Aston Villa vs Watford Sir Graham Taylor Memorial Game

[four fornicholl]

I keep getting this feeling that how many of our squad can actually last 90 minutes. Major worry.

[peter w]

This time last year we were murdered by a team that went down from the prem. This year we were a poor pen away from a tidy, and comfortable win. We're nowhere near a shoo-in, and Wolves did like bright and lively v leciester, but we should be going into the season a lot more confident than last season.

[pauliewalnuts]

Decided to go. Not the worst way to spend an afternoon, although 15 quid not cheap.

Watford looked pretty awful, particularly first half.

We will win more then we lose but anyone expecting entertainment can forget it.

This is the classic Bruce team.

[peter w]

Did you stay for the full game?

[West Derby Villan]

Thought that there was no noticeable difference in quality between the two teams. Gabby looked sharp but ineffective in front of goal. Whelan looked good. Elmo was very good. Shame Hogan didn't get the benefit of an Elmo partnership when he made an appearance due to an injury to the winger. Overall a decent run out but still concerned about lack of goals and worse than that, lack of scoring opportunities.

Finally, I was disappointed with attendance, the great man deserved more.

[tomd2103]

Just got back in and thought it was quite encouraging really.  I thought the starting team looked solid and organised, and we kept the ball pretty well at times.  For all the gnashing of teeth about our signings, I thought they looked an upgrade on the players we had in their positions last season (Terry for Baker, Whelan for Jedinak and Elmohamady for Adomah), though why Johnstone wasn't playing (he was signing autographs in the car park about half an hour before kick off).   

I thought we got into some good some positions, but apart from Gabby's great chance early on, didn't create too much.  I thought Agbonlahor looked a threat and Grealish linked things up well before he went off.  I thought Lansbury was disappointing when he moved into the more advanced role and looked sluggish.  Hogan didn't really make an impact when he came on and I thought Watford had their best spell then as we couldn't hold the ball up front.

Just a couple of things about VP.  I thought there was some kind of work being done to the North Stand this summer to create some space for disabled fans.  Has that been shelved?  Also, as a general point I don't see the need for flags to be flown at sports stadiums (unless it is an international game maybe) and I accept our owner is from there, but I'm really not sure why there is a Chinese flag flying above Villa Park. 

[peter w]

Plus we clearly had a plan at what to do at attacking throw-ins. Got most of them wrong mind you.

[Matt Collins]

Main concern for me is the injuries to grealish, Elmo and Johnstone

Add that to Kodjia and Adomah and we might find it very hard to score next weekend

Bacuna Thor / Lansbury and green behind gabby just isn't good enough

[tomd2103]

Main concern for me is the injuries to grealish, Elmo and Johnstone

Add that to Kodjia and Adomah and we might find it very hard to score next weekend

Bacuna Thor / Lansbury and green behind gabby just isn't good enough

Grealish will be the biggest blow as today showed that there isn't really anyone else to play that role effectively (funnily enough it is the role McCormack is most suited to but that ship has sailed).  We should be able to cover the other two OK and I thought Steer looked pretty assured today.  The triumvirate of Lansbury, Hourihane and Bjarnason looked fairly average and one paced. 

[Matt Collins]

I thought grealish was no more than ok but as soon as he went off and Lansbury stepped into that position we had nowhere near the same mobility

[exiled on the wirral!]

It's not going to be pretty..but I think we will be ok.

Agreed.
I don't think we'll get relegated either.

Oh good finally achieving mid table mediocrity that we all  have been  crying out for.

Didn't we achieve that last season?

[PaulWinch again]

I think we'll be fine this year, could do with something extra up top though.

[pauliewalnuts]

Did you stay for the full game?

No, Peter, I rushed home to see your latest posts.

[LeeB]

Did you stay for the full game?

No, Peter, I rushed home to see your latest posts.

It's why I don't go anymore

[Salsa Party Animal]

if we are looking for a striker and we need a big man upfront to score goals and play alone. We need some one similar to Ruud van Nistelrooy. How is Kodja at the moment, did he play a minute in pre season yet.