Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Match Threads & Player Ratings => Topic started by: PeterWithesShin on February 04, 2017, 08:03:02 PM
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*sigh*
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You have to laugh.
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Got to give him time though, bkah, blah, blah.
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Just why the fuck do I bother with that shower of absolute, unremitting shite?
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Lights out!
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Ladies and Gentleman this is how you gift 3 points.
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Bruce, fuck off.
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Threw the game away that we could have easily won through terrible goalkeeping and a daft sending off. Honestly we're our own worst enemies.
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I only started watching 15-20 mins before the red and before Jack fecked up we were well on top. Game should have been won, Forest were hardly in our half. Utter stupidity to make that challenge on a yellow I have to say.
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I give up, I really do. 8 points off the relegation places now, I suggest that's the end of the table we need to keep an eye on.
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Sack Bruce
Bring in Trump
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Who needs Robin Hood when Villa give so much, so easily.
...and I've had enough of Grealish and Elphick for this season.
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Get rid of a shite midfeld and sign an even worse one. Unbelieveable.
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Out with family. Just seen result. How bad? Again?
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I am indifferent as to whether we stick or twist with Bruce, nothing seems to change these days. What I am seeing though is he doesn't seem to be any less of a chancer than the previous half dozen. Talking about a couple of days to work on a new formation? He just hand picked 8 players this window to suit his team development. So tired of this shit
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Joke of a performance but I'm not laughing
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I preferred my version.
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The same shit over and over again
bruce clueless again and again
he has made zero impact since he arrived, in fact we are getting worse
we are fucked
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I'm bored of watching a team with no intensity, no cohesion, no leadership and no fucking clue. Johnstone is starting to make regular calamitous mistakes. Chester has gone to shit, Hourihane looks like he's wearing diving boots and frankly the sort of idiocy that lead to the red card should result in a heavy fine. It is utterly unacceptable.
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I'm sick of seeing other teams who try harder than us. Every fucking match.
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I cannot believe I'm looking nervously at the relegation zone again.
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Everyone and their dog knows how to play Aston Villa.
High tempo and press.
We can't deal with it (or are not allowed to) and do not match it.
We have assembled the most expensive team and squad I'd championship history I would guess, and yet we play like a fucking pub team (no offence to pub teams who are paboaly more tactically astute).
Hoof, whack and let the front player do all the frigging work.
It seem the only things certain on match day is that we will all get pissed off, and this site will crash.
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Let me be first to say
Sack this clown.
I don't care about reput9or previous achievements the football is shit the coaching non existent. No shape no fluidity. Thor at wing back ffs!
It's like he is throwing dart at a team sheet and hoping for the right formula.
I hope Tony has more patience than me cos I want the clown gone
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Was only half-watching the second half and it seemed unfortunate to lose.
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You look at the shite blues had to endure under yeung for years and you look at that table tonight, after we've spent c50m net. Truly a basket case
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Seemingly every day on here there is a post saying somebody watched *insert team name here* v *insert team name here* and both teams were fucking terrible and we'll beat them easily.
I haven't seen a team worse than Villa this season.
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Give it time and I think we'll gel as a team. Played some good stuff at times today as well as being frustrating but I think Bruce will get us there eventually. Honestly this club has gone through the mire since 2010 and it's gonna take time to turn around. I've already written off this season and hopefully next season will see us finally up and running.
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Once we went down to 10 men the outcome was as predictable as the H&V site crashing on a matchday. From now on the chant should be 'super, super twat, super twat Jack Grealish'. If he doesn't grow up soon he'll just be filed alongside all the other could/should have beens. Super Jack my arse (not an instruction). Thought Bruce got the subs wrong as well - taking both Kodjia and Hogan off contributed to the inevitable capitulation. Not happy but not remotely surprised.
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Utter garbage. No ball retention, no fight or desire, new midfield completely absent, only ten seconds of actual good play (the goal), nowhere near good enough. Same shit different day.
It seems our honeymoon with Bruce is well and truly over and recent results/performances are scarily reminiscent of RDM's failed tenure.
I despair.
It has been said a lot, but we really are cursed.
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I thought we might be improved wit Grealish going off such was his influence and general effort in the game 2nd half. I did not see the first half. Forest were organised but poor, there for the taking even with 10 men. But we don't press, we don't link up much and always defend far too deep. We have enough to obliterate Notts Forest, enough to beat them easily, even enough to snatch a victory with 10 men. But no, we play for a point, against Nottingham Forest. Sort this shit out Bruce 'cos it just isn't cutting it with what you have to work with.
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We got what we deserved. It's now 6 defeats in our last 7 games. Hopefully we'll get enough points to stay up but right now I can't see how.
I just want this season to end, not that I have any interest in next season.
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Kodija passes me off. Never tries to pass.
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Give it time and I think we'll gel as a team. Played some good stuff at times today as well as being frustrating but I think Bruce will get us there eventually. Honestly this club has gone through the mire since 2010 and it's gonna take time to turn around. I've already written off this season and hopefully next season will see us finally up and running.
Based on what?
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Not the result that the performance deserved.
BUT we conspired to give Forest a result. Johnstone (unfortunate) mistake, many players not taking chances, Grealish stupidity and Elphicks positioning have cost us three points.
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It's that magic word gel again.
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Seemingly every day on here there is a post saying somebody watched *insert team name here* v *insert team name here* and both teams were fucking terrible and we'll beat them easily.
I haven't seen a team worse than Villa this season.
Nope and two noticeable things, outside of individual failings, there is no leadership on the pitch and we just completely fail to press the ball.
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Even allowing for Grealish's stupidity Bruce's substitutions meant we went from chasing the win to trying to hang on pretty much in an instant.. Taking both strikers off, unless they were both injured, was tactically inept at best. We could not spend the last 15 minutes hoofing the ball clear and not expect it to come straight back. Bruce's honeymoon period at Villa given his past associations was always going to be short so he will have to turn this dip around very quickly.
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On the train home from Duck City. We should have got something out of the game. This is going to take time. I just hope Dr Tony doesn't throw his dummy out and overreact. We need stability first and foremost.
Bruce needs the rest of this season and next before he can possibly turn this around.
Its not his fault he took over a club in such turmoil on the pitch. He has now bought in some potentially decent players but they will need time to blend in.
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Not the result that the performance deserved.
BUT we conspired to give Forest a result. Johnstone (unfortunate) mistake, many players not taking chances, Grealish stupidity and Elphicks positioning have cost us three points.
It wasn't unfortunate, it was shocking goalkeeping.
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It wasn't the worst I've seen us this season, but we were far from good. Only one team had the ball on the deck and passed it. Yes we had chances but how many times did we give the ball away, or hoof it to no one - we still don't have a discernible style of play. I'm sick of us making other teams looks like great footballing sides. Forest were the ones making the good runs, tight, accurate passes. Maybe they didn't get through a lot but eventually the possession and pressure led to a goal, like it always does.
I don't know what the answer is but fudge me this is hard going. We're bottom of the form table now.
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Give it time and I think we'll gel as a team. Played some good stuff at times today as well as being frustrating but I think Bruce will get us there eventually. Honestly this club has gone through the mire since 2010 and it's gonna take time to turn around. I've already written off this season and hopefully next season will see us finally up and running.
Just on both Bruce's record in this league and the few snippets today where we actually looked good. We made enough chances today to win 4 or 5 games today let alone 1. I'm as pissed off as anyone, but feck me, this club has been through the mill since 2010 and it's gonna take time to build a team and the team spirit that was hacked from the club in the sabotage of the last 6 or so years.
Based on what?
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You take your two strikers off when you're 3 or 4 up if you must, not at 1-1 when the game is still to be won. A massive fuck up by Bruce for me. That said, i thought we played quite well and had plenty of chances to win it. Very frustrasting.
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This is a spiral of defeat and we're fucked
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Close down , stop the cross. Close down , stop the cross. Close down , stop the cross. Close down , stop the cross. Close down , stop the cross. Close down , stop the cross. Close down , stop the cross.
Bye Jack - you preening wanker
Bye Steve - clueless twat .
But give him time - zzzzzzzzzzzzz.
We have spent more money than any other team in this two bob league - and we still can't pass the ball
Wankers
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You take your two strikers off when you're 3 or 4 up if you must, not at 1-1 when the game is still to be won. A massive fuck up by Bruce for me. That said, i thought we played quite well and had plenty of chances to win it. Very frustrasting.
Normally, yeah, but we were a man down.
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I have no idea what Bruce is afraid of. He now has some of the best attacking players in the division. He's being so conservative for no reason. Let them fucking play. Just so tired of this.
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It's was so long ago, that my memories of the last time we weren't looking at the bottom of the table nervously and wondering if the manager needs replacing are in black and white.
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Why sit back and invite the opposition to come on to you and play the counter attack game? We are supposed to have some talented players. None of the teams currently at the top of this league play this way. How the hell does the manager think that this is the way forward? Forest are not a good side. We should be taking the game to them. Boring and shite.
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It was a swirling shot which bounced just in front of him. They're one of the most difficult shots to gather.
Even so, I'm not convinced he's any better that Gollini or Bunn.
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I have no idea what Bruce is afraid of. He now has some of the best attacking players in the division. He's being so conservative for no reason. Let them fucking play. Just so tired of this.
The bit that gets my goat is the hoofing when we get possession at the back. Whenever we tried to pass it via the midfield we looked good but too many times we just decided to hoof it then lose possession. So frustrating.
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In normal circumstances it would be natural to shut up shop and settle for a point when down to ten men, however to have any chance of getting near the playoffs we need along run of wins so why those subs why why
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You take your two strikers off when you're 3 or 4 up if you must, not at 1-1 when the game is still to be won. A massive fuck up by Bruce for me. That said, i thought we played quite well and had plenty of chances to win it. Very frustrasting.
Normally, yeah, but we were a man down.
He could have taken off a centre half i suppose and gone with an extra midfielder. He just seem to leave their defence with no-one to mark.
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Glad I chose to go to the Rugby!, this really is not yet really any better than last year. We are going to be in this league for a while yet!
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I cannot possibly hope to understand how some on here can begin to think that performance deserved anything less than a defeat?!?
Our only good play was our goal, other than that it was hoof ball and hope. No energy, no passion, no effort, no pride!
If anyone points to our shots on target as a performance indicator then they are as bad as Bruce & Co. At least 75% of those were Kodjia shooting from 35 yards!
We are destined for League One and financial ruin when the Dr gets bored. I know I am.
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You take your two strikers off when you're 3 or 4 up if you must, not at 1-1 when the game is still to be won. A massive fuck up by Bruce for me. That said, i thought we played quite well and had plenty of chances to win it. Very frustrasting.
Normally, yeah, but we were a man down.
Still need an effective outlet or you just invite waves of pressure. Adomah is not that.
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No way we deserved to lose but it does seem we are punished for every little mistake. Grealish was stupid but I'm not sure it's a booking 10 yards outside their area. Lichaj did the same thing to Thor 5 minutes later.
Their goalkeeper made two or three great saves and a few scrambles in their box could have gone anywhere in the second half.
There were a few signs of things coming together but we need to hold our nerve.
We didn't make the most of a number of breaks in the second half. Kodija needs to get his head up.
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You take your two strikers off when you're 3 or 4 up if you must, not at 1-1 when the game is still to be won. A massive fuck up by Bruce for me. That said, i thought we played quite well and had plenty of chances to win it. Very frustrasting.
Normally, yeah, but we were a man down.
He could have taken off a centre half i suppose and gone with an extra midfielder. He just seem to leave their defence with no-one to mark.
Agreed. And considering we had 3 CH's I would have taken one off (Elphick obviously) and left Hogan on.
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Bruce made appalling basic errors in this game and the last. He brought in 8 new players in January and has already shattered their confidence. For my own sanity, I will now ignore AVFC until August & can only pray that they will still be in Div 2, with some reason to start next season in Newcastle style.
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I cannot possibly hope to understand how some on here can begin to think that performance deserved anything less than a defeat?!?
Our only good play was our goal, other than that it was hoof ball and hope. No energy, no passion, no effort, no pride!
If anyone points to our shots on target as a performance indicator then they are as bad as Bruce & Co. At least 75% of those were Kodjia shooting from 35 yards!
We are destined for League One and financial ruin when the Dr gets bored. I know I am.
I'm not happy, but that simply isn't true. We created some good chances with good play, but failed to take them. There are massive issues with a lack of intensity and leadership, but at times we played alright.
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Well if we think that result was acceptable from a Bruce team then let's give up and play against the harriers.
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I have no idea what Bruce is afraid of. He now has some of the best attacking players in the division. He's being so conservative for no reason. Let them fucking play. Just so tired of this.
The bit that gets my goat is the hoofing when we get possession at the back. Whenever we tried to pass it via the midfield we looked good but too many times we just decided to hoof it then lose possession. So frustrating.
We had that one excellent move in the second half which ended up with Bree on the far post nearly scoring. We passed it really well; effective, good, watchable football. When I see us do that it hurts my head as to why the feck we choose to play so introvertedly. I guess that one move (and the goal) is what gives me a bit of hope that things may pick up for us.
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Fuck off Villa
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After the Brentford game I said this is the beginning of the end for bruce I am not after points for forseeing whats going to happen next. all I want is for ASTON VILLA to be a force again ,brentford and forest with no disrespect aren't the greatest of teams but were able with ease walk up to our box without any trouble,i thought our previous midfield were poor, I could go in into detail about about where we are going wrong on the pitch but I am not going to insult all of your intelligence's you no where we are going wrong. my concern is with the people hiring the managers.
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Why sit back and invite the opposition to come on to you and play the counter attack game? We are supposed to have some talented players. None of the teams currently at the top of this league play this way. How the hell does the manager think that this is the way forward? Forest are not a good side. We should be taking the game to them.
It's logic like this that confirms my thought of our problems not being historical or down to mental weakness but more to do with another manager that's tactically inept. I had hoped Calderwood was brought in following his success at Brighton to give Bruce some support in this area but right now that idea is going out the window, along with our season.
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Aston Villa shoot themselves in the foot episode 749 (and that's juts the last 5 years). A player who gifts the opposition a goal, another who gets himself stupidly and needlessly sent off, a hatful of chances missed, and a last minute winner conceded. It's all so depressingly familiar. Relegation now actually looking more likely than promotion, after spending more than most of the division combined.
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I cannot possibly hope to understand how some on here can begin to think that performance deserved anything less than a defeat?!?
Our only good play was our goal, other than that it was hoof ball and hope. No energy, no passion, no effort, no pride!
If anyone points to our shots on target as a performance indicator then they are as bad as Bruce & Co. At least 75% of those were Kodjia shooting from 35 yards!
We are destined for League One and financial ruin when the Dr gets bored. I know I am.
I'm not happy, but that simply isn't true. We created some good chances with good play, but failed to take them. There are massive issues with a lack of intensity and leadership, but at times we played alright.
I must have been watching a different game then...
The only good play I can recall is the goal. We strung about 10 passes together in the move before "super twat" got sent off. That is it.
We are becoming so numb on here to our own demise that we are beginning to make excuses for the team/club. In what universe are we ready to accept; "but at times we played alright."
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I don't know why Bruce bought in Hourihane and Lansbury only to try and make them play different roles to the ones they were very good at. Lansbury as a holding player? He's a box to box kind of midfielder. Bjarnason is no wing back - in fact, he's started about ninety more minutes than a player adjusting to English football should have done. It's this persistence with soaking up pressure that kills us: we got relegated trying the same tactic and we'll come unstuck again. Go for the jugular straight away. Grow a pair of bollocks, for fucks' sake.
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Seemingly every day on here there is a post saying somebody watched *insert team name here* v *insert team name here* and both teams were fucking terrible and we'll beat them easily.
I haven't seen a team worse than Villa this season.
Maybe we should get the Huddersfield manager in.
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Now our season is over I hope Bruce throws the shackles off and has a go. One of the best squads in the league and he sets us up negatively and we have 30% possession.
What I didn't get was taking both strikers off. A draw was no good for us anyway, we needed to win to maintain even a slim hope of the play offs.
We still haven't played well since Brighton away in November. That's our only good performance under him. He had a few wins but they were scraped and the performances were average.
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I've been with Bruce until this game as he's generally spoken sense in his post match interviews and not sugarcoated anything. However, I'm seriously losing faith after another inept performance with players out of position and a post match interview that was nonsense. Garbage. Not sure where it ends tbh.
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I can't believe we didn't win that game.
Forest offered nothing;tedious square ball after square ball, possession without purpose while we created enough gilt edged chances to win the game several times over.
Their keeper being man of the match tells you everything you need to know.
Grealish sending off was idiotic. Hogan should have had at least one, but I liked the look of him. Equally Elphick should have had a brace.
The switching off for the second goal.was unforgivable, but the defence weren't put under even the slightest bit of pressure all game.
I'm livid that a side as dire as Forest has taken 4 points off us.
The system seemed to work and we created plenty which was in contrast to Leeds, Norwich, Cardiff, Wolves and Brentford.
Very frustrating though.
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Seemingly every day on here there is a post saying somebody watched *insert team name here* v *insert team name here* and both teams were fucking terrible and we'll beat them easily.
I haven't seen a team worse than Villa this season.
Maybe we should get the Huddersfield manager in.
Rotherham were worserer.
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Nearly home after another poor away game, he is a gambler + clutching at straws, so sad
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This season is fucked up. Don't want him sacked now but after 10 games next season we have to be in the top 4 otherwise get rid.
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It's one thing losing to Man City, Chelsea and Man Utd but now we're losing to shit like Wolves, Cardiff and Forest. This season is worse than last season for me. The Championship is full of garbage teams, the trouble is we're one of them.
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3 at the back with 2 wingbacks is supposed to give you width but where was the width?
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Give it time and I think we'll gel as a team. Played some good stuff at times today as well as being frustrating but I think Bruce will get us there eventually. Honestly this club has gone through the mire since 2010 and it's gonna take time to turn around. I've already written off this season and hopefully next season will see us finally up and running.
I think this is my view too, despite the frustration I'm feeling right now. This squad, in 6/7 months time, will be good. And be good enough to get us back to the PL.
.....I hope.
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There wasn't much width but I think overall it worked pretty well. I hope we try it again. It's not as if we didn't create any chances. We created enough to have won the game.
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Fucking garbage Villa. usual shit. Player who's never scored, scores. Keeper fuck up. Goal at the end of first half. Goal in injury time.
Villa bingo. House.
Sick to death of this club and it's unrelenting bollocks it throws at you. Writing a season off in February in an atrocious league when you've spent approaching £50m or something, it's laughably shit now.
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I thought Bree looked pretty good.
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You need either Baker going off injured or key player being ruled out for the rest of the season for it to be Villa Golden Jackpot.
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I thought we played OK, certainly better than Forest and we kept making chances. We were the away side and we may not have had the ball in patches but we were still in control and limiting them to half chances. Gifted them that win, absolutely gifted them. Keeper is terrible and Jack's an idiot but Bruce's substitutions were baffling, first time I have questioned him. Forest probably can't believe their luck. Does any team concede as many 90th minute goals as we do?
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The money spent and we are 13 points off the play offs, the fucking play offs
Dont for one minute think that next season will be easier. The three sides coming down will be stronger than us when we came down and will have a more parachute money
if we dont get up next season heaven help us
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We haven't had a team fit to wear our name for years now. I've given up expecting to be entertained or even remotely proud of our displays but the amount of games we've had to endure since we even looked like we have the desire to out fight the opposition is beyond parody. I know we have bang average players. You realise it too Villa and grow some fucking balls.
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Complete guff as per normal. I still feel like this a huge gaping chasm between midfield and attack, and likewise the midfielders all seem to be too far apart. We're just one of the worst sides in the top two divisions, and have been for years, at playing intricate, quick and incisive football. It's good to mix it up. We've been at our best when we're quick and direct. But you have to be able to play high tempo, one touch football in small triangles, but our off the ball movement and team cohesion is woeful. Absolutely no change in that regard. Players don't show for the ball. The player on the ball, all too often looks up and has little option. Hourihane and Lansbury looked like they were on a different pitch to Grealish at times, and likewise he with the front two (aside from the goal and a few moments).
I think this still boils down to not only bad management, but also the lack of a player (STILL) who wants to just grab the game by the scruff of the neck. It's early days but hopefully Lansbury or Horihane can do this.
Johnstone is the worst keeper we've had this season. Have to be honest here. I quite liked Gollini, but in saying that, it was too soon. It's definitely too soon for Johnstone. Not signing a quality experienced keeper was a massive error, especially when we keep throwing massive sums on strikers.
On the positive, Kodjia, whilst frustrating, continues to offer enough individual ability to win games. Hogan also did quite well and a couple of times the pair linked well. I think because both are quick and work the channels well, there's definitely scope to play two up top.
Bree was good. Elphick still worries me and we definitely need Jedinak in away games.
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3 at the back with wing backs is normally your standard panic mod when the panic button has been hit. I cant imagine he signed any of the new players with the thought of them being at their best in a wing back formation.
He's hit panic.
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3 at the back with wing backs is normally your standard panic mod when the panic button has been hit. I cant imagine he signed any of the new players with the thought of them being at their best in a wing back formation.
He's hit panic.
Standard panic? Did Brian Little panic when he tried it?
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3 at the back with wing backs is normally your standard panic mod when the panic button has been hit. I cant imagine he signed any of the new players with the thought of them being at their best in a wing back formation.
He's hit panic.
Standard panic? Did Brian Little panic when he tried it?
20 years ago. I suppose we can still win the league with a squad of 14 too? Times change, the tactic now appears to be the last calling card of the panicky manager trying something/anything to change things.
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I am beginning to get worried about Bruce now, he's constantly changing formation and playing players out of position, Hourihane is left sided so he plays him on the right, Landsbury plays further forward so he plays him deep, the Icelander isn't a wing back (Amavi on the bench is ridiclous), and the three centre back and wing back formation is what everybody turns to when they haven't a clue what to do.
I'll tell you what to do Bruce, play players in their correct positions in a formation that gives us a chance to win games, the most expensively assembled squad in Championship history defending and hitting teams like Brentford and Burton Albion on the break.
Disgrace.
It's a disgrace and I can remember us sinking even lower in our history but I think we are heading there again.
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Johnstone isnt the worst keeper this season,that is Bunn by some distance. Bunn is shocking,should never be in a Villa squad. Having said that Johnstone isnt much better! Out of the many fuck ups recently not sorting out an experienced keeper is right up there,bloody Guzan would have be better than the shower we have got!
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3 at the back with wing backs is normally your standard panic mod when the panic button has been hit. I cant imagine he signed any of the new players with the thought of them being at their best in a wing back formation.
He's hit panic.
Standard panic? Did Brian Little panic when he tried it?
20 years ago. I suppose we can still win the league with a squad of 14 too? Times change, the tactic now appears to be the last calling card of the panicky manager trying something/anything to change things.
Comparing winning the title with the proud fact that we only used 14 players to a manager having the audacity to try a different formation? Bit of a woeful argument really.
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Shit ..
Can't be assed to write more ..Worn down seeing the same old shit every week
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For me, Bruce makes the following major mistakes
Allowing the opposition to control the ball - this tires us out and we just chase aimlessly: Grab the ball, have confidence and control the game. To read that Forest had 79% of play tonight is more than depressing. This has to stop with immediate effect.
Defensive mindset: Nothing comes from being too conservative. We have to be organised and attack en masse, and defend en masse. Not be permanently rooted in our 18 yard box.
Sitting too deep: Related to the above.
Hoofing the ball: Related to the above.
Low Scoring: Related to the above. He has previously played Kodja on his own and we've relied on a bit of inspiration: I appreciate Kodja has had some grief for not passing more tonight, but judging on this season, he's had no other option but to go it alone.
Looking at Villa teams in the past - we need someone with balls to get hold of the ball and to dictate the play. I would assume the likely person for this is Lansbury.
Although i was an advocate of signing Bruce, i'd be amazed if he stays beyond the summer. Hughton would be my choice
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3 at the back with wing backs is normally your standard panic mod when the panic button has been hit. I cant imagine he signed any of the new players with the thought of them being at their best in a wing back formation.
He's hit panic.
Standard panic? Did Brian Little panic when he tried it?
20 years ago. I suppose we can still win the league with a squad of 14 too? Times change, the tactic now appears to be the last calling card of the panicky manager trying something/anything to change things.
Comparing winning the title with the proud fact that we only used 14 players to a manager having the audacity to try a different formation? Bit of a woeful argument really.
Wake up, it's not the 90's anymore.
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3 at the back was BL's way of playing football
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3 at the back with wing backs is normally your standard panic mod when the panic button has been hit. I cant imagine he signed any of the new players with the thought of them being at their best in a wing back formation.
He's hit panic.
Standard panic? Did Brian Little panic when he tried it?
20 years ago. I suppose we can still win the league with a squad of 14 too? Times change, the tactic now appears to be the last calling card of the panicky manager trying something/anything to change things.
Comparing winning the title with the proud fact that we only used 14 players to a manager having the audacity to try a different formation? Bit of a woeful argument really.
Wake up, it's not the 90's anymore.
Explain to me what us winning the title with 14 players has even remotely got to do with a manager in 2017 playing a different formation for a game?
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Unlike the Brentford game we didn't deserve to lose this game but until the players realise they need to play as a team we will never improve
Observations
Kodija is a casing example. He scores a great goal but yet never holds the ball up and is so selfish and greedy. His work ethic is terrible. That will not win us matches. He has the attributes to be class but until he becomes better mentally he will cost us
We must buy an experienced keeper
Lansbury cannot hold he is a ball player but too often let's his opposition get past him
The team must learn to play with a better tempo but have the ball it will stop us tiring!!
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Oh yes final observation is jack grealish career will be over very soon if he carries on playing the way he has this season. Once again has attributes but in between the ears he is a complete idiot
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Here lads, when does Lent start? I'm going to give the Villa up for a while, for the first time since an ill-thought spell supporting Leeds for a midweek as a kid (it was '92 and I was being bullied).
The amount of wasted time and energy following this bunch of disorganised, workshy, dumb set of fucks would be better served on a demanding other-half, studying more for me exams, completing courses that will help get a better job, and finish recording songs to nurture the creative side.
We've reached peak self-flagellation. It's time to look after ourselves now.
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Well, just got back.
I've given up trying to work out what Steve Bruce is doing tactically.
All I know is, we don't press the opposition anymore. We run to about 3 or 4 yards away and then stop. We don't cut out crosses or passes. Forest played around us with ease.
We're playing our box to box midfielder as a holding one. We're playing our left sided midfielder on the right. We have two left backs, neither of who are picked.
As for Jack, I thought he was no influence on the game at all. The sending off was just the icing on a particularly shitty cake.
We knew they'd score at the end. We called it ten minutes before it happened. If only someone could make it stop.
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Hourihane dominated in his last game for his old club it must be the way Bruce is using him that makes him look poor.
We have one of the most talented squads in this division but Bruce send us out to play deep and counter attack, you can do this when you are gaining points as ugly as it is but not when your losing week after week. I wanted Jack replaced at sixty minutes, he really needs to play his football elsewhere because he is being taught nothing at Villa, he brings nothing to the team.
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I think we looked slightly better with todays formation,the front two looked a threat together,with more time they will be an exciting partnership. Jedinak is gonna be key tho,will let Lansbury & Houihane do what they are good at,box to box & creative,I hope he is fit for the weekend.
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Hourihane dominated in his last game for his old club it must be the way Bruce is using him that makes him look poor.
We have one of the most talented squads in this division but Bruce send us out to play deep and counter attack, you can do this when you are gaining points as ugly as it is but not when your losing week after week. I wanted Jack replaced at sixty minutes, he really needs to play his football elsewhere because he is being taught nothing at Villa, he brings nothing to the team.
Whilst reading most posts I've been trying to remain a true Villa fan , but one who has a decent neutral football brain without bias.
We got relegated after the writing on the wall over previous few years when there were no worse teams left than us, as the likes of Blackpool, Wigan, Cardiff etc had now all gone.
There are 3 or more worse teams in this division so we won't get relegated.
Bruce has got a more than decent track record at this level, with far less resources in cash/player ability and backroom support.
We've haven't had much managerial continuity for a couple of seasons or more in last few years to build/spend in a team to get as much quality as now.
Kodja is as good as he was at previous club scoring goals, so will continue .
Lots of other signings were best players or even captains at previous clubs, should be many leaders or players taking responsibilities
Didn't have so many goal keeper issues in the 70/80's and am frustrated as shit.
If I was Dr T (who's quiet tonight on twitter ?) I'd leave Bruce manage what he wanted to buy (assuming he wanted them and not just STEVE Round)? for the rest of season to see where he can get us.
All those in responsible positions from May/JUNE decide to stick or twist and finish / continue with few more players to add
Other than that I'm totally perplexed how the best quality looking team on paper cannot deliver on the pitch
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Do we ever press?
Opposition teams seem to have worked it out. Press our midfield and we panic. Elphick is an accident waiting to happen and Chester is looking worse and worse
We'll coach hogan back to mediocrity and I'm sure the new midfield will start floating in corners soon
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Conte's 3 at the back are shite as well.
It splits opinion but I personally like it however you still need a DM and we didn't have one, it's not Lansbury or Hourihane's game. We also don't have a half-decent 3rd CB (or 2nd depending on opinion!). Personally I'd drop Grealish and put in Jedi when fit, giving the other 2 scope to go forward. I completely agree with dropping Amavi as he has been shite but would definitely give him a go at LWB. Could be changing deck chairs and all that but that's what I'd try.
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I have no idea what Bruce is afraid of. He now has some of the best attacking players in the division. He's being so conservative for no reason. Let them fucking play. Just so tired of this.
The bit that gets my goat is the hoofing when we get possession at the back. Whenever we tried to pass it via the midfield we looked good but too many times we just decided to hoof it then lose possession. So frustrating.
It's just the way SB plays.
I'm a bit bemused by anyone expecting silky football under him....he didn't achieve his promotions at Hull and SHA playing that way.
Of course in a poor run it looks horrific.
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To be honest I thought we were unlucky to lose and could have even won it. The formation was a lot better, we had players around the ball and more bodies forward. A fuck up by the goalkeeper and Grealish's daftness cost us, on another day it may not have done. I agreed with Bruce's first 2 subs but was baffled by the third one. Hogan, Kodjia, and Lansbury were good throughout, Hourahane was like Djemba Djemba first half and like Andy Townsend second half (more of that please), Bjarnesson was ok, a lot better than Tuesday. The defenders were all ok without anyone really standing out, Johnstone is becoming a liability and Grealish with the exception of one nice pass for the goal was as half arsed, cumbersome and frustrating as ever. Jedinak in for him please and let Lansbury and Hourahane do the creative stuff. And please stick to this formation now, we have plenty of options for the wing back roles and can surely find 2 to really master those roles,
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Bruce made appalling basic errors in this game and the last. He brought in 8 new players in January and has already shattered their confidence. For my own sanity, I will now ignore AVFC until August & can only pray that they will still be in Div 2, with some reason to start next season in Newcastle style.
Somebody please stick this on the Villa Dressing room wall. What an inspirsation
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This 3 central defenders thing is really simple, there are 2 times you can do it and that's it. First is if you keep the ball really well and the wing backs are really midfielders for most of the game, this doesn't apply to us. The 2nd is if you have a beast up front who occupies both central defenders and 1-2 quick players who can buzz around him so the full backs are scared of leaving too much space in behind. That doesn't apply to us either.
Conte is using a mix of the 2 brilliantly but it won't work for us without a huge change to how we hold on to the ball.
I'm now certain that Bruce is as out of his depth as any of rdm, sherwood, garde or lambert. We have the squad to get promotion but we need a manager who understands that coaching and tactics are essential. I'd still review it at the end of March and if we're no further along by then duck him off and get someone with genuine coaching credentials in to take a month or so to start creating an identity before a summer working on that more than the market.
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I don't think luck is running for us at the moment. Shouldn't have lost that game. What happened to Taylor? Not even on the bench??
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This 3 central defenders thing is really simple, there are 2 times you can do it and that's it. First is if you keep the ball really well and the wing backs are really midfielders for most of the game, this doesn't apply to us. The 2nd is if you have a beast up front who occupies both central defenders and 1-2 quick players who can buzz around him so the full backs are scared of leaving too much space in behind. That doesn't apply to us either.
Conte is using a mix of the 2 brilliantly but it won't work for us without a huge change to how we hold on to the ball.
I'm now certain that Bruce is as out of his depth as any of rdm, sherwood, garde or lambert. We have the squad to get promotion but we need a manager who understands that coaching and tactics are essential. I'd still review it at the end of March and if we're no further along by then duck him off and get someone with genuine coaching credentials in to take a month or so to start creating an identity before a summer working on that more than the market.
I agree that you need to keep the ball, although that really applies in football generally. Apart from the individual errors, if we had kept the ball better we would have probably been well ahead by the time Grealish went. In terms of the other points you make, I think the combination of Kodjia, Hogan, Lansbury and Hourahane would give you the desired effect up front and I think we will find the players within the squad to do the wing back jobs you're talking about. Taylor wasn't on the bench as he was ill btw.
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I don't luck is running for us at the moment. Shouldn't have lost that game. What happened to Taylor? Not even on the bench??
He called in sick.
Although I didn't think we deserved to lose, there hasn't been a game other than Brighton away where I haven't wanted to throw my laptop out the window after 70 mins.
The football or lack of, served up week after week is total gash.
I sit there shaking my head muttering " for fuck sake Villa" game after game.
It's all a bit crap, isn't it!
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Unlike the Brentford game we didn't deserve to lose this game but until the players realise they need to play as a team we will never improve
Observations
Kodija is a casing example. He scores a great goal but yet never holds the ball up and is so selfish and greedy. His work ethic is terrible. That will not win us matches. He has the attributes to be class but until he becomes better mentally he will cost us
We must buy an experienced keeper
Lansbury cannot hold he is a ball player but too often let's his opposition get past him
The team must learn to play with a better tempo but have the ball it will stop us tiring!!
Kodjia is another diabolical professional, you watch his goal and you wonder how he hasn't made a career at a higher level. Then the rest of his game makes the case why he hasn't, work shy, cowardly and selfish
Lansbury is another cad, strolling around the pitch with the gumption of a snowflake.
Thought Hogan was very impressive on scraps tonight and Hourihane showed in the second half that his left foot will create lots of chances.
Apart from that diabolical really.
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I didn't see the game so I may be talking bollocks. However, having read SB's post-match comments, I think he's forgotten where he is.
We played well on the break?! Against a relegation-threatened Division 2 side?
He needs to sort his shit out very fucking quickly.
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I fucking hate everyone that draws a wage from Aston Villa. Useless ******, all of them.
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This was atrocious but Brentford the other night sealed it for me. I've lost count of the millions squandered since the summer (though fair play to Tony Xia) but we're heading towards League One. Steve Bruce, for all his supposed tactical awareness and nous in this division, has shown me absolutely nothing in his time here to suggest he'll turn it around. Something is seriously wrong at our club when in-form signings are made and within two weeks look no better then someone playing with a hangover and stinking of the night before's kebab on Hackney Marshes on a Saturday morning.
I don't have an answer, wish to God I had, but am just so sick of this relentless shit week in week out. I suspect Steve himself may be thinking this is beyond him. Preston, Brentford, Forest...it's never-ending. We're Aston Villa ffs.
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I didn't see the game so I may be talking bollocks. However, having read SB's post-match comments, I think he's forgotten where he is.
We played well on the break?! Against a relegation-threatened Division 2 side?
He needs to sort his shit out very fucking quickly.
Problem is this relegation threatened side now has same number of points as us. So where does that leave us?
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People talking about tactics and pressing and formations; we missed nailed on sitters. You can't spurn chances like we did.
We should have won the game by 2 or 3 goals.
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Also, what is it with these six fingered East Midlands folk? Forest, Derby, Leicester. They're all wrong uns' that come by coaches with very clean windows.
Also, yet more post away day drama. Bloody son spends the night in A&E! Only just back.
For those that are interested it was a laughing gas cannister what shredded my tyre.
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Since the first game of the season we've been saying "if only we'd..." or "if only we hadn't..." and here we are in Feb and it's still woulda coulda shoulda.
And that's not a dig at anyone as i've done it as well.
We're the most expensively assembled squad ever seen in this division and yet we've spent most of the season being crap, outplayed by sides that can only dream of spending in a season what we spend on 1 player and are closer to the bottom 3 than we are the top 6.
No real point to the post apart from football is a load of old bollocks at times
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We weren't out played by Forest.
They relentlessly did fuck all but pay homage to Westwood. It makes it all the.more embarrassing that we conceded to them.
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I didn't specify Forest, I meant teams like sodding Brentford.
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Been together a while though, which must help. We also.played very poorly ourselves the other night. Far too many passengers.
I thought we played ok last night. We created plenty and 1-3 away win would have been about fair.
People are falling out their tree and I get it, but Hogan and Elphick in particular should have had the game sewn up before Grealish saw red.
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Problem is we've been saying that since Gategate missed at Sheff Weds. Since game one we've been saying "if only" far too often and are still saying it 28 games later. Meanwhile we're going to be stuck in this shitty poxy division for another year.
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Hope your lad is okay Ads.
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He is, cheers PWS.
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It's that magic word gel again.
We just need time to congeal
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As the game was on at 1.45 am here I recorded it and just finished watching it.
I also read all your comments before posting.
We shouldn't have lost but taking off both strikers and trying to hold on for a point was asking for trouble.
Everyone in this division has us worked out by now and know we aren't looking to take the initiative away from VP.
I know we are at a low ebb as a club at the moment but we still are Aston Villa and teams should be wary of us when we go to their place.
However, continuing to sit back and the tactic of hoofing the ball to Koj (and now Hogan) just hoping they may get lucky would be out of fashion even in League 2.
As for Jack Grealish, apart from that FA Cup SF against Liverpool a couple of seasons ago, it's hard to think of a great game from him.
He should only be used as an impact sub at the moment.
Hogan looked decent and if we get the Jedi back maybe SB will play our new mids in their correct positions.
The solutions look obvious, let's hope SB finds them and quick.
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Also, what is it with these six fingered East Midlands folk? Forest, Derby, Leicester. They're all wrong uns' that come by coaches with very clean windows.
Also, yet more post away day drama. Bloody son spends the night in A&E! Only just back.
For those that are interested it was a laughing gas cannister what shredded my tyre.
That's what happens when Grealish gets an early dart.
(Hope you don't mind me making light of it. Glad you're both okay).
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Brucey boy spots what is wrong but then continues to play in the same fashion, yes the game should have been won yesterday, but yet again it was not, time to shape up or ship out, all we do by giving managers time, is give them more time to f..k up.
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I didn't see the game so I may be talking bollocks. However, having read SB's post-match comments, I think he's forgotten where he is.
We played well on the break?! Against a relegation-threatened Division 2 side?
He needs to sort his shit out very fucking quickly.
This. "Unlike Brentford we at least took part in the game". I should hope so Steve against a piss poor Forest side and with the money we've spent. That may have been acceptable for a small club like Small Heath but it's not here.
His refusal to make subs until it's too late is O'Neillesque and winds me up. Then when he does make them he takes both strikers off and surrenders the game!
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Chester at fault for the goal. He leaves his man to go for a cross he has no chance of getting, thereby leaving his man free to have the scuffed shot and score. Johnstone should have done better as well
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Another self-inflicted defeat. When will we ever learn?
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It's that magic word gel again.
Kodija passes me off. Never tries to pass.
I would be mightily pissed off if I were Scott Hogan. Kodija ignored him when he was in a good position or a through run.
And don't get me started on Grealish.....
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The performance was decent but individual errors cost us. The way we set up by not pressing denied them space and allowed us to hit them on the break, despite their possession we had far better chances and their keeper had a really good game. Horrible fumble from Johnstone for the equaliser and stupid sending off for Grealish, both incidents gave them impetus at crucial times.
Overall some encouraging signs that the team is starting to come together. Having Jedinak back thus giving Lansbury more freedom will also help. Promotion has obviously gone for this season but a strong finish to the season will hopefully be a foundation for a good run at it next time.
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Opposition teams don't have to beat us. We beat ourselves time and time again.How we stop it , I have no idea but it is seriously pissing me off.
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Whether we play a team like Brentford who were better than us in every department or a team like Forest who were woeful we are masters at finding a way to lose. There is a dreadful lack of collective spirit. Who is taking responsibility to drive this shower forward?
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Although frustrating, the performance at times yesterday did give me some hope. My comment would be though that we appear to lack a vocal leader on the pitch, someone who can lift players by example and drive them to a better level. We appear as a team to be quiet and almost submissive and other teams are taking advantage of that. I assume that Chester is still the captain? Perhaps Lansbury would be a better choice.
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You can see Lansbury talking away at the rest of them.
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can anyone offer a rational explanation as to why, after countless millions of pounds worth of investment, new owners, new players, new managers, new coaches etc. etc., we are shite?
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can anyone offer a rational explanation as to why, after countless millions of pounds worth of investment, new owners, new players, new managers, new coaches etc. etc., we are shite?
Count the number of goalkeeping and defensive howlers. Add to that our inability to finish teams off when we take the lead.
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One of our issues are defenders backing off the incoming opposition player. Now surely Bruce as a central defender should be able to address that
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Elphick missing 2 absolute sitters at 1-0 was a massive factor in us not winning the game. I'm not sure if he was ever any good, but he's been hopeless for us.
It occurs to me that we might have gone from having no leaders to having too many.
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What is it about good players recruited resemble nothing like the players we watched perform really well for their former clubs as soon as they don a claret and blue shirt??
I reckon even if Chelsea loaned us their team for one match and put claret and blue shirts on they'd still find a way to lose!
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A great pity that we could not have brought in a higher standard of goal keeper during the transfer window. We are, in my opinion very weak in this department in relation to the rest of the division. Cannot blame this defeat on the keeper alone but clearly this is a problem area.
As for Jack Grealish he clearly is a very slow learned and not the sharpest tool in the box. Skilful, yes; Stupid boy, definitely!
There's always next week.
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A great pity that we could not have brought in a higher standard of goal keeper during the transfer window. We are, in my opinion very weak in this department in relation to the rest of the division. Cannot blame this defeat on the keeper alone but clearly this is a problem area.
As for Jack Grealish he clearly is a very slow learned and not the sharpest tool in the box. Skilful, yes; Stupid boy, definitely!
There's always next week.
Grealish is suspended next week...
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It's one thing losing to Man City, Chelsea and Man Utd but now we're losing to shit like Wolves, Cardiff and Forest. This season is worse than last season for me. The Championship is full of garbage teams, the trouble is we're one of them.
And the Premier League is also full of garbage teams that's why WBA are 8th. Arguably the poorest Prem League in terms of the prestige and history of the teams it contains since its inception.
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In both halves we looked like we were comfortable against a team carrying as much attacking threat as the Swiss army and then shot ourselves in the foot. I thought we did more than enough to win that game and a draw was the least we deserved. Hogan looks like he will be a very good signing.
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I've thought about it and I've decided fuck em. I don't care if we're on sky or BBC I'm not watching. They just make me angry. My wife's family are forest and I've had to put up with their gloating.
Yes the new signings are going to need time to gel Hogan looked decent. Kodjia needs to remember their are other players out there with him.
The thing that infuriates me the most is the fact we choose to bypass the whole midfield and consistently launch it long for someone to chase which usually gives the ball straight back to the other side THEN we do it again. I've written of this pathetic season of keeper errors and will look to next but If this continues then Bruce will be on his way with no cause to complain
Piss off villa
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The facts that really matter are that even if Forest may not have looked like scoring they did in fact score twice. For all of our promise we scored once.
Certainly out defence and keeper were not superior to their Forest counterparts at all.
Real concerns about the goal keepers at Villa.
Good keepers? "Yes."
Better than the other keepers in the Championship?
"No."'
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The mentality of the club is not suited to the championship.
I think we have this mindset that we are too big for where we are and our approach is that of a premier league team.
Sit back, try and play tippy, tappy football and hit teams on a break, or (try to) pass, pass, pass until we walk the ball into the net.
Whereas, as we have seen so often this season, fast, quick moving, up and at 'em football is much more effective.
We have been given lessons in how to play football so many times this season by teams such as Brentford, Wolves, Cardiff, Brighton, Huddersfield, Preston and others.
The lesson has been how to play CHAMPIONSHIP FOOTBALL, but we aren't heeding the lesson.
That's my theory anyway.
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Elphick missing 2 absolute sitters at 1-0 was a massive factor in us not winning the game. I'm not sure if he was ever any good, but he's been hopeless for us.
It occurs to me that we might have gone from having no leaders to having too many.
Not sure about sitters particularly the header. He did at least have more efforts on goal than Gabby has had in 2 months
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It's that magic word gel again.
Looks like we could do with some Viagra gel except we would need to rub it into their backbones in an attempt to stiffen them.
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Thanks Jack
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The mentality of the club is not suited to the championship.
I think we have this mindset that we are too big for where we are and our approach is that of a premier league team.
Sit back, try and play tippy, tappy football and hit teams on a break, or (try to) pass, pass, pass until we walk the ball into the net.
Whereas, as we have seen so often this season, fast, quick moving, up and at 'em football is much more effective.
We have been given lessons in how to play football so many times this season by teams such as Brentford, Wolves, Cardiff, Brighton, Huddersfield, Preston and others.
The lesson has been how to play CHAMPIONSHIP FOOTBALL, but we aren't heeding the lesson.
That's my theory anyway.
Sorry for quoting myself, but I just read the Doc's tweets.
I reckon I'm right !!!!!!
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The mentality of the club is not suited to the championship.
I think we have this mindset that we are too big for where we are and our approach is that of a premier league team.
Sit back, try and play tippy, tappy football and hit teams on a break, or (try to) pass, pass, pass until we walk the ball into the net.
Whereas, as we have seen so often this season, fast, quick moving, up and at 'em football is much more effective.
We have been given lessons in how to play football so many times this season by teams such as Brentford, Wolves, Cardiff, Brighton, Huddersfield, Preston and others.
The lesson has been how to play CHAMPIONSHIP FOOTBALL, but we aren't heeding the lesson.
That's my theory anyway.
Sorry for quoting myself, but I just read the Doc's tweets.
I reckon I'm right !!!!!!
I totally agree with all that Andy. Although we lost to Spurs in the cup, and they rested plenty of players, we somehow looked more on a par with them than we did with the likes of Brentford, Preston etc.
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Seemingly every day on here there is a post saying somebody watched *insert team name here* v *insert team name here* and both teams were fucking terrible and we'll beat them easily.
I haven't seen a team worse than Villa this season.
Maybe we should get the Huddersfield manager in.
Do you have a file containing comments made by posters that you refer to in order to prove them wrong in the future? Yes, I was happy for Bruce to be our manager, he's not doing a very good job. The Huddersfield manager is doing a good job but as I said at the time (possibly, I'm sure you know more than me), I doubted anybody had heard of him until this season so was unsurewhy so many were certain he'd sort our basket case of a club out.
I'm more than happy to say I was wrong about Bruce as and when.
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Seemingly every day on here there is a post saying somebody watched *insert team name here* v *insert team name here* and both teams were fucking terrible and we'll beat them easily.
I haven't seen a team worse than Villa this season.
Maybe we should get the Huddersfield manager in.
Do you have a file containing comments made by posters that you refer to in order to prove them wrong in the future?
Nope, just a vague recollection that you seemed to bring him up every time Huddersfield lost a match.
And I'd hardly say you've been proven wrong anyway. Wagner might still turn out to be rubbish and Bruce might still turn out great.
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I think there is an element of truth in what you say, andyh, but I can't square it with the experience brought by the manager and many of the players we've brought in. And that's ultimately the most frustrating aspect of the last month or so. Yes, players need to settle and understand a system, but in reality everything should now be in place for us to be, if not exactly tearing up this division, winning consistently and playing half decent football.
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In both halves we looked like we were comfortable against a team carrying as much attacking threat as the Swiss army and then shot ourselves in the foot. I thought we did more than enough to win that game and a draw was the least we deserved. Hogan looks like he will be a very good signing.
Agreed Richard. It's was promising. We've not looked like scoring away from home in a long while.
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Should have won that, but we let teams push us around.
Grealish is a buffoon.
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the two up front look like they may well be able to work together, midfield looks like it maybe able to work together, why are we giving the manure gk experience to improve him for them, and their third team, is he really all that much better than Golini??
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I decided to go out for an early-doors libation when we were still leading yesterday. However, I did check my phone on 3 occasions before the end of the game...
Check #1: Forest have equalised
Check #2: Grealish has been sent off
Check #3: Game over: & Forest have grabbed a last-gasp winner
None of the above surprised me one iota - because frankly it's how it's been for as long as I care to remember. A late push for the play-offs? We're far more likely to be playing in L1 next season.
Bag o' shite.
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I didn't see the game so I may be talking bollocks. However, having read SB's post-match comments, I think he's forgotten where he is.
We played well on the break?! Against a relegation-threatened Division 2 side?
He needs to sort his shit out very fucking quickly.
We did play well on the break, we caught them a few times. I don't see a problem with that regardless of who you're playing if it works now and again, which it nearly did.
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I decided to go out for an early-doors libation when we were still leading yesterday. However, I did check my phone on 3 occasions before the end of the game...
Check #1: Forest have equalised
Check #2: Grealish has been sent off
Check #3: Game over: & Forest have grabbed a last-gasp winner
None of the above surprised me one iota - because frankly it's how it's been for as long as I care to remember. A late push for the play-offs? We're far more likely to be playing in L1 next season.
Bag o' shite.
well yes we are our own worst enemy, but I don't think we'll be playing in Div 1 next season.
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I decided to go out for an early-doors libation when we were still leading yesterday. However, I did check my phone on 3 occasions before the end of the game...
Check #1: Forest have equalised
Check #2: Grealish has been sent off
Check #3: Game over: & Forest have grabbed a last-gasp winner
None of the above surprised me one iota - because frankly it's how it's been for as long as I care to remember. A late push for the play-offs? We're far more likely to be playing in L1 next season.
Bag o' shite.
well yes we are our own worst enemy, but I don't think we'll be playing in Div 1 next season.
I hope you're right Tone. Obviously.
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And we are still unbeaten at Villa Park. It's all about mental toughness, or lack of it. The players are there, at least good enough to get out of this league.
Next season, there will be more cohesion as they learn to play together. But this is Villa so maybe not.
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Haven't we won less than 50% of our home games this season, despite playing most of the the lower half of the table at home?
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I really hope 3-5-2 is just used when Jedinak isn't available. Elphick is just so poor, seems like every time he plays he makes an error that costs us. Huddersfield at home, Leeds away, Forest at home, Sheffield Wednesday away, yesterday. His concentration levels are horrendous.
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If a team that is a skilled as ours is giving away almost 80% possession, then something is seriously wrong.
Boneless (Grealish) is the obvious part. While he does offers something, on occasion when we are attacking, he is worse then useless when defending. Its like playing with a man down. Prancing around, so slowly that it cant even be called pressure. How is that going to help us get more possession, he just makes it worse. Not even a good team can afford a player to be useful (at best) in only one aspect of play! Maybe if that player is a very dangerous striker but Grealish plays a central area that no team can afford to surrender like we do now. Boneless is a handicap not an asset! The red card is just manifesting the obvious, he is dullwitted but we already knew that.
Last week we played Thor in that area, an that's just as bad but for other reasons. Thor biggest weakness is his control. He got a heavy touch. Add the lack of matchfitness and you get another atrocious result in possession. He did ok yesterday a wingback and will do fine bombing down flanks but keep him way from central play. Its just Hutton with more hair and bit younger....hopefully a bit better at crossing (how could he not be?).
The worst part is that we now got players who CAN dominate games from that area. Both Lansbury and Hourihane excel in that role but Bruce hasn't a clue how to manage so much talent at once. He is trying to make them fit into some cost-effective pattern that he derived from managing at poor clubs. Its just like David Moyes but at a different plane.
What the point of avoiding Neil Warnock if we going to have another manager applying Niel Warnock tactics anyway? Its stupid!
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Put simply you aren't going to find many decent teams that give away 80% possession who win many games.
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For me, the team just don't work hard enough at closing down. We never close down a forward pass or a cross. Why the hell the coaching team can't see this is quite unbelievable. I coach U13's and we work on this in training again and again so that the boys know when and how o press. It's OK letting Forest have the ball in their own half and dropping deep but then it should be easier to press more effectively in our own half of the pitch. We don't do either.
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80% possession? That's how much pointless, square ball possession Forest had?
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For me, Lansbury and hourihane are creative enough to not need jack at present. Jedinak would offer protective and allow those two to push forward.
Ipswich lineup for me;
Johnstone (only cause we don't have another option)
Chester, Elphick, Baker
Bree. Taylor
Jedinak
Lansbury. Hourihane
Hogan. Kodjia
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I really hope 3-5-2 is just used when Jedinak isn't available. Elphick is just so poor, seems like every time he plays he makes an error that costs us. Huddersfield at home, Leeds away, Forest at home, Sheffield Wednesday away, yesterday. His concentration levels are horrendous.
The last thing we want to do is change our formation to accommodate jedinak
factor in his injuries, fitness levels and international duty and he needs to be a bit part player at most
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80% possession? That's how much pointless, square ball possession Forest had?
Actually I got that number for a previous poster (cause it reflected what we saw yesterday) but after checking the fact I seen numbers as low as 71%...
1st half they had 65-69% ... mid 2nd half we started to assert ourselves a fraction but then Grealish red, Bruce masterful subs and the rest is epic Villa finishing template...
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They were completely toothless and should have been beaten 3 or 4-1. I couldn't care less how much time they wasted doing nothing with the ball.
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You've changed your tune Ads, when I complained that we were playing crap a couple of months ago it was only the result that mattered, now we're not getting the results suddenly the performances are the bit you're bothered about.
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Not really sure what you're on about.
I said I was livid we didn't win the game. We created plenty of chances and we're easily the better side, which makes it all the more frustrating.
I am pleased we created opportunities throughout the game, which isn't something we've done away from home, so there's hope to be had.
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For what it matters, up until the sending off I thought we looked a hard working team which is something I haven't seen in a Villa side for quite a long time
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We created plenty of chances and we're easily the better side, which makes it all the more frustrating.
I am pleased we created opportunities throughout the game, which isn't something we've done away from home, so there's hope to be had.
Stats show they had 17 shots to our 11, 6 on target to our 8. 6 each on corners. Yes, it was an improvement on the previous away game but how you can say we're easily the better side is beyond me when they were controlling the game for large parts.
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10 minutes before Grealish got himself sent off we looked the only team likely to win to be fair.
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I can say it because I watched it. They created fuck all until the very death. I can't recall a meaningful effort they had before or after Johnstone's blunder.
We should have stuck 3 or 4 past them. Hogan and Elphick's two efforts were sitters.
They controlled nothing. Territory is equally as important. They had all the possession they wanted in areas where they couldn't hurt us. They put Westwood to shame with their relentless square balls.
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What bothers me most now, 24 hours on, was Bruce's refusal to write off promotion. I hope he said it because you have to be positive. It was only one game - and we can go back to being abysmal with ease - but there was a lot to be optimistic in that defeat. Forest did have loads of possession, did well to follow up in the hope of the keeper spilling it, and were smart in how they played against 10 men. But we could have been miles in front by the time Grealish committed a particularly stupid foul.
Bree looked good, Thor was the complete opposite of the headless chicken we saw at Griffin Park, Chester is too good for this league, Angela and WhoHeAgain are a marked improvement in the middle, Hogan and Kodjia are both very talented at this level and possibly higher. We need to give them time to work as a unit. Forest kept possession well because they were familiar with each other. We can only get that by keeping a relatively settled line-up. If we do that, we'll have far more up front than a pretty but toothless Forest side.
Sod the play-offs Bruce, we'll win enough to be safe with room to spare so try a few things out and build the understanding between the players. We have balance and a decent squad for the first time this decade. Use it wisely.
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What bothers me most now, 24 hours on, was Bruce's refusal to write off promotion. I hope he said it because you have to be positive. It was only one game - and we can go back to being abysmal with ease - but there was a lot to be optimistic in that defeat. Forest did have loads of possession, did well to follow up in the hope of the keeper spilling it, and were smart in how they played against 10 men. But we could have been miles in front by the time Grealish committed a particularly stupid foul.
Bree looked good, Thor was the complete opposite of the headless chicken we saw at Griffin Park, Chester is too good for this league, Angela and WhoHeAgain are a marked improvement in the middle, Hogan and Kodjia are both very talented at this level and possibly higher. We need to give them time to work as a unit. Forest kept possession well because they were familiar with each other. We can only get that by keeping a relatively settled line-up. If we do that, we'll have far more up front than a pretty but toothless Forest side.
Sod the play-offs Bruce, we'll win enough to be safe with room to spare so try a few things out and build the understanding between the players. We have balance and a decent squad for the first time this decade. Use it wisely.
This.
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80% possession? That's how much pointless, square ball possession Forest had?
Who won the game.
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We lost it.
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We lost it.
yep and despite that we smashed them.
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What bothers me most now, 24 hours on, was Bruce's refusal to write off promotion. I hope he said it because you have to be positive. It was only one game - and we can go back to being abysmal with ease - but there was a lot to be optimistic in that defeat. Forest did have loads of possession, did well to follow up in the hope of the keeper spilling it, and were smart in how they played against 10 men. But we could have been miles in front by the time Grealish committed a particularly stupid foul.
Bree looked good, Thor was the complete opposite of the headless chicken we saw at Griffin Park, Chester is too good for this league, Angela and WhoHeAgain are a marked improvement in the middle, Hogan and Kodjia are both very talented at this level and possibly higher. We need to give them time to work as a unit. Forest kept possession well because they were familiar with each other. We can only get that by keeping a relatively settled line-up. If we do that, we'll have far more up front than a pretty but toothless Forest side.
Sod the play-offs Bruce, we'll win enough to be safe with room to spare so try a few things out and build the understanding between the players. We have balance and a decent squad for the first time this decade. Use it wisely.
This.
AND IF your manager comes on and says yes weve given up on the play offs. That sends out such a positive prospective.
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I don't think luck is running for us at the moment. Shouldn't have lost that game. What happened to Taylor? Not even on the bench??
moved to the same apartment where RMC was living and could not open the gate
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10 minutes before Grealish got himself sent off we looked the only team likely to win to be fair.
we did and I thought he was useless second half and should have been replaced, replacing him with Albert or green we probably would have.
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Not really sure what you're on about.
I said I was livid we didn't win the game. We created plenty of chances and we're easily the better side, which makes it all the more frustrating.
I am pleased we created opportunities throughout the game, which isn't something we've done away from home, so there's hope to be had.
What I'm on about is the amount of shit you and 1 or 2 other people were giving me when I said that whilst the results were good we needed to play far better and you were insistent that the results were what mattered. Now we can't win games under the same manager you're picking out bits of the performance and acting like Forest didn't deserve the 3 points, do you not see why that's slightly hypocritical? Either results are all that matters and no wins since boxing day is a car crash record that has been enough for calls for managers to be sacked for the last few years or performances are important in which case the shit displays in November and December were just a precursor for the shit results that came afterwards.
There were a few small positives from yesterday but we still didn't look like a team willing to let the midfield join the strikers and make things happen and there were still big gaps all over the field. Yes they played it around in their own half and we left them too it but when they did attack they found gaps and created chances.
on the 6 match form table we're bottom with 2 points and you still seem determined to not say anything mean about Bruce. At some point his record elsewhere has to become irrelevant and we have to judge him on what he's doing with us and other than his first 5-6 games what he's done with us is repeat the same mistakes that saw RDM, Sherwood, Garde and Lambert all get sacked. I honestly don't care if he talks about seeing the problems at the end of games, his job is to fix them and I haven't seen anything to suggest he's capable of doing it.
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Well unless we nosedive down the division or Dr Tony has a change of heart during the summer, it looks like he'll be here for a while. That's best all round as far as i'm concerned.
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We could do with some semblance of stability.
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Yep
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If I was giving you shit, then its because I didn't agree with you.
I'm still not sure what you're on about. I'm annoyed we lost. I'm annoyed at the poor form this past month. I am pleased we created plenty away from home for the first time in a long time.
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AND IF your manager comes on and says yes weve given up on the play offs. That sends out such a positive prospective.
I know. I neither want nor expect him to state he's given up on promotion this season. It was an expression of hope that a longer term plan is emerging than a desire for Bruce to say anything. I've always preferred the Saunders silence to the constant clamour for interview inanities.
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Well unless we nosedive down the division or Dr Tony has a change of heart during the summer, it looks like he'll be here for a while. That's best all round as far as i'm concerned.
I don't know how you, or anybody else for that matter, could watch us over the past few months and come to the conclusion that the best thing all round is for more of the same.
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Well unless we nosedive down the division or Dr Tony has a change of heart during the summer, it looks like he'll be here for a while. That's best all round as far as i'm concerned.
I don't know how you, or anybody else for that matter, could watch us over the past few months and come to the conclusion that the best thing all round is for more of the same.
I just think stability would be good. We're on our 4th manager since Lambert left. He's brought in his own players and he's got a track record for getting teams up. Why not see where it goes before having more upheaval?
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Stability is only any use if the manager is worth persevering with. I'm very much hoping Bruce is, but if he isn't then sticking with him just because we've gone through a lot of managers recently won't do us any good long or short term.
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Stability is only any use if the manager is worth persevering with. I'm very much hoping Bruce is, but if he isn't then sticking with him just because we've gone through a lot of managers recently won't do us any good long or short term.
Of course, but there really is only one way to find out if he is worth sticking with
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I agree that we could do with stability but it has to be the right kind of stability and not just stability for the sake of it, if anything the fact that Bruce is changing formation from one game to the next shows the man himself not to have stability, we desperately need to see signs that we are onto something and unfortunately our results and performances show that we are'nt.
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Stability is only any use if the manager is worth persevering with. I'm very much hoping Bruce is, but if he isn't then sticking with him just because we've gone through a lot of managers recently won't do us any good long or short term.
Of course, but there really is only one way to find out if he is worth sticking with
Well obviously, but some make it sound like it doesn't matter what we do for the rest of the season, Bruce should start next season. I disagree with that, for me he's got to show between now and the end of the season that he and his coaches are the ones that will take us up next year.
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The way to find out whether anyone is worth sticking with is setting them short, medium and long term goals and if they fail at any point then you move on. Our short term goal when he came in should've been top 10 as an absolute minimum (that's below what I'd have set him but I'm trying to cover the range of opinions on here and I honestly can't imagine anyone who would've accepted less than that in October). Right now he's showing very little evidence that he can achieve that. The gap is currently 7 points and a fair whack of goal difference. If, by the end of March, we look likely to close that gap then we give him that chance and judge him at the end of the season. If we continue to drift in the wrong direction then no amount of calls for stability or lack of obvious candidates should save him. He's been given more than enough support from the board to be able to achieve that fairly modest target.
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Was as gutted as the next man, really racked off with Grealish in the same way I was with Ayew last year at West Ham away- prior to his sending off I thought only one team would win this and we were in the ascendancy. 'Strange' subs after the red card taking all options to actually score a goal off . But on any other day we would have won this with the chances we created. Am I happy ? No , Do I think we have the makings of a good team with this overall squad ? Yes, Do I think our coaches will get the best out of them ? I hope they can but they ain't filling me with confidence right now .
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If I was giving you shit, then its because I didn't agree with you.
I'm still not sure what you're on about. I'm annoyed we lost. I'm annoyed at the poor form this past month. I am pleased we created plenty away from home for the first time in a long time.
And so we should.
I actually agree for once that Forest are a very poor team....and we've taken one point out of 6 v them. Granted the draw at VP was robbery from them but it's just not good enough is it so we're reducing to being happy when we score a goal away from home.
It would be good if we could have one game left this season where against a decent team e.g. Sheff Weds, Derby, Huddersfield, we score a goal in the first 20 minutes, score another just before half time or after, soak up the pressure and maybe score on at the end.
Yes people would be asking why haven't we been doing this all season but at least it would be the start....a convincing win and performance against a promotion contender. That would get me optimistic for next season.
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Well unless we nosedive down the division or Dr Tony has a change of heart during the summer, it looks like he'll be here for a while. That's best all round as far as i'm concerned.
I don't know how you, or anybody else for that matter, could watch us over the past few months and come to the conclusion that the best thing all round is for more of the same.
I just think stability would be good. We're on our 4th manager since Lambert left. He's brought in his own players and he's got a track record for getting teams up. Why not see where it goes before having more upheaval?
Basically how I feel. I have a lot of doubts about SB but the alternative is worse - deepening our trigger happy/ joke club status, players responding to the inevitable chaos by acting like naughty children, throwing in another manager who might not want half the players and needs another £30m to buy his own (and will probably fail anyway because we'll suck the life out of whoever it is). Ideally of course we would be in a position where we can replace the manager without worrying about those things but we're not so we're stuck with him.
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Stability is only any use if the manager is worth persevering with. I'm very much hoping Bruce is, but if he isn't then sticking with him just because we've gone through a lot of managers recently won't do us any good long or short term.
Of course, but there really is only one way to find out if he is worth sticking with
Well obviously, but some make it sound like it doesn't matter what we do for the rest of the season, Bruce should start next season. I disagree with that, for me he's got to show between now and the end of the season that he and his coaches are the ones that will take us up next year.
This is the important thing. If Bruce hasn't got Villa at least near the play offs by April, why would anyone think it will change next season? He's chosen his players and at other clubs they looked good choices, but if they sink to mediocrity at B6, you have to assume the management/coaching of the team isn't right.
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there is a compelling argument to say it hasn't been right since MON left, though.
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Im not suggesting sack SB - just yet - but he cannot escape from the responsibility of training and coaching these very expensively assembled players into something that resembles a plan.
At present team selection looks a shambles, methodology and application looks lost and there is no shape of fluidity to our game. We do not press and allow teams to dictate pace and play
All remits of the Manager and coaches.
The car crash that was Leeds kept changing Managers - until they got a decent one - I had concerns over SB and he is doing nothing to change them at present
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How many players signed during January? Then putting a complete new formation on them, that they've barely ever played before, to go with team mates they've never played with before, it all feels like it's unplanned and unprepared, again. Already we've shoved a midfielder to wing back, after he's had a nightmare debut and then we wonder why players don't settle.
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Sadly I am seeing this game as evidence that SB doesn't really know what he's doing - he's replaced an inexperienced error prone young goalkeeper with another one, he's switched to 3 centre halves when we only seem to have 4 at the club and the 4th is Micah Fucking Richards, he's bought two new full backs and immediately wants them to be wing backs, he's playing midfielders out of position, he seems to be worse than M'ON in terms of making game changing substitutions and we have no apparent style of play other than give the opposition the ball and hoof it when we get it back.
I see no sense is sacking SB until the summer or early next season now but he has got to improve things massively on the shite I watched on Saturday (and Tuesday and the previous weekend...)
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I'm with Ads on this one. I thought Forest played quite poorly with the amount of ball they had, it was a bit like Lambert's failed experiment at times. They may have won but anyone can win a one off game with big turning points going their way.
There were definite shoots of recovery for us in the chances we created. We looked dangerous on the break and should now be capable of a few set piece goals as well. I think given a bit of time together to get more fluidity in our play we have enough in there now to finish the season well.
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Comes to something when the model for playing we should be following is Huddersfield Town.