Aston Villa v Brentford Post-Match Thread

[ROBBO]

Bossed the game for the first sixty minutes then fell in a hole and they started to find gaps, entertaining game as I've seen for a while. They got away with too many fouls and that stomping should have been a sending off. Worry that The Kodj looks like the only one with a goal in him, needs support.

[Villa Lew]

The first hour was the best I've seen us play since the Wolves game, against a team, who will be one of the challengers for promotion. It was concerning how we dropped off in the last quarter. After they took the lead, it looked more like they would get a third, than us getting an equaliser. Kodj's goal was a big surprise, as well as a massive bonus.

First time I've seen McGinn live, very impressed, considering he is still finding his feet in the Championship, I think it's a case of 'you aint seen nothing yet'. Potentially he could turn to be one of our best bargain buys for a long time.

[oldtimernow]

What is it with this stamping? It's cowardly and nasty and can't do much to raise your profile with fellow professionals. But the thing I can't understand is why refs or officials fail to see it. Poor as he was, I can understand John Moss missing the one last night and although Maupay will miss some games it's no consolation to us, so in that respect he got away with it and went on to score what seemed to be the winning goal. I can't understand how the Fredericks one was missed in the playoff final. Right in front of the lino and the ref and no action taken. Both of these were in the first half of the games. It's just a pity they can't be reliably informed at half time and send them off at half time.

You often see refs going back after a passage of play to book a player, it would be quite feasible to do the same thing when a red card offence is bought to the refs attention at half time perhaps.

[Brend'Watkins]

It was like we hit a brick wall on 70 minutes. Not surprising really as they all put in a lot of effort up to that point.  Do we need to be fitter or more clever with our substitutions?  Both probably.

[aj2k77]

Bossed the game but they missed the better chances. The decision making from the widemen was pretty poor and the final ball in general terrible. Grealish needs to speed the game up a little and move the ball quicker. The two wide guys coming up will be a big upgrade on Adomah and Elmohamady. Some of the build up passing was the best we've produced for years. I'm not sold on Tuanzebe, thought Watkins had the beating of him and really like the kid, one for the future for us to look at possibly.

Good performance, bodes well for the rest of the season.

[john e]

we are instantly better in midfield with Mcginn

where we used to have one decent player in midfield (Grealish) plus 3/4 others
we now have two decent players (Grealish Mcginn) plus 2/3 others

we have doubled our quality with his signing in the most important area on the pitch

[Lastfootstamper]

We don't shoot enough. Before their first, we'd not forced a save. The crossing was slow to come in in the first half, something Bruce seemed to address at the break because everything came in first time afterwards.

Three subs from Smith, though, and we're left chasing shadows. That's disappointing. I don't expect Aston Villa to set up to counter the opposition, but I would hope that our manager spent most of his week thinking about how if one scenario isn't working, or a likely player isn't quite at the races, or the opposition manager makes his typical changes to his lineup and tactics, he'd have contingencies in place, and not spend 25 minutes alternating between scratching his arse and his head whilst looking on bemused.

[supertom]

I'd like to see us get a left back in before the window shuts. If he doesn't rate Taylor, we really need someone to play on the left. Tuanzebe was okay going forward yesterday but still doesn't look comfortable on the right. I'd rather see Hutton playing in his natural position.

Jedninak is still a worry. At the back too, any significant pressure on him while he's on the ball could lead to problems because he always has to turn back and he's got the turning circle of a cruise liner. He's just not a CH. Chester is just about holding it all together with a load of out of position players around him.

McGinn looks great. Really like him. Elmo is too ordinary. No pace and his delivery is mixed. So I'm pleased to see the two new wingers in.

I'm glad to see Kodjia in form too, because as we've seen, he can make something happen out of nothing. That second goal was a cracking finish. He is frustrating, but you've got to play him. A striker who scores makes a hell of difference in this division.

[simboy]

Thought we played well last night. I would have applauded them off if there hadn’t been a last minute equaliser, as I thought we were far the better team.

If I was going be to be critical it’s the right hand side defensively that concerns me most and needs resolving. With the loan of El Ghazi I wonder if the plan is to move Elmo back to right back with El Ghazi playing right side and Tuanzebe going to his preferred position.

Nah we can’t do that the Bruce haters would have a fit as that would mean that he might have a clue what he’s doing after all, and no I am not his biggest fan but if you take the relegation three years ago as the real low point then we’ve come a long way and some of that is down to SB ... imho

If Bruce does what you say and stops trying to force square pegs into round holes there won't be any need for Bruce haters.

Weeeeeeell, apart from the fact that last year we played a flat back four with Terry and Chester with a right back at right back and a left back at left back for the first half of the season. That seemed to irritate many. He swapped Hutton to left back, that infuriated a few ...

We haven't lost a game all season, are 3 points better off than we were at the International break last year with Reading to come at home and actually think we have a better squad this year than last. I kept on saying we lacked real pace last year. whilst it had nothing to do with me at least that "problem" is being addressed!

 I am hopeful that Bruce will play that type of formation, rotate Bjarnason, Whelan and Jedi, perhaps playing two against opposition that merits it.

perhaps the bloke who sits behind me will stop saying "f**King hoofball Bruce" when one of the midfielders misplace a pass, perhaps he will stop sharing his opinions with the 80 or so folks who sit vaguely in his vicinity and confine his remarks to his mates who sit next to him. Perhaps he wont tell the assembled masses that "i've paid my money" ... as one wag said last night "so have i and i didn't do it to listen to your crap ..."   

then again i am a glass half full person I suppose ...   

[sirlordbaltimore]

Shout out to the gobby bloke at the back of L5 last night for saying out loudly more than once how shit we were and how crap the football was after they scored on 23 minutes. Despite every fucker else sitting there thinking 'we're playing really well blimey'. Classic simpleton.

Personally, i thought we played really well for two thirds of the match against the championship Barcelona who actually looked more like Boreham Wood. We do need to take our chances though and the reluctance of some of the players to shoot when an opening is there for all to see is infuriating. Thought Whelan had an excellent 60 minutes as well, but visibly tired after that, as did McGinn come to think of it. Possibly consider starting Hourihane on Saturday and give the lad a breather.

I absolutely agree with whoever else said they thought Grealish was below par. For me that was Grealish pre injury last night. Strolling about without breaking sweat not actually doing a whole lot. He's earned a few off nights though so we can let him off.

Adomah, really isn't doing it for me. That was probably his best effort of the season but he still came up VERY short in key areas when needed.

Green, i'm beside myself with the lad. I was 100% convinced he could take this league by storm and boss it. But he just looks like a pale shadow of a player this season. No belief in his own talent or visible desire to claim the shirt either.

With Ghazi and possibly Bolasie coming in i think he'd be better off going out on loan for at least a few months of regular football. I don't recall him ever going on loan before, has he ?. If not that may explain a lot.

Over all, came home and woke up refreshed and thinking of the positives.

Roll on Saturday.

[maigrait]

Good game, really enjoyed it. We enjoyed large spells of possession but was let down by the final ball or just by the fact there was only kod in the box. Loved the fact we never gave up until the final ball - yes okay it papered over the cracks but sure lets take that. Better than a loss...

We panic'd when they came forward and got into our box, our defence is a bit all over the shop. Jedinak I think is good but his kick outs normally found the opposition rather than our own guys. When we played it on the floor however we got forward nicely.

Lets not forget, Brentford are a decent outfit. Play some nice stuff, good squad and manager. They will be up there in and around the playoffs so are no walk over. They will surprise and beat a good few teams this season. Leeds got walloped there last year if I remember right...

I think Bruce should have changed things slightly when brentford bought on some more midfielders to counteract how we were playing... They got their 2nd goal shortly afterwards.

Their centre forward should have not been on the pitch however, so they got away with that one. Not even a card for the fella...

[Keeno]

It was like we hit a brick wall on 70 minutes. Not surprising really as they all put in a lot of effort up to that point.  Do we need to be fitter or more clever with our substitutions?  Both probably.

Honestly, I'm not sure it was a lack of fitness that made us drop off to much after 70 - playing in that high pressing, high energy style is difficult for even the fittest teams to sustain for 90 minutes at this level. Liverpool often start so quickly under Klopp and fade later in the game - in the hope that by that point they are 2/3 up. You mitigate it with good subs at the right times, which as you say, is what Bruce wasn't clever with last night.

[ironmaidenmania]

Looked sharp going forward, created numerous chances but failed to finish them. Defensively we were horrible. Elphick needs to play at CD or Tuanzebe not Jedi. If we can sort out the defence then we should be OK to be there or thereabouts at the end of the season. A goalscorer is also needed. Kodj is good but we need someone who can take those half chances.

Enjoyed the game though and seeing the Brentford fans deflate at the end was funny!

[Drummond]

It was an exciting game, we played really well but yet again failed to win. That's the manager's failure and we, as we did last season flatter to deceive.

I said at the beginning of the season that Bruce had no excuses and the reality is that if he's played defenders in the right place and made the right changes after an hour we'd have won that game. But he bloody didn't. Again.

[Clampy]

It was like we hit a brick wall on 70 minutes. Not surprising really as they all put in a lot of effort up to that point.  Do we need to be fitter or more clever with our substitutions?  Both probably.

I thought he threw the Russian on a bit too late. I'd have done it around the 70-75 minute mark. The Russian must be a nightmare to mark for defenders that late in the game.