Aston Villa v Burton Albion Post-Match Thread

[PaulWinch again]

"We were probably fortunate to win. We had the better chances but we found it a bit of a struggle.

"I do not think anyone who watched the match will think differently. If we are going to go forward our football has got to be better.

More sanity from our manager. I still get the thrill of "manager saw the same game I did" after each game.

Yep it's clear he knows we need to get better, but a manager acknowledging that and still getting us to win is a big deal.

[remy]

How the heart sings!
Took Remy Juniors to a Boxing Day game for the first time in a long time and we come away with a win.
Sir Bruce.

I'm elated with the win. Don't care how. After years and years of shit it's a long climb back to the top.

Points on this match:

41,000 here today - at times it didn't sound like it.

Hutton was shit.
Amavi wasn't his usual self, i.e. Wasn't bombing forward as much even though he had space.
Chester was good.
Baker - Dude! You rock / well done for playing well.
Bunn saved the win at the end.
Jedinak was not quite as imposing as previous matches.
Gardner was his usual limited self. Pleased to read this week he's extended his contract, he won't get us promoted.
Bacuna had his best game for a long while. Well taken goal.
Adomah your going to be missed big time with your assists.
Kodija not your your self today....until after Ross scored.
McCormack was ok, quite deep for a striker.
Grealish, oh blimey within seconds he picks up the ball and floats past players at will, Burton thought oh fuck.
Gabby.
Ayew improved the team.

Must not lose to Leeds.

[Villafirst]

That was the worst performance I have seen this season but I don't care because we again won a match we should have lost.with a few judicious additions we can make the play off places; it's certainly not pretty to watch at times but you can't argue with the results Bruce has achieved although much more is needed for a positive outcome against Leeds

Norwich was far worse than today.

[Toronto Villa]

He sounds clueless to me.

He sounds honest but it also sounds like he hasn't got the formula right. He probably wants to play a certain way and doesn't have the midfield for it. We seem to play a game that bypasses the midfield because it is in many ways a liability. So in a way it was good to at least see a midfield get forward and score. But he's missing certain types of players in my opinion for what he wants to achieve.

[KevinGage]

How the heart sings!
Took Remy Juniors to a Boxing Day game for the first time in a long time and we come away with a win.
Sir Bruce.

I'm elated with the win. Don't care how. After years and years of shit it's a long climb back to the top.

Points on this match:

41,000 here today - at times it didn't sound like it.

Hutton was shit.
Amavi wasn't his usual self, i.e. Wasn't bombing forward as much even though he had space.
Chester was good.
Baker - Dude! You rock / well done for playing well.
Bunn saved the win at the end.
Jedinak was not quite as imposing as previous matches.
Gardner was his usual limited self. Pleased to read this week he's extended his contract, he won't get us promoted.
Bacuna had his best game for a long while. Well taken goal.
Adomah your going to be missed big time with your assists.
Kodija not your your self today....until after Ross scored.
McCormack was ok, quite deep for a striker.
Grealish, oh blimey within seconds he picks up the ball and floats past players at will, Burton thought oh fuck.
Gabby.
Ayew improved the team.

Must not lose to Leeds.

Don't think we'll be losing Adomah as he hasn't featured for his country for a while.

Under normal circumstances, Ayew (who changed the game when he came on today) would be a big loss. But Bruce has been using him sparingly, so the only major impact on our starting selection will be the absence of Kodjia.

[Lsvilla]

I was distinctly unimpressed by their tactic of the player about to be substituted feigning injury to get the trainer on and run the clock down then walking off when it was clearly a tactical switch - all designed to slow / stop the game and any flow. Justice done when Ward was high-fiving the bench and we scored a few minutes later.
Was Grealish's effort going in before Kodija touched it from an offside position ? Couldn't see clearly from my seat.

[LeeB]

He sounds clueless to me.

He sounds honest but it also sounds like he hasn't got the formula right. He probably wants to play a certain way and doesn't have the midfield for it. We seem to play a game that bypasses the midfield because it is in many ways a liability. So in a way it was good to at least see a midfield get forward and score. But he's missing certain types of players in my opinion for what he wants to achieve.

I honestly think they've decided we're more of a danger to ourselves with the ball than without it.
It's uber pragmatism and I'm on board. At the moment we remind me a lot of the team that last got promoted.

[Ads]

I wasn't being serious. Sadly some people are though!

[damon loves JT]

I love it when a team that's trying to waste time after sixty minutes concedes a late goal and starts getting arsey because the other team runs down the clock.

Though there was something utterly tragic about Gabby picking up the ball just outside his own box and not even getting as far as the halfway line.

[Gareth]

Pleased with that, another ground out win, shows there is spirit in the squad & clever tinkering in January to add some quality to that spirit will see us into play offs.

Bunn - not been a fan but last 2 games he has been excellent.
Hutton - another afternoon of running around contributing nothing at either end of pitch.
Amavi - performance of a player whose head has been turned? Hopefully back to his season standard on Thursday not today's limp display.
Baker - comfortably motm for me, really need a decent left sided cover in Jan as he has become vital.
Chester - mr reliable, as always.
Jedinak - one man midfield for too much of the game, needs quality alongside
Bacuna - gr8 goal, good energy
Gardner - ok without really excelling until hurt
Adomah - always involved but should have created more
McCormack - glad he got that goal, hope he kicks on now, thought he was better today but still not quite found his role.
Kodjia - dire for me, ran a lot, occasionally onside mostly off GRRR!!!. Clearly doesn't like heading the ball as he jumped under virtually every clearance, should have been hooked earlier

Grealish - started really well, faded a bit when moved back into the lightweight 'midfield'
Gabby - only positive was when he bust a gut to get back to cover the always out of position Hutton, that's all I could find
Ayew - picked up the tempo and did v well, stupid last minute foul aside

[olaftab]

Was Grealish's effort going in before Kodija touched it from an offside position ? Couldn't see clearly from my seat.

Watching from upper north with my seat position right inline with centre of the goal I though it was a goal as soon as Jack pushed it and a terrible error by Jon to toe poke it but I guess that's the goal scorer's instinct.

[SoccerHQ]

Don't think it had enough pace to cross the line, think one of the defenders would've cleared it.

They couldn't get near Grealish though, bemused he didn't start.

[damon loves JT]

Don't think it had enough pace to cross the line, think one of the defenders would've cleared it.

They couldn't get near Grealish though, bemused he didn't start.

Bruce maybe thinks he doesn't have the concentration to stay in the game for ninety minutes. He certainly looked a class apart today, his control of the ball is incredible. And the way he can open up space with a short simple pass

[Lsvilla]

Was Grealish's effort going in before Kodija touched it from an offside position ? Couldn't see clearly from my seat.

Watching from upper north with my seat position right inline with centre of the goal I though it was a goal as soon as Jack pushed it and a terrible error by Jon to toe poke it but I guess that's the goal scorer's instinct.

Cheers. I must admit I thought it was but hard to judge - all's well that ends well i guess !

[ChicagoLion]

He sounds clueless to me.

He sounds honest but it also sounds like he hasn't got the formula right. He probably wants to play a certain way and doesn't have the midfield for it. We seem to play a game that bypasses the midfield because it is in many ways a liability. So in a way it was good to at least see a midfield get forward and score. But he's missing certain types of players in my opinion for what he wants to achieve.

I honestly think they've decided we're more of a danger to ourselves with the ball than without it.
It's uber pragmatism and I'm on board. At the moment we remind me a lot of the team that last got promoted.

no where near as good when you consider the players we had then, Spinks Gage Mcinally Birch Gray Keown Thompson + Daley Platt Walters coming through.
I would swap that team for this one any day.