Aston 'where will it all end' Villa v Middlesvilla Post Match Thread.

[mr underhill]

we probably have some of the league's best players and manifestly Steve can't get them to play as a team

[Clark W Griswold]

Lansbury was a bellend for what he did but I thought if anything it was a yellow. Really harsh to give him a straight red and I think we should appeal it.
As for the game - frustrating as hell, we had enough chances to win 5 games but we just can't find the back of the net. I'm seriously pissed off with Bruce, and last night I wanted him out there and then but I've calmed down a bit now. He's got this month and that's it though. If we're still struggling by the start of October we should be looking for a new manager. I think we've suffered enough now.

I think giving him to the end of the month is the right thing to do. Having Kodjia back might give the whole team a lift. I actually thought we were a little unlucky last night, especially with the sending off and Hogan's block on the line.

I think that was the idea before Brentford, but if we lose to Barnsley it will be 2 points from the first 3 games, he would really need to win the other 3 to make it right and thats not going to happen after only winning 1 from 8 league games. After a Barnsley defeat it would be pointless hanging on any longer, once we're sure it's time to go we need to do it straight away. A promotion challenging team can't rely on 1-2 players to get them up, if the points tally is 1 per game when they're not in the team you won't have enough by the end of the season.

[Rudy65]

Have just watched Hogan''s clearance again. It's enough to make you cry.

Hourinhane's reaction is comcial as well, he literally cant beleive it

[olaftab]

Have just watched Hogan''s clearance again. It's enough to make you cry.

Hourinhane's reaction is comcial as well, he literally cant beleive it

Obviously he was annoyed with himself in when faced with an empty goal he managed to hit a man on line.

[kippaxvilla2]

I'm getting tired of people saying we have the best squad in the league. It's either deluded or arrogant, I'm not sure which.

We finished bottom half last season and are there again this season. Regardless of your thoughts on Bruce (and I want him sacked), we don't have the best squad in the league.

On paper apparently whatever that means.

[Ads]

Its not deluded, its not arrogant, its accurate. Its the best squad in the league. Its being woefully managed at present to limp along at quite literally half the points it ought to be picking up.

There are inferior sides above us. To bemoan the players, who have responsibility of course, is a tacit defence of the manager.

[olaftab]

Went out after the game and only just got back in.  Firstly, we did have enough good chances to win and I thought Lansbury was definitely brought down by their keeper in the first half and we should have had a penalty.  On the subject of Lansbury, I thought the red was justified - a wild, high kick from behind is going to get a red more often than not in the current climate. 

On to the game and another really disappointing showing really.  Scrappy, shapeless performance and the deliveries in the final third were terrible,  agree with the comments about Lansbury, he offers very little and as much as I want him to do well, I just think Hogan isn't going to work out.  I feel for the guy, but Bjarnason was terrible tonight.

He dived and should have been booked. If he had concentrated on chasing the loose ball we may well have scored.

[robbo1874]

Just seen Bruce. Keeps saying we have the makings of a good team but we rarely field the same team for two games. What is our best team Brucie? Maybe a little unlucky tonight but you could argue the first half was wasted by ploughing on with the starting formation.

We don't have the makings of a good football team though. It's a myth or a fantasy, like last season the ongoing claim that we were just about to gub someone good and proper. It's what we'd like to happen but ojectively, take a look at our performances for the last 40 or so games, by and large they are huff and puff with very little skill or guile on show.

We are bang average, have overpaid massively throughout the squad, as per usual and year on year the genuine quality is getting lower.

you make a good point about the quality getting progressively lower. It's inevitable with our progressive decline. The last decent window we had, admittedly with the benefit of hindsight, was the one where we signed benteke. How long ago even was that? It's been dross ever since really. Kodjia signing being a notable exception. Thing is you never know at the time how the signings will pan out. I'll admit to being optimistic a few times when we've signed a few players during a window, only for it to go to shit.

[olaftab]

I was impressed with the team post Lansbury sending off. Having witnessed the Brentford shambles I thought  with Boro gaining new energy  from the incident we would collapse and lose the game. The fact that we went on to dominate and should have won points towards good players that just need a better manager.

[PeterWithesShin]

Ads is right, we have a squad that has loads of players pretty much every other side in the division would love to be able to afford to sign. That they are underperforming so much is primarily down to poor tactics and negativity from the manager and crap coaching, which in turn takes confidence out of the players, imo.

[Legion]

Its not deluded, its not arrogant, its accurate. Its the best squad in the league. Its being woefully managed at present to limp along at quite literally half the points it ought to be picking up.

Completely agree.

[lukey27]

Our first half performance and shape last night sums us up  under Bruce unfortunately. Too safe and too passive.

41 games and I don't think he's found a formation that works for us. He's dabbled with three at the back, but in the main it's been variations on 4-5-1. Last night he had Davis isolated and Bjarnason and Snodgrass incredibly wide. I haven't got an issue, if he wants to play this way as long as his central players know what they are doing and what they are expected to do.

We played 40 odd minutes of a first half against 10 men and the shape didn't change once. Lansbury sat deep as a central lying midfielder alongside Jedinak and every attack started slowly, allowed them to get set and inevitably the ball either went long or it went wide and was blocked and cleared.

Not once did Hourihane or Lansbury go and play alongside Davis and try and give them something to think about.

To be fair to Bruce he might the right changes at half time and we should have comfortably won the game.

For me, if he is on the brink, have a go on Saturday, play someone right up with a striker and quicken the tempo. At least try and force some of these piss pot teams back. No wonder we've scored so few goals under him.

As a side note. Snodgrass was comfortably our best player last night. The two full backs both can't cross it. Lansbury was utterly abysmal and Bjarnason is just not a footballer.

[AVH87]

I think we were a bit unlucky last night. We wasted the first half, but then went positive for the second half and Snodgrass and Hourihane really should have scored (though Hourihane's was not his fault).

Still don't think we are playing as well as we should be or that Bruce is the right man, as we are too slow and pedestrian. A more proactive manager also would have gone more attacking earlier rather than thinking 'right, 0-0 at HT will be ok'.

He either beats Barnsley or goes for me, draws are no good at all.

[darren woolley]

I also believe that as pro footballers I know we say it's Steve Bruce fault the way he sets us up or tactics or coaching but they are grown men of experience not some young naive Nineteen year old who has never played the game before so if they see things are not working on the pitch they have the intelligence to change things to make the game better Bruce can give you orders but when I was playing semi pro football albeit a long time I didn't always listen to my manager if something needed changing I did it on the pitch and never got hooked and most times it worked so why can't our players as professionals do the same he can't take everyone off and it just might work if they use there initiative.

[footyskillz]

Its not deluded, its not arrogant, its accurate. Its the best squad in the league. Its being woefully managed at present to limp along at quite literally half the points it ought to be picking up.

Completely agree.

100%
Plus if villa had handing out 4 to 5 nil drubbings of some teams we've played so far it wouldn't be seen as a surprise . Not saying mass beatings expected but big victories should not be surprising due to the squad !