Aston Villa v Burton Albion Post-Match Thread

[Mister E]

It was nice to see Ross actually used properly in the second half and I was really happy for him to get the winner. I felt first half was a microcosm of how we've not used him right all year - playing as a central striker in a rigid, long-ball 4-4-2 - that's why I think a lot (not all) of the criticism he gets is unfair. He's got bags of talent, great vision and a good brain - that ball he brought down out the sky in the first half was testament to that. But like many of those types of players who have come before him (Gil being the most recent example) we haven't really known where to put him and how to get the best out of him - it was clear as soon as Grealish came on and he was moved out of the centre to a bit more space on the left inside channel they started to combine really well, and cut through their defence (in a way that not many can in this league). First time they did led to Kodj's disallowed goal - he also released Bacuna for the first goal, too.

He grew in confidence and had a pretty good second half, and his goal was a fitting reward. Yes he won't chase down every lost cause and he's not a physical presence, but I'd like to see him be allowed to combine more with Grealish and let them both release the pace and physicality of Kodjia/Albert/Ayew. May have to do more when some of those go to the AFCON too.

good analysis- RMc and Jack were a good combo even when diM was in charge. Get a decent MF in place and they will flourish together.

[dave shelley]

Leeds United went through the late sixties and early seventies winning ugly.  I never heard many of their fans complaining too much, and I knew a fair few of them back then.  Proper Yorkies btw.

I'll take a few years of that if it establishes us as a top team again.

[KevinGage]

Always a buzz to be getting late winners rather than conceding late, spirit-crushing goals.

It's not very convincing overall though, is it?  And whilst I hope that any business we do in January corrects our fairly obvious deficiencies personnel-wise, I have a nagging doubt that this is Steve Bruce, and it's just how it is going to be from now on in.

The arguments often circulating on here under O'Neill were that with more time and more money, our style would evolve.  Yet it never really did. We just had players who cost increasingly larger transfer fees implementing the primary tactics of boof ball/get the ball to Ashley Young ASAP. 

Harsh to say with certainty that Steve Bruce will definitely go the same route before he has even had a penny to spend, but I don't recall many of his teams that came up against us over the years being particularly easy on the eye. True, the nature of derbies (if we just look at his time at -B-lose) can have a lot to do with that. But his Sunderland, Wigan and Hull sides were never exactly ones to appeal to the neutral either. Even when he was able to afford a better quality of player.

Misgivings about the aesthetic probably needs to be parked for the foreseeable, mind.  Promotion is priority 1,2 and 3.

[ciggiesnbeer]

"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.

[Ads]

He sounds clueless to me.

[aj2k77]

Forgive me but when he joined we were shit and totally unbalanced due to not sorting the midfield out and not winning. Now we are pretty shit, totally unbalanced due to not sorting the midfield out but winning.

Bruce is doing a cracking job with what he inherited. We messed up in the summer, we bought poorly, again, he's papering over the cracks and has us organised and fighting, we are the ones getting the late goals and points now.

He will buy midfielders in January, no doubt about it and we will add drive and energy to what we have now. We've pulled the gap back and we are there where it matters with a chance to right the summer squad wrongs.

Just watch us this time in 2 months, I'm not saying we will become Barca but with a midfield we will start dominating games fully, and continuing to win.

Bruce 24 pts from 12 games is it? Cracking haul.

[LeeB]

Was sat in the middle Trinity with a row of their lads behind me, like being stuck on set for a Shane Meadows film.

Was fine with it for half an hour, then they thoroughly pissed me off until there was about 15 mins left, then I didn't mind again.

I'm glad supporters are generally segregated to be honest.

[ktvillan]

Looks like a case of never mind the quality, count the points at the moment.  Hopefully if we can sign a midfield and right back, the football can improve without adversely impacting the outcomes.  But I'm not sure Bruce is ever going to be a purveyor of stylish football.  Still if he gets us back into winning ways and promoted, we can worry about style later.

[LeeB]

Fruity man of the match, some excellent saves.

[brian green]

Frew T Bunn was excellent.  Injury time save was brilliant.

[oswald funkletrumpet]

Was sat in the middle Trinity with a row of their lads behind me, like being stuck on set for a Shane Meadows film.

Was fine with it for half an hour, then they thoroughly pissed me off until there was about 15 mins left, then I didn't mind again.

I'm glad supporters are generally segregated to be honest.

They could have gone in their own end a few empty rows in the upper tier

[damon loves JT]

Nice goal by their player but he was a nasty niggly little bastard. When he went in the book it was long overdue. I loved the way he went off high-diving everyone on the away bench just before we scored the winner.

[LeeB]

Was sat in the middle Trinity with a row of their lads behind me, like being stuck on set for a Shane Meadows film.

Was fine with it for half an hour, then they thoroughly pissed me off until there was about 15 mins left, then I didn't mind again.

I'm glad supporters are generally segregated to be honest.

They could have gone in their own end a few empty rows in the upper tier

I was close to pointing this out at one point, but they were with a couple of Villa fans to be fair, and I've took fans of the other team in with me before so I'm on shaky ground.

[rob_bridge]

Really pleased with the win.

Overall thought a draw would have been fair, we were poor and two bits of talent did the damage for us. Two great crosses from Adomah and Ayew, especially the first from Bert.

Kodj and RMC were poor. Especially RMC (sounds strange having scored the winning goal) I watched him closely and his lack of movement and effort at certain times were staggering.

Baker and Chester were excellent again. An ugly win is an ugly win. I'll take another 20 ugly wins!

Agree with this but Kodja worked his bollocks off. McCormack was awful for the first hour or so.

[mr underhill]

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