Aston Villa v Norwich City Pre-Match Thread

[Clampy]

We're pretty lightweight up front so I can't see where the goals are going to come from. I'd take a win of any sort to be honest at the moment.

[Chris Jameson]

0-0.

[Hookeysmith]

                         Johnstone

DeLaet       Chester              Terry          Taylor

Adomah       Onomah        Hourinanne     Gabby

                 Davis    Hogan / RHM

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Changes are needed. And not just rotating Lansbury and Hourihane again.

I'd throw Jordan Lyden in. Whelan was anonymous on Tuesday night and Lyden looked good for the U23s the other night.  I'd play Onomah where he was against Colchester, allowing us to play out through midfield, and I'd keep Hourihane. I know he was far from great on Tuesday, but he does carry a goal-threat and half-decent set-piece.

I'd keep De laet in, as I think he'll be our best right-back with a few more games under his belt. Up top I'd give Keinan Davis a start (assuming that Hogan's still injured). Therefore a 4-3-3 as follows;

Johnstone; De Laet, Chester, Terry, Taylor; Lyden, Onomah, Hourihane; Adomah, Davis, Green

Subs: Steer, Samba, Lansbury, Agbonlahor, O'Hare, Whelan, Hepburn-Murphy

That should be enough to get a nil-nil.

From that, I'd have Bjork for Lyden and RHM for Davis. Bjork wasn't great the other night but if Lansbury can get a run in the side, then so should he.

Bruce will never play Lyden there when he has players he bought to do the job. For some unfathomable reason, Bruce also seems to see Lyden as an attacking midfielder.

I'm guessing Bruce will tell the players they're going to get him fired if they carry on as they're started the season. He may just get a reaction.

2-1 Villa.

[Mister E]

He may just get a reaction.

2-1 Villa.

He may - it depends what the players think of him. He may find the reaction is opposite to his hoped-for response.
Let's face it: We have not got the basics right - yet again - and will suffer for it (the basics = physical fitness, psychological resilience, team-cohesion and simple tactics).
I genuinely think SB is a dead man walking because he is not sorting out the basics.

[vbm]

We can't pass the ball to each other, this tends to lessen our chance of winning football games.

0-1

[ciggiesnbeer]

I can see us nicking a winning goal. But I will still want Bruce gone. I am tired of seeing us play like utter crap.

[sirlordbaltimore]

1-0

[QuintonVilla]

0-2

Bruce gone by Sunday morning.

[Steve kirk]

Might squeeze a draw, 1-1.

[villabear]

Tickets on Seatwave for this one not even selling at £13 unsurprisingly.

Any glimpse of positive football would be a bonus for me but I imagine I won't be seeing any. 0-2

[Villa in Denmark]

Struggling to see anything other than another turgid performance. Maybe blunder our way to a goal, but fragility at the back sees a 1-2 defeat.

[Pete3206]

It's going to be a horrible.

0-3

[jwarry]

With Bruce's propensity to experiment last season albeit at the wrong time and with disastrous results (3 at the back) does anybody think he will now be getting desperate and may actually have no choice but to for it on Saturday?

[ozzjim]

 Some of our best spells of form have come from enforced formation changes down the years, the trouble is we are a Centre  half short of being able to play 3 5 2 effectively unless De Laet slots in like the lad at Chelsea has from full back.