Aston Villa v Hull City post match thread.

[Gareth]

 Not read through the thread but my views were;

Good first half, should have got 2/3 but again we just didn't finish it off, second half Hull came out with more intensity but we just didn't react, from the bench there seemed to be no immediate reaction which is often a criticism of Bruce, he seems to dither for 20 minutes after the break before considering switching it.

Thought Johnstone & Chester were very good & Green added a spark when he came on.  Hooking Hogan seemed odd as he was working his nads off and looked most likely to pop up with anything.  Bacuna less so, that performance is up there with some of the most inept we've had from an individual in years - think the first pass he competed to Villa was to the ball boy when he misplaced a 5yd ball.

I will mark the day down in the calendar though as I thought I'd never see Huttton compete a cross & assist ever again!

Gabby looked lively for half hour but for the next hour he just chased shadows or fouled defenders, his mistackle lead to the equaliser.

Personally I would still like to see a target man in that side.

[Ads]

We've got to start taking our chances.

We completely bossed them for 45 minutes and should have been 2 or 3 up and let them off. The start of the second half was shamobilic. For 25 minutes we laboured. While their goal wasn't exactly coming in the sense that they weren't battering our goal, our inability to get a grip of the ball for long made it unsurprising.

Green's introduction immediately wrestled us back the game and he should have scored. Young Joshua's chance was a tough one.

Bacuna should never start. I get he offers energy but only in small doses. I thought Gabby and Hogan drifted out of it when Lansbury waned. Second half he made some decent runs but he looked laboured.

Positives to take was how dynamic we looked with some width. Elmo is adding something. Terry is a class above.

We created plenty of nailed on chances which is something we've been missing under Brunce.

The negatives was the 25 minute spell of desperate football that enabled them to steal a point. Hutton's delivery from deep is awful. Our fluffing of chances.

Boro and Wednesday losing and Fulham drawing is a bonus too.

[brontebilly]

The worry for me is what happens when we go 1-0 down in a game? We went 1-0 up today and didn't know how to play or how to control the game. When we go 1-0 down we're even worse and I think this season will be the same as last. He doesn't react to how the game is going.

We have an old slow team, expect it to happen a lot this season.

[West Derby Villan]

Overall I thought we were ok, we had so many chances to finish Hull off and the fact we only ended up with a point might be a wake up call to the players that we have got to be ruthless in front of goal. So in hindsight today's result might be a blessing in disguise. I was actually encouraged how we were set up and I thought we were quite entertaining to watch for the majority of the game. 45 games to go and I still think we are going up.

I agree 100%

[boozey182]

Drawing today doesn't mean we won't go up, not that anyone is suggesting that, but we need to very quickly learn how to win games. Particularly when we're the better team, like today - even if that was largely down to Hull being worse rather than us being better.

We need energy and ambition in our players, which only Green really showed in any consistency. For long periods in the second half we looked like a team of old men.

The biggest worry though is that the fans could clearly see the win slipping away, and our manager did nothing until it was too late. And not for the first time. It was two points dropped by the manager. He can't afford many more days like today.

[PeterWithesShin]

Young Joshua's chance was a tough one.

Pretty sure he was given offside anyway.

[olaftab]

First game and we can't judge the season on that. Things will be much clear after 10. Anyway today I thought it all started going wrong when Hull's limited but energetic midfield started running past Whelan with ease and Bacuna was not able to cover him. Bruce never spotted that and that is a worrying factor. Green added required energy and should have been on earlier and Bruce also needed to replace Whelan at the same stage. Having said that we should have still won it 2-1 but Green's heading is abysmal as has happened previously and again today. Everyday after training  he needs to stay back and get some practice in for an hour or so.

[saunders_heroes]

I think every Villa fan watching today thought we'd rue those first half missed chances. The second half was lousy really. Playing Hogan on his own up front is never gonna work.
Disappointing day all round.

[Sexual Ealing]

Overall I thought we were ok, we had so many chances to finish Hull off and the fact we only ended up with a point might be a wake up call to the players that we have got to be ruthless in front of goal. So in hindsight today's result might be a blessing in disguise. I was actually encouraged how we were set up and I thought we were quite entertaining to watch for the majority of the game. 45 games to go and I still think we are going up.

I don't think they're actually trying to be shit in front of goal. I could understand why anyone might think this however.

[Richard]

Spot on olaftab

[aj2k77]

Fulham ended the season in fine form, playing great football and scoring lots of goals.

Villa ended the season looking as they had the majority of it, shit.

How did the free flowing Fulham get on today?

Drew 1-1, why? I'm sure they've seen enough good football over the past 6-8 months to know what they are capable of playing like. Where as us?

[brian green]

Just home.  Traffic as bad as ever.  The Villa football was the same old same old.  Start brightly then start to sit deeper and deeper until the opposition seize the initiative.  Steve Bruce has the intellect of an I Speak Your Weight Machine.  Steve, Steve, we are sitting too deep, what shall we do?  Ten stone six.

[saunders_heroes]

Fulham ended the season in fine form, playing great football and scoring lots of goals.

Villa ended the season looking as they had the majority of it, shit.

How did the free flowing Fulham get on today?

Drew 1-1, why? I'm sure they've seen enough good football over the past 6-8 months to know what they are capable of playing like. Where as us?

We played some good stuff first half though, let's not forget that just because the second half was disappointing.

[aj2k77]

Fulham ended the season in fine form, playing great football and scoring lots of goals.

Villa ended the season looking as they had the majority of it, shit.

How did the free flowing Fulham get on today?

Drew 1-1, why? I'm sure they've seen enough good football over the past 6-8 months to know what they are capable of playing like. Where as us?

We played some good stuff first half though, let's not forget that just because the second half was disappointing.

It's the same as last season, decent 30 minute periods, then falling away and deeper and conceding. The team by and large looks a slightly more experienced version of last seasons side, pre season and ''gelling'' has had minimal effect and it looks like another tough season.

There will be no brassing of the league, that's for sure.

[PeterWithe]

Great in the first half, pretty poor for part of the second.

I think we have a problem with fitness, we really lost momentum when Hull stepped it up.

I thought that the players did ok but lacked direction in the second half, Bruce has had all Summer to identify plans, tactics etc  and to see him put on Samba and belt the ball toward him was laughable, if wasn't Villa.

Green was very good, the defence was solid, the midfield looked more mobile. It's not all bad but the manager continues to be a worry.