Pre-Season Friendlies

[Rudy Can't Fail]

But if Tony sacks re manager or coach on the back of pre season we know that he's not a fit and proper chairman

Champions League winners hired and fired Luigi Delneri in the summer of 2004. He never managed a single league game. Pinto da Costa has been their President since 1982. Fit and proper? Maybe not but he knows a thing or two about football.

[old man villa fan]

I only saw the 2nd half and I am glad to hear the 1st was a lot better because what I saw was terrible, even for a friendly. Why did Bruce have Green playing so deep. It meant he had a midfield player marking him and a fullback behind as cover. He should have been pushed further forward onto the fullback.

Same irritating aimless passing the ball around. It always looks as though the decisive ball will be the pass after or the one after that because it never looks as though it will come from the player with the ball.

[sirlordbaltimore]

The only positives I could muster from last night were

Green first 45 minutes. He went absolutely shite second half
Johnstone looked fairly commanding coming to catch stuff
The defence looked untroubled largely
The young lad (Hayes?) looked quite decent
Lyden did ok

Other than that it was absolutely dead. Our midfield is hopeless, totally devoid of creativity and energy. Mind you, we've hardly spent anything on that area of the team compared to our forwards (which might explain why the service to them is zilch)
 
Look at our central midfield options

Gardner £0
Jedinak £3.8m
Hourihane £3m
Lansbury £3m
Tsihbola £3m?
Bjarnason £2m
Bacuna £1m

Put into context, the dogheads down the road have spent more than that on one midfielder this summer. He might turn out to be shit of course

But it's still a dreadfully dull set of players without a sprinkling of proper class on top to make them shine

[eamonn]

Has Bruce given any post-match interviews after the friendlies? He usually tells it like it is, his one saving grace, but even he will start to get bored of his own voice if these plodding performances continue into the new season.

[ajmant]

We go again....

[Ads]

It took me 4 pages this morning to realize who we were playing.

Did Gabby and Thor start up top?

What was the score? I'm guessing 0-0?

[villabear]

On Twitter people were saying the team got booed off last night. Is that correct?

[Proposition Joe]

I'd like us to play as narrow a formation as we possibly can for the next matches (Germany tournament?).  Leave all wide players at home.  Try and force the players to learn how to create things through the middle.

[sirlordbaltimore]

I've some folks today saying 'sign Samba' based on last nights performance. For me he's just a towering but lumbering rock. The prospect of some of the Championships nippier strikers running rings around him does not fill me with confidence at all. Even as a back up. I'd much rather Sulliman got given a chance personally.

The only logical thing i could think for signing Samba would be if on 85 minutes we're hanging on the ropes defending a lead or similarly desperate for a goal and we launch it forwards with him in the box

[paul_e]

I've some folks today saying 'sign Samba' based on last nights performance. For me he's just a towering but lumbering rock. The prospect of some of the Championships nippier strikers running rings around him does not fill me with confidence at all. Even as a back up. I'd much rather Sulliman got given a chance personally.

The only logical thing i could think for signing Samba would be if on 85 minutes we're hanging on the ropes defending a lead or similarly desperate for a goal and we launch it forwards with him in the box

If the plan was for him to start then I'd be nervous but as a replacement for Elphick in the 4th choice central defender spot I'm fine with it.

[PeterWithesShin]

And the advantage is no transfer fee and as clubs are hardly beating his door down to sign him I assume we'll get him on decent wages. If we can flog Mad Tom and use his wages to pay Samba i'd be fine with that. As Paul says, as 3rd/4th choice he looks like he'll be fine. What would worry me is a Terry/Samba partnership for an extended period of time as they have zero pace.

[Matt Collins]

And I don't think Sulliman is seen to be ready is he? 19 is VERY young for a centre half

[paul_e]

And I don't think Sulliman is seen to be ready is he? 19 is VERY young for a centre half

I agree, I really like Suliman and I hope he gets a look in a few times this year but that's about as much as you'd expect for now.  I have him shadowing Terry in training for a year, that's the biggest positive of Terry coming that I can see, if he can have a positive impact like that then we may benefit over the next few years.

[in exile]

On Twitter people were saying the team got booed off last night. Is that correct?

I wouldn't exactly say "booed off" but there was booing at the final whistle

[LeeB]

On Twitter people were saying the team got booed off last night. Is that correct?

I wouldn't exactly say "booed off" but there was booing at the final whistle

That's just the sound of the local accent en masse.