Aston Villa vs Cardiff City Post-Match Thread

[Rigadon]

I an terrified that Bruce thinks Agbonlahor can do a job.

He's got a way to go to win some of us back over, but I thought did a good job yesterday and changed the game when he came on.

[Matt Collins]

Westwood was a fanny for their goal but Hutton was also in no man's land leaving lambert completely free. It's fair enough getting ahead of play if we've got proper control of the ball in their half but that wasn't the case

[Malandro]

Westwood was a fanny for their goal but Hutton was also in no man's land leaving lambert completely free. It's fair enough getting ahead of play if we've got proper control of the ball in their half but that wasn't the case

Obviously a bad mistake by Westwood but it shouldn't have resulted in a goal. I blame Hutton.

[mr underhill]

you're right but he did make one or two crucial interventions yesterday - a brave header in particular that at least showed his commitment to the cause. Gabby puffed more than huffed for me and despite the wanker's histrionics in front of the Holte, Lambert looked a lot more mobile than Gabflab .

[SashasGrandad]

Is Lambert on loan (i.e. still a Tescos employee) ?  If so will avoid Smethwick today for the crowds and open top bus tour. Must be one of the favourites for their player of the year award.

[Chris Smith]

Last week we outplayed a team with a reputation for a good footballing side, this week we stood up to a cynical, over physical side and won the game. I think that shows the Bruce impact on the squad. Warnock is a dinosaur and a better ref would have stopped them by using his cards sooner but I got the impression that he just couldn't be arsed blowing up for half the fouls as it created work for him. You get a measure of their manager when your read that he waited for Grealish in the tunnel to confront him as though it was his own fault that they kept fouling him. This was about 5 minutes after everyone else had gone off as he had come over to the Holte, along with Gollini, to give his shirt to somebody in the crowd. He probably then laid into his own players for not kicking him hard enough. Wanker.

Gabby and Gestede for all their limitations did make a difference when they came on which again reflects well on Bruce because they didn't seem obvious changes to me.

As for Oasis at the end, if the club had asked fans for ideas of what song to play it would have been number 7,296 on the list. As it is, it happened spontaneously and now just seems to work, probably because, unlike the Twang song suggested above, everyone knows the words so can join in if they want. Not looking back in anger seems to me an appropriate approach for a club trying to shake of the effect of 5 years of neglect.

[garyfouroaks]

It's a mystery.

Who is this team that doesn't lose matches, scores goals, and doesn't concede many?

[VillaAlways]

Last week we outplayed a team with a reputation for a good footballing side, this week we stood up to a cynical, over physical side and won the game. I think that shows the Bruce impact on the squad. Warnock is a dinosaur and a better ref would have stopped them by using his cards sooner but I got the impression that he just couldn't be arsed blowing up for half the fouls as it created work for him. You get a measure of their manager when your read that he waited for Grealish in the tunnel to confront him as though it was his own fault that they kept fouling him. This was about 5 minutes after everyone else had gone off as he had come over to the Holte, along with Gollini, to give his shirt to somebody in the crowd. He probably then laid into his own players for not kicking him hard enough. Wanker.

Gabby and Gestede for all their limitations did make a difference when they came on which again reflects well on Bruce because they didn't seem obvious changes to me.

As for Oasis at the end, if the club had asked fans for ideas of what song to play it would have been number 7,296 on the list. As it is, it happened spontaneously and now just seems to work, probably because, unlike the Twang song suggested above, everyone knows the words so can join in if they want. Not looking back in anger seems to me an appropriate approach for a club trying to shake of the effect of 5 years of neglect.

Excellent post. Spot on all of it.

[The Edge]

Great win yesterday I'm now convinced that Brucey is taking us up.
On the song debate someone in the queue for the train at Brighton last week started singing "the day we caught the train" by OCS. It was superb and it got me thinking that this would sound great with the Villa fans belting out the chorus. Lead singer Simon Fowler is a big Villa fan so for me this would be a much better choice than any Oasis song who are such big Man City fans. I also agree with the Twang for the same reasons. They could easily put the lyrics on the big screens for those people that don't know them. I like Oasis but I flat refuse to join in with that song.

[dorsetvillian]

Never going to be an open fluent game of football against a Neil Warnock team, yet we stood up to Cardiff and got another result.
One big difference for me under Bruce is the positive affect the subs are having on each game. Yet again yesterday bringing Gabby
and Rudy on when he did, just tipped the balance back in our direction. 

[Clampy]

Never going to be an open fluent game of football against a Neil Warnock team, yet we stood up to Cardiff and got another result.
One big difference for me under Bruce is the positive affect the subs are having on each game. Yet again yesterday bringing Gabby
and Rudy on when he did, just tipped the balance back in our direction. 

I was thinking about the subs after the game. I disagreed with the Gabby and Gestede ones at the time yesterday but they both worked well in their own way and to be honest, he has used all his subs pretty well since he's been here.

[tomd2103]

Great win yesterday I'm now convinced that Brucey is taking us up.
On the song debate someone in the queue for the train at Brighton last week started singing "the day we caught the train" by OCS. It was superb and it got me thinking that this would sound great with the Villa fans belting out the chorus. Lead singer Simon Fowler is a big Villa fan so for me this would be a much better choice than any Oasis song who are such big Man City fans. I also agree with the Twang for the same reasons. They could easily put the lyrics on the big screens for those people that don't know them. I like Oasis but I flat refuse to join in with that song.

Sorry to be pedantic, but it's the drummer (Oscar) who is the big Villa fan.  Simon Fowler claims to be a Blues fan, but gives the impression, like so many musicians of that era, that his love of football is a bit of a pretence really. 

[in exile]

I thought Chester, Amavi and Jedinak were collectively Man Of The Match.

This weeks "they're just not up to it" list consists of Agbonlahor and Hutton.
What Bruce sees in Agbonlahor I will never know

[OzVilla]

Steve Craddock is one of us too.

[Old Kodjia]

There was a lovely moment second half where Hutton really got stuck in after losing the ball and won it back to the delight of the crowd. Both full backs were excellent yesterday I thought.

I was just about to comment on that-There were two players fighting with him.  You just had a feeling that Hutton was going to win that one didn't you?

I'm similar to Matt Collins, a midfielder to play alongside Jedinak has to be the priority.  After that, an out and out number 9 would be good for me (although I understand that Bruce has stated that he isn't looking for a striker because we have so many already)

Hutton frustrates me something rotten.  It is similar to when Lambert was in charge.  Just when I've had enough of him, he pulls a good performance out of the bag.  I think his mistakes are highlighted because of who he is.  If a more popular player made those mistakes, they would probably go unnoticed.  I'm not keen on Deleat.  I just wonder what we could realistically expect at this point that would be an upgrade on Hutton?  maybe this is a position that would be better looked at if and when we go up?