Forest v Villa Post-Match Thread

[auntiesledd]

I decided to go out for an early-doors libation when we were still leading yesterday. However, I did check my phone on 3 occasions before the end of the game...

Check #1: Forest have equalised

Check #2: Grealish has been sent off

Check #3: Game over: & Forest have grabbed a last-gasp winner

None of the above surprised me one iota -  because frankly it's how it's been for as long as I care to remember. A late push for the play-offs? We're far more likely to be playing in L1 next season.

Bag o' shite.

well yes we are our own worst enemy, but I don't think we'll be playing in Div 1 next season.

I hope you're right Tone. Obviously.

[Villatillidie1982]

And we are still unbeaten at Villa Park. It's all about mental toughness, or lack of it. The players are there, at least good enough to get out of this league.

Next season, there will be more cohesion as they learn to play together. But this is Villa so maybe not.

[aj2k77]

Haven't we won less than 50% of our home games this season, despite playing most of the the lower half of the table at home?

[JJ-AV]

I really hope 3-5-2 is just used when Jedinak isn't available. Elphick is just so poor, seems like every time he plays he makes an error that costs us. Huddersfield at home, Leeds away, Forest at home, Sheffield Wednesday away, yesterday. His concentration levels are horrendous.

[Marton]

If a team that is a skilled as ours is giving away almost 80% possession, then something is seriously wrong.

Boneless (Grealish) is the obvious part. While he does offers something, on occasion when we are attacking, he is worse then useless when defending. Its like playing with a man down. Prancing around, so slowly that it cant even be called pressure. How is that going to help us get more possession, he just makes it worse. Not even a good team can afford a player to be useful (at best) in only one aspect of play! Maybe if that player is a very dangerous striker but Grealish plays a central area that no team can afford to surrender like we do now. Boneless is a handicap not an asset! The red card is just manifesting the obvious, he is dullwitted but we already knew that.

Last week we played Thor in that area, an that's just as bad but for other reasons. Thor biggest weakness is his control. He got a heavy touch. Add the lack of matchfitness and you get another atrocious result in possession. He did ok yesterday a wingback and will do fine bombing down flanks but keep him way from central play. Its just Hutton with more hair and bit younger....hopefully a bit better at crossing (how could he not be?).

The worst part is that we now got players who CAN dominate games from that area. Both Lansbury and Hourihane excel in that role but Bruce hasn't a clue how to manage so much talent at once. He is trying to make them fit into some cost-effective pattern that he derived from managing at poor clubs. Its just like David Moyes but at a different plane.

What the point of avoiding Neil Warnock if we going to have another manager applying  Niel Warnock tactics anyway? Its stupid!

[aj2k77]

Put simply you aren't going to find many decent teams that give away 80% possession who win many games.

[dorsetvillian]

For me, the team just don't work hard enough at closing down. We never close down a forward pass or a cross. Why the hell the coaching team can't see this is quite unbelievable. I coach U13's and we work on this in training again and again so that the boys know when and how o press. It's OK letting Forest have the ball in their own half and dropping deep but then it should be easier to press more effectively in our own half of the pitch. We don't do either.

[Ads]

80% possession? That's how much pointless, square ball possession Forest had?

[VinnieChase84]

For me, Lansbury and hourihane are creative enough to not need jack at present. Jedinak would offer protective and allow those two to push forward.
Ipswich lineup for me;

               Johnstone (only cause we don't have another option)
         Chester, Elphick, Baker
Bree.                                    Taylor
                  Jedinak
        Lansbury.       Hourihane
            Hogan.     Kodjia
 

[oswald funkletrumpet]

I really hope 3-5-2 is just used when Jedinak isn't available. Elphick is just so poor, seems like every time he plays he makes an error that costs us. Huddersfield at home, Leeds away, Forest at home, Sheffield Wednesday away, yesterday. His concentration levels are horrendous.

The last thing we want to do is change our formation to accommodate jedinak

factor in his injuries, fitness levels and international duty and he needs to be a bit part player at most

[Marton]

80% possession? That's how much pointless, square ball possession Forest had?

Actually I got that number for a previous poster  (cause it reflected what we saw yesterday) but after checking the fact I seen numbers as low as 71%...
1st half they had 65-69% ... mid 2nd half we started to assert ourselves a fraction but then Grealish red, Bruce masterful subs and the rest is epic Villa finishing template...

[Ads]

They were completely toothless and should have been beaten 3 or 4-1. I couldn't care less how much time they wasted doing nothing with the ball.

[paul_e]

You've changed your tune Ads, when I complained that we were playing crap a couple of months ago it was only the result that mattered, now we're not getting the results suddenly the performances are the bit you're bothered about.

[Ads]

Not really sure what you're on about.

I said I was livid we didn't win the game. We created plenty of chances and we're easily the better side, which makes it all the more frustrating.

I am pleased we created opportunities throughout the game, which isn't something we've done away from home, so there's hope to be had.

[in exile]

For what it matters, up until the sending off I thought we looked a hard working team which is something I haven't seen in a Villa side for quite a long time