Aston Villa v Blackburn Rovers Post-Match Thread

[Larry Duff]

We played well second half.  Jedinek had by far his best game and probably was Man of the Match but it was Grealish that got us back in the game.  After a poor first half from the Team, He was brilliant in the first 15 minutes of the second half. He kept demanding the ball and running at Blackburn.
We then went a goal behind against the run of play but Grealish got us back into it with yet another run earning a penalty.
There are not many players in the game who can beat opposition players with a bit of skill. When you do that it causes all sorts of problems to the defending Team as the opposition players have to make all sorts of decisions like do I stay with my man or do I close down the guy running at me.
Grealish posed these problems throughout the game. 
Kodija also has the ability to run at defenders and although He is not the finished article He has great strengths too.                                                                             
Very pleased with the result and we can go on from here.

[john e]

This thread would be 20 pages by now if we'd lost

[Witton Warrior]

I thought Adomah had a cracking second half. Him and Hutton combined really well down the right after half time. Should I now expect a volley of abuse from the Hutton Haters? I'll get in first. His crosses were still pretty iffy.

Never seen or heard anyone say they hate Hutton so not sure where that comes from?
What is said is he is all a model professional who is all heart and pace with little positional defensive sense and can't cross - which are observable facts

[Big Dick Edwards]

Jedinak and Chester were my men of the match today. We're certainly a lot tighter defensively now. Midfield is still our problem area.

[tomd2103]

Went to the game earlier.  Dreadful first half, but much better in the second half and the Holte got going as well.  Thought Blackburn scored a pretty soft goal against the run of play, but it didn't put us off.  For me, Kodjia looks better cutting in from the left and Grealish in a more central role.  Unthinkable a couple of weeks ago, but Agbonlahor might just have a role to play this season.

[leylandalbion]

Agree noticeable as soon as Grealish went to left after Kodjia went off he was out of the game and not as effective.

[damon loves JT]

Pleased as I am, I notice that the further we climb from the bottom of the table, the slower our upward progress, even with three points. We're going to have to turn this into a proper run if we are going to enter the New Year with a chance of competing at the top.

[Oscar Arce]

A cracking three points.
This game sums up the Championship and the sort of grit we need to grind out these results.
It's going to be a long hard season but I have already seen some great positives:
Gollini: Much more solid and a great first half save, looks so much more confident.
Hutton: He was outstanding today. Never been his bigget fan but he was solid, positive going forward and a great defensive header right at the death.
Amavi: Looking class an much stronger defensively
Baker: Tough, uncompromising although their centre forward gave him a lot of poblems today. Did well.
Chester: Excellent, solid and a leader.
Jedinak: Best game so far. Heading and intercepting everything and a superb pass for Kodji's winner.
Gardner: Worked his socks off and was solid and determined.
Adomah: This guy just keeps going and going, was perpetual motion in the second half and ran himself into the ground.
Grealish: Great running with the ball, won penalty well.
Kodija: What a find, 20 goals this season is on the cards. Centre, right, left, he can play them all and is a constant threat.
McCormack: He is the only one who was dissapointing today, he doesn't seem to fit in with the way we're set up I wa expecting so much more fom him but his undoubted quality in this league should se him come good eventually.

[Matt C]

The art of grinding out results will serve us well; long may it continue.

[jembob]

Three points. Don't care about the details.

[Steve67]

Lovely second goal. Deft touch by Agbonlahor and great pass from Jedinak, nice finish.

[Brend'Watkins]

We played well second half.  Jedinek had by far his best game and probably was Man of the Match but it was Grealish that got us back in the game.  After a poor first half from the Team, He was brilliant in the first 15 minutes of the second half. He kept demanding the ball and running at Blackburn.
We then went a goal behind against the run of play but Grealish got us back into it with yet another run earning a penalty.
There are not many players in the game who can beat opposition players with a bit of skill. When you do that it causes all sorts of problems to the defending Team as the opposition players have to make all sorts of decisions like do I stay with my man or do I close down the guy running at me.
Grealish posed these problems throughout the game. 
Kodija also has the ability to run at defenders and although He is not the finished article He has great strengths too.                                                                             
Very pleased with the result and we can go on from here.

Noel, I agree with you completely. Grealish was the instigator of our upsurge in taking the game to them in the 2nd half. Easily MOM for me. Why we were so shit in the first 45 I don't get. We have good players...not great, but good enough to be in the top six easily.
One thing that is really pissing me off with our players and most footballl players in general is that any slight knock results in lengthy delays for no reason usuallly. Just get up
And play the game you wankers.

[Ads]

After we made them change their shape at the end of the first half I thought our full backs, Hutton in particular, took up much better starting positions.

They were a good 20 yards further up and gave good chance from an overlap, Adomah and Hutton wore them down for instance.

Much better intensity, less touches on the ball before moving it on and a collective press.

Kodjia is an excellent player. I love watching him.

Their goal came against the run of play, but again it had a familiarity to it. Our response wasn't. he first time we've come from behind to win in the league since Leicester in December 2014.

A pleasing result.

[b23]

Highlights

Thank you.

[nodge]

Had a strange feeling when we went a goal down that we would still win, haven't felt like that for years.  Thought we would go on and get 3 or 4. The only thing I would question is bringing Elphick on for Jack meant we invited pressure on ourselves at the end and didn't have an out ball.  For all Jack's faults he has a knack of holding on to the ball and getting someone to foul him, especially as a couple of times in injury time Gary Gardner broke from the back and it was crying out for him to have someone with him and keep the ball or kill the game.  Anyway we won so fk it!  Jedinak was MOM by a mile, was a beast today and starting to look like the player we thought we'd signed.  Don't look back in anger indeed.