Forest v Villa Post-Match Thread

[SoccerHQ]

I have no idea what Bruce is afraid of. He now has some of the best attacking players in the division. He's being so conservative for no reason. Let them fucking play. Just so tired of this.

The bit that gets my goat is the hoofing when we get possession at the back. Whenever we tried to pass it via the midfield we looked good but too many times we just decided to hoof it then lose possession. So frustrating.

It's just the way SB plays.

I'm a bit bemused by anyone expecting silky football under him....he didn't achieve his promotions at Hull and SHA playing that way.

Of course in a poor run it looks horrific.

[Clark W Griswold]

To be honest I thought we were unlucky to lose and could have even won it. The formation was a lot better, we had players around the ball and more bodies forward. A fuck up by the goalkeeper and Grealish's daftness cost us, on another day it may not have done. I agreed with Bruce's first 2 subs but was baffled by the third one. Hogan, Kodjia, and Lansbury were good throughout, Hourahane was like Djemba Djemba first half and like Andy Townsend second half (more of that please), Bjarnesson was ok, a lot better than Tuesday. The defenders were all ok without anyone really standing out, Johnstone is becoming a liability and Grealish with the exception of one nice pass for the goal was as half arsed, cumbersome and frustrating as ever. Jedinak in for him please and let Lansbury and Hourahane do the creative stuff. And please stick to this formation now, we have plenty of options for the wing back roles and can surely find 2 to really master those roles,

[Pete3206]

Bruce made appalling basic errors in this game and the last. He brought in 8 new players in January and has already shattered their confidence. For my own sanity, I will now ignore AVFC until August & can only pray that they will still be in Div 2, with some reason to start next season in Newcastle style.

Somebody please stick this on the Villa Dressing room wall. What an inspirsation

[paul_e]

This 3 central defenders thing is really simple, there are 2 times you can do it and that's it.  First is if you keep the ball really well and the wing backs are really midfielders for most of the game, this doesn't apply to us. The 2nd is if you have a beast up front who occupies both central defenders and 1-2 quick players who can buzz around him so the full backs are scared of leaving too much space in behind. That doesn't apply to us either.

Conte is using a mix of the 2 brilliantly but it won't work for us without a huge change to how we hold on to the ball.

I'm now certain that Bruce is as out of his depth as any of rdm, sherwood, garde or lambert.  We have the squad to get promotion but we need a manager who understands that coaching and tactics are essential. I'd still review it at the end of March and if we're no further along by then duck him off and get someone with genuine coaching credentials in to take a month or so to start creating an identity before a summer working on that more than the market.

[Villafirst]

I don't think luck is running for us at the moment. Shouldn't have lost that game. What happened to Taylor? Not even on the bench??

[Clark W Griswold]

This 3 central defenders thing is really simple, there are 2 times you can do it and that's it.  First is if you keep the ball really well and the wing backs are really midfielders for most of the game, this doesn't apply to us. The 2nd is if you have a beast up front who occupies both central defenders and 1-2 quick players who can buzz around him so the full backs are scared of leaving too much space in behind. That doesn't apply to us either.

Conte is using a mix of the 2 brilliantly but it won't work for us without a huge change to how we hold on to the ball.

I'm now certain that Bruce is as out of his depth as any of rdm, sherwood, garde or lambert.  We have the squad to get promotion but we need a manager who understands that coaching and tactics are essential. I'd still review it at the end of March and if we're no further along by then duck him off and get someone with genuine coaching credentials in to take a month or so to start creating an identity before a summer working on that more than the market.

I agree that you need to keep the ball, although that really applies in football generally. Apart from the individual errors, if we had kept the ball better we would have probably been well ahead by the time Grealish went. In terms of the other points you make, I think the combination of Kodjia, Hogan, Lansbury and Hourahane would give you the desired effect up front and I think we will find the players within the squad to do the wing back jobs you're talking about. Taylor wasn't on the bench as he was ill btw.

[VancouverLion]

I don't luck is running for us at the moment. Shouldn't have lost that game. What happened to Taylor? Not even on the bench??

He called in sick.

Although I didn't think we deserved to lose, there hasn't been a game other than Brighton away where I haven't wanted to throw my laptop out the window after 70 mins.
The football or lack of, served up week after week is total gash.
I sit there shaking my head muttering " for fuck sake Villa" game after game.
It's all a bit crap, isn't it!

[brontebilly]

Unlike the Brentford game we didn't deserve to lose this game but until the players realise they need to play as a team we will never improve

Observations

Kodija is a casing example. He scores a great goal but yet never holds the ball up and is so selfish and greedy. His work ethic is terrible. That will not win us matches. He has the attributes to be class but until he becomes better mentally he will cost us

We must buy an experienced keeper

Lansbury cannot hold he is a ball player but too often let's his opposition get past him

The team must learn to play with a better tempo but have the ball it will stop us tiring!!

Kodjia is another diabolical professional, you watch his goal and you wonder how he hasn't made a career at a higher level. Then the rest of his game makes the case why he hasn't, work shy, cowardly and selfish

Lansbury is another cad, strolling around the pitch with the gumption of a snowflake.

Thought Hogan was very impressive on scraps tonight and Hourihane showed in the second half that his left foot will create lots of chances.

Apart from that diabolical really.

[Sexual Ealing]

I didn't see the game so I may be talking bollocks. However, having read SB's post-match comments, I think he's forgotten where he is.

We played well on the break?! Against a relegation-threatened Division 2 side?

He needs to sort his shit out very fucking quickly.

[PeterWithe]

I fucking hate everyone that draws a wage from Aston Villa. Useless ******, all of them.

[Cliftonville Villain]

This was atrocious but Brentford the other night sealed it for me. I've lost count of the millions squandered since the summer (though fair play to Tony Xia) but we're heading towards League One. Steve Bruce, for all his supposed tactical awareness and nous in this division, has shown me absolutely nothing in his time here to suggest he'll turn it around. Something is seriously wrong at our club when in-form signings are made and within two weeks look no better then someone playing with a hangover and stinking of the night before's kebab on Hackney Marshes on a Saturday morning.

I don't have an answer, wish to God I had, but am just so sick of this relentless shit week in week out. I suspect Steve himself may be thinking this is beyond him. Preston, Brentford, Forest...it's never-ending. We're Aston Villa ffs.

[olaftab]

I didn't see the game so I may be talking bollocks. However, having read SB's post-match comments, I think he's forgotten where he is.

We played well on the break?! Against a relegation-threatened Division 2 side?

He needs to sort his shit out very fucking quickly.

Problem is this relegation threatened side now has same number of points as us. So where does that leave us?

[Ads]

People talking about tactics and pressing and formations; we missed nailed on sitters. You can't spurn chances like we did.

We should have won the game by 2 or 3 goals.

[Ads]

Also, what is it with these six fingered East Midlands folk? Forest, Derby, Leicester. They're all wrong uns' that come by coaches with very clean windows.

Also, yet more post away day drama. Bloody son spends the night in A&E! Only just back.

For those that are interested it was a laughing gas cannister what shredded my tyre.

[PeterWithesShin]

Since the first game of the season we've been saying "if only we'd..." or "if only we hadn't..." and here we are in Feb and it's still woulda coulda shoulda.
And that's not a dig at anyone as i've done it as well.

We're the most expensively assembled squad ever seen in this division and yet we've spent most of the season being crap, outplayed by sides that can only dream of spending in a season what we spend on 1 player and are closer to the bottom 3 than we are the top 6.

No real point to the post apart from football is a load of old bollocks at times