Aston Villa v Brentford Post-Match Thread

[SoccerHQ]

I don’t get the Jack criticism either. Again he was clearly the only player with real quality even when not at his best. It’s the best I’ve seen us for ages and was surprised at how poor Brentford’s passing was.

Jack shouldn't be immune to criticism. He needs to develop his game in the final third. He has a ton of talent but to take the next step he has to find a ruthless or decisive streak. For all his ability of our 10 goals this season, how many has he scored or directly created? That's what he needs to work on.

I agree. We all know the lad can dribble past players and win fouls for fun but at times we had 3 v 3 and the final ball just wasn't good enough from him.

Maybe should've scored in first half aswell although Bentley cut down the angle well.

[aldridgeboy]

I was very encouraged tonight. My first home game for years and for 60 minutes I thought we were mostly excellent,and I really enjoyed the stuff we were playing. Yes we looked brittle at the back at times and that needs addressing. We need a proper CH at CH. Jedi is so much better than Whelan in front of the defence.
 Mcginn is going to be massive player for us, he seems a steal at 3m. Amazing work ethic and energy, and can spot a killer pass. Tuanzebe is good going forward, just loses position defending. Hopefully we can coach that out of him.
Jack was very involved, and clearly has quality. I maybe thought he tried to do much at such a slow pace instead of on the run, and at times it looks like he’s going to try and walk the ball in the net. Thrilled we kept him.
Hopefully Kodj can press on from this now and get a 20 this season.

Overall positive. Two points dropped, but glad of the point in the end. I think we will win more games than we lose if we play like that all season. A few more loan signings and I’m enthusiastic for the season.

It’s a long time since I’ve said that!!

[AVH87]

We bossed the game for 60 mins, looked very good going forward.

However the keeper was poor again, parried the shot weakly into the danger area leading to their second goal, then got very lucky they didn't get a third when he parried a shot straight at him onto the post. Playing 3 of the backline out of position also causing us problems.

Need in future:
Moreira
Hutton Tuanzebe Chester Taylor

I'm chuffed you're not picking the side.

Well with Bruce picking the back 5, we've conceded 4 goals in 2 home games and needed last minute goals in both to save us. Nyland also cost us 3 points at Ipswich, but let's continue as we are with square pegs in round holes and an error-prone GK.

[PaulWinch again]

Nyland was good tonight.

[VILLA MOLE]

Nyland was good tonight.

couple of good saves

[Steve67]

We bossed the game for 60 mins, looked very good going forward.

However the keeper was poor again, parried the shot weakly into the danger area leading to their second goal, then got very lucky they didn't get a third when he parried a shot straight at him onto the post. Playing 3 of the backline out of position also causing us problems.

Need in future:
Moreira
Hutton Tuanzebe Chester Taylor

I'm chuffed you're not picking the side.

Well with Bruce picking the back 5, we've conceded 4 goals in 2 home games and needed last minute goals in both to save us. Nyland also cost us 3 points at Ipswich, but let's continue as we are with square pegs in round holes and an error-prone GK.

He cost us two points on Saturday and saved us a few times tonight. Last minute goals, ban them. Shouldn't be allowed. ;-)

[CJ]

After the Wigan game I posted on here that there's nothing better than a last minute winner in front of the Holte and serves them right for time wasting. Matched that tonight - a last minute equalizer in front of the Holte and serves them right for time wasting.

Having complained in the past about turgid, pedestrian football I have to say that tonight was a thoroughly entertaining game and the best we've played for a long time. I just wish Bruce wouldn't persist with Jedinak at centre back - put Tuanzebe there and choose a right back at right back.

Nice to see El Ghazi at half time and apparently Bolasie was in the stands watching the game. With the other names being bandied about we're starting to look very good going forwards, but with the loss of Terry we've gone backwards defensively, and if Bruce can't see that and sort it  we'll have to continue coming from behind, which to be fair we seem to be doing rather well so far this season.

[tomd2103]

At the moment, we are way off that...AGAIN!

It’s four games in. Get a grip.

Indeed I’m not sure we’re way off based on that display. Defence needs addressing, but our link up play was excellent. If Kod is back that’ll be massive as well.

See I thought we played better than we have for a while but I thought the link-up around the box was still awful, the first goal was individual brilliance and the 2nd was fantastic finish from a 'throw it in the mixer' cross that fell kindly for us off the head of the defender. Other than that Kodjia had a good chance that he hit straight at the keeper and we had 2-3 half chances.  The positive is that we played higher up the pitch and pressed well, the negative is that it's tiring and Bruce had no plan for how to change things once the legs got heavy.

I'm a lot more positive after today than any of the previous 4 but a lot of the problems I have with Bruce were still there but he's added some ropey defending into the mix now as well.

Just got back from the game and think that is a pretty fair assessment Paul.  I thought the period after they scored up to half time was as good as I've seen us play for some time.  We played with really good tempo and played some really nice stuff.  Unfortunately a lot of our good situations (to use one of Big Ron's phrases) fell on Adomah's left foot and the quality wasn't there.

I don't want to be overly critical of Bruce, but whereas Smith was proactive in the second half and made changes quite early, Bruce reacted a bit late when they were coming back into the game a bit more.  I just thought we began to look tired in midfield and he could have changed things a bit earlier.  We deserve credit for sticking at it until the end though and getting the late equaliser.

Thought Nyland looked a lot better tonight and McGinn did well until he clearly began to tire later on (his set pieces are a real threat).  I thought Kodjia was better tonight and got his two goals, and hopefully he will get better over the coming weeks.  Jedinak looked a bit unsteady again though and although the talk of wingers and forwards coming in is exciting, we desperately need a starting centre half.

[footyskillz]

Could have gone joint top tonight
Had opportunity for 100% record v 10 player Ipswich.

Performance wise and style of play was impressive tonight but it's frustratingly lacking as a balance team.

2 points instead of 6 onto reading !

Was a very decent Footballing showing today at least but defnce need s sorting !

[saunders_heroes]

Best performance of the season so far and we should have won. However our defence isn’t good enough. We need a centreback in and it should be a priority. The keeper should have done better with their second as well.

[Keeno]

Not a fan of how Bruce sets his teams up generally - but tonight for 70 minutes he got it spot on - we played a high line, pressed and made them go long so many times. Their goal was against the run of play and their keeper/CBs had nowhere to go. The amount of headers Chester and Jedi won must have been well in double figures. Should have been out of sight in the first half and with a proper RW rather than Elmo whipping good crosses in Kodjia could've had a hattrick tonight .

Problem with that style is that it tires you out, we faded after the hour mark and he should have been quicker in bringing Connor on in the centre.

Smith made a number of good changes to the midfield which brought them back into it - took off McEachran and added a lot more energy in the centre with Yennaris which coincided with Jack pressing less. Stifled him in second half - intelligent.

If this was an audition of sorts for him as a potential manager of us in the future, I like what I saw. Brentford were clearly well coached, played to a game plan to target our weaknesses, prepared good set pieces and worked the ball well. I wonder what he'd be able do with the talent and resources available to us...

Draw fair result in the balance of play across the 90. Really fun game with two good sides IMO. There's no Wolves in the league this year - if Brentford were our top 4/6 rivals, I still think we're in for a shout of automatic. Onwards.

[AVH87]

We bossed the game for 60 mins, looked very good going forward.

However the keeper was poor again, parried the shot weakly into the danger area leading to their second goal, then got very lucky they didn't get a third when he parried a shot straight at him onto the post. Playing 3 of the backline out of position also causing us problems.

Need in future:
Moreira
Hutton Tuanzebe Chester Taylor

I'm chuffed you're not picking the side.

Well with Bruce picking the back 5, we've conceded 4 goals in 2 home games and needed last minute goals in both to save us. Nyland also cost us 3 points at Ipswich, but let's continue as we are with square pegs in round holes and an error-prone GK.

He cost us two points on Saturday and saved us a few times tonight. Last minute goals, ban them. Shouldn't be allowed. ;-)

True it was 2 on Sat. I think if people watch Brentford's second goal back they might agree he should have got more on it, and directed it better. Then it's being ignored how close he came to making another mistake to cost us a 3rd goal, it looked at the time like he saved it but he parried it on to the post and it was inches from crossing the line.

[PaulMcGrathsNo5Shirt]

Nyland - Wrists like jelly for their second goal. He worries me
Axel - Ball watching for the first goal, did ok otherwise
Hutton - Should have closed the cross down for the first but was solid enough
Jedinak - Why CB?
Chester - Solid enough
McGinn - Great work rate and quality
Whelan - Ran out of legs after aout 65 minutes
Grealish - Seemed to underhit too many passes today but he causes problems.
Adomah - Looked great until it was time to deliver quality balls into the area but all too often showed lack of quality when it was needed
Elhomady - worked hard but like Adomah quality was lacking until the very last cross of the game
Kodja - starting to look like the Kodj of old!

[nigel]

We bossed the game for 60 mins, looked very good going forward.

However the keeper was poor again, parried the shot weakly into the danger area leading to their second goal, then got very lucky they didn't get a third when he parried a shot straight at him onto the post. Playing 3 of the backline out of position also causing us problems.

Need in future:
Moreira
Hutton Tuanzebe Chester Taylor

They were both pretty powerful shots that Nyland parried. One was unfortunate and led to the 2nd goal. Where I was sat he did well with the other. He kept us in it on more the one occasion.

[tomd2103]

Not a fan of how Bruce sets his teams up generally - but tonight for 70 minutes he got it spot on - we played a high line, pressed and made them go long so many times. Their goal was against the run of play and their keeper/CBs had nowhere to go. The amount of headers Chester and Jedi won must have been well in double figures. Should have been out of sight in the first half and with a proper RW rather than Elmo whipping good crosses in Kodjia could've had a hattrick tonight .

Problem with that style is that it tires you out, we faded after the hour mark and he should have been quicker in bringing Connor on in the centre.

Smith made a number of good changes to the midfield which brought them back into it - took off McEachran and added a lot more energy in the centre with Yennaris which coincided with Jack pressing less. Stifled him in second half - intelligent.

If this was an audition of sorts for him as a potential manager of us in the future, I like what I saw. Brentford were clearly well coached, played to a game plan to target our weaknesses, prepared good set pieces and worked the ball well. I wonder what he'd be able do with the talent and resources available to us...

Draw fair result in the balance of play across the 90. Really fun game with two good sides IMO. There's no Wolves in the league this year - if Brentford were our top 4/6 rivals, I still think we're in for a shout of automatic. Onwards.

I thought Brentford looked a bit of a different side to the past couple of seasons tonight.  I thought they seemed a bit more physical than in previous seasons and had pace in attack.  They might be ones to watch this season in the promotion picture.