Pre-Season Friendlies

[olaftab]

I am absolutely livid at the performance. Absolute shocking stuff.

To give wickets away so cheaply. Disgusting stuff.

Was there football today?

Quality.

Good to see a meeting of minds on here.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Right now Hull are losing 2-0 at home to Oxford. So if pre season results at this stage are so important then we should be OK first game.

[AV5nobs]

Right now Hull are losing 2-0 at home to Oxford. So if pre season results at this stage are so important then we should be OK first game.

Sense finally.

[VillaAlways]

A lot of people are saying the result doesn't matter, imo it does can someone tell me how are we going to develope a winning mentality by playing poorly and losing?

Because we're fans we want us to win every game regardless. Unfortunately the players aren't  fans so I'm guessing it's all about minutes on the pitch and the result is meaningless. Brilliant day today, Shrewsbury is a beautiful town.

[ASHTONVILLA]

What I hope Steve Bruce learned today is not to play two right backs in central defence, we were playing OK until then! That and never picking donkeys like Amavi and Richards and expecting not to concede goals.

Positives

Thought Hourihane, Lansbury were both ok. Bree looked ok. Hutton was good at right back. Terry Chester Taylor Hutton look a very solid back 4. Green looked good.

Worries

Hogan and McCormack never look like scoring. Both are good players, but Bruce sets us up so no movement and no service.

Meh

[peter w]

Hourihane was okay when he picked up the ball but there was little to no creativity from him.

[paul_e]

What I hope Steve Bruce learned today is not to play two right backs in central defence, we were playing OK until then! That and never picking donkeys like Amavi and Richards and expecting not to concede goals.

Positives

Thought Hourihane, Lansbury were both ok. Bree looked ok. Hutton was good at right back. Terry Chester Taylor Hutton look a very solid back 4. Green looked good.

Worries

Hogan and McCormack never look like scoring. Both are good players, but Bruce sets us up so no movement and no service.

Meh

Amavi was fine when he came on, yes he put the ball out for the corner they scored from but he didn't really have many other options. Other that he, like everyone, played a few misplaced passes.  He was certainly far from being one of the 2 worst players on the pitch as your post suggests.

[eamonn]

Obviously the result doesn't matter but the fact that our style of play remains turgid and disjointed is pretty dispiriting.

I guess the penny should have dropped long ago that Bruce is not going to try and play an expansive, attacking style at this stage of his career. It was just hoped that Calderwood and the young, ex Bluenose chap he has as assistants might have a positive influence in that regard but there's little sign of it.

At least the other promotion faves, Sunderland, lost too. Got whipped 3-0 by mighty St Johnstone.

[ozzjim]

We did not create a chance in open play at all. Hogan looked a willing runner but McCormack lost the ball way too often to build an attack. Veretout and Hourihane both sat far to deep, I wanted one of them to kick into the box and add the extra man but neither did. It just highlighted how 2 banks of 4 is the most limited tactic ever if you don't give any freedom within it. Gabby looked to at least turn the defence round, I would like to see him and Hogan together next time out. Just sell McCormack because it isn't going to work with him here.

Terry and Chester looked fine. Taylor looked understandably rusty. Green did well first half.

We have to try the 3 5 2 now though. Especially if it allows the midfield to get forward more.

Oh and Bjarnason looked lost.

[ciggiesnbeer]

On the plus side Terry looked like the premier league player he is.

On the negative side "Thor" looks like he isn't up to this level of football. By "this level" I mean pre season lower league.

[old man villa fan]

Result doesn't matter but performance does. Are we just going through the motions again.

[Matt Collins]

Ok I'm not so peturbed by conceding two with a Comedy Central defence that will never play

More concerned to hear we had no shots on target and passed the ball badly despite having a fairly first choice team out there

[olaftab]

Yes it was pre season friendly and yes the result didn't matter and yes it's all about getting fit but BUT how often have we said that in the past 6 seasons? Every season is my guess and look where we have ended up😟

[Ads]

I don't know, maybe we say it every year? I don't personally give a flying feck what happens in them. I stopped going to England friendlies 10 years ago and I haven't seen Villa play one since Inter whenever that may have been. They get their pound of flesh from me between August and May.

The only friendlies I can recall from days gone by are Tottenham's where they battered everybody senseless pre-season as SSN reported in great detail and were bottom in October.

[Uknowthescore]

It's a friendly where the main objective is to stretch the legs. Bruce out. Dick heads