Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Match Threads & Player Ratings => Topic started by: PeterWithesShin on December 13, 2016, 09:36:49 PM
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Garbage
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Wankspangles all of them.
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Booooooooooo
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Just pathetic.
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Absolute rubbish from start to finish, but should have had a penalty right at the end. Subs far too late.
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It's very hard to win games with 7 men. And players played in weird positions. And without a midfield.
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Well that was fucking dire
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No wish to see Gabby or Westwood ever again, please.
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Fucking disgraceful from the manager and pretty much the whole team.
Will we EVER do away games ?
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We were terrible. Kodja and Grealish were poor but I've seen enough good things recently to accept them having a stinker now and again. But we have a number of players, including our full backs, who are never anything other than average.
Big concerns are around Elphick, Golini, Westwood (still, sigh) who have never looked good enough.
Gabby is like an anti-player. He makes the team worse when he plays, it's absolutely mystifying that he is playing let alone starting games when that is what he offers. Bruce will squander our goodform
and good will if he keeps including him.
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Disappointing, let's hope Bruce can see what everyone else can.
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Top shite tonight.
Team and manager, everything was wrong. Bruce should be too experienced to be doing the cramming of attacking talent in to a team with no platform to attack. Very poor stuff. Westwank back again, Bacuna twiddling his thumbs and Tshibola ignored for unknown reasons. Games are controlled and won in the midfield, we have one midfielder.
Very very poor, worrying selections from Brucey tonight.
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Absolutely diabolical. That must be the end of Gabby.
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Fuckin useless fuckers
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I've two words to say about that performance.
Shite
(and what's the other one?)
Shite
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Promotion your having a larf, that is one of the most inept performances I have witnessed no drive no skill
and it all started with team selection and that is down to Bruce.
Until he can get it through his head that Gabby is finished and Westwood is not up to it then we are stuffed. Alarmed by Kodja's performance I wonder if he is carrying an injury because he has been below par for a couple of weeks or has his head dropped playing with the likes of Ayew and Grealish who strolled through this game.
Norwich were rubbish and to watch a Villa side being beaten by them was hard to watch.
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Bad from Bruce again today. For all the reasons others have said.
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Shocking from start to finish - including Bruce's starting eleven. Played shit against Wigan and got away with it, played shit tonight and didn't. I can understand Bruce's pragmatism in saying if we're paying Agbonlahor £50k let's see if he can actually contribute something, but the bottom line is that he can't. He's a washed up, fat, has-been. And don't even get me started on Westwood. Surely Bacuna and/or Tshibola can offer more than that?
The shape and balance of the team is just wrong. We've got McCormack who scored 42 goals in 2 seasons at Fulham, Kodjia who got 20 in a season at Bristol, and even Gestede who got 22 in a season at Blackburn but none of them is pulling up trees for us. We need to set the team up to play to their strengths, and we're just not doing it. But at least we've got Flabby to fall back on - 1 goal in 32 games - shit hot and just what we need
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Why do I stay up so late for such crap ?
I am a twat, nothing changes
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Westwood. An absolute cock of a player. A fucking charlatan.
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Forget promotion. Let it go and turn this rabble into a team for next year.
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Absolute shit. Haven't been that pissed off for a very, very long time (years). Everyone played shit. And Potato managed shit as well. All round shit.
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Despite an awful performance that was a definite penalty for the push on McCormack.
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Black mark against Bruce tonight. Got pretty much everything wrong. 10 mins from going behind to making any subs is piss poor when it was so obviously not working. Not making any changes before the goal was as bad as you could see their goal was coming.
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Piss poor, midfield a priority
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I think picking Agbonlahor was a massive factor in a terrible performance by almost everyone. He's devoid of any ability whatever and the players know this, so his presence is a demotivater for the other players.
I like Bruce but I'm baffled and disappointed by his attempts to rehabilitate a lost cause.
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it must really suck the life out of you as a player, when you see Agbonlahor is starting.
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Fucking joke,Norwich on a Bad run and the manager under pressure and what do we do,turn up and stand off them and let them control the game. What Bruce sees in agbonlahor God only knows,him and Ayew clearly not interested in playing for us so get rid. Only player who looks half decent is Amavi. All the top sides won just to top the night off. Hope Bruce gets stuck into them and sorts the system out before another tv game Sunday.
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i have to say everyone was right on here when we saw that lineup, We all knew the outcome was going to be, So why Can't Bruce see it.
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An utter shambles from all concerned. Its hard to believe they could play that bad. Steve Bruce has to accept some of the blame with his safety first policy. Just like Leeds, if we had gone and got the first goal then the game is ours. Bruce must play another midfielder so surely Bacuna has to come into the team at QPR. A very early start for me on Sunday to get to London, so they f.....g better not play like that again.
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I knew we'd lose when I saw the midfield.
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Pathetic. Embarrassing. Fuck off Villa
How many times have we been live on Sky this season? And how many have we won? None.
Why the fuck are Gabby and Westwood STILL getting a game for fucks sake?!
What do people still see in Ayew, the lazy, uninterested fucker?!
And what the fuck had Tshibola done to not even get on the bench in that squad?
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I just wish we had people who could run
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Can i ask
how the fuck is that useless fat waster even in the squad
how does Westwood start in the first 11 - its a complete waste
why does Kodji play on the wing
why cant Tish make the squad
Is Bacuna that bad - any worse than hutton or westwood?
this team will not make the play offs unless sB signs three big players in Jan
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No fight and no urgency, the two things you expect from a Bruce team at the very least.
Yeah it was a penalty at the end, i'm suprised the ref didn't give it as he couldn't wait to give Norwich cheap free kicks for the last 20 minutes but make no mistake, we were fucking rancid.
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Probably the worst we've played since Preston. We didn't look like scoring at all and Gabby was just a waste of time.
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Two very poor defenders. Hutton and Elphick. No tempo. No width no creativity no shots on target. Just listening to Bruce who has been talking refreshingly honest.
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It annoys me that Bruce seems more concerned with safety first in away games rather than trying to win them.
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We so badly need energy and dynamism in the midfield.
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At least Bruce agrees on Sky that it was 'pathetic' .
But why play that line up in the first place? We've been poor the last 3 games and lack so much tempo and drive.
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It's got to be back to 433 proper at QPR. And let Jedinak rest because he was back to his exhausted earlier season form today
Really don't know what to do with our forward line. Kodjia has been off form but the other centre forward options are worse
RHM has to get ahead of gabby soon surely or we'll lose him
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It annoys me that Bruce seems more concerned with safety first in away games rather than trying to win them.
Especially against such bang average opposition.
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You lose games .... and sometimes its just the way it goes......but tonight was a complete disgrace. We might not of even bothered showing up.... saved the fans the money and just given them the three points totally tepid, toothless and gutless.
How can you win the game without even bothering taking a shot. We have no direction going forward, no pattern of play moving forward, poor passes, poor touches it was just dreadful.
Jedinak grafted and to be fair so did westwood, amavi was well involved despite making a few errors the rest of them utter garbage.
I am sick of seeing Kodija, Ayew and Grealish bring the ball down slow the play so thus allowing them to get back and then trying to run through 3 men. Lift your head and pass the ball, play as a bloody team and stop trying to be the big man - JOKE.
How come the art of the cross has died?? We cant beat the first man its terrible. We had more threat just hoofing the ball in the last minute than the previous 89 minutes. Gestede is one of the best headers of the ball in the league and yet how many crosses do we feed to him. Why have him at the club if were not going to cross the ball. Where was Kodija how are we getting anything out of him.
I don't want to see Ayew in a Villa team again the greediest player I have ever seen - I want him gone. To get promoted you need characters and team spirit and in the final third we are severely lacking in players who care, have a brain and are prepared to die for the cause.
To sum it up we won a corner at the end and spent 15 seconds dilly dallying leading to the full time whistle. Total joke.
Least Bruce has said it like it is. He is seething. Think he is working out a lot of these players are big time charlies with no spunk!!
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That was truly grotesque. Villa find new depths every now and then, tonight felt like another.
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Gollini 5
Hutton 3
Chester 5
Elphick 3
Amavi 5
Jedinak 3
Westwood 3
Grealish 3
Ayew 2
Kodjia 2
Gabby 1 (That's for managing to touch the ball)
Kind of glad Ayew will soon be off, the guy doesn't do a lot does he?
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An utter shambles from all concerned. Its hard to believe they could play that bad. Steve Bruce has to accept some of the blame with his safety first policy. Just like Leeds, if we had gone and got the first goal then the game is ours. Bruce must play another midfielder so surely Bacuna has to come into the team at QPR. A very early start for me on Sunday to get to London, so they f.....g better not play like that again.
Hmmm, was it safety first? I'm not so sure.
4 attackers and a 1 man midfield.
I agree that Bacuna should come in, but for me it should be for Hutton.
Tisha needs to get back in the team in place of Westwood.
But then that's when our midfield options dry up.
2 quality midfielders needed in January.
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I knew we'd lose when I saw the midfield.
You're a better man than me. I spent 90 minutes looking for a midfield.
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Gollini 6 - solid enough I guess, a mouse stuck to his line when crosses come in mind
Hutton 4 - tries hard but a rubbish footballer, same report after every game
Elphick 5 - done early in the first half, should have closed down space better for goal
Chester 5 - solid enough but lost confidence after bad mistake for Brady's missed change
Amavi 4 - defended ok but is in the team for his supposed quality on the ball, yet to see it, stupid mistake in first half could have cost us
Jedinak 5 - solid first half but ran out of legs in the second, not much point keeping him on when chasing a game
Westwood 3 - hid
Grealish 4 - anonymous
Ayew - see Grealish
Kodjia - see Westwood
Flabs - see Ayew
Adamoah - see Ayew
McCormuck - see Flabs
Gestede - hopefully one of his last appearances for the club
we have players still taking the piss out of the club - Ayew, Flabs, McCormuck, Richards
we have players still nowhere near good enough for the club even at this level - Hutton, Gestede, Westwood, Gardner, Cissokho
we have players that need reminding that this is the biggest club they will ever play for, they arent good enough to play anywhere better - Amavi, Grealish, Kodjia, Chester
Steve Bruce's team selections, tactics and substitutions are as amateur as any of the charlatans we have had over the past 5-6 years
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Not going to catch Brighton now. 50,000 of us at Wembley in May.
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I've two words to say about that performance.
Shite
(and what's the other one?)
Shite
Sorry,I knew I had heard that gem before.
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No point having all those strikers when we haven't got a single creative player in the squad.
We lack pace in the team, we're very one dimensional and play with no tempo.
Our passing is diabolical.
We play with no urgency, even when losing. Everything is very half arsed and slow, summed up by Ayew.
Gollini, Elphick, Hutton, Westwood, Gabby. Not good enough. How is Gabby still playing for us? He was crap three years ago, he's very very crap now.
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You lose games .... and sometimes its just the way it goes......but tonight was a complete disgrace. We might not of even bothered showing up.... saved the fans the money and just given them the three points totally tepid, toothless and gutless.
How can you win the game without even bothering taking a shot. We have no direction going forward, no pattern of play moving forward, poor passes, poor touches it was just dreadful.
Jedinak grafted and to be fair so did westwood, amavi was well involved despite making a few errors the rest of them utter garbage.
I am sick of seeing Kodija, Ayew and Grealish bring the ball down slow the play so thus allowing them to get back and then trying to run through 3 men. Lift your head and pass the ball, play as a bloody team and stop trying to be the big man - JOKE.
How come the art of the cross has died?? We cant beat the first man its terrible. We had more threat just hoofing the ball in the last minute than the previous 89 minutes. Gestede is one of the best headers of the ball in the league and yet how many crosses do we feed to him. Why have him at the club if were not going to cross the ball. Where was Kodija how are we getting anything out of him.
I don't want to see Ayew in a Villa team again the greediest player I have ever seen - I want him gone. To get promoted you need characters and team spirit and in the final third we are severely lacking in players who care, have a brain and are prepared to die for the cause.
To sum it up we won a corner at the end and spent 15 seconds dilly dallying leading to the full time whistle. Total joke.
Least Bruce has said it like it is. He is seething. Think he is working out a lot of these players are big time charlies with no spunk!!
Sorry to quote all of this, but it's bang on.
The forwards slowing the game down and allowing teams to defend in numbers has been a real problem.
Pace, movement and incisive passing is whats needed.
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Honeymoon period is over , Bruce .
Pathetic team selections for last two away games.
Pick a side to WIN a game on Sunday please.
Hats off to the travelling support .
Lost wages , at least half a day off , cost to get there plus match ticket - and you get there to see the moron is starting Gabby .
B
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93 mins for a shot on target. I've seen some pretty average players over the years but this collection are amongst the worst.
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Not going to catch Brighton now. 50,000 of us at Wembley in May.
We won't get near the playoffs if we continue to play like that.
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I'd make the fuckers find their own way home.
I pity the poor bastards who paid to watch that effort from the manager and the team, appalling & unforgivable.
But Bruce is as culpable as any of the 11 on the pitch.
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At least Bruce agrees on Sky that it was 'pathetic' .
But why play that line up in the first place? We've been poor the last 3 games and lack so much tempo and drive.
if it was pathetic, why didnt he change it at 45 mins, 50 mins, 55 mins, 60 mins, 65 mins
why did he select such a lobsided team in the first place
no way is he getting away with it tonight either
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Gollini 5
Hutton 3
Chester 5
Elphick 3
Amavi 5
Jedinak 3
Westwood 3
Grealish 3
Ayew 2
Kodjia 2
Gabby 1 (That's for managing to touch the ball)
Kind of glad Ayew will soon be off, the guy doesn't do a lot does he?
I agree with all those, Chester and Amavi the pick of a shit ****** bunch.
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A rubbish performance from an average side in a shite division. We won't be in the prem next season which is a blessing really. How many players do we have that could be considered good players in a mid table premiership team ? I honestly don't think we have one.
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We were never going to win that game with that shambolic line up. What on earth is he picking Agbonlahor for? He's one player that just isn't going to come good, know matter what Bruce thinks. Why leave it so long for any subs? Utterly fucking hopeless, that Bruce, as bad as Preston away, and that was pretty terrible.
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I had sort of hoped that all the graft that went into keeping it at 0-0 in a piss-poor first-half performance was going to be rewarded by the manager getting stuck-in to them at half-time and seeing a huge improvement.
Some f**kin' chance!
Oh, and did you know that Agbonlahor has lost 6kg in his bid to show that he's worth fifty grand a week, then justifies his selection with 2 ten metre sprints in the first 45 minutes? If Bruce insists on selecting him then there should be no surprises that we will more dross like tonight.
That was so, so disappointing.
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The only positive thing to take from this game. This must be the very last time we see Westwood and Gabby in a Villa shirt.
At least for Westwood there is NO excuse. How you can play for 90 min in the very heart of the pitch and accomplish fuck all is mindboggling.
He didn't even do his usual back-side passing routine...he just wasn't there. I saw him do one positive action (nod over a defender to Ayew in their box).
Not a single tackle, not a single block, no support for offensive...if Bruce watches game-tapes at all. If there is any type of postgame analysis...they never pick him again! Not even for the bench!
Draft a junior. The ladies team at villa is pretty good..they must have 2-3 midfielders that is tougher then Westie! Enough is enough!
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Not going to catch Brighton now. 50,000 of us at Wembley in May.
We won't get near the playoffs if we continue to play like that.
I wouldn't want us in the play-offs, with the slightest risk of being promoted with this squad of players.
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This is in the top 3 of sheer shitness over the last6 years given the oppositions form. when will it end?
Has a club ever spent so much money in the last 18 months and been so absolute rubbish? Different owners, different managers, different players signed and still the same result.
Have we ever played well under Bruce? He seems more interested in being Able to rehabilitate Flabby than the good of the team
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Not going to catch Brighton now. 50,000 of us at Wembley in May.
No chance. We will finish where we are now
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Please not another Christmas collapse. I am not sure I can take it yet again. Please no.
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I have no idea what his obsession is with Gabby but it needs to stop, he's not coming back, he's been no good for 5 or so years,it's not like he's had a bad season. HE'S FINISHED. Wake up Bruce.
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It's all well and good Bruce being pissed off after the game, why pick that 11 in the first place? Why not change it before going behind when it had been a failure for an hour and the Norwich goal was coming? Why wait for 10 minutes after they had scored to make any changes? Fuck me i'm pissed off with tonight. I don't expect to win every game, I don't expect to go unbeaten to the end of the season. I also don't expect to see the levels of total incompetence I saw on and off the pitch tonight.
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Why did Bruce wait for them to score before he brought subs on? it was very clear that Norwich were getting on top and yet he left it with twenty left.
Gabby should have been off at half time and Westwood shortly after (how he stayed on all game is a mystery). You can give Bruce a bit of space because these are not his players but the effort has clearly dropped off and it's his job to make sure it doesn't.
I want players in the side that put in all game and run their socks off so until they change their ways I would leave Ayew and Grealish (who is wasting his talent) out, both good enough but bone idle.
We have players who are proven goal scorers in this division I hope Bruce can find the key.
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Why the fuck do we have to change our line up and tactics depending whether we are at home or away. The quality of this division is shit and with what we've spent we shouldn't have to worry about the opposition. ..they should worry about us.
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I spent a fair chunk of today really looking forward to tonight's game.
Hoped we would kick-on and learn from Saturday's poor performance and get another run started.
Will I ever learn?
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As others have said He's putting a square peg into a round hole with Gabby, he's just a useless lump now. He offers nothing.
We've got some good players but no cohesiveness. McCormack, Ayew, Gabby and Gestede all featured tonight and none of them look like they fit into the team. A real back to the drawing board performance.
A team regularly featuring Gollini, Hutton, Elphick, Westwood and Gabby will not get us promotion.
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I'm just baffled at how Bacuna and Tishbola can't get a sniff in that Midfield. Our Ball retention is so poor, Jack never got a sniff, they just dominated our midfield. It seemed like a one man midfield with Jedinak...Bruce got that wrong tonight with Gabby starting. Kodija isn't a wide player and loses the ball far too often, ditto Ayew.
Nothing drastic will change until we get 2 or 3 decent midfielders in January...hope we can grind out a few wins until then..
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Why does Bruce persist with this away formation and line up.
Very disappointing. Players need to attack more and not leave central striker isolated . It was lone unfit man uo front at times. Jedinak did work of 2 people in midfield. Spearing would have been up for it tonight driving on and probing and harrying thats what we needed from the front 3 .Norwich were lacking confidence and out if form perfect opportunity to pressure them. I felt there was an inital lethargy in team players a bit too casual. The full backs and jedinak gave 90 minute performance. I think are on right did his job and what he could too.
Qpr Will be far easier match as despite their poor form norwich are still a prem league team and one of too teams in league.
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The players clearly did not perform to-night but this was a defeat orchestrated by Bruce. His team selection, tactics and lack of game management are all a cause for concern. I didn't see his post match interview, but I bet he didn't admit that he f-cked up!
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Gollini 5
Hutton 3
Chester 5
Elphick 3
Amavi 5
Jedinak 3
Westwood 3
Grealish 3
Ayew 2
Kodjia 2
Gabby 1 (That's for managing to touch the ball)
Kind of glad Ayew will soon be off, the guy doesn't do a lot does he?
I agree with all those, Chester and Amavi the pick of a shit c*** bunch.
Awful, awful but Amavi? I thought first half he was exceptional. He made one clumsy error but he was a joy to watch.
Terrible team performance - I put that one at Bruce's door. He should have changed it before the goal, we were being overwhelmed
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How seriously do the players really take it when they see a turd like Agbonlahor breeze back into the starting XI.
He wasn't out injured. He just got bored with football for a bit.
Ayew, Kodija and co must feel like they're at clown college. Which only partly explains tonight's shitfest.
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Not pissed off or surprised. No chance of promotion with that team, I'm hoping Bruce gets a centre half and a couple of strong midfielders in January, or brings in Tshibola from the cold.
Honeymoon period is over, time for some hard graft.
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Another season in the Championship it is then.
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Bacuna must be awful in training.
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Gollini 5
Hutton 3
Chester 5
Elphick 3
Amavi 5
Jedinak 3
Westwood 3
Grealish 3
Ayew 2
Kodjia 2
Gabby 1 (That's for managing to touch the ball)
Kind of glad Ayew will soon be off, the guy doesn't do a lot does he?
I agree with all those, Chester and Amavi the pick of a shit c*** bunch.
Awful, awful but Amavi? I thought first half he was exceptional. He made one clumsy error but he was a joy to watch.
Terrible team performance - I put that one at Bruce's door. He should have changed it before the goal, we were being overwhelmed
I meant Amavi and Chester were our 'better' performers.
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I cant believe Tish doesn't get a look in, he's looked promising when he's played (but then again so did Elphick for a while).
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Thinking case of too many players not enough link up and attacking flair . Carried players today. As well as those who hid and coasted .
2 up front kodjia and another and two wide.
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I'd sell Ayew in January and sign a proper winger or creative midfielder. He's too slow, he slows our play and any counter attacks down. He can't/won't pass. Assists and goals record is poor. He should be tearing this league up but the truth is he doesn't do anything.
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Bacuna must be awful in training.
He was awful in our first team for long enough
to be fair he was one of our better performers this season, gets injured and has hardly got a minute since
Tshibola seemed very raw in his games for us thus far but to be frozen out completely while Gardner and Westwood consistently put in anonymous performances
At least Bacuna and Tshibola are athletes, which counts for a lot in this league, we must have one of the slowest teams in the division
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Why do I stay up so late for such crap ?
I am a twat, nothing changes
Morrissey?
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Until we have a midfield that can out compete shite like Mulumbu then we're going nowhere. No platform to bring our attackers into play.
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Not seen the match and only found out the result when I got into my car at 10. Pathetic was the word that came to my mind and looks as though those of you who watched it can confirm that.
Bruce needs to get a grip here and use what he has in a better way. We need to give him a transfer window to see how he can reshape this team but so far I am not convinced.
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Not going to catch Brighton now. 50,000 of us at Wembley in May.
No sorry but there is going to be no Wembley. Our away form is relegation material.
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Until we have a midfield that can out compete shite like Mulumbu then we're going nowhere. No platform to bring our attackers into play.
Exactly this.
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You lose games .... and sometimes its just the way it goes......but tonight was a complete disgrace. We might not of even bothered showing up.... saved the fans the money and just given them the three points totally tepid, toothless and gutless.
How can you win the game without even bothering taking a shot. We have no direction going forward, no pattern of play moving forward, poor passes, poor touches it was just dreadful.
Jedinak grafted and to be fair so did westwood, amavi was well involved despite making a few errors the rest of them utter garbage.
I am sick of seeing Kodija, Ayew and Grealish bring the ball down slow the play so thus allowing them to get back and then trying to run through 3 men. Lift your head and pass the ball, play as a bloody team and stop trying to be the big man - JOKE.
How come the art of the cross has died?? We cant beat the first man its terrible. We had more threat just hoofing the ball in the last minute than the previous 89 minutes. Gestede is one of the best headers of the ball in the league and yet how many crosses do we feed to him. Why have him at the club if were not going to cross the ball. Where was Kodija how are we getting anything out of him.
I don't want to see Ayew in a Villa team again the greediest player I have ever seen - I want him gone. To get promoted you need characters and team spirit and in the final third we are severely lacking in players who care, have a brain and are prepared to die for the cause.
To sum it up we won a corner at the end and spent 15 seconds dilly dallying leading to the full time whistle. Total joke.
Least Bruce has said it like it is. He is seething. Think he is working out a lot of these players are big time charlies with no spunk!!
This.
Once again, we have no plan of attack. It makes me laugh all those wanting to blame gabby but we could have had Messi or Ronaldo there and they would have been with their hands on their hips.
It's not the midfield (as crap as it may be, it's no bloody idea what to do/how to attack. Pathetic.
I really wish I didn't care. Honestly, the only thing that keeps me going, once again, are the fans. The rest is shite.
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I'd sell Ayew in January and sign a proper winger or creative midfielder. He's too slow, he slows our play and any counter attacks down. He can't/won't pass. Assists and goals record is poor. He should be tearing this league up but the truth is he doesn't do anything.
Take on three men, lose the ball... repeat = Ayew.
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Not seen the match and only found out the result when I got into my car.
The last 30 seconds were good.
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Interesting comment from Bruce...after 10 games!
"Having seen that I can see why the club decided to make a change and bring me in."
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I'd sell Ayew in January and sign a proper winger or creative midfielder. He's too slow, he slows our play and any counter attacks down. He can't/won't pass. Assists and goals record is poor. He should be tearing this league up but the truth is he doesn't do anything.
Take on three men, lose the ball... repeat = Ayew.
Same goes for Kodjia and St. Grealish. All fart no shit.
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The most chilling thing a manager can say when confronted by the basket case we had become is that everybody starts with a clean sheet. It is as hackneyed as it is frightening. We all knew Gabby was finished as a footballer, we all knew our midfield was inept and weak, we knew Hutton crosses like a JCB, Richards is washed up. All this and much more has been witnessed time and time again but we still have a manager and coaches who think they are God and can turn Westwood into Fabregas and Gabby into Vardy. So the crazy team selections and lack of tactical nous and wrong/late substitutions carry on, just like they did under McLeish, Lambert, Sherwood, Garde, Black and RDM. That performance tonight could have been plucked from any point in last two or three seasons.
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Have we actually played well for 90 minutes under Bruce yet? Best we've played was probably the last 25-30 minutes at Brighton.
Poor against Wolves, Blues, Leeds, Norwich. The games we've won we've been poor for large parts aswell but ground out wins.
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Have we actually played well for 90 minutes under Bruce yet? Best we've played was probably the last 25-30 minutes at Brighton.
Poor against Wolves, Blues, Leeds, Norwich. The games we've won we've been poor for large parts aswell but ground out wins.
I can't say I disagree with any of this QV.
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I've had a lovely evening, great pub, no TV, great music, excellent company and nice beers. Just got in and seen the score, reckon I will do that more often!
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Interesting comment from Bruce...after 10 games!
"Having seen that I can see why the club decided to make a change and bring me in."
I can understand him wanting to blame others for our shite team selection, tactics and lack of basics..after all, he's early to the managerial game. Stretch Steve. You're fooling nobody.
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Interesting comment from Bruce...after 10 games!
"Having seen that I can see why the club decided to make a change and bring me in."
ffs, this is sherwood esque stuff from Bruce
the club decided to make a change 10 weeks ago?
clearly looking to be backed with funds in Jan for his players and another bomb squad to be created
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Unedifying, disjointed and incompetent. We are going absolutely nowhere, we are every inch a Championship side. How much did we spend on attacking players in the summer again? At least the manager can see what we see, but can he do anything about it?
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Not seen the match and only found out the result when I got into my car at 10. Pathetic was the word that came to my mind and looks as though those of you who watched it can confirm that.
Bruce needs to get a grip here and use what he has in a better way. We need to give him a transfer window to see how he can reshape this team but so far I am not convinced.
There are fundamental flaws in the make up of the squad. Our out and out centre forward options are Agbonlahor and Gestede - not good enough. If Kodjia plays up there, he needs a partner which means we have to play with two in midfield. With Tshibola and Bacuna seemingly out of the picture, that leaves Jedinak, Gardner and Westwood - none of who are mobile enough to play in a two. The squad needs rebalancing.
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Can we get some perspective here We have lost 2 games away from home against teams presently above us Leeds and Norwich. Let's not start throwing our dollies out the pram just yet!
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Perspective? We didn't have a shot on target today, we played shite in both games, we showed no urgency or fight in both games, thats alright though because both teams are above us.
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The manager is obviously aware that we can’t competitively compete in midfield (it is plainly obvious to the whole universe). In other positions he has a number of talented individuals. Against a poor team like Norwich he should be able to compensate for the shortcomings by adopting tactics to profit from our strengths. He and the players failed miserably tonight.
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Perspective? We didn't have a shot on target today, we played shite in both games, we showed no urgency or fight in both games, thats alright though because both teams are above us.
Cast your mind back to our one win in 10 under RDM and the utter shite prior to that we know Bruce is capable of getting us up let's just trust he can do it if not season then next.
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So does that mean he's exempt from criticism when he gets it wrong?
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There's no reason we should be turning in two horrible displays. In both game we looked utterly devoid of ideas and creativity, but for one moment of magic from Jack. And Steve, fuck me stop blaming anyone else. There has to be a gas leak at Villa because after a few weeks every manager goes fucking mental and starts spouting utter bollocks.
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Perspective? We didn't have a shot on target today, we played shite in both games, we showed no urgency or fight in both games, thats alright though because both teams are above us.
Cast your mind back to our one win in 10 under RDM and the utter shite prior to that we know Bruce is capable of getting us up let's just trust he can do it if not season then next.
He'll be out most likely if doesn't take us up.
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So does that mean he's exempt from criticism when he gets it wrong?
No! But I am a bit perplexed how suddenly the expectation is that we are going from beating nobody to beating everybody we come up against When in reality we've lost 2 games away from home under Bruce
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If we had played well for periods in those games or showed some sort of plan were by we looked like we knew what we were doing then so be it, I could handle the defeats, but from those two games there is not one single positive we can cling onto.
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Soon as I saw the lineup I groaned. 15 mins in and it's turned to a sigh. It's so frustrating to see us play utter shite that to us is blatantly obvious but not to SB.
Why:
Is flabby starting?
Is Kodija pushed out wide?
Is Tshibola not getting a start if we have this 'clean slate' bollocks?
Is not 'going for it' in away games ala' Brighton
Are we not getting crosses in for Gestede?
Can't we keep possession more than 2-3 passes?
Can't you give Westwood and Hutton extra training on passing, tackling and shooting?
I resign to my cup not half empty but fucking kicked up in the air and splattered all over the wall.
Change it round for fuck sake vs Hoops.
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It shows you how piss poor this league is when you can get away with only two defeats in nine playing the standard we have and starting with 8 players every week. Westwood I just don't get it I really don't. Ayew looks like he has already got a move lined up. And Hutton just well atrocious.
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https://audioboom.com/posts/5393023-steve-bruce-on-the-1-0-defeat-at-norwich-i-won-t-put-up-with-performances-like-that
I don't disagree with anything he said and stuff about him saying 'I can see why I'm here' is being taken out of context. He just meant that the players weren't turning up so the last manager got the boot. He got a taste of it tonight and he's promising changes.
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But he picked a team that most of us could see would be shit. Why can't he see it? I like him but Jesus he's picking Gabby for God sake.
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Against a poor team like Norwich..
There was only one poor team tonight and it wasn't Norwich.. as shit as they may be..there was only one team that was going to win tonight and it most certainly wasn't us. Gash! Clueless! Pointless? I'd rather we gave fighters like Jordan Lyden a chance than shadow chasers like Westwood more more breathing space.
I said at the beginning of the season, Newcastle were our benchmark..two fucked up teams with players that had no interest..okay we foolishly went with RDM but f**k me, we're not half as Bruce has us at the moment.
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To be fair Newcastle managed to convince one of the best managers in the world who could walk into any top top league he pleases to drop to the Championship with them. No disrespect to Bruce (who I do like) or RDM but Benitez is a massive coup for them. We can compete on players but the chances of any Championship club managing to get a similar caliber leader are very slim.
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The most chilling thing a manager can say when confronted by the basket case we had become is that everybody starts with a clean sheet.
Brian, I think I remember you saying that in the summer and possibly before Bruce came too, and it's spot on. I accept that managers want to assess the players they're given for themselves, but surely you'd look at their recent history to help inform your decision. No other clubs' manager in their right mind would sign Gabby now after the way he's behaved off the pitch and performed on it; I'm sure Bruce wouldn't have dreamed of signing him for Hull in the last two years, so why does he deem him fit for purpose now? All these unwarranted clean slates do is cost us time and money; nearly Christmas and our second manager of the season is still mulling over whether Westwood, Hutton and Gabby are good enough. He could have made a sound judgment on that the day he walked in. The evidence is there. Ridiculous.
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I shared eye contact with steve bruce as he was at the front of the coach and we were in traffic directly in front. To say he looked pissed off would be an understatement.
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To be fair Newcastle managed to convince one of the best managers in the world who could walk into any top top league he pleases to drop to the Championship with them. No disrespect to Bruce (who I do like) or RDM but Benitez is a massive coup for them. We can compete on players but the chances of any Championship club managing to get a similar caliber leader are very slim.
I get the thing about Benitez but when we get out fought and out thought, you have to start asking questions about the manager. Toronto mentions two games but for me it's three on the bounce. Leeds, Wigan and Norwich. Where has the fight gone? We piss off teams for the first 15 minutes then they realise how weak we are. We're not talking top teams, more teams there for the slaughter except we have no plan for attack. Blame the midfield all you want but are we so dependent on just one midfielder to operate alongside Jedi? I'm not hearing any complaints about the other 2.
I'm close to giving up on some form of promotion this season. We don't even seem to win ugly. We're still a pub team with no look of a group that look like they share a collective cause. Too many playing for themselves and not the shirt. Ayew, Kodjia and Grealish especially, need to understand they aren't the stars of our team, they are the problem.
What a fcukin' mess. I can only hope Bruce stumbles over a solution as he seems to have fcuk all ideas himself in how to solve it. Nice man that he is.
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I'm perfectly happy with the job Bruce has done thus far. I think his comments afterwards were spot on too and he clearly gave the players a bollocking. It might do us some good in the long term. Especially if he finally calls time on Gabby and Westwood.
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I'm perfectly happy with the job Bruce has done thus far. I think his comments afterwards were spot on too and he clearly gave the players a bollocking. It might do us some good in the long term. Especially if he finally calls time on Gabby and Westwood.
Maybe when he cwakes up and realises he's the problem we'll have a chance. Tonight was shockingly poor apart from our support. God bless them all.
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I get the thing about Benitez but when we get out fought and out thought, you have to start asking questions about the manager.
Totally fair to question him after some of our recent performances. I remain confident in him but I wouldn't blame any fellow fan for feeling otherwise.
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Seeing the performance based on the selection tonight made me realize on thing: Villa has one general working lineup...one!
Pretending its otherwise is Bruces first mistake. We seen now that he likes to change that lineup based on if we home or away, if he thinks the opponent is good or bad.
Guess what. Deviating too far from that "one" lineup only makes us breaks down in confusion and inviting disaster.
So whats the "one" or rather what works?
Defense: Amavi (DL) and Chester (DC) and Baker (DC)
Midfield: Jedinak (DMC) ... however he gets vulnerable when played higher on the pitch or paired with just a single MC. He had his best games when he is alone in front of back 4 with 2 energetic midfielders in front of him. That does not mean Westwood who is energetic but does challenge for possession in any way that might hurt and doesn't pose a threat to opponents defensive line.
Jedinaks best games have been behind any combination (Gardner or Grealish (LMC) and Bacuna (RMC) in a 5-man midfield or a 4-1-4-1. Westwood can sometimes look even passable when Jedinak can cover behind him so he has less defensive duty. This doesn't really make Westwood shine but makes it less obvious how much of a liability Westy really are.
Attack: Kodjia (CF) and Adomah (attacking RMC).
Then there is a few positions where we don't have a choise: Gollini (G), Hutton (DR) and Elphick (DC).
If that selection is the "one" and should not be tampered with unless Baker or Richards get fit again. (Richards or Hutton as RF is about equally shite) the only thing to ponder is where and how to employ Grealish, Ayew, Bacuna ideally maybe RMC, Gardner and Rudy.
However...and this is the point i am trying to make (and was compounded tonight). You do NOT move any of the "given" positions to accommodate a "doubtful"!!!
Bruce have done this a few times now...most notably at Leeds and Norwich:
Moving Ayew from left to right so Gabby can play Center...NO!
Moving Kodjia left so Gabby can play Center...NO!
Playing Gabby....NO!
Playing Westwood beside Jedi so Grealish can play AMC...NO!
Playing Westwood....NO!
All of the above so Rudy can play lone striker...NO!
Hopefully he picks a lineup with some consistency for the rest of the games in December. The rekindled spirit is so fragile he will stamp it out if he keeps experimenting like he did at Leeds and Norwich.
Keep calm, play the obvious and let Dr Tony fix whats broken in January, Bruce...please!
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Barnsley, Reading and now Norwich - why can't we get home from these midweek away trips without road closures and detours.
I bet they're already planning to cut off the north east on a Monday night in February.
As for the game, we just aren't good enough are we? Bruce has picked up more points but we were much better to watch early season. We'll bore our way to enough points to finish mid-table I suppose.
Oh for a Villa team that gets you off your feet and creates chances, scores goals, has the ability to keep the ball.
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Similar to Leeds, poor selection. Gabby, Westwood and ayew poor today. It seemed clear that this was a team to loose - why are gabby and Westwood picks for so many managers when do many of us agree they shouldn't be?
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Very disappointing performance. Poor selection from Bruce but applaud his honesty afterwards.
I've not read the whole thread but I'm guessing I echo others if I say I can't understand how Westwood & Gabby are ahead of Tish & RHM in the pecking order. I don't think Bruce has made too many mistake so far but that is a definite one.
Midfield is the cause of many of our problems. We lack creativity, pace, energy and probably some aggression for this arduous division. Jedinak has settled down well but he needs two new players to help him out.
For all our apparent riches up front we still need major work. Ayew has talent but not equipped for this league - if we can get good money I'd sell. We're not setup to play to Gestede's singular strength and McCormack, while clearly a decent player, just doesn't seem to fit into any system which remotely suits us. Gabby & Kozak are finished.
Hutton is our most limited player in possession so why we keep shouveling the ball out to him is beyond me.
We miss Baker.
We're jinxed on Sky.
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Gabby why oh why, the ball moves further when he controls it than Westwood can pass it.
Ayew again playing for Ayew and not very good at that either, Hutton is Hutton, Elphick at the moment we have no choice, so thats 5 players that totally change the effectiveness of the team.
The bench scares the crap out of me,as to me it shows Bruce is going to drive the youth from the club, what the Russian must think, Tish and how many more of the youngsters who are watching Gabby, Ayew, Westwood, Cissokho, Gardner and others and think to themselves, well if I cannot even get a seat on the bench with this shit in front of me, I might as well go elsewhere, so are any of those young players good enough, we will never know, or at least not in a Villa shirt.
Bruce needs to do his shopping at the start of January, not at the end and get rid of quite a few who are still part of the illness that has been rotting away at Villa park for far to long.
He states that a few of them need a kick up the backside and he can see why he was brought in, you have been in the game long enough Brucey to know if something looks like a turd, smells like a turd, it is probably a turd and all your great polishing will not change it.
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Poor all over the pitch; too many passes going astray, no closing down the opposition, strikers working in isolation, too slow. Undoubtedly Bruce got the line up wrong but that does not excuse the limp effort and application from the players. Good finish for their goal but it all stemmed from Gabby trying to control a ball that ended up 10 yards away from him.
The manager was honest in his assessment so I just hope he follows it through for Sunday.
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usual crap away from home season over roll on next year
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I'm staggered Gabby is getting so much time to prove himself. He's rubbish and has been for years. Villa need to move on from this paralysing negative influence, and we have the players to do so. We have a squad capable of much better than this. I can't believe Bruce waited until 75 mins to make changes when so obviously it wasn't working. Did we even have a shot on goal?
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Andre Green, RHM, Tshibola, Bacuna: could they really do any worse than those picked ahead of them? We'll probably lose RHM in January after showing zero confidence in him. He can't even make the bench along with Tshibola. Mystifying!
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Rubbish shape and no attacking threat against leeds
Rubbish shape and no attacking threat against wigan
Rubbish shape and no attacking threat against norwich
i just wish i could see what the problem is
the last three games have been the same as watching an rdm team, bruce needs to wise up and quickly its no good crying after the game when he picked that abomination of a side
Gabby why?
ayew why?
westwood why?
kodija wide why?
wheres tshibola?
why not bacuna for legs in midfield?
why no subs until its too late?
Why so many square pegs in round holes?
the next 3 games has got to be 9 points, no half arsed excuses
This league is fucking shit and we need to start ripping it up
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The most chilling thing a manager can say when confronted by the basket case we had become is that everybody starts with a clean sheet. It is as hackneyed as it is frightening. We all knew Gabby was finished as a footballer, we all knew our midfield was inept and weak, we knew Hutton crosses like a JCB, Richards is washed up. All this and much more has been witnessed time and time again but we still have a manager and coaches who think they are God and can turn Westwood into Fabregas and Gabby into Vardy. So the crazy team selections and lack of tactical nous and wrong/late substitutions carry on, just like they did under McLeish, Lambert, Sherwood, Garde, Black and RDM. That performance tonight could have been plucked from any point in last two or three seasons.
Spot on Brian. This has nailed it for me.
As Dave also mentions in his article, we fans are not bigger football experts than Bruce, BUT, we do know more about watching Villa in recent years than him.
To watch the same clowns who let us down, still being picked time and time again, is beyond depressing - it's like a recurring nightmare.
Gabby STILL being paid to wear the first team shirt and represent AVFC?! Jesus that is as absolute piss take.
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Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
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What an absolute colossal turd of a performance. Everyone to a man had a stinker.
It seems in those last 2 away games that both Leeds and Norwich worked out if you get in our faces and give us no time on the ball we end up panicking and passing it back to elphick or gollini for a hail mary. They either need to grow a pair and pass as a team or get Gestede in if they're not confident enough to do that.
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The balance was all wrong. We cannot play a two man midfield, he knows this, so why have we reverted to it in the last three games where we've been woeful?
We need legs; Bacuna or Tshibola. Even Westwood and Gardner with Jedinak wouldn't be quite so bad.
Stop shoehorning players in! Adomah is a winger and gives balance; Kodjia and Ayew aren't, Grealish is.
Why is Gabby anywhere near the squad? No service but he was absolutely horrendous and his touch for their goal was laughable.
Elphick is dire. We need a centre half asap.
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£50m was it we spent in the summer and still half a side from being a decent force in this league which let's face it is very low on quality.
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Absolutely abysmal. Sounds like we were as bad as our worst performances of the season.
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I thought we were all right in the first half without being that threatening or spectacular and that we had probably laid the foundations for a classic smash and grab away win in the second half but after the interval none of our more attacking players were in the game at all. We seemed to lose all momentum. Amavi and Jack in particular were quite lively in the first half but non-existent in the second.
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The balance was all wrong. We cannot play a two man midfield, he knows this, so why have we reverted to it in the last three games where we've been woeful?
We need legs; Bacuna or Tshibola. Even Westwood and Gardner with Jedinak wouldn't be quite so bad.
Stop shoehorning players in! Adomah is a winger and gives balance; Kodjia and Ayew aren't, Grealish is.
Why is Gabby anywhere near the squad? No service but he was absolutely horrendous and his touch for their goal was laughable.
Elphick is dire. We need a centre half asap.
Totally this...
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For Sunday hope Baker is fit then I'd do for;
Gollini
Bacuna Chester Baker Amavi
Jedinak Tshibola
Gardner
Grealish McCormack
Kodjia
Sarkic
Cissokho
Gestede
RHM
Hutton
Hale
Ayew
Got to get energy & strength into centre midfield, we started well under Bruce with 3 in centre and need to back to that until he can buy a player to go alongside Jedinak who is better than what we have. Have included Hale on the bench as the couple of games I've seen him in he seem up for fight, also Lyden not yet fit to include. Hutton, Cissohko & Ayew get seats by default for me, hopefully all 3 will be gone alongside Westwood soon.
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Lets admit it we are up shit creek in certain areas of team selection, ie Defence.
But I can not for the life of me figure out why Tshibola and Hepburn-Murphy were not included in place of Westwood and Agbonlahor. You know exactly what you are going to get performance wise from the latter two.
A very disappointing performance from a side we were all excited about a game ago
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I'm not sure the defence is quite that bad - we are not shipping tons of goals every week. The problem for me is that we are not scoring nearly enough with the attacking options we have.
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Bruce might have made a couple of poor choices in terms of selection and tactics for this one.
The over-riding point though is that the performance surely crystallises for him what we already know.
Gollini, Elphick, Westwood, Gabby, Hutton - not fit for purpose
Amavi, Ayew - flatter to deceive, might just about be ok as back up
Adomah, Jedinak - do a job at this level but no more
Kodija - good at this level and has potential
Grealish - has got quality, who knows what he's capable of when we only see him play with that lot above.
Bruce has done well so far to get that lot even being talked about as potentially one of the play off teams.
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Amavi was the best player in a Villa shirt by a mile. Got caught out twice; once in the first half because he won three successive challenges but no Villa player closed the space so they dinked it in behind him and the other in the second where he jumped.
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That was probably as bad as many of our performances over the last 5 years or so. Not just this game but Leeds as well, Wigan, maybe one or two others, the "quality" of the football is dire, and I can't get my head around Bruce preferring Hutton, Westwood and Agbonlahor to Bacuna, Tshibola, Green, Hepburn-Murphy, and in the case of Gabby pretty much anyone else you can think of. With no midfield to speak of it was hoof time. I think the new manager bounce has long since ended and I have some serious concerns about Bruce's selections and tactics. Fuck Gabby and a few others off in the window and buy a bloody midfield for feck's sake.
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There's no shape to the team. That's the main problem at the moment. Yes, Agbonlahor should never play for us again, and Westwood is not a footballer, he just runs around bit. But if the team had shape, even those embarrassing excuses for footballers could slot in from time to time and not cause too much harm.
It's going to take time to mould that shape. Perhaps another transfer window or two. We're building from the wreckage and rubble of the last five years, and promotion this season was never anything but a flight of fancy. We need to be patient.
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Midfield is the problem, if you two players with legs either side of Jedinak, a box to box player who can tackle and chip in with a few goals, and a player that can get forward to join attacks, link with the forwards and chip in with a reasonable goal haul it would make all the difference. The defence is weaker with Elphick rather than Baker and if you put a cherry on top you'd replace the goalkeeper with experience and reliability but that's about it.
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I'm not sure the defence is quite that bad - we are not shipping tons of goals every week. The problem for me is that we are not scoring nearly enough with the attacking options we have.
For the last 3 or 4 games we have barely created any chances, let alone score goals.
I think one of the reasons we are so upset about last night is because we can see how slow and difficult progress is going to be.
I have said for weeks that although we have had a new manager bounce, it really feels like it is built on sand and we are still very fragile.
We look a million miles from a side who can muster a challenge for promotion.
A second season in this league though is unthinkable.
To have to compete with the financial muscle of the teams who will be relegated, and without our parachute payments, means a stay in this division could be lengthy.
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We looked streets ahead of Brighton four games ago. He needs to go back to what was working, three men in there, until a time he can buy in January.
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It seems after the bounce our performances are reverting to the Villa mean.
I've said it before, but there absolutely must be something fundamentally wrong with the training setup at Bodymoor that goes beyond players, coaches and manager. Why do virtually all players and managers for that matter regress so badly after being with us for a certain period of time? How can a player like Ross Mac who has scored bucketloads everywhere he's been look like a fish out of water in our team? How can so many internationals display technique that would shame a league 2 player? How can Westwood and Gabby earn places in the matchday XI?
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Bruce was brought in as the manager to 'turn things around' and he started by offering a 'clean sheet' to the set of wasters that he inherited. Well now maybe it's time to rip up the clean sheet, cleanse the wasters out and convince the owner that major renewal is needed in January.
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Amavi was the best player in a Villa shirt by a mile. Got caught out twice; once in the first half because he won three successive challenges but no Villa player closed the space so they dinked it in behind him and the other in the second where he jumped.
Continually caught out of position, which he recovers from with his pace but then conceeds a corner or free kick.
Continually hoofs the ball and loses possession, form which the opposition launches another attack.
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How can a player like Ross Mac who has scored bucketloads everywhere he's been look like a fish out of water in our team?
Because he;s patently unfit/carrying too much timber?
Other points I agree with.
There is some hyperbole on here though. There's nothing wrong with this team that a centre-midfielder with drive (think of an Ian Taylor, an Andy Townsend) plus a proper right back, wouldn't solve.
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Midfield / attack balance is not right. We need to strengthen in the middle to supply the strikers better. Yesterday was worst we played since Bruce took over. Get rid of Ayew and Gabby and get a decent midfield.
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How can a player like Ross Mac who has scored bucketloads everywhere he's been look like a fish out of water in our team?
Because he;s patently unfit/carrying too much timber?
Other points I agree with.
There is some hyperbole on here though. There's nothing wrong with this team that a centre-midfielder with drive (think of an Ian Taylor, an Andy Townsend) plus a proper right back, wouldn't solve.
There's plenty more wrong than that but most of the rest of it should be being addressed at the training ground.
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Elthick out of his depth, Gabby finished, westwood whats the point, Gestede head on a stick, Golini young, apart from them were ok,
if we buy at least two midfielders with what we have as strikers we should be alright, for the play offs,
Bruce after the match comments, were appreciated.
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The worrying thing is that some believe that our midfield would be improved by the addition of Bacuna and Tishbola. Dear god.
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The worrying thing is that some believe that our midfield would be improved by the addition of Bacuna and Tishbola. Dear god.
Have you heard of clutching at straws. ....
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The worrying thing is that some believe that our midfield would be improved by the addition of Bacuna and Tishbola. Dear god.
I have no time for bacuna but would have him start over westwood any day of the week for at least having some attacking intent
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From the start last night the players looked lethargic and unfocused, waiting for things to happen.
No chances created in the whole game, I cannot see the point of Ayew, like many I though he'd be excellent in this level but his attitude stinks, he gives the ball away and refuses to pass in easy situations, I really would get rid of him at the earliest opportunity.
Constantly giving the ball away throughout the side, Agbohlahor's awful touch led to the goal, he is a busted flush now.
This could be Bruce's wake up call that there are seven or eight players there that need replacing.
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No chance of promotion now and I always thought we might sneak the playoffs but last night was awful. Play like that against Spurs in the cup and we could be looking at a cricket score.
Ayew and Grealish cannot play together. Should play a 442 formation which gives us more bodies in midfield (assuming the wingers come back) and the chance t create with 2 strikers. Adomah & Grealish out wide 2 midfielders to bolster and Kodjia plus someone upfront.
I make that 2 midfielders and a striker in January either bought in or on loan.
Bruce has to see that this is not working. No idea what Tish has done to upset SB but he needs to play ahead of everyone in midfield at the moment.
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When Elphick plays we seem to defend so, so deep, not even leaving our own half.
With Jedinak sitting just in front the gap between attack and centre midfield is huge, which i think is the reason the ball just keeps on coming back at us.
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It's had to find anything positive, from last night. Absolute garbage, clueless, it just sucks the life out of you supporting this club.
Its hard to make a case for any player to wear the claret and blue again.Hope the love affair with Gabby is over now, shouldn't ever play for Villa again. They looked like a broken team, last night.
The only positive was last night, was getting my paper copy of H & V, I did have a chuckle at couple of the articles.
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The worrying thing is that some believe that our midfield would be improved by the addition of Bacuna and Tishbola. Dear god.
Have you heard of clutching at straws. ....
It would improve it, but just not nearly enough. We need to purchase 2 players that will be real quality at this level and ok for the premier league.
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When Elphick plays we seem to defend so, so deep, not even leaving our own half.
With Jedinak sitting just in front the gap between attack and centre midfield is huge, which i think is the reason the ball just keeps on coming back at us.
particularly in the first half yesterday, there was times that the 20 outfield players were within a 20 yard radius
hoof, header, tackle, hoof, lucky ricohet, poor pass, go on a run, pass back, hoof....repeat for 45 mins
the game got a little stretched after they scored but the goal was really from Chester being turned not far from the half way line
Elphick is afraid to be caught ahead of the ball with his lack of pace, primary reason for him not pushing out for the goal I expect
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I continue to say the squad is unbalanced.The problem is 2 years of random player acquisitions.
Most of the players are either not good enough or don't fit.
an abundance of players who want to play off a striker yet only one central midfielder.
Only one ok centre half and centre midfielder.No orthodox centre forward of ability.
Hutton at right back.
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Amavi was the best player in a Villa shirt by a mile. Got caught out twice; once in the first half because he won three successive challenges but no Villa player closed the space so they dinked it in behind him and the other in the second where he jumped.
Continually caught out of position, which he recovers from with his pace but then conceeds a corner or free kick.
Continually hoofs the ball and loses possession, form which the opposition launches another attack.
Exactly, but some here are too blind to see it
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It was all about the passing last night, simplistic though it is to say it. A lot of 'hoof' passes from the back, so the ball kept coming back; but at the front, in Grealish, Ayew and Kodjia (not his best game) we had three players who constantly wanted to run with the ball and beat players whilst making no ground and refused to look for a pass to free up someone in a better position. Result, no penetration at all for 90 minutes.
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Or some people disagree and think Amavi is a decent player. Those that don't recognise that have small balls.
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Or some people disagree and think Amavi is a decent player. Those that don't recognise that have small balls.
Beauty's in the eye of the beholder
None so blind as those that will not see
You must have a pair of shrivelled testes
If you put the blame on Amavi
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Cliff's 2016 Christmas offering.
It's nice. And I'll probably buy it.
But it doesn't make me feel a whole pile better.
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Or some people disagree and think Amavi is a decent player. Those that don't recognise that have small balls.
Beauty's in the eye of the beholder
None so blind as those that will not see
You must have a pair of shrivelled testes
If you put the blame on Amavi
tra la la la , la. La la, la la.
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I was watching Stourbridge so haven't seen the game. To suggest I was underwhelmed by the team selection whilst standing in the pie queue though would be an understatement.
I don't ever want to see Flabby anywhere near the first team squad again.
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We looked streets ahead of Brighton four games ago. He needs to go back to what was working, three men in there, until a time he can buy in January.
I thougt the performance at Brighton was ok but seems to have been exagerrated. Im not sure we have played well at all under Bruce but have ground out the wins.
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Apart from being not up to Championship level, how long does this fitness regime that Gabby is on actually take to show results?
He STILL doesn't look fit for football IMO.
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Apart from being not up to Championship level, how long does this fitness regime that Gabby is on actually take to show results?
He STILL doesn't look fit for football IMO.
He may have been given a regime to follow but by the looks of him he's as half hearted as ever.
To be honest, we should have learned by now that players who haven't really played much football for a few years very rarely get it back together. He's a has been, he's finished, totally.
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Awful last night. Some key differences for me mark out why I think Norwich are more well equipped to go up (despite their blip in form). The major one is midfield. The balance is just right for the Championship. For me, you simple cannot play Ayew and Grealish together. Never mind the fact we also have Kodjia filling in on the left at times. But the point is mercurial players. Occasionally able to produce the unexpected moment of brilliance, but in midfield you can only carry one of those. If you're lucky you have a striker to give you the second option on the pitch.
At this level you have to have dynamic, industrious midfielders. That's not to say you just put any old plodder in who has no quality whatsoever, but you need hard workers and good athletes. You pack those fuckers in your midfield. We had no one. Jedinak is good at what he does. He's a godsend in this division for us, but at his age, and given he's never had pace, you have to have legs near him. Norwich, whilst looking a bit like a West Brom reject factory, had Dorrans, Malumbu and Brady in midfield. That's a good mix. And whilst they lack a really exciting player, you've got Oliveira and Howson who work hard. We had Gabby up top on his own and he was utterly infectual. He simply has to go. He's 110% finished as a professional footballer. Regardless of whether you think he's a waster or a cretin, it doesn't matter, it's almost tragically obvious that putting aside the attitude factor, the body is no longer willing. Pension him the fuck out of our club immediately. But for me, that mix of the ex Baggies and Brady was very effective. Brady in particularly is excellent in this league, he combines industry, stamina and quality.
Westwood and Gardner are useless. Get rid ASAP. Westwood was anonymous last night and that's par for the course. I've never known a player who has had as many games as he, to have ghosted through so many. Tish has all the attributes to be an ideal option in there, but if he's too young and not ready, then we need to buy someone who is.
Elphick weakens us significantly at the back, and it's no exaggeration to say that he seems to chip away at Gollini's confidence in turn. We miss Baker and our goalkeeper misses Baker.
McCormack's conditioning is a complete and utter joke. So much focus has been on Gabby's fitness and to be fair he's worked on it, but it's too little too late and the injuries have also done him in. When your main attribute is a physical one which has disappeared, and you have shit all technical ability you are done for. But McCormacks fitness needs to be bought into question as does his professionalism. If the issue with Gabby is made public, then surely we have to call out Ross too because he's as bad as Gabby's ever been.
The following need to be immediately dropped from the matchday squads:
Elphick
Hutton
Westwood
Gardner
Ayew (he's been piss for months. Doesn't seem interested any more and despite being one of the most talented in this division, is far too inconsistent to carry).
McCormack.
Gabby.
Tishbola and RHM need to be given a chance now, and for want of better options, Bacuna should come into the side, either in midfield or at Right back. Some are being carried by on their reputation. It's an error we've persistently made over the years and they shouldn't get away with it. These shitters need to earn their place. As things stand it's an impossibility to go up. We need 3-4 additions in January.
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When Elphick plays we seem to defend so, so deep, not even leaving our own half.
With Jedinak sitting just in front the gap between attack and centre midfield is huge, which i think is the reason the ball just keeps on coming back at us.
Absolutely spot on, if we're searching for the cause of our dip it's right there. The knock on effect on the rest of the team is much more than just being a bit of a ropey defender.
His pace is shocking, I doubt there's a player in the division that isn't quicker.
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When Elphick plays we seem to defend so, so deep, not even leaving our own half.
With Jedinak sitting just in front the gap between attack and centre midfield is huge, which i think is the reason the ball just keeps on coming back at us.
Absolutely spot on, if we're searching for the cause of our dip it's right there. The knock on effect on the rest of the team is much more than just being a bit of a ropey defender.
His pace is shocking, I doubt there's a player in the division that isn't quicker.
So the half arsed efforts from the rest of the players is Elphick's fault then?