Norwich v Villa Post-Match Thread

[The Charmer]

I had sort of hoped that all the graft that went into keeping it at 0-0 in a piss-poor first-half performance was going to be rewarded by the manager getting stuck-in to them at half-time and seeing a huge improvement.
Some f**kin' chance!

Oh, and did you know that Agbonlahor has lost 6kg in his bid to show that he's worth fifty grand a week, then justifies his selection with 2 ten metre sprints in the first 45 minutes? If Bruce insists on selecting him then there should be no surprises that we will more dross like tonight.

That was so, so disappointing.

[Marton]

The only positive thing to take from this game. This must be the very last time we see Westwood and Gabby in a Villa shirt.

At least for Westwood there is NO excuse. How you can play for 90 min in the very heart of the pitch and accomplish fuck all is mindboggling.
He didn't even do his usual back-side passing routine...he just wasn't there. I saw him do one positive action (nod over a defender to Ayew in their box).

Not a single tackle, not a single block, no support for offensive...if Bruce watches game-tapes at all. If there is any type of postgame analysis...they never pick him again! Not even for the bench!
Draft a junior. The ladies team at villa is pretty good..they must have 2-3 midfielders that is tougher then Westie! Enough is enough!

[Flamingo Lane]

Not going to catch Brighton now.  50,000 of us at Wembley in May.

We won't get near the playoffs if we continue to play like that.

I wouldn't want us in the play-offs, with the slightest risk of being promoted with this squad of players.

[Rudy65]

This is in the top 3 of sheer shitness over the last6 years given the oppositions form. when will it end?

Has a club ever spent so much money in the last 18 months and been so absolute rubbish? Different owners, different managers, different players signed and still the same result.

Have we ever played well under Bruce? He seems more interested in being Able to rehabilitate Flabby than the good of the team

[Rudy65]

Not going to catch Brighton now.  50,000 of us at Wembley in May.

No chance. We will finish where we are now

[ciggiesnbeer]

Please not another Christmas collapse. I am not sure I can take it yet again. Please no.

[aj2k77]

I have no idea what his obsession is with Gabby but it needs to stop, he's not coming back, he's been no good for 5 or so years,it's not like he's had a bad season. HE'S FINISHED. Wake up Bruce.

[PeterWithesShin]

It's all well and good Bruce being pissed off after the game, why pick that 11 in the first place? Why not change it before going behind when it had been a failure for an hour and the Norwich goal was coming? Why wait for 10 minutes after they had scored to make any changes? Fuck me i'm pissed off with tonight. I don't expect to win every game, I don't expect to go unbeaten to the end of the season. I also don't expect to see the levels of total incompetence I saw on and off the pitch tonight.

[ROBBO]

Why did Bruce wait for them to score before he brought subs on? it was very clear that Norwich were getting on top and yet he left it with twenty left.
Gabby should have been off at half time and Westwood shortly after (how he stayed on all game is a mystery). You can give Bruce a bit of space because these are not his players but the effort has clearly dropped off and it's his job to make sure it doesn't.
I want players in the side that put in all game and run their socks off so until they change their ways I would leave Ayew and Grealish (who is wasting his talent) out, both good enough but bone idle.
We have players who are proven goal scorers in this division I hope Bruce can find the key.

[clash city rocker]

Why the fuck do we have to change our line up and tactics depending whether we are at home or away. The quality of this division is shit and with what we've spent we shouldn't have to worry about the opposition. ..they should worry about us.

[The Charmer]

I spent a fair chunk of today really looking forward to tonight's game.
Hoped we would kick-on and learn from Saturday's poor performance and get another run started.

Will I ever learn?

[OzVilla]

As others have said He's putting a square peg into a round hole with Gabby, he's just a useless lump now.  He offers nothing. 

We've got some good players but no cohesiveness. McCormack, Ayew, Gabby and Gestede all featured tonight and none of them look like they fit into the team.  A real back to the drawing board performance.

A team regularly featuring Gollini, Hutton, Elphick, Westwood and Gabby will not get us promotion.

[avfcpg]

I'm just baffled at how Bacuna and Tishbola can't get a sniff in that Midfield. Our Ball retention is so poor, Jack never got a sniff, they just dominated our midfield. It seemed like a one man midfield with Jedinak...Bruce got that wrong tonight with Gabby starting. Kodija isn't a wide player and loses the ball far too often, ditto Ayew.
Nothing drastic will change until we get 2 or 3 decent midfielders in January...hope we can grind out a few wins until then..

[footyskillz]

Why does Bruce persist with this away formation and line up. 
Very disappointing.  Players need to attack more and not leave central striker isolated . It was lone unfit man uo front at times. Jedinak did work of 2 people in midfield.  Spearing would have been up for it tonight driving on and probing and harrying thats what we needed from the front 3 .Norwich were lacking confidence and out if form perfect opportunity to pressure them. I felt there was an inital lethargy in team players a bit too casual. The full backs and jedinak gave  90 minute performance. I think are on right did his job and what he could too.
Qpr Will be far easier match as despite their poor form norwich are still a prem league team and one of too teams in league.

[Abbeyfealeavfc]

The players clearly did not perform to-night but this was a defeat orchestrated by Bruce. His team selection, tactics and lack of game management are all a cause for concern. I didn't see his post match interview, but I bet he didn't admit that he f-cked up!