Aston Villa v Bolton Wanderers Post-Match Thread

[tomd2103]

Bolton played a very high line which compressed the play and allowed them to harass us and put pressure on us.
Bruce should have been aware of how they played or at least after 10 minutes realised how they were playing and acted accordingly by instructing the players to get the ball forward much quicker and play down the flanks to make their monster centrehalves turn, in other words play perhaps more direct, not down the middle, but certainly at a much higher tempo.
Then to compound the issues with 20 minutes to go Bruce takes 2 attackers off and brings an attacker on (Hogan who can't hold the ball up) and a midfield player, Onomah (who has no real idea of where he actually is playing and looks lost). So this just invites pressure onto us as we try and hold onto a 1 - 0 victory, even their centrehalves were coming up as with Davis off they had no problems with defending.
Why wasn't O'Hare brought on for Kodjia (who I thought was lazy again) to give support to Davis?

As Bruce openly admits he doesn't do tactics!

Still we won in the end, perhaps this is the bit of luck we are having this season which we didn't last season, time will tell!

I don't agree with that at all.

Hogan and Onomah saw us increase the tempo and speed at which we moved it and for the first time all game create chances from open play.

It was a realisation that we couldn't hit it into Davis and we adapted. We looked our best following the subs.

We didn't drop deep and we didn't invite any pressure. They slung a high ball into the box which created a bit if panic and we reacted to their centre half going up front by bringing Samba on and solving the percentage ball problem.

The sending off caused some confusion and it was a mistake by us in a mindless recycle of the ball by passing to a Bolton player that allowed the chance to be created at the death.

I don't think your analysis is right at all.

We must have been at different games then!

For what it is worth, I agree with your assessment.  When Davis and Kodjia went off, Bolton gradually looked more comfortable at the back and in the end were able to exert some pressure on us because the ball was not sticking up front for us. 

[ChicagoLion]

Bolton played a very high line which compressed the play and allowed them to harass us and put pressure on us.
Bruce should have been aware of how they played or at least after 10 minutes realised how they were playing and acted accordingly by instructing the players to get the ball forward much quicker and play down the flanks to make their monster centrehalves turn, in other words play perhaps more direct, not down the middle, but certainly at a much higher tempo.
Then to compound the issues with 20 minutes to go Bruce takes 2 attackers off and brings an attacker on (Hogan who can't hold the ball up) and a midfield player, Onomah (who has no real idea of where he actually is playing and looks lost). So this just invites pressure onto us as we try and hold onto a 1 - 0 victory, even their centrehalves were coming up as with Davis off they had no problems with defending.
Why wasn't O'Hare brought on for Kodjia (who I thought was lazy again) to give support to Davis?

As Bruce openly admits he doesn't do tactics!

Still we won in the end, perhaps this is the bit of luck we are having this season which we didn't last season, time will tell!

I don't agree with that at all.

Hogan and Onomah saw us increase the tempo and speed at which we moved it and for the first time all game create chances from open play.

It was a realisation that we couldn't hit it into Davis and we adapted. We looked our best following the subs.

We didn't drop deep and we didn't invite any pressure. They slung a high ball into the box which created a bit if panic and we reacted to their centre half going up front by bringing Samba on and solving the percentage ball problem.

The sending off caused some confusion and it was a mistake by us in a mindless recycle of the ball by passing to a Bolton player that allowed the chance to be created at the death.

I don't think your analysis is right at all.

We must have been at different games then!

For what it is worth, I agree with your assessment.  When Davis and Kodjia went off, Bolton gradually looked more comfortable at the back and in the end were able to exert some pressure on us because the ball was not sticking up front for us.

Pretty much how I saw it on AVTV, poor substitutions with Bolton on top the last 15 minutes.

[tomd2103]

Yesterday was a game where it became evident that Bruce has to figure out a way to rotate the starting XI. It appears he has settled on a formation and style of play. Or is approaching it. Now it's about giving players time off. We have a number of more senior players now and it can't be xpected of them to play through 46 league games and however long we participate in the cups. So Bruce has to find a way of resting Whelan or Terry or Snodgrass and even the other players and bring in squad players without upsetting the way we play or balance.

If rotation is required and if they are available then Samba comes in for Terry, Onomah or Lansbury in for Whelan and Green (when fit) comes in for Snodgrass.  Pretty straightforward swaps there, though there is a drop in quality in all three scenarios. 

I think he has got to work on other tactical options in case Plan A of 4-4-2 isn't working. 

[PeterWithesShin]

We’ve just won 4 on the bounce. When was the last time that happened?

Last season.

[OCD]

Yesterday was a game where it became evident that Bruce has to figure out a way to rotate the starting XI. It appears he has settled on a formation and style of play. Or is approaching it. Now it's about giving players time off. We have a number of more senior players now and it can't be xpected of them to play through 46 league games and however long we participate in the cups. So Bruce has to find a way of resting Whelan or Terry or Snodgrass and even the other players and bring in squad players without upsetting the way we play or balance.

If rotation is required and if they are available then Samba comes in for Terry, Onomah or Lansbury in for Whelan and Green (when fit) comes in for Snodgrass.  Pretty straightforward swaps there, though there is a drop in quality in all three scenarios. 

I think he has got to work on other tactical options in case Plan A of 4-4-2 isn't working. 

Still have the Jedi to come back too.

[tomd2103]

Yesterday was a game where it became evident that Bruce has to figure out a way to rotate the starting XI. It appears he has settled on a formation and style of play. Or is approaching it. Now it's about giving players time off. We have a number of more senior players now and it can't be xpected of them to play through 46 league games and however long we participate in the cups. So Bruce has to find a way of resting Whelan or Terry or Snodgrass and even the other players and bring in squad players without upsetting the way we play or balance.

If rotation is required and if they are available then Samba comes in for Terry, Onomah or Lansbury in for Whelan and Green (when fit) comes in for Snodgrass.  Pretty straightforward swaps there, though there is a drop in quality in all three scenarios. 

I think he has got to work on other tactical options in case Plan A of 4-4-2 isn't working. 

Still have the Jedi to come back too.

True.  Not sure about him in a 4-4-2 though to be honest. 

[Toronto Villa]

All I care about is the possession stats.

You are Pep Lambert and I claim my 50p

[saunders_heroes]

We’ve just won 4 on the bounce. When was the last time that happened?

Last season.

Cheers, Statto.

[VillaAlways]

All I care about is the possession stats.

61% You can sleep well tonight

[Chris Jameson]

All I care about is the possession stats.

61% You can sleep well tonight

Excellent, we get to keep the 3 points.

[paul_e]

Reading this it seems that most who are slagging the team off even state they were not at the game - to them get your backsides down to the ground and show support for the team

It's not always just as easy as that.

Accept its not always as easy but if you haven't been don't slag the team off when you didn't see it first hand

Jawohl Mein Fuehrer!  Seriously though, what gives you the right to say people can't express an opinion regardless of their circumstances?

On the flip side, if we don't go and the team play well, can we praise them? I'd like to know what the rules are here.

Everyone's entitled to an opinion, but, I can see where Leicester is coming from.


If I don't go to a game, or watch on TV, I can't give accurate comments on the game, so I won't.
I can't come on here and say Bruce should have done this or that, the same of the players, if I haven't seen the game 

I can't understand how anyone can make an assessment of the game without having seen it.

I don't think it's as simple as that.  For example look at the discussion between Ads and achilles who were both there.  As I've saids before if you watch a decent amount of highlights and/or the whole game live on TV you can see more than enough to give comments.  I haven't seen much beyond the highlights on here so I've done little to comment beyond pointing out that losing Taylor is a massive blow and that I think it was worthy of a red.

[Legion]

Tight Fit. Like a lion. Ahhwoooo!

[LeeB]

All I care about is the possession stats.

We got 100% possession of the three points.

[olaftab]

All I care about is the possession stats.

61% You can sleep well tonight

Excellent, we get to keep the 3 points.

Unfortunately no. You have forgotten about the  League position differential coefficient.  This is a factor of 2.05 x League position difference and has to be subtracted from actual % Possession. This means as we were 12 places higher than Bolton before the start of the match  our actual possession is reduced by 12x2.05=24.6%. So that means our readjusted possession yesterday was 36.4% and equally Bolton's possession was increased by a similar factor  to 63.6%. So  once again  no 3 points. Sorry to spoil your evening.

[walsall villain]

All I care about is the possession stats.

61% You can sleep well tonight

Excellent, we get to keep the 3 points.

Unfortunately no. You have forgotten about the  League position differential coefficient.  This is a factor of 2.05 x League position difference and has to be subtracted from actual % Possession. This means as we were 12 places higher than Bolton before the start of the match  our actual possession is reduced by 12x2.05=24.6%. So that means our readjusted possession yesterday was 36.4% and equally Bolton's possession was increased by a similar factor  to 63.6%. So  once again  no 3 points. Sorry to spoil your evening.

Offset by points we should be given for the early season games when we were near the bottom with poor possession stats. I fear Blues might now be above us, Harry was right.