Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Match Threads & Player Ratings => Topic started by: Toronto Villa on January 31, 2017, 09:38:15 PM
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We look like a group of players tossed together who have had two managers on the back of relegation following 5 years of steep decline.
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Got what we deserved, after a bright opening 10 minutes Brentford played very well and dominated the whole game, it will take time for the new midfield to gel but Bruce has to get it sorted soon or we will be fighting relegation.
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Cannot believe this just keeps getting worse.
Bruce has to figure this out, and fast.
I must admit, I am growing distant from the club. There is no luster in looking forward to games, or confidence in seeing a few goals.
its just sickening.
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Ashley, oh, Ashley... It's not quite midnight yet.
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I was very encouraged by the first 10 minutes
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We are a complete joke away from home.
This league is turning out to be a right barrel of laughs isn't it? I thought it was supposed to be more fun than the premier league.
The season is over I'm afraid.
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Bruce looks a beaten man.
Brentford fans singing "you're fucking shit".
He should apologise to every poor sod who spent money on that tonight.
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Jesus wept. Even by our low standards away from home that was shockingly bad.
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As SGT would have said do I not like that!
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I mean JESUS CHRIST.......I can't even find the words for this......THERE ARE NO WORDS FOR THIS!!!
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New signings need time to gel. Footballers should have courage from the outset. Too many hiding yet again.
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14th in the Championship.
That really isn't good enough, even without having his own players here.
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Hideous awful from everyone. Lesson today the new lads can't play as a three and Lansbury is never a holding midfield. Chester and Baker were calamitous. Kod was awful. Bruce's lack of proactivity was shameful.
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I was very encouraged by the first 10 minutes
Lol. 'Twas brief
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FFS what a nightmare. Losing 3-0 to a mid table second division team without a shot on target for the entire 90 mins, we truly are an embarrassment.
Mr Bruce you really need to work fuckin hard for Saturday.
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Bloody long journey home for all those diehards. you must all be mad.
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Ashley, oh, Ashley... It's not quite midnight yet.
Westwood right now
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I do not want to hear Bruce tell us how shit we were....AGAIN.
We are consistently the shit most fucking weeks now, especially away from home.
what the fuck is he going to do about?
Can he even do anything about it?
I really don't know anymore.
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Looked good first 10 or so. After that we were as bad as I can remember ever seeing us. I know it's a cliché but considering who we were playing it it was completely unacceptable. They played us off the pitch and we're lucky it was only 3-0. A side that had won 1 of their last 8 at home and they absolutely played us off the park. Load of old wank.
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Goof first 10 minutes, then utterly abject after that. I hate this club.
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Lowest away scorers in the whole football league, Jesus I'm a broken man tonight.
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Outclassed, outplayed, outfought, out thought, out maneuvered and out smarted by fucking Brentford
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Fucking terrible. Outplayed outfought and most worryingly outthought. We controlled the game first ten mins and smith changed how their team set up, we then couldn't cope.
The only one who I thought did ok was Kodjia, he ran his socks off for little or no service. A lot of work to do.
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Looked good first 10 or so. After that we were as bad as I can remember ever seeing us. I know it's a cliché but considering who we were playing it it was completely unacceptable. They played us off the pitch and we're lucky it was only 3-0. A side that had won 1 of their last 8 at home and they absolutely played us off the park. Load of old wank.
This
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Is it any wonder we don't score when we isolate a man up front.
Complete dog shit of a performance. Experienced centre halves being split like a Sunday League team does. Midfielders on the wrong side. A keeper who punches when there is absolutely no need to.
Grealish really needs to look at himself and question why he cannot start a game when this shower have got in front of him.
I'm really annoyed at the performance, and that's with watching it on tv. Fair play and praise goes to those poor souls who ventured south
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We lose our best forward = don't score for a month.
Mid/lower table fodder like Brentford lose their star forward = they score three goals playing in third gear.
Still, it helps when you play us. No win in eight? We'll help you with that.
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I don't know why we didn't just go the whole hog and stand on our own goalline all game. And still probably we'd have passed it backwards.
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Same shit, different week. You hire a negative football dinosaur and you get negative dinosaur football.
The four teams that we have now played twice have all taken 4 points off us.
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Stood off them the entire game. Brentford looked urgent, snappy, on their toes and full of movement, the complete opposite to us. Until our lot realise that we're a big scalp ( maybe not for long ) and need minimum match their effort and hunger then we'll never get out of this league.
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When you lose to a team whose fans applaud politely when they've just gone 3-0 up against Aston Villa because really Brentford are just their second team.
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In what year will this downward spiral end ?
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Well that was all a bit Alan Hutton.
For me the only highlights were sneaking a can of Gamma Ray beer in and the terracing. The game.....meh
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Awful, absolutely awful. Disappointed more than anything that Bruce didn't try and change it at half time at 2-0.
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Weird how Bruce didn't seem to act, he seemed paralyzed or clueless as to what to do. Birkir should never have played the second half and we just carried on as though we hadn't had a break.. worrying
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FFS what a nightmare. Losing 3-0 to a mid table second division team without a shot on target for the entire 90 mins, we truly are an embarrassment.
Mr Bruce you really need to work fuckin hard for Saturday.
I think we did have a shot on target in the first half straight at the keeper but yes it was an embarrassment.
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Must admit i'm struggling to visualise us being a Champions League team in 5 years time.
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Grealish really needs to look at himself and question why he cannot start a game when this shower have got in front of him.
How he was left on the bench for 75 mins when we were subjected to that horrific trio of midfield performances I will never know.
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Is there a worse adjective to sum up our performance than ABJECT, if not there should be!!
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Whole new midfield, and it showed. They need to gel...quick.
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I had a small nagging feeling that this game was almost playing second fiddle to the transfer window. Think Bruce took his eye off the ball and got his tactics all wrong. Aside from the first 15 mins that was as bad as anything we've seen. Only Green can come out of that with any credit. Kod looked lazy and disinterested.
Hopefully, we can let the dust settle now the window is shut and get some confidence back. We need a strong end to the season so we can hit the ground running in August. Play offs are a pipe dream - any other team in our position wouldn't even be mentioned.
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Bruce HAS to take fault here.
This is a squad that should be on its front foot, not soaking up pressure and launching balls to Kodjia. He was clearly sick of chasing balls like a dog by the 60th.
Too much backpassing, too much hoofing, irrelevant/obsolete substitutions, ONE FORWARD against fucking brentford. Fuck outta here with that shitt.
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Well that was all a bit Alan Hutton.
You could insert any name at the end. Hutton tackled someone which is more than any other fucker did.
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I only dream of us playing like Brentford did in that game. The were as excellent as we were shite.
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Most disturbing for me was the ease with which they beat us. They weren't just better, they were miles better.
On reflection, maybe three new midfielders (and Lansbury is still new) at once wasn't such a great idea.
The only one who came out of that fucking rubbish with any honour intact was Green.
Oh and Bjarnason looked and played like a teenage girl.
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you know I'm the olden days when they used to hang draw and quarter people so the pain was long and drawn out in the most barbaric way possible
well that bit when the body was cut open down the middle and the executioner starts to disembowel and take the inards and vital organs out and place them by the side for open display whilst your still breathing
that point is where we are right now
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One day, we'll be snappy, hungry and skilful.
One day.
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We're chucking money left, right, and centre. Newcastle chucked a truckload of cash to tempt Rafa Benetiz to the club. That's the best move they've made in the past 12 months frankly.
Why don't we do that. Not spend 15 million quid on strikers every time one of ours fucks off or fails to score goals.
Lets get a proper manager. Someone progressive to give us some footballing identity.
Bruce's selling point has never been footballing style, it's been functional and motivation. He's failing in those aspects, and doing nothing more than expected as far as a footballing style and identity, which is to say, nothing.
If we're going to blow money, lets get a top manager in who will install some sense of style. Not just hiring a manager just because "he did okay cover at Spurs" or "he won the champions league" or "he gets promoted a lot (but also relegated)."
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I like Steve Bruce, but he clearly has to take responsibility here. I've just switched Liverpool and Chelsea on tv and Liverpool have several players moving in the box. Watching the Villa, we have 1 at the most.
We have to gamble a bit if we want to get the second balls. Continue to play so negatively, and we will get what we deserve....a big fat zero
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Most disturbing for me was the ease with which they beat us. They weren't just better, they were miles better.
On reflection, maybe three new midfielders (and Lansbury is still new) at once wasn't such a great idea.
The only one who came out of that fucking rubbish with any honour intact was Green.
Oh and Bjarnason looked and played like a teenage girl.
Agree with most of that, but with the supposed quality of Houlihane and Lansbury, you would think they would be able to play better than a pair of 9 year old schoolboys, first time together or not.
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Bruce just answer this one question, why leave the Icelander on the pitch after half time when it was obvious to all that he was totally lost. Even now I will predict he will not make it.
Odama tried all night and I think Green has promise but we as a club still have not adjusted to the championship.
Brentford are not a great side just a good championship side but they made us look two divisions below them, Bruce now comes under a lot more pressure, these new players are his and if this team does not improve by the end of the season he will be gone.
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14th in the Championship.
That really isn't good enough, even without having his own players here.
lets not buy that excuse once more from Bruce
He is the manager and paid a fortune to get performances out of them
He has been given carte blanche to completely change the squad mid season, a very bad idea imo
we must have by a long way the biggest wage bill in the division, biggest net spenders
yet we are getting worse steadily
Bruce talks a good game but his tactical approach appears to be standard British old school, buy, buy, buy, throw them into a team and magic it should happen
Brentford showed us what a team should be tonight, humiliated us by playing as a team, cracking football too
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Hutton can't mark a man and is constantly out of position.
The news boys looked like they didn't know where they were.
Kodjia seemed to feign effort and do a lot of head in hands sulking. That was the worst I've seen Adomah play, his crossing was bordering on criminal.
But for me Hutton is the pits, he's worth at least a goal every game he plays.
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Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear.
All that money spunked - & we're nearer to getting relegated than promoted. Bruce had better fix this fast, or he'll be the next one out the sodding door. >:(
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Extremely bad. Potato needs to learn when to change things and makes subs. As shit as we were, at 2-0 and 30/35 mins to go, a couple of changes might have some kind of effect, but he always changes things far too late.
No tactics whatsoever. Boot it to Kodjia and expect him to do something. Don't bother using any of the new midfielders.
Potato seriously needs to sort himself out.
The very least I expected from a team managed by Potato is a hard working team that puts constant pressure on the opposition. Like what they did to us, but we don't. Why not?
He has 'til the end of the season to get this team ready for next season. I don't expect miracles, but I expect effort and for the players to have an idea of what they are doing.
Haven't been this annoyed watching us since the Norwich game.
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(http://illuminatisymbols.info/wp-content/uploads/illuminati-signs-donald-trump-666.jpg)
OK you wanker ! Take the piss out of our result tonight you fascist racist scumbag, but you won't be President forever and someday we will be back !
Villa till I die ! Bastard !
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Wailing and Gnashing of teeth.
I have been there done it and now only shake my head.
Excuse, New players, not yet gelled, need time to settle, did not follow the plan.
It does not stop.
We have no choice but to hope that there is a plan, a planned style of football, a plan per game, a plan per player.
Tony does not strike me as planning for a thousand years.
Mr Bruce the spotlight is on you, your players, your style, your team. Make it work or fuck off.
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I am numb.
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We are becoming a laughing stock.
Not many people like us anymore, and spending huge money has made people want us to fail.
We are making it easy for them.
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Well that was all a bit Alan Hutton.
For me the only highlights were sneaking a can of Gamma Ray beer in and the terracing. The game.....meh
I think it should be changed to that was a bit Jordan Amavi, a flakey lightweight flat footed tart of a defender.
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Adomah is pointless. Has one trick, beak man and pull back but every time it his defender or is over hit. Even if he got it in box there is only ever Kodija. Pass poor
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Kodj isoltaed up front and used as a target man. Not good. Midfield pedestrian. Defence calamitous..
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What a disgraceful performance that was. None of them looked like they gave a shit,Bruce needs to sort this out and fast. Why the hell cant we just press the opposition,every bloody game we just sit back and let other teams do what the hell they want. Fuming!!!!!
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Bruce doesn't look happy. As well he shouldn't.
He says the right things but needs to start doing things about them during the fucking game.
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are ratings even worth it tonight?
Johnstone 5 - doesnt inspire confidence thus far
Hutton 4 - very poor as always
Chester 3 - at fault for two goals, lost ball in his own box at least once, shocking
Baker 4 - poor footballer
Amavi 5 - lazy standard performance
Adamoah 5 - bit of an average player really isnt he, predictable efforts, gets in good positions but doesnt do much with it
Lansbury 3 - hero in an armchair role early on, Brentford pushed up on him and he didnt want to know, suspect character
Hourihane 4 - hardly had a kick in first half but playing a left footed midfielder on the right beggared belief, even after Bacuna came on
Bjarnason 3 - hasnt played in weeks, it showed, should have been removed at the break
Green 6 - looked likely running with the ball, should have scored really but showed promise
Kodjia 3 - really poor effort early on but his workrate truly was abysmal all night, really has a habit of going missing on difficult nights
Grealish 6 - looked lively but game was long done, Bacuna, remember him walking on the ball at one stage
Bruce - talked sense post game but is struggling with the management lark pre and during games
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Even the H&V server is weeping tonight...
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Bruce doesn't look happy. As well he shouldn't.
He says the right things but needs to start doing things about them during the fucking game.
He is saying the same stuff after the shite we saw against, Norwich, Wolves, Cardiff.
It's all a bit too often and too familiar.
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why oh why did I just order Ipswich tickets. Been at work all night so missed the game, i'm kind of not surprised at what happened. Why its still happening is what gets me. I think Bruce is the man for the job but who would have imagined six years ago we'd lose 3-0 to Brentford. Bad bad night.
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Are we really any better off with Bruce? Not defending RDM because he seemed a bit clueless but since Bruce has come in we've played well once, at Brighton away. Every other game we've been average or poor.
Every away game is the same; come under any kind of pressure and we concede. Spend the rest of the game ambling about with no idea and never look like getting back into the game. Preston were 0-2 to us last week and came out fighting and had a go. We did fuck all tonight.
Look at the money we've spent and we're the lowest away goal scorers in England. Scandalous.
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(http://illuminatisymbols.info/wp-content/uploads/illuminati-signs-donald-trump-666.jpg)
OK you wanker ! Take the piss out of our result tonight you fascist racist scumbag, but you won't be President forever and someday we will be back !
Villa till I die ! Bastard !
This thread is FAKE NEWS. We battered Brentford and were well worth our 4-0 victory and anyone who says otherwise is a remoaning liberal potential terrorist...
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Same shit, different week. You hire a negative football dinosaur and you get negative dinosaur football.
The four teams that we have now played twice have all taken 4 points off us.
Sorry to quibble, but Cardiff haven't. Straws I know.
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I do tend to agree that performances under Bruce are worse than under RDM
But we need to give him a chance to shape this team now
Am a bit worried he thought that midfield might work though
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I'll respect the result of the Forest game
(http://illuminatisymbols.info/wp-content/uploads/illuminati-signs-donald-trump-666.jpg)
if we win
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Since we turned down the EUR20m bid for Amavi, he's contrived to reduce his value to almost nothing with a month full of chaotic performances. Taylor in for the next game.
Kodjia needs a play mate up front. Too isolated, & his head drops after missing the first chance.
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We lack intensity all over the pitch. No closing down higher up the pitch, forcing mistakes. We let them build up confidence and momentum by giving them time and space to play. Any team would have looked world beaters against us tonight.
And that Ryan Woods once again ran the game against us, as he did at VP.
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I can't really offer much to what's being said here but we've managed to look even worse than we did at Wolves and that's an achievement in itself!
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Bruce has been in since October. Zero progress since
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If we hadn't made wholesale changes in January and had played like that I'd have despaired.
However having made all the signings it's even more dispiriting. It's totally taken away any enthusiasm and buoyancy engendered by the arrival of new players. I just hope they're better than they showed tonight.
Preston , Norwich, Cardiff , Wolves and now Brentford; each time you don't think it can get worse.
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Bruce has been in since October. Zero progress since
That's not true, we looked ok in October, it's ever since then that we've been getting worse and worse and the points from those games have been used to defend him.
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Lowlights (http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/10751038/brentford-3-0-aston-villa)
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Johnstone - Is he really any better than Goalkeeperini?
McCafu - did ok considering the lack of defensive support
Chester - worst game he's had for Villa
Baker - ok heading but struggles when players running at him
Amavi - he's not a defender
Thor - Surprised that he started ahead of Leo and doubt that he will again for a while
Angela - Ok until they started pressuring him
Hourihane - Very disappointed considering the rave reviews
Andre - probably the best of a bad bunch
Kod - Drifted wide too often in first hour. No use as a target man when the team went into lump it mode
Albert - started the season well but has faded badly
Hopefully this was just a bad night, when everything went wrong at once and the new setup with start to gel soon. If not Villa are in deep shit
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On that television they showed the league table. The presenters spoke about how many points Brentford are above relegation and how many points Villa are from the play-offs. That's how the two clubs are viewed, one should be challenging for the title, the other should bugger off back to the lower leagues. It's pretty disrespectful though given the utter humping Brentford just handed to us. We're both in this division for a reason, but Christ that was leagues apart from the two sides.
They passed and moved because they knew, as a unit, what they were doing. We stuck an entirely new midfield out there. If all our players had been near top form that sort of shit or bust lack of tactical nous might work. Instead, the 11 strangers got pulled all over the park. Our problems go much further than the dug out, but why did he ever think it was smart to change the entire engine room in one go? Sometimes we are just shite, other times we give ourselves a helping shove.
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Jeez, that was crap. No intensity or pressing at all. Several really poor performers tonight. Two weak efforts on goal and easily missed our two best chances. Defensively inept too. Brentford taught how a team is supposed to play, they were excellent tonight. Yeah we need to gel, but effort all over the park is half the battle.
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The only surprise is that some people are surprised. Nothing will ever surprise me again about this club. I'm so used to being shamed and humiliated, it barely registers. It certainly doesn't hurt any more.
I couldn't be arsed to watch this tonight because it was all so inevitable. But while I accept the new players will take time to gel, it sounds like it was a shambles all over the pitch. I still think the arrogant and complacent mindset at the club needs changing. Oh well, as long as we stay up, we can surely sort things out for next season.
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If you can imagine the kind of bollocking Steve Bruce gave Ross McCormack, I think our manager could well be on the receiving end of some of the same medicine from Tony Xia. I don't think our owner will put up with many more performances like tonight. Tony deserves better.
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For all the captains we've bought I didn't see one who looked like a leader for us tonight.
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Jeez, that was crap. No intensity or pressing at all. Several really poor performers tonight. Two weak efforts on goal and easily missed our two best chances. Defensively inept too. Brentford taught how a team is supposed to play, they were excellent tonight. Yeah we need to gel, but effort all over the park is half the battle.
Yes, that's it in a nutshell. Brentford closed us down all over the pitch and we kept lumping it back to them. We stood off them and they passed it around like it was a training session. You've got to win the battles to earn the right to play in this league and almost two thirds into the season, we still don't get it, particularly away from home.
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We're chucking money left, right, and centre. Newcastle chucked a truckload of cash to tempt Rafa Benetiz to the club. That's the best move they've made in the past 12 months frankly.
Why don't we do that. Not spend 15 million quid on strikers every time one of ours fucks off or fails to score goals.
Lets get a proper manager. Someone progressive to give us some footballing identity.
Bruce's selling point has never been footballing style, it's been functional and motivation. He's failing in those aspects, and doing nothing more than expected as far as a footballing style and identity, which is to say, nothing.
If we're going to blow money, lets get a top manager in who will install some sense of style. Not just hiring a manager just because "he did okay cover at Spurs" or "he won the champions league" or "he gets promoted a lot (but also relegated)."
This exactly 100 % More even
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Abysmal, another in the long list of disgusting performances we've shat out during the last few years. Bruce needs to take a long hard look at himself as do the entire squad.
That was fucking appalling, not a single one of them earned even a fraction of their hideous wages tonight.
Outplayed and comfortably destroyed by a club who's entire turnover last season wasn't much more than Agbonlahors wages, disgrace.
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Jeez, that was crap. No intensity or pressing at all. Several really poor performers tonight. Two weak efforts on goal and easily missed our two best chances. Defensively inept too. Brentford taught how a team is supposed to play, they were excellent tonight. Yeah we need to gel, but effort all over the park is half the battle.
Yes, that's it in a nutshell. Brentford closed us down all over the pitch and we kept lumping it back to them. We stood off them and they passed it around like it was a training session. You've got to win the battles to earn the right to play in this league and almost two thirds into the season, we still don't get it, particularly away from home.
100%
We're Aston Villa, we pay top flight wages so the opposition should know their place seems to be the default setting. And yet the cheeky upstarts don't roll over and let us dominate.
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For all the captains we've bought I didn't see one who looked like a leader for us tonight.
Maybe that's the problem with having too many captains? You can't have an army full of generals.
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Has any team in the history of football spent so much money to be a shit, boring, mid-table second tier side?
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Shit, shit and shit.
Everyone of those players needs to take a good look at themselves.
I'm sorry but all the new players looked as shite as the rest of them.
And I'm sick of giving new players time to bed in or gel. You're paid more than I can ever imagine so a change of club should not mean you forget how to pass or play pissing football.
Bollocks to the lot of them.
Well and truly wet and fucked off.
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Captains..leaders..generals........I don't think we have a Lance corporal in the team let alone anything else.
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The only good thing about our club over the past few years of shitness has been our support, which has been up there with the best, unfortunately it seems the shitness has finally become too much for the majority as we now just stand there in silence.
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Trying very hard not to get angry/ weepy over this crushing disappointment. Attempting to analyse it technically, a few hopefully 'sensible' observations : 1) why was it that Dean Smith realised after 10 mins that Lansbury was running the game so they pressed him in possession and snuffed him out? (Yet we allowed Woods to boss the entire game and did sod all to stop him) 2) Why , when this happened, didn't our other midfielders exploit the space that this created and get in between the CB's and midfield? 3) Why is it, that despite changes of managers and players, we don't play like other good teams ( e.g. Brentford) and MOVE off the F**kin ball? If you had frozen the the screen on the telly at any point when Brentford were in possession you would have seen at least 3 players in space giving the man in possession options. Do the same for us any time over the last 5 years , including tonight and you see no options. I'm convinced that's what eventually ground Westwood down - the lazy F**kers couldn't be arsed to move for him and yet somehow he always got the blame . 4) Hutton and Amavi - just , i dunno, why ?
Getting angry again now, sod it , I think I'll go back to Trump jokes.....
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Thrashed by little Brentford. Christ what a fuckin nightmare this club is.
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Bruce looks a beaten man.
Brentford fans singing "you're fucking shit".
He should apologise to every poor sod who spent money on that tonight.
He apologised to the fans in his post match interview. And yes he does look like a beaten man. It's beginning to look like Aston Villa are unmanageable. It's like we've been cursed! Maybe he could try pissing on the corner flags and painting the soles of the players boots red.
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Trying very hard not to get angry/ weepy over this crushing disappointment. Attempting to analyse it technically, a few hopefully 'sensible' observations : 1) why was it that Dean Smith realised after 10 mins that Lansbury was running the game so they pressed him in possession and snuffed him out? (Yet we allowed Woods to boss the entire game and did sod all to stop him) 2) Why , when this happened, didn't our other midfielders exploit the space that this created and get in between the CB's and midfield? 3) Why is it, that despite changes of managers and players, we don't play like other good teams ( e.g. Brentford) and MOVE off the F**kin ball? If you had frozen the the screen on the telly at any point when Brentford were in possession you would have seen at least 3 players in space giving the man in possession options. Do the same for us any time over the last 5 years , including tonight and you see no options. I'm convinced that's what eventually ground Westwood down - the lazy F**kers couldn't be arsed to move for him and yet somehow he always got the blame . 4) Hutton and Amavi - just , i dunno, why ?
Getting angry again now, sod it , I think I'll go back to Trump jokes.....
Spot on!
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Bruce doesn't look happy. As well he shouldn't.
He says the right things but needs to start doing things about them during the fucking game.
Thing is Bruce is having good to apologise for us being unable to do the most basic things week after week, but nothing seems to change.
Tonight Brentford looked like a team. We looked a team full of individuals.
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Exactly, he says the same things after every away game and then in the next away game proceeds to play exactly the same way again.
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Is it fair to expect Villa's players to play in the rain ? It spoiled it for me as their hair styles were spoiled.
Post match Bruce said '...you remember the bad ones...'. As a manager he may, the players won't as it doesn't mean anything to them whatsoever. The team should be made to walk back to B6 - although they probably all live in London.
Even my mother (now 87 and who used to be a season ticket holder in the Witton Stand) noticed that the transfer deadline wasn't quite closed so she thought they might sign her.
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The glowing problem tonight was the simple fact that nothing 'stuck' upfront.
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I was lucky enough to be home within 15 minutes of leaving. My sincere sympathies to those still traveling home after that.
Brentford played very well. We were fucking embarrassing, with particular distinctions going to Adomah, BB, Hutton, Baker, Chester, Amavi, Johnstone, Kodjia and, most importantly, Steve Bruce. 100% pathetic.
Green, Landsbury and Hourihane were shite as well.
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His apologies and criticism of the team are a bit rich when the players who haven't performed are his buys..
Obviously new players need time but then he should say that not the same shit as previous poor performances . It's frankly amazing that he talks about the mentaility not being right when the midfield (the area we once again look all at see at ) are his signings , is he saying them have come in with th ewrong mentaility ?
Supporting the club is draining the life out of me that's the only thing I know for sure
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What is our style of play? Have we got one? Every away game just follows the same pattern, toothless and clueless. We never even look like scoring away never mind winning.
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An off night to be sure
I'm sure the boys will be ready for Saturday
Congratulations Brentford.
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Trying very hard not to get angry/ weepy over this crushing disappointment. Attempting to analyse it technically, a few hopefully 'sensible' observations : 1) why was it that Dean Smith realised after 10 mins that Lansbury was running the game so they pressed him in possession and snuffed him out? (Yet we allowed Woods to boss the entire game and did sod all to stop him) 2) Why , when this happened, didn't our other midfielders exploit the space that this created and get in between the CB's and midfield? 3) Why is it, that despite changes of managers and players, we don't play like other good teams ( e.g. Brentford) and MOVE off the F**kin ball? If you had frozen the the screen on the telly at any point when Brentford were in possession you would have seen at least 3 players in space giving the man in possession options. Do the same for us any time over the last 5 years , including tonight and you see no options. I'm convinced that's what eventually ground Westwood down - the lazy F**kers couldn't be arsed to move for him and yet somehow he always got the blame . 4) Hutton and Amavi - just , i dunno, why ?
Getting angry again now, sod it , I think I'll go back to Trump jokes.....
I said exactly this during play. Lansbury looked to be running the show after 10 minutes so they changed things to nullify his threat.Ryan Woods and Jota ran the show from 10 minutes in and Bruce did NOTHING about it for 83 minutes. I really want Bruce to do well but after the last 5 away performances there has to be serious doubts about his tactical knowledge.
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I dont know much about these new signings, but were some of them playing out of position in midfield and/or not used to playing
443 433 at their old clubs?
edit: edited for factual accuracy.
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We can safely stop all talk about the play offs now.
We need to go to back to basics again away from home, and start with a defensive mindset of not conceding. Defence and midfield need to stop the opposition running through us. We now have attacking midfielders in Hourihane and Lansbury, but they need to do the hard graft too.
It will be ugly to watch, but so is getting torn apart by Brentford.
Our away form is that bad, that Zola hasn't won a single game in charge of Blues for 10 games, and they are still above us.
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I dont know much about these new signings, but were some of them playing out of position in midfield and/or not used to playing 443 at their old clubs?
? 443 would explain why they were better before they came here
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We can safely stop all talk about the play offs now.
We need to go to back to basics again away from home, and start with a defensive mindset of not conceding.
That is the only tactic we seem to have anyway, its just that we're crap at it.
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An off night to be sure
I'm sure the boys will be ready for Saturday
Congratulations Brentford.
All of our away games are off days/nights, in case you hadn't noticed. Lowest away scorers in the entire league, it's Lambertesque. Except that mumbly fucker has won two away games on the bounce.
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We can safely stop all talk about the play offs now.
We need to go to back to basics again away from home, and start with a defensive mindset of not conceding. Defence and midfield need to stop the opposition running through us. We now have attacking midfielders in Hourihane and Lansbury, but they need to do the hard graft too.
It will be ugly to watch, but so is getting torn apart by Brentford.
Our away form is that bad, that Zola hasn't won a single game in charge of Blues for 10 games, and they are still above us.
Fucking hell kick us while we're down why don't you? 😉
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An off night to be sure
I'm sure the boys will be ready for Saturday
Congratulations Brentford.
All of our away games are off days/nights, in case you hadn't noticed. Lowest away scorers in the entire league, it's Lambertesque. Except that mumbly fucker has won two away games on the bounce.
made worse when you consider how much we've spent on goals scorers
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I dont know much about these new signings, but were some of them playing out of position in midfield and/or not used to playing 443 at their old clubs?
? 443 would explain why they were better before they came here
I'm not keen on this new 9-0-1 formation
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An off night to be sure
I'm sure the boys will be ready for Saturday
Congratulations Brentford.
All of our away games are off days/nights, in case you hadn't noticed. Lowest away scorers in the entire league, it's Lambertesque. Except that mumbly fucker has won two away games on the bounce.
A disappointing result against The Bees, but I'm sure Steve will have the team ready for Saturday's mouthwatering encounter.
We go again.
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An off night to be sure
I'm sure the boys will be ready for Saturday
Congratulations Brentford.
All of our away games are off days/nights, in case you hadn't noticed. Lowest away scorers in the entire league, it's Lambertesque. Except that mumbly fucker has won two away games on the bounce.
Only Rotherham, QPR and Blackburn have scored less home & away combined in this division. I wish we'd signed some strikers in the summer.
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We're chucking money left, right, and centre. Newcastle chucked a truckload of cash to tempt Rafa Benetiz to the club. That's the best move they've made in the past 12 months frankly.
Why don't we do that. Not spend 15 million quid on strikers every time one of ours fucks off or fails to score goals.
Lets get a proper manager. Someone progressive to give us some footballing identity.
Bruce's selling point has never been footballing style, it's been functional and motivation. He's failing in those aspects, and doing nothing more than expected as far as a footballing style and identity, which is to say, nothing.
If we're going to blow money, lets get a top manager in who will install some sense of style. Not just hiring a manager just because "he did okay cover at Spurs" or "he won the champions league" or "he gets promoted a lot (but also relegated)."
This exactly 100 % More even
Benitez has made unpopular signings too. Like Clark for one . Dwight Gayle looked way overpriced considering his scoring record at Palace but just fitted their team perfectly.
That Brentford team,with the combined annual wages of Flabby and Mitchards, looks a well drilled outfit. As did Huddersfield as have many others. Basics like players know what their roles are.
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We don't look like scoring, we don't keep the ball or move it quickly enough to open teams up. We loose battles across the whole pitch and seem to play at half the pace / effort of our opponents.
We need to understand that everyone we play will raise their game against us, something we seem unable to match.
Bruce must take a lot of blame, in a number of games he has set the team up incorrectly and he never reacts to what's wrong until it's too late.
No protection in front of the defence, if Jedinek is out we have no defensive midfielder.
Adomah is pointless.
Kodja only wants the ball in front of him.
Amarvi plays like he's only here to get fit and avoid injury.
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Well the only positive of the whole night was getting home before 11pm thanks to the defence gifting them a third goal with 20 mins left to play. Bruce played the embarrassment card again, which we've heard before...and this is his team - I refuse to accept that any mentality issues from last year exist when you've changed the entire coaching set up and two thirds of the squad.
The statistics don't lie, and our return on investment is a bloody disgrace. Bruce has a huge job to do and it had better improve, and quick, because that tonight was fucking dreadful.
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I'm Steve knows what he's doing. Keep the faith.
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Well the only positive of the whole night was getting home before 11pm thanks to the defence gifting them a third goal with 20 mins left to play. Bruce played the embarrassment card again, which we've heard before...and this is his team - I refuse to accept that any mentality issues from last year exist when you've changed the entire coaching set up and two thirds of the squad.
The statistics don't lie, and our return on investment is a bloody disgrace. Bruce has a huge job to do and it had better improve, and quick, because that tonight was fucking dreadful.
This. Never mind play offs, we need to be careful we don't end up in a relegation battle. At the moment, we're a team everyone relishes meeting because we're so easy to play against. Very very worrying given the money spent since the takeover.
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I'm Steve knows what he's doing. Keep the faith.
If this is him knowing what he's doing then i'd fucking hate to see what happens when he does'nt know.
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I think we have to face the fact that our club remains as shambolic as it has been over the past six years.
Poor / inept ownership remains the root cause.
Still some think that Dr T will sort it out even though he has presided over the last two managerial appointments and santioned the signings.Good luck with that.
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Stuck in Oxfordshire waiting for an RAC man to come and tow me back to Birmingham as my tyre has eaten a piece of metal and has come off worse.
And I don't live in Birmingham. And I'm in work for half 8. Brilliant.
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Stuck in Oxfordshire waiting for an RAC man to come and tow me back to Birmingham as my tyre has eaten a piece of metal and has come off worse.
And I don't live in Birmingham. And I'm in work for half 8. Brilliant.
Sorry to hear that, mate. Hope you make it back safely.
A similar thing happened to me when I had to drive back to Brighton after a home league cup game against QPR. That started with a two hour wait in the car park before the puncture on the M40, and then I had to drop my QPR supporting mate to Gatwick Airport as he had a meeting in France, so I ended up driving straight to work in West Sussex with no sleep.
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Just got in - best bloke on the pitch (same as when we played them at villa park) - Ryan Woods .
Put all our multi million midfield signings to shame .
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Just got in - best bloke on the pitch (same as when we played them at villa park) - Ryan Woods .
Put all our multi million midfield signings to shame .
We'd probably play him on the right if we bought him.
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Just got in - best bloke on the pitch (same as when we played them at villa park) - Ryan Woods .
Put all our multi million midfield signings to shame .
Yes. The little ginger fellow wreaked havoc in both games.
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Woods ran the entire game, just like he did at VP. We couldn't get close to him. They've got a cracking player there.
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Bruce looks a beaten man.
Brentford fans singing "you're fucking shit".
He should apologise to every poor sod who spent money on that tonight.
He apologised to the fans in his post match interview. And yes he does look like a beaten man. It's beginning to look like Aston Villa are unmanageable. It's like we've been cursed! Maybe he could try pissing on the corner flags and painting the soles of the players boots red.
From behind the goal I only head Villa fans singing "we're fucking shit" not Brentford
The only highlight for me was pissing on a terrace, something I hadn't done for decades.
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Bruce looks a beaten man.
Brentford fans singing "you're fucking shit".
He should apologise to every poor sod who spent money on that tonight.
He apologised to the fans in his post match interview. And yes he does look like a beaten man. It's beginning to look like Aston Villa are unmanageable. It's like we've been cursed! Maybe he could try pissing on the corner flags and painting the soles of the players boots red.
From behind the goal I only head Villa fans singing "we're fucking shit" not Brentford
The only highlight for me was pissing on a terrace, something I hadn't done for decades.
I'm glad you at least enjoyed that Paul. A belated happy new year to you, mate.
I have slowly lost interest in staying up/getting up to watch games. I often just have a look at the lineup, sigh at the lack of balance or probable cohesion and go to/go back to bed.
Surely with the players we've bought, results will improve. (I hope so, anyway).
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Bruce played the embarrassment card again, which we've heard before...and this is his team - I refuse to accept that any mentality issues from last year exist when you've changed the entire coaching set up and two thirds of the squad.
There were only 3 players in the starting XI from last season...and 2 of those were out either injured or on loan. The only excuse that can be made is that we fielded 4 players in midfield and up front that were either making debuts or hardly played in the team before. The back 4 were again all over the place and disorganised, Kodjia looked lost/knackered playing up on his own (understandable given his only just got back) and Adomah has no excuse other than being shite.
Bruce needs to get them working as a team, and not just a random bunch of players thrown together expecting them to get results.
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Spot on, a mental fragility? The whole squad is almost fucking new. Pull the other one spud head. You've spent incredible riches for this raggedy division, if there's no reward you'll get the tin tack, tonight was ridiculous.
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Not long back, easy ground to get away from and home, and up until about 7.55 I was enjoying my first visit there.
Again we've come up against a good footballing side tonight, they were very bright and inventive - moving the ball around crisply and quickly. Week in week out we're being shown up by the way teams are playing in this league.The standard has been very good generally but we have been a total embarrassment to the division - playing like what we are. Dinosaurs.
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Stuck in Oxfordshire waiting for an RAC man to come and tow me back to Birmingham as my tyre has eaten a piece of metal and has come off worse.
And I don't live in Birmingham. And I'm in work for half 8. Brilliant.
Hope you are on your way back by now.
And that Villa get better. Fast.
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Have been feeling like shit this week as my beloved dog died suddenly on the weekend and I was looking for anything to cheer me up.
I was optimistic about tonight with all the new signings.
I got up at 4am to watch the game and apart from the first ten minutes we got utterly thrashed by a mid table team who had only won one of their last eight at home.
We were completely dominated in midfield and our only tactic seemed to hoof the ball to Kodj.
Our defence was all at sea and a 6-0 score line wouldn't have flattered mighty Brentford.
As someone else said on here, the only good thing about Villa the last five years and more has been the fans.
My admiration goes out to all those who went to London last night only to be humiliated once more and soaked into the bargain.
You all deserve a medal.
Oh yeah and the pain goes on, thanks Villa.
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Note to Mr Bruce, please, please stop playing the lone striker, it doesn't work!! In the last few matches away from home, we have hardly managed a shot on target. Our best formation seems to be 4-4-2 so let's go with that and see where it leads. Our crossing is still woeful, surely this can be worked on in training. In addition, we need to press far higher up the pitch like other teams do to us. The reason other teams are able to do this is because we sit far too deep so make it easy for them. These things, like football in general, is not rocket science and, just the whole team putting in 100% effort throughout the duration of a match will reap rewards.
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Just got in 1.15 AM. Shit journey up and back. Crap weather. The most embarrassing of performances from Villa against a very good Brentford. Just when will the nightmare end?
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345 mile round trip in the pissing rain and fog to watch that shit.
Highlights were a nice pint of Doombar in the New Inn served by a pretty barmaid and a big mac meal at my favourite services (Beaconsfield).
No tactics this evening; dare I say we missed Gabby and Westwood! Better sort it for Saturday.
At least it was a new ground for me and I thought their stewards and fans were a friendly bunch. Credit to their team as well; they showed us how to play along the ground and always have team mates available for the pass.
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GUBU
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The points being made about the lack of pressing opponents is made well, I remember when Bruce first took over even Westwood was closing down quickly, that lasted about two weeks then he reverted to business as usual.
The amount of times they passed to a teammate that was by himself at the edge of our box I lost count, get this team sorted Bruce and get them closing down opponents every game.
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Have been feeling like shit this week as my beloved dog died suddenly on the weekend and I was looking for anything to cheer me up.
Sorry to hear about your dog PV. It's a horrible time I know.
TBH, I'm numb to this bollocks now to the point where i'm not getting that bothered anymore. I prefer the Villa memories/Off Topic threads these days as the rest is just getting depressing.
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Time to see what you are made of Brucey boy, this team now has your stamp on it, the money spent for this division by the club is nothing short of staggering, appreciate it will not happen overnight and the Villa being the Villa can extinguish that feel good factor of the transfers, so so quickly.
Dr X I would hope is looking for some form of pattern of play that does not allow the likes of Brentford to walk all over us and the minimum required is effort and sweat.
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We are now playing to stay in the division. Any more of this incompetence and relegation will be a real threat. I watched on sky and the debutants looked beyond awful. I really am losing faith and interest
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He has to find a way to play two up top, or at the very least have someone playing behind Kodija and start pressing teams. The ball is never held up there and just comes back, inviting pressure time after time.
It's no good saying these players aren't good enough, they are. Hogan, Lansbury, Kodija, Hourihane, Bree have all done it for their clubs this season to great effect.
It's down to Bruce to get them playing and set them up right. Playing a holding midfielder and playing Hourihane on the left of centre would be a start....
After 15 minutes he got out thought and completely owned tonight..
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That is the problem with Villa they are not awful players they are players their clubs wanted to keep but couldn't, I'm fast coming to the conclusion that there is a curse on Villa Park and its players it is the only explanation that I can come up with as to why so many managers and so many players have failed to give us a decent team. Did you see how much space we gave Brentford players that alone was disgraceful from the manager, mark your bloody man it's basic it's simple.
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345 mile round trip in the pissing rain and fog to watch that shit.
Highlights were a nice pint of Doombar in the New Inn served by a pretty barmaid and a big mac meal at my favourite services (Beaconsfield).
No tactics this evening; dare I say we missed Gabby and Westwood! Better sort it for Saturday.
At least it was a new ground for me and I thought their stewards and fans were a friendly bunch. Credit to their team as well; they showed us how to play along the ground and always have team mates available for the pass.
Beaconsfield services! Hotel, pub and about 15 different junk food outlets.
I'm tempted to use it as a holiday destination.
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I wonder why Benjamin Disraeli took the name of a motorway services area when he was ennobled?
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I'm as concerned now as I have ever been for the past five years or so. Despite changes throughout the club the team turns in identically bad performances on a regular basis. Looking utterly lost against the most limited and workmanlike teams. I felt like this after Preston away but with the hope that a managerial change would be the answer.
Now, three months down the line, we are back to square one. The only hope is that in 12 months time we look back at this result as something to wonder at, given the performances that followed with the new players. But it's hard to imagine that.
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I've never felt more despondent as a fan tbh - it was pitiful to watch on TV last night after the first ten minutes. Once they had scored you just knew we would lose.
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Can we please stop the myth that Baker is a good championship centre half - if a team play a passing game, he is like Bambi on ice, he does not have a clue
And as for Hutton and Amavi last night they were awful!
The only player for me who came out with any credit was Green at least he looked as though he tried
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We're fucking shit.
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In the context of how much we've spent compared to them, that is one of the worst performances from us I've seen since 95. They could of had a couple more. We didn't even try to score.
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I'm Steve knows what he's doing. Keep the faith.
Please explain. Apart from looking clueless
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Felt like Doncaster under DOL to me
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We're fucked
we look worse than under rdm and are getting worse
bruce can come out with same bollocks but not competing is indefensible
the time will come when dr tony chucks the towel in as he has already spunked a shed load an we are what 20 points off the top two.
If we dont get up next season be afraid
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The back four seemed all over the place last night. Chester had a bad game so they all went to pot.
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Apathy soothes.
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Note to Mr Bruce, please, please stop playing the lone striker, it doesn't work!! In the last few matches away from home, we have hardly managed a shot on target. Our best formation seems to be 4-4-2 so let's go with that and see where it leads. Our crossing is still woeful, surely this can be worked on in training. In addition, we need to press far higher up the pitch like other teams do to us. The reason other teams are able to do this is because we sit far too deep so make it easy for them. These things, like football in general, is not rocket science and, just the whole team putting in 100% effort throughout the duration of a match will reap rewards.
Spot on. Bruce's cautious tactics are to blame. Its inevitable when we go a goal down and play with a lone striker the rest of the team retreat and we have no way of coming back. We are Aston Villa for Christ's sake. We have just bought a load of players who were the bast players at their clubs so we should be dominating. There is no point in being cautious now, unless we fear relegation. I only hope Bruce decides to play Kodj and Hogan together up top or we are going nowhere. I suspect he won't and will play Kodj out wide.....if he does he's a gonna
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State of play
Writing this out of rage and frustration of our current predicament.
£17m worth of players given to Forest for free all because of bad attitudes. £17m!
I pray Forest are picking up these wages.
Bacuna, Flabby, Kozak and Hutton - no takers, 50% are history for sure this summer.
Is it possible that we are the most expensively assembled squad actually purchased within the 2nd division, a dare I say it a 'Man City' of the 2nd Div? Urgghhhh, oh yeah I dont care because whatever it takes to get us back where we belong.
The throwing money at the problem is ok with me, because frankly we've been in states where we havent had money to buy new players and we've solidiered on watching shite that we can do nothing about.
I like Steve Bruce. I like Dr Tony Xia. Optimism and Enthusiasm abound.
Johnson - signed from ManUre and isnt Gollini clangered or shaky
Hutton - Know for sure will be binned on 7/5/17 at 1.45pm, lets hope Bree can displace before then.
Chester - Out of form
Baker - Out of form
Amavi - needs to be pushed into left midfield as will be leaving in the summer because he wont have a 2nd spell in the 2nd tier so might aswell get our use out of him and put him in the shop window too.
BB - For 10 minutes thought he was a warrior, not a great debut - Westwood gone!
Lansbury - Love this guy's attitude, play, swagger.
Hourihane - Looked like a rabbit in the headlights.
Kodjia - Nice touches but cant play isolated.
Adomah - Didnt get enough crosses in
Green - Did well for a kid.
Bacuna - That pass to Cleverly v Everton must have been a hazy, booze fueled Playstation move.
Grealish - (shakes head).
Elphick - A shore up squad player
Bree - N/a
Taylor - N/a
Gardner - A shore up squad player
Davis - Fill the numbers up
Hogan - I have a shirt that says 'Waring' 50. Maybe come next year it will say 'Hogan' 30
I'm not even sure Im taking the time, money and commitment to watch us v Forest, I feel that detached right now. 31 years supporting Villa.
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On the plus side:
We've seen many promising debuts over the years - only for said debutant to go on and do little else in a Villa shirt.
Maybe the new lads will switch that into reverse. Can't get much worse than last night.
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Note to Mr Bruce, please, please stop playing the lone striker, it doesn't work!! In the last few matches away from home, we have hardly managed a shot on target. Our best formation seems to be 4-4-2 so let's go with that and see where it leads. Our crossing is still woeful, surely this can be worked on in training. In addition, we need to press far higher up the pitch like other teams do to us. The reason other teams are able to do this is because we sit far too deep so make it easy for them. These things, like football in general, is not rocket science and, just the whole team putting in 100% effort throughout the duration of a match will reap rewards.
Spot on. Bruce's cautious tactics are to blame. Its inevitable when we go a goal down and play with a lone striker the rest of the team retreat and we have no way of coming back. We are Aston Villa for Christ's sake. We have just bought a load of players who were the bast players at their clubs so we should be dominating. There is no point in being cautious now, unless we fear relegation. I only hope Bruce decides to play Kodj and Hogan together up top or we are going nowhere. I suspect he won't and will play Kodj out wide.....if he does he's a gonna
I think he will play Kodija and Hogan but he still has to get past the issue that Jedinak struggles in a midfield two, and he has to be a shoe in for the holding role given what we witnessed last night. He could go 4-1-3-2, but the three would need to be very mobile both going forward and defensively.
Generally, I do think a number of issues would go away if we upped the tempo and closed down round the pitch much better. There is a confidence issue at the moment but you only turn it round by working harder all round the pitch. We do still giv the impression we are waiting for team to roll over for us.
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Lowest point of the season for me. We will still be in the Championship next year.
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let's hope so, this is now resembling a relegation dogfight
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We're fucking shit.
We weren't even that good.
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I hope our next manager brings the little ginger fella with him.
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Note to Mr Bruce, please, please stop playing the lone striker, it doesn't work!! In the last few matches away from home, we have hardly managed a shot on target. Our best formation seems to be 4-4-2 so let's go with that and see where it leads. Our crossing is still woeful, surely this can be worked on in training. In addition, we need to press far higher up the pitch like other teams do to us. The reason other teams are able to do this is because we sit far too deep so make it easy for them. These things, like football in general, is not rocket science and, just the whole team putting in 100% effort throughout the duration of a match will reap rewards.
Spot on. Bruce's cautious tactics are to blame. Its inevitable when we go a goal down and play with a lone striker the rest of the team retreat and we have no way of coming back. We are Aston Villa for Christ's sake. We have just bought a load of players who were the bast players at their clubs so we should be dominating. There is no point in being cautious now, unless we fear relegation. I only hope Bruce decides to play Kodj and Hogan together up top or we are going nowhere. I suspect he won't and will play Kodj out wide.....if he does he's a gonna
I think he will play Kodija and Hogan but he still has to get past the issue that Jedinak struggles in a midfield two, and he has to be a shoe in for the holding role given what we witnessed last night. He could go 4-1-3-2, but the three would need to be very mobile both going forward and defensively.
You've posted more or less exactly what I was going to. I think because he knows Jedinak struggles in a two man midfield is the reason why he's brought in Bjarnnson. It's obvious he needs a few games under his belt after last night though.
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Not sure Jedinak would've been much use last night.
In a more agricultural, all hands to the pump away day battle, he'd be fine, heading or hacking the ball away.
But Brentford would have been in clover getting balls down the side of him, with their pace and movement.
Tish isn't everyone's cup of tea, and I'd concede he is a work in progress. He will occasionally ball watch and not track the man.
But he does have a turn of pace as well as decent physicality, and his distribution is reasonable. It already looks like folly to let him go, considering our other midfield options.
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I'm hoping that since they didn't have a clue what each other were doing they looked lost. I'd expect a lot more on Saturday or I'll just go back in my hole till next season. This is where we'll find out if we can coach or not - we know these guys are miles better than the people they are replacing so there are no excuses now. I'm convinced someone is drugging them in training by mistake. I was going to write a little Westwood epiphet, but the fact I'm not fuming about him is somewhat perversely gratifying.
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With Jedinak in we could have pressed them more effectively. It was far too easy as we gave them too much room. Every time Lansbury vacated the space he would take up deep as default, they'd drift in and feed a ball into a player who could drive at our centre halves.
Their second goal was a consequence of the chronic lack.of balance and organisation.
Nobody in this league is good enough to beat the press.
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There were a lot of issues last night. It looked like a number of our players didn't know what position they were playing unfortunately.
We should have pressed higher and more effectively but if Bjarnason and Hourihane don't know their roles in the side it can look messy.
The default for Bruce at the moment seems to be to revert to 4-5-1 when things are going badly, with the two wider players too deep and Kodjia so isolated.
Hourihane and Bjarnason certainly can't play any worse. Just wonder if going a little bit narrower might suit this squad of player. Certainly would allow us to get a little bit more control and Kodjia and someone like Grealish could play off Hogan as opposed to persisting with out and out wingers.
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The whole team were unbelievably shite last night but the goals came from 2 deep defence splitting passes that weren't dealt with (closing down, interception or tackle) and a cross that found their player completely unmarked. All 3 goals should have been prevented and dealt with by Baker or Chester but they failed miserably on each occasion.
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500 mile, 8 hour round trip through rain and fog to see a Villa team start brightly and completely fold when they go a goal down. Really not impressed with the goalkeeper..I think he should have done better for the first goal, Kodja spent most of the game on the floor and the sooner the two new full backs get introduced the better. I actually thought Houilhan played ok, put himself about although he gave the ball away. Lansbury needs to play further forward and the Icelandic lad looked off the pace.
Loved Griffin Park..easy to find, terracing, old style foodlights easy parking loads of pubs and a McDonald's nearby. Just a shame we never turned up.
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Particularly as Adomahs delivery is nothing short of woeful.
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I would like to set this setup on Saturday
Johnstone
Bree,Chester,Baker,Taylor
Jedinak
Lansbury Hourihane Jack
Hogan. Kodjia
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I think the mighty Hutton has run his last race
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The keeper....I really don't see what he brings over Gollinin?
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The keeper comes from Man Utd so he must be fantastic - I agree if this was Gollini in goal last night he would have been slaughtered
In truth we could of lost by more, but for some poor finishing by them towards the end of the game.
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Griffin Park is shit.
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Particularly as Adomahs delivery is nothing short of woeful.
Agreed. Several openings were squandered when Adomah beat his man, found space near the corner flag, but then completely messed up his cross. On a related topic, Hourihane seems to have joined a long list of Villa players (Bannan, Westwood, McCormack etc) who can't take a decent corner
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Particularly as Adomahs delivery is nothing short of woeful.
Even though we were awful, we got Adomah into some great positions, but he has no composure at key moments at all. Probably why he is a championship level player.
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Griffin Park is shit.
Very old fashioned..a ground from a bygone age, but I enjoyed it..Loftus Road is far worse.
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It is, Loftus Road is terrible, but Griffin Park is still a poxy hole.
Still, quite possibly the easiest ground to drive away from, I would have been back in double quick time of somebody hadn't land mined the M40.
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You can't hate modern football and say old-fashioned grounds are shit. It's like the tendency to hanker for the old days and overlook hooliganism, ill-treatment by police and appalling facilities.
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I tell you what, these fuckers need to start harrying the opposition, the amount of space Brentford had when they were on the ball was ridiculous. I don't mean a half hearted leg shake attempt at closing someone down either, real intention to dispossess the opposition.
Last night, with the money spent, was pound for pound the worst performance comfortably of the season. Bruce needs to start earning his coin now, we know how shit it was, he keeps telling us, but what is he doing about it?
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Fair play to Brentford. The better team each time we've met this season.
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I tell you what, these fuckers need to start harrying the opposition, the amount of space Brentford had when they were on the ball was ridiculous. I don't mean a half hearted leg shake attempt at closing someone down either, real intention to dispossess the opposition.
Last night, with the money spent, was pound for pound the worst performance comfortably of the season. Bruce needs to start earning his coin now, we know how shit it was, he keeps telling us, but what is he doing about it?
Spot on. Remember Brentford were in a fragile state themselves as well having one one in eight or something.
After 15 mins, I thought we were going to win comfortably as I guess most Villa fans did . I think the players thought the same, and before you know it, we stand off and let them play themselves into the game. Nothing hacks me off more than seeing players strolling around halfheartedly closing down and not stopping crosses coming in.
There is a deep malaise that is deeply ingrained and it will only begin to turn round if we start matching the effort of the teams in this league.
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Brentford were very good and fully deserved their win. We're not very good at all, but Green kept going and did well. I really liked like the old-school ground right in the middle of the houses. Friendly place, nice boozers.
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Spot on. Remember Brentford were in a fragile state themselves..........
Yes, that's right but Dean Smith had the upper hand in terms of Psychology on the day....he was able to use the transfer of their top scorer and the fan-knowledge of knowing that " Villa will shut off if you press them " and then , he made it happen because his troops are now well-used to his mantra.
Villa had so many missing links that if you take Lansbury out (as they did both footy-wise and physically [nasty cut it seemed] then we fall apart.
The " mental state " that SB referred to post-match, is something HE has to indoctrinate into ALL of our players and not leave up to Calderwood and Clemence, who are seen as the " nice guys ", I reckon.
He has to be the " nasty man we all listen to and do as we're told - or else "
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Griffin Park is shit.
Very old fashioned..a ground from a bygone age, but I enjoyed it..Loftus Road is far worse.
Agree, I enjoyed it too. As good a behind-goal view as you could hope for too, sitting right on top of the goal net!
I much prefer going to places like that with a bit of character than Derby, Cardiff and the likes. In fact I can't wait for Fleetwood away next season.
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During the first 10 min I was thinking:
"Oh My God, we are going to trash them! Poor Brentford. This is how the small clubs promoted to premier league must feel when running into the financially muscle that Manchester clubs or Chelsea has. With Learner gone replaced with a good owner like Dr Tony, nothing can derail a giant like Villa.
Morons like RMC and Lescott, failed talent or just plain bad signings doesn't matter. In the end Money will just a buy a team like this and success is inevitable. Not even an average strategist like Bruce can screw this up! Even Tim Sherwood would make the play-offs with this squad!"
Then somehow, it changed and turned into the most humiliating game I ever experienced. This wasn't an poor Premier League team being put to the sword by Arsenal or Liverpool. This was a team backed by the best travelling fans, trained at top notch facilities, paid astronomical wages and at nearly every position fielding the best pound for pound player in the league....being ridiculed at B r e n t f o r d. This is the biggest disgrace ever. This has to be rock bottom. Failing in adversity is one thing...failing when given every advantage is inexcusable.
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Lowest point of the season for me. We will still be in the Championship next year.
I'm with Damon on this, i'm confident we'll stay up.
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Low point for me was my daughter walking into the lounge and asking who Villa were playing and then laughing when she saw we were losing 3-0 to a team she'd never heard of, she made a quick exit when she saw her brother's face.
When are we going to start pissing this league?
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We're fucking shit.
This. Times ten
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During the game I was on the phone to someone who was clearly pissed and kept repeating the same information over and over again. It was like one of those short films with a circular plot where it all ends back at the begining and you start off again in a never-ending loop. Well, I stayed on the phone throughout the game, heard every story, anecdote and bit of news five times over. It was infinitely more enjoyable than that dross at Griffin Park.
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Did Houlihan play on the right of a midfield three for Barnsley often?
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Low point for me was my daughter walking into the lounge and asking who Villa were playing and then laughing when she saw we were losing 3-0 to a team she'd never heard of, she made a quick exit when she saw her brother's face.
When are we going to start pissing this league?
Somebody is due a mullering soon®
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Disappointed again I think we are cursed there's got to be a reason we keep playing like we do I thought it just could be we are sh*t but the more I think about it the more I reckon we are cursed.
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Just saw the highlights from last night. Any suggestions on why Adomah ran behind the defender preventing Kodjia from being able to pick him out?
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You can't hate modern football and say old-fashioned grounds are shit. It's like the tendency to hanker for the old days and overlook hooliganism, ill-treatment by police and appalling facilities.
That's fair enough, but there's better terraces to be stood on than that pokey shambles. Ninian Park or Doncaster was perhaps the last terracing and that was bigger with an unspoilt view.
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About the only positive I can take from last night is that it's another ground ticked off. Admittedly a crap ground with dreadful facilities, sight lines and atmosphere. And while I didn't expect us to rock up and thrash them, was it really too much to hope for a goal celebration on a terrace, for old time's sake?
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#RIPfootyskillz
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I think the mighty Hutton has run his last race
Lets hope so.
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#RIPfootyskillz
What happened?
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Griffin Park is shit.
Very old fashioned..a ground from a bygone age, but I enjoyed it..Loftus Road is far worse.
Agree, I enjoyed it too. As good a behind-goal view as you could hope for too, sitting right on top of the goal net!
I much prefer going to places like that with a bit of character than Derby, Cardiff and the likes. In fact I can't wait for Fleetwood away next season.
It is an ok ground and their stewards were friendly, as were the people in pubs before the game.
We were shit but Griffin Park isn't.
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#RIPfootyskillz
What happened?
We think the shooter was on the grassy knoll
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seriously, he's ok isn't he?
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seriously, he's ok isn't he?
He got himself worked up and got in a bit of a tizz with of the transfers coming, declared we were going to win 4-1 and said he was that sure, he wouldnt post on here again if we didnt win.
Said he will carry on snooping though, so Hi footyskillz!
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#RIPfootyskillz
What happened?
Aston Villa failed spectacularly to back up his ever so ambitious prediction of winning 4-1.
He promised he'd commit message board hari-kari if he was wrong.
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Disgraceful!
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you sometimes just sit there in utter disbelief at what is going on in front of you whether it is home or away teams rock up at vp and run rings round us surely professional pride would of come to the surface last night but not when you are wearing a villa shirt.
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Given how we dominated the first 10, it would have been interesting to see what would have happened if Kodjia had stuck his sitter away.
Brentford scored with their first and second attempt and we crumbled. Confidence is a funny thing, as they grew into the game, but they've suffered a poor run themselves.
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Still angry at the performance last night. Having got back at 1.15 I was up at 5 to get a train back to London. Absolutely knackered. I was meeting a developer and mentioned I was at the game and how crap Villa were. Turns out he was from Galfway and the ex neighbour and once Igreat friend of Eamon Deacey. We had a great chat about Villa winning the league and European Cup. It made me forget about last night and just wonder when the defining moment will come for our rise back to the top.
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Given how we dominated the first 10, it would have been interesting to see what would have happened if Kodjia had stuck his sitter away.
Brentford scored with their first and second attempt and we crumbled. Confidence is a funny thing, as they grew into the game, but they've suffered a poor run themselves.
That's what it's all about for me. We'll never know for sure but Brentford grew in confidence after we missed 2 sitters. I'm hoping Scott Hogan is about to put a stop to that infuriating pattern we seem to follow like some self fulfilling prophecy. Ever the optimist me.
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Up at 5? Pffft, I didn't get back till 5!
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You and the RAC.
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Did Houlihan play on the right of a midfield three for Barnsley often?
No, right side of a central midfield pair.
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Johnstone - another who does not install confidence.
Hutton - please just fuck off. Never seen a player with such poor positional sense and contribution.
Baker - at his worst
Chester - at fault for all 3
Amavi - posing bottler
Adomah - I seriously think he thinks he is 100 times better than his ability. So much of the ball with abysmal effect
Bjorn - all hype? After 10 mins running around he looked as fit as me - which is not very
Conor - anon
Lansbury- started well. A good on head must of effected him as he also became anon
Green - 10 out of 10 for effort but no real impact.
Kodjia - stop falling over it embarrassing- if you want to be a big player you should convert that chance
Bruce - getting bored of his comments. You have the players and backroom team you wanted. Play some attractive, winning football you twat
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Amavi, Bjarnason, Hutton and Adomah at least need to be replaced for the next game, possibly Green too. Jedinak, Hogan, Taylor and Bree to come in.
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Amavi, Bjarnason, Hutton and Adomah at least need to be replaced for the next game, possibly Green too. Jedinak, Hogan, Taylor and Bree to come in.
Correct. We set out not to lose rather than go out to win. We have good players, play to our strengths. Forest are in a bit of form but are beatable.
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I though Green was our only positive from the game to be honest.
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I still can't get over how bad last night was. I only caught the last half hour but Brentford played us off the park! We couldn't get the ball off them and they were cutting us to pieces. I'm all for giving Bruce time but no thought went into last night's selection. 4-3-3 away from home + 3 midfielders that have never played together. It was asking for trouble from the off. We played three up front yet we had hardly any efforts in front of goal. When can we start prioritising the midfield and playing with 4/5 players in the middle of the park?
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I like the look of Green, not sure how to fit him in the side. We need some defensive cover from the midfield and don't have a forward capable of playing up top on his own.
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I'm probably alone in this, but I think that the weaknesses in this team are laid bare when Jedinak isn't playing. For me, he wins the ball and gives it to get things going. Granted, he is sometimes guilty of a poor pass here and there but they wouldn't have gone through us like a dose of salts last night if he was playing. Hourihane started brightly but once he cane off second best in that tackle he didn't want to know.
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Agreed, but he needs to spend some time at BH practicing his heading.
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I'm probably alone in this, but I think that the weaknesses in this team are laid bare when Jedinak isn't playing. For me, he wins the ball and gives it to get things going. Granted, he is sometimes guilty of a poor pass here and there but they wouldn't have gone through us like a dose of salts last night if he was playing. Hourihane started brightly but once he cane off second best in that tackle he didn't want to know.
Watching from behind the goal, I thought that CH was going to get sent off for that tackle
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My final thoughts on last night now I've calmed down a bit....
Basically the perfect storm hit us. Brentford on their day can cut any team in this division to pieces and they did! A brand new midfield was thrown at it and it showed. They probably haven't even got used to names yet! We missed two early sitters which would probably of made the outcome totally different. Then there was the Hogan situation. Dean Smiths team talk must of been his easiest ever "who do they think they are? Throwing their money around and taking our top scorer on the day we play them? Go out there and show them cocky bastards what we're all about"..... job done. The perfect storm. For me we have to forget about last night- put it behind us. Bring in Hogan and hopefully bring back Jedinak to protect the defense. And start putting our fucking chances away. New players new start beginning on Saturday against Forest.
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GUBU
U kidz.
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Green's header... yikes. I like how direct he is.
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Fair play to Brentford. The better team each time we've met this season.
Yes, and Woods is the best player I've seen at this level on the back of it.
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We should have been like This Is England.
"We've come for the ginge"