QPR v Aston Villa - Pre Match Thread

[villan from luton]

Any known pubs for Villa fans, I was hoping the springbok would still be open

I don't know for sure, but I think the Princess Victoria on the Uxbridge Road is both far enough from - and close enough to - the ground that it'd be ok.

Is that near a tube, actually work in North London but useless with the tube

Easier to take the 207 bus from Shepherds Bush/Shepherds Bush Market tubes (westbound) or Acton Town (eastbound). You'll probably have to walk for 5 mins to Uxbridge Road if you go to Acton.

Cheers mate

[Sexual Ealing]

Any known pubs for Villa fans, I was hoping the springbok would still be open

Is walkabout in Shepherds Bush still going? Spent a few epic Sundays there after a heavy early stint in the Church in Kentish Town a good few years back.

Nope. Defunct.

[Ads]

Where do all the Aussies work then?

[Axl Rose]

Where do all the Aussies work then?

Phnom Penh. There were hundreds of them there.

[Sexual Ealing]

Where do all the Aussies work then?

Macquarie

[mamuu]

is that pub still outside the away end ? The Springbok ?

I think it's closed down.

It's now called Queens Tavern. No away supporters.

thanks

[Ads]

Very good.

I'd go with Bacuna, Jedinak and Tshibola in midfield, Adomah and Grealish wide of Kodjia tomorrow.

[Clampy]

I'd go with what Ad's has said as well, although it wouldn't surprise me to see McCormack start.

[Ads]

We lack enegery and legs in midfield these past three games. Bacuna and Tshibola have pace to drive the game on and get advanced of the forwards. Bacuna did this well against Reading.

While Grealish and Adomah are both wingers. We crave a little balance.

[achilles]

We lack enegery and legs in midfield these past three games. Bacuna and Tshibola have pace to drive the game on and get advanced of the forwards. Bacuna did this well against Reading.

While Grealish and Adomah are both wingers. We crave a little balance.

Can you honestly say that Grealish is a winger as he has no pace and he will cut back inside?
I just want to see him driving into the penalty area, being more positive and not picking the ball off our back four which he has been doing the last couple of games.

[olaftab]

Grealish is a winger in the same sort of way as Hutton is a defender.

[Mellin]

Grealish, Tshibola and Jedinak in the middle. Bacuna right back. Adomah and Ayew on the wings. Kodjia up top. Not 100% happy with it, but feel it's the best we have.

[Marton]

We lack enegery and legs in midfield these past three games. Bacuna and Tshibola have pace to drive the game on and get advanced of the forwards. Bacuna did this well against Reading.

While Grealish and Adomah are both wingers. We crave a little balance.

Can you honestly say that Grealish is a winger as he has no pace and he will cut back inside?
I just want to see him driving into the penalty area, being more positive and not picking the ball off our back four which he has been doing the last couple of games.

While I think Grealish can be played both inside or out left , but Ads point is valid if you consider balance in our midfield. We already got a stationary (but strong) tower in Jedinak. While everyone agree Jedi is our most important player he is not very mobile and need 2 midfielders to give him time to position himself to break off attacks and start counters. Ideally those midfielders need to bring what Jedi lacks...that is primarily pace and mobility. Especially away (Leeds, Norwich) then Bruce makes the mistake  by bringing one of those (Westwood) back and leaving Grealish alone in front like so:

                                    Grealish

                 Jedinak                             Westwood

This resulted in 3 bad things for Villa

1) Westwood who hardly ever play the ball forward (21 passes in 90 min and only 5 forward at Norwich), kicks it  left to Jedi or right to Hutton in our buildup...that effectively turn it back to the opposition.
2) Jedinak is slightly unbalanced to the right and can't give the even slower  Elphick the extra time and cover he needs. Westwood is made of paper (1 challenge all game) and brings no help for Elphick or Hutton.
3) Grealish is left our sole midfield offensive playmaker...now despite all his talent he rarely combines to bring our forwards in play with one touch. He prefers to run at the defenders with the ball, something that might work coming from the side where he facing 1 or 2 defenders...but in the middle he got swarmed.

The remedy (though not perfect) might be playing him left where Ayew  sometimes play (like Ad suggested). The other option is to use 2 cental mid infront  of Jedi. Like this:

             Grealish                             Bacuna

                                 Jedinak


I prefer the idea Ads advocating with Grealish LF and someone like Gardner paired with Bacuna.. Then you can sub Grealish for Ayew and maybe RMC for Gardner without rearranging the entire formation. Bruce got this right in some of his earlier games I think (against Reading for sure) but have since then screwed up his own recipe. Bacuna who had some good games before his short injury spell have been left weltering his form on the bench in favor of Westwood (sigh). Ayew have sulked from being moved aside to accommodate Gabby, something that also seems to have impacted Kodjia.

Hopefully we get something from QPR. 1-1 ?

[CJ]

Big test for Bruce. Needs to make wholesale changes to the line up and get a performance out of whoever he picks. If Westwood or Flabby are in the starting lineup I'll break into a serious frown and start having the first seeds of doubt about him

[Matt Collins]

Grealish isn't a winger but that doesn't mean he can't play wide

See pires, nasri, lallana etc