keeps fannying around waiting for the ball to come to him instead of moving towards it, he’ll get on my wick quite quickly. Got dispossessed about three times yesterday the sane way. I hope it’s part of his recovery from injury that he’ll overcome.

[Mister E]

Slept on it and it remains as horrible as it was in real time.  The single fundamental defect in our slide to where we now are is that we play too deep, we move the ball too slowly and we make unforced errors.

Yesterday was typical.  We try to mimic top flight teams by retaining possession with backwards and sideways passing.  For that to work you need players with the pace and technique to make the killer pass or the killer run into the heart of the opposition.  Our players are not good enough for that so we shuffle the ball about until it is hoofed forward or we lose possession.
We would be infinitely more successful if we played Route 1 with strength and pace.  Leicester won the Premiership doing it.

As somebody said, we are so easy to play against.  Let us shuffle the ball about until we either lump it aimlessly (Yes Hutton I am looking at you) or misplace a five yard pass (and you Jedinak).  It is what we have become.

The big, big problem is the defence. In McGinn, Grealish and Hourihane we have a midfield bursting with talent, but in front of a Frankenstein’s Monster of a defence, it hugely affects their play. They all have to drop deep to collect the ball, which means they’re often dispossessed not far from our area. Jedinak was utterly pathetic yesterday, and Chester is suffering for it too.

And, another thing.
The defence will never be reliable while (a) he changes the line up every other week, and (b) he plays a nonCB alongside a right-footed leftback.
Once again yesterday, both fullbacks were caught out of position time and time again. Opposing teams must love playing us when our wings are so vulnerable.

[brian green]

Agree that the core of our malaise is the goalkeeper, the full backs and the central defenders.  Because they, with the semi exception of James Chester are such poor players and yes Nyland might get better, our midfield has to shoulder defence responsibilities leaving us deeper than we should be all the time.  Remember those wonderful days when Martin Laursen or Olaf Mellberg would come barrelling up the centre of the field into the opposition half?  Mile Jedinak would be looking across at his mate in the dugout to see if he should cross the half way line.  Then get dispossessed.

[Richard E]

Nyland actually did all right yesterday.

[Richard]

It wasn't just the defence yesterday the midfield let them come steaming through far too easily especially second half - I'd like a return to 4 1 4 1 it worked ok last season - yesterday we had Grealish right side left side central, the shape was all over the place.

[Drummond]

Don't worry, the players will soon get to know each other, they're all new, it's like having a whole new squad, once they've worked out how to play with each other well be there or thereabouts, Jedinak is a CB for certain, you only have to see how we played against Rotherham to know we'll be ok.

There's always been a contingent that won't accept me...

Wanker.

[GarTomas]

Couldn’t make it yesterday but seems like the only thing I missed was the inevitable crowd turning on Bruce.  Only surprised it has taken so long.

[olaftab]

My mood is as crap as the weather. How can we be still so shit after spending a fortune since being relegated? There is no end to this misery.