Pre-Season Friendlies

[Pete3206]

Apart from Veretout who is probably leaving, the enitire midfield contingent has the speed and turning ability of a Caterpillar dump truck. I never thought I would pine for players like Barry Bannan, but he's Lionel Messi compared to the slow motion antics of Lansbury, Hourihane, Gardner and Bjarnason. Is it any wonder that strikers like McCormack and Hogan struggle, when you have such a lack of pace, creativity and more worringly, an inability to find a player with the same coloured shirt, in the middle of the pitch.

[sirlordbaltimore]

Apart from Veretout who is probably leaving, the enitire midfield contingent has the speed and turning ability of a Caterpillar dump truck. I never thought I would pine for players like Barry Bannan, but he's Lionel Messi compared to the slow motion antics of Lansbury, Hourihane, Gardner and Bjarnason. Is it any wonder that strikers like McCormack and Hogan struggle, when you have such a lack of pace, creativity and more worringly, an inability to find a player with the same coloured shirt, in the middle of the pitch.

I must have missed Veretout's contribution. Because he looked as useless as the rest to me

[garyshawsknee]

I don't understand how Bruce can make a midfield two look so woeful and ineffective, whereas a lot of other Championship teams make it work. Brighton got promoted playing a two with two wingers, one of those midfielders was Sidwell, Chris Hughton must be a miracle worker.

[Matt Collins]

I don't understand how Bruce can make a midfield two look so woeful and ineffective, whereas a lot of other Championship teams make it work. Brighton got promoted playing a two with two wingers, one of those midfielders was Sidwell, Chris Hughton must be a miracle worker.

You can replace 'Bruce' with 'every villa mananger since MON' though

[sirlordbaltimore]

I don't understand how Bruce can make a midfield two look so woeful and ineffective, whereas a lot of other Championship teams make it work. Brighton got promoted playing a two with two wingers, one of those midfielders was Sidwell, Chris Hughton must be a miracle worker.

Wouldn't it better to question why none of the two midfielders we've picked to do it can make it work? they're the ones with the ball at their feet after all

[passitsideways]

I don't understand how Bruce can make a midfield two look so woeful and ineffective, whereas a lot of other Championship teams make it work. Brighton got promoted playing a two with two wingers, one of those midfielders was Sidwell, Chris Hughton must be a miracle worker.

Wouldn't it better to question why none of the two midfielders we've picked to do it can make it work? they're the ones with the ball at their feet after all

If you put Xavi and Iniesta in a midfield two in, say, that Wimbleton team of the 80s and 90s where the job of the centre mids was basically to kick the shit out of anyone who dared to pass through, and punt any ball that fell to them into the corners for someone to chase, do you really think they would've distinguished themselves in any way?

It's basically impossible for any midfielder to show what they're capable of if the setup isn't right. It doesn't have to be perfectly accommodating for them, but we're not close to finding something that's helpful.

[peter w]

The other issue was that the back four were sitting far too deep, probably worried about our lack of pace, meaning that the midfield were also sitting too deep. The forwards had to then come to the half way line just to try and link-up play and get the ball. Misplacing paces really is neither here nor there when you're just picking up the fitness levels, but getting the set-up wrong is not something that will improve with more games.

[garyshawsknee]

I don't understand how Bruce can make a midfield two look so woeful and ineffective, whereas a lot of other Championship teams make it work. Brighton got promoted playing a two with two wingers, one of those midfielders was Sidwell, Chris Hughton must be a miracle worker.

Wouldn't it better to question why none of the two midfielders we've picked to do it can make it work? they're the ones with the ball at their feet after all

Or ask the question, how can we sign two of the best central midfielders in The Championship and turn them into average players lacking any spark or ability to play attacking football ?

[Matt Collins]

I just wonder if they really were two of the best? They both score goals I agree. But I don't remember either looking great against us - Westwood and Gardner bossed the game at home to forest and it's not often you can say that!

[sirlordbaltimore]

I don't understand how Bruce can make a midfield two look so woeful and ineffective, whereas a lot of other Championship teams make it work. Brighton got promoted playing a two with two wingers, one of those midfielders was Sidwell, Chris Hughton must be a miracle worker.

Wouldn't it better to question why none of the two midfielders we've picked to do it can make it work? they're the ones with the ball at their feet after all

Or ask the question, how can we sign two of the best central midfielders in The Championship and turn them into average players lacking any spark or ability to play attacking football ?

Well i can only speak for myself but i've never rated Lansbury as anything near being one of the best in the Championship. And his brief stint at Villa so far hasn't changed that view. I see signs in Hourihane that he can be a very good player for us, but he's certainly not performing at his Barnsley level yet. But i don't see how the manager can be blamed for a player not playing at his best

[Matt Collins]

I certainly don't recall either being linked with moves to the prem - may be wrongly though

[peter w]

Fully agree. thoroughly underwhelmed by him. We need a player in the middle who can make things happen, Can get at teams, run at players, that's not Lansbury. Great from the spot though...

[Matt Collins]

I'd settle for central midfielders who can pass the ball reliably and wide players who can deliver quality.

[SoccerHQ]

Apart from Veretout who is probably leaving, the enitire midfield contingent has the speed and turning ability of a Caterpillar dump truck. I never thought I would pine for players like Barry Bannan, but he's Lionel Messi compared to the slow motion antics of Lansbury, Hourihane, Gardner and Bjarnason. Is it any wonder that strikers like McCormack and Hogan struggle, when you have such a lack of pace, creativity and more worringly, an inability to find a player with the same coloured shirt, in the middle of the pitch.

Hourihane was very much a box to box player at Barnsley

I don't understand how Bruce can make a midfield two look so woeful and ineffective, whereas a lot of other Championship teams make it work. Brighton got promoted playing a two with two wingers, one of those midfielders was Sidwell, Chris Hughton must be a miracle worker.

Wouldn't it better to question why none of the two midfielders we've picked to do it can make it work? they're the ones with the ball at their feet after all

If you put Xavi and Iniesta in a midfield two in, say, that Wimbleton team of the 80s and 90s where the job of the centre mids was basically to kick the shit out of anyone who dared to pass through, and punt any ball that fell to them into the corners for someone to chase, do you really think they would've distinguished themselves in any way?

It's basically impossible for any midfielder to show what they're capable of if the setup isn't right. It doesn't have to be perfectly accommodating for them, but we're not close to finding something that's helpful.

On a lesser scale it's a little similar to when we we had Petrov-Barry as the midfield combination (sorry to be all nostalgic to the days when we could actually win a match or two).

Both excellent and clever footballers and they could certainly keep the ball effectively and also move it out quickly to Young so he could get one v one with the full back.

However it was one paced and we struggled many times when teams would come to VP and play three centrally against them.

Always looked better when we put another body in there like NRC or Sidwell even if they were average. Even better when Milner was moved there and it felt like two players alongside Petrov given the vast distance he covered every match.

I still think we need Jedinak or another player of his ilk in there but at the same time we must give more licence for Hourihane and especially Lansbury to push forward and actually join Kodjia in the box for crosses and chances

[Ivo Stas]

If I was a visiting alien who had to make a judgement call based solely on watching the Shrewsbury game (and perhaps had watched the final game of last season - Brighton - whilst travelling here in my saucer), I'd suggest that - of all our available strikers - we look best suited to playing Davis up front (and least effective with Hogan). I can't see Bruce being brave enough to do so however.