Aston Villa v Norwich City Post-Match Thread

[Nelly]

Really well done Villa. And Bruce for a brave selection. Anywhere near this level going forwards and we won't go far wrong. Credit where it's due: Please, please, please carry this on!

[Matt Collins]

Really happy tonight

Bit surprised Norwich left arguably their three best players on the bench though - Oliveira, Hoolahan, Watkins

We've just got to avoid complacent v Bristol. We need to be organised, fight hard but also show plenty of ambition

[frank black]

Really well done Villa. And Bruce for a brave selection. Anywhere near this level going forwards and we won't go far wrong. Credit where it's due: Please, please, please carry this on!

Bruce himself admitted he was forced to make this selection, a happy accident. But yes please carry on!

[London Villan]

Davis simply picked up where he left off against Brighton. Reminds me so much of Peter Withe.

This is what i don't understand about Bruce. He must have seen how effective a half decent target man type centre forward worked, but he never tried it all pre season. He has lucked out with a team picking itself due to circumstances.

[QuintonVilla]

I just hope he doesn't revert to type at Bristol City. He needs to be expansive in away games and let the players express themselves, they've shown today they will score goals so don't hamper that. Today needs to be the norm, not a one off.

[KevinGage]

Yep. With the players we have there is really no excuse to go to Reading or Bristol City or whoever and stand there in admiration as they stroke the ball around us.

We've set the bar today. No excuse to revert to type now.

[Steve67]

Really well done Villa. And Bruce for a brave selection. Anywhere near this level going forwards and we won't go far wrong. Credit where it's due: Please, please, please carry this on!

Bruce himself admitted he was forced to make this selection, a happy accident. But yes please carry on!

A lucky manager.

[Abbeyfealeavfc]

Great result Villa boys!! In Ireland celebrating a 4-2 win and a Hourihane hatrick! Brilliant by Hourihane, Davis and Green. Keep gabby and richards in the Bella and Hercules outfits and away from the starting
line-up and bench. UTV, VTID, DLBIA, the Villa say!

[Villatillidie1982]

I can't help thinking that he would have played Gabby and Hogan if available.
Let's hope he has learnt from this and bins Hutton as well.

I know many of you think  Hutton can't play but I assume that he  is carrying an injury because he has not been as effective as previously.

[Villatillidie1982]

Most defences in his league are pretty shit if you can have the right blend of pace, power and quality

The thing I noticed today was that Hourihane and Onomah pressed their back four as well as Davis today.  They got out a couple of times, but more often than not they looked rushed and gave it away.  I think most teams in this league would be the same if they were pressed as well.

Yes they did press well and it worked great, especially in the first half.

I just wish they would not invite unnecessary pressure as they did in the second half when the opposition had previously done very little.

Davis was a revelation and held the ball up, something which wouldn't have happened with Hogan or Gabby; and Hourihane looked a different player playing to his strengths. Admittedly their German B listers looked a bit immobile, but that was maybe in part to a more forward thinking approach.

The defence doesn't look secure though. Villa should've sussed out Murphy as a threat just as they sussed out Hutton as the weakness and JT isn't proving to be the influence I had anticipated.

However I came away buoyed by a welcome, if unexpected, turnaround in form.

Terry is too old and slow and needs to be replaced. Johnstone made sure his mistakes weren't exposed.

[tomd2103]

Really well done Villa. And Bruce for a brave selection. Anywhere near this level going forwards and we won't go far wrong. Credit where it's due: Please, please, please carry this on!

Said earlier in the thread that he has now got something to build on.  I still think the formation he used today is the best fit for the players we have, but we were missing a striker who could hold the ball up and bring it all together.  We had that today and it worked well. 

[taylorsworkrate]

Bree for Hutton has to be a given now.

Terry shouldn't be in the team either. We look worse defensively with him there than we did last season. 

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Bree for Hutton has to be a given now.

Against a fast, tricky winger, I agree. After the other week, it's obvious if you have decent winger Hutton will struggle. Bruce needs to learn from performances and adapt the team accordingly.

Terry was okay.Chester and Hutton were caught out of position for their first today. There was one point today when Norwich attacked and we had both Terry and Chester moving into exactly the same space, leaving us completely wide open.

Still plenty of work to do at Bodymoor Heath for our manager and coaches or whoever replaces them.

[ROBBO]

Davis would not have played if others had been fit so I give no credit to Bruce, I am fearful that he will revert to type next game. I question why Hourihane has not been used this way before as it was his role at his previous club. For me One very good performance does not make up for all the crap that's gone before. Hope we have turned the corner.

[KevinGage]

Davis would not have played if others had been fit so I give no credit to Bruce, I am fearful that he will revert to type next game.

Don't think even Bruce would be daft enough to drop him next game.  But if Davis has an average/below average game or two, the concern is he will get the hook for the tried and tested Gabby. 

Tried and tested and proven to be shite, that is.

I'd sooner wear the inevitable ropey spell from a young player still finding his feet rather than a professional pisstaker who has barely turned up since 2013. But in a painting by numbers approach to football (ie the Bruce approach)  Gabby is probably the better option because Gabby has played 200+ games in the topflight. 

See also his steadfast belief in Alan Hutton.