Cardiff City vs Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[PerthVillaWA]

Spot on Crofty!

[Skerra]

That is the main problem for me. I honestly thought we now had a manager with insight. The pairing of Westwood and Gardner was amateurish and we were always going to struggle with them in
The starting line up. Problem is that, if we can see it as just fans what do the management team see in these players that we don't!!!

[brontebilly]

Thought we dominated second half just lacked that bit of quality to make it count. Bacuna isn't a number six anyway and McCormack doesn't suit us at all. Agreed on general theme re team selection. Far too one paced in midfield and up top. Tshibola and Gabby improved things. Grealish played well in the main but needs to grow a pair, idiotic yellow card and whinged at the ref constantly. Good players get kicked at this level get used to it.
All tried hard second half but too many average players even at this level to pick up a run of wins and luck went against us today.

Bunn 4, Hutton 6, Chester 6, Baker 6, Amavi 5, Adamoah 7, Gardner 4, Westwood 5, Bacuna 6, Grealish 7, McCormack 5. Gabby 6, Tshibola 7,

[curiousorange]

I'm undecided on what I want Bruce to achieve this season. We could squeak into the play-offs and go up, which would be great from a financial point of view, but this squad is nowhere near good enough to stay up. To be honest, I'd rather see us play consistently well and cream everyone next season instead. We seem so far from that at the moment that I don't know if I'll see it this time around.

[Clampy]

Other than put Tshibola in from the start (which he probably should have done), i'm not sure what other options he had.

[class-of-82]

The honeymoon period is well and truly over
Some hard decisions are going to have to be made about every single player who are simply not good enough for our club.
the transfer window is going to be Crucial for us

[old man villa fan]

Think we need to forget about the play offs. Barring a miraculous run of form we will never make up any ground. The squad has some decent players but the decisions made in the summer by RDM have cost us dearly. Losing Gayer and failing to replace him was a major flaw, the midfield was neglected and not matter how many strikers you sign they aren't going to score if we never get a grip of a game. 

Losing Gueye, Sanchez and Veretout (I know they wanted to move on) and leaving Westwood, Bacuna and Gardner was a major step down in quality and the reason we are not doing very well.  All too similar players in that they are physically weak.  Tshibola looked the right type of player but is very inexperienced and you would question whether he has the stamina to play consistently for 90 minutes.  Managing your involvement in the game is not an easy thing for a young player.  I think he was bought half for this season and half for the future.  Jedinak was the right type to buy but not if the other players stand around and expect him to do everything.  Otherwise you end up with Sanchez Mk2 and the player being dead after 60 minutes, with the inevitable mistakes of a tired player (tired physically = tired mentally = too many mistakes).

We have to get midfield players in that work the ball through the middle of the field.  What is the point of playing sideways to the fullbacks and then hitting a diagonal cross into the box when we have nobody that can win it in the air.  Fair enough if you can get to the bye-line and pull it back or put in very accurate crosses but we are not capable of that.

We are so predictable with our play of playing square from one side and then back again.  I look back to last year to the Norwich match when Veretout played that ball through to Gabby for his goal.  How often does Westwood look for that type of ball by playing it instinctively knowing that the player is going to be there because you are aware of positioning and movement of other players.

[RichardBatchelor]

Exactly. there's a lot of hysteria on here. We're building for the long-term, and Bruce will succeed...

Other than put Tshibola in from the start (which he probably should have done), i'm not sure what other options he had.

[oswald funkletrumpet]

We struggled at home against wigan and burton and constructive critisism was poo pooed because we were winning

against a manager who has been around the block it was easily sussed out and playing gardner and westwood against a dirty physical side is insanity

I hope bruce has at least 5 players lined up as another season in this pisspot league will see our 3/4 decent players fuck off and the teams relegated will have stronger squads than we did when we came down and more parachute money

[passport1]

"They can do it my way or I'll find a team that want to play my way". Bruce sounding the end for one or two?

[QuintonVilla]

7 away goals all season. If only we'd spent nearly £30m on strikers in the summer...

[Steve67]

Perspective please. With Jedinak out, other than Tshibola, there are NO replacements for Westwood, Gardner and Bacuna. Bruce had no choice. That's what also boils my piss. The lack of options. The squad overall isn't strong enough for a sustained challenge on promotion this season. I expected defeat today with that shit team selection. I hope Bruce has irons in fires with incomings, and it will take more than Sam Johnstone coming in.

Hutton, Bacuna, Westwood, Richards, Agbonlahor, Bunn (who wasn't at fault for the goal today, but fails to inspire confidence whatever), Cissokho, Gestede, Elphick, all not even good enough for a promotion push. One or two might be ok in a decent squad. The jury is also still out on Ayew, Amav, Gollinii, Baker, McCormack and Grealish too. At the moment, only Chester, Adomah, Kodjia, Jedinak seem to be guaranteed a start. It won't all happen this window so the very best I hope for now is to lay foundations for a real push next season.

[oswald funkletrumpet]

"They can do it my way or I'll find a team that want to play my way". Bruce sounding the end for one or two?

I hope not

It needs to be four or five

[villan from luton]

I was post off with the selection, especially the two together in centre mid and Bunn ahead of Gollini is mystifying. However, lets give Bruce a transfer window at least before writing him off. Got to say that some of the performances, even when we have won, have been depressing

[class-of-82]

In the 66th minute against Leeds I said well done Westwood for winning a tackle
I honestly cannot remember saying that in the last 2-3 seasons and that sums up the team that he continually plays