Aston Villa v Reading Post-Match Thread

[Brend'Watkins]

If you try and win games against shit teams by one goal then you leave yourself open to getting mugged.

I think we did try and get another goal though, we just made too bloody hard work of it and it came back to bite us.

We tried so hard to get another goal we brought on a full back.

[QuintonVilla]

I wonder what we would all be saying if Chester hadn't gone to ground, if the ref hadn't awarded what looked like a very dubious penalty, if McGinn hadn't been a bit greedy after 30 seconds and passed the ball to Kodjia for a tap in, if Chester' header had gone under the bar instead of against it. Whilst I thought we were woeful and agree with lots of the comments on here, we have really been mugged twice in a week at home (notwithstanding the late equaliser on Wednesday when we should have been out of sight).

I'd be saying the football is Blues and makes me want to gouge my own eyes out. 3rd season in and we still have no identifiable style of play. Are we a possession team? Are we a counter attack team? Our only plan is get it wide, get it in the box and hope for the best. That wouldn't even be as bad if we had a big bloke up front but most of the time when we cross the ball, Kodjia is floating about in midfield or on the wing.

What's sums Bruce and us up is I don't think many people were surprised when Reading scored in the last minute. We were plodding towards the final whistle and just hoping they didn't score before the whistle went. Not good enough against relegation fodder at home.

[Lastfootstamper]

One goal was never enough.
Once again I've been left frustrated by Steve Bruce - Tactical Genius

It was, though. Well, it should have been. They were poor and shouldn't have been in with a sniff for the entire game. He didn't shore up the defence, he threw it into turmoil.

That was his Carles Gil moment.

[Clampy]

If you try and win games against shit teams by one goal then you leave yourself open to getting mugged.

I think we did try and get another goal though, we just made too bloody hard work of it and it came back to bite us.

We tried so hard to get another goal we brought on a full back.

That was very late on though (bang on 90 minutes from memory) so it's not as if he did it twenty minutes from the end but Whelan or the Russian would have been a better choice at the time.

[Mister E]

I thought we actually played some good stuff yesterday, in parts. Bjarnason was surprisingly effective, El Ghazi looks a prospect and Hourihane played well when he came on.
The substitutions revealed to me the manager’s flaws: perhaps he felt that he needed to keep AA sweet by giving him some gametime in place of the young upstart; maybe felt that he ought to appease Taylor by giving him a cameo. Reading were so poor that RHM should have been given 20-25 minutes in place of Elmo, to support the flagging Kodj. Whelan as second sub would have worked for me.
The abiding image of the game for me was its feel of a friendly: in the last 15 minutes, we were stroking the ball around without a care in the world. Good teams take the Readings of this world apart, clinically and ruthlessly.

[PeterWithe]

We have regressed to two seasons ago. Kodja wants to play on his own and we look edgy and liable to concede at the back.

With the squad we have we should be doing much better.

I have been the first to slag Kodjia off for being too greedy, but he needs someone near to him when he is battling for a ball. I thought he battled well and was gobsmacked when he was taken off for a fecking defender. Bikar was my man of the match, but my one wish following this game is that we get a left back from somewhere that can cross a ball instead of having to cut inside and then go on his right foot.

He’s a fine player but he wants the ball into feet deeper and then to run at the defender. What we need from a centre forward is to stay right up top to give us a focal point and for him to sacrifice himself to make space for our midfield to play closer to goal.

No surprise to me that Jacks game suffers when Kodja is the lone forward.

[ChicagoLion]

Allready this managers limitations are exposed and we are only 4 games in.
Why any one thought  that Bruce was likely to  experience a Damscene conversion I really don’t know.
It will be interesting to see if the new owners are prepared to write this season off.

[Lastfootstamper]

We have regressed to two seasons ago. Kodja wants to play on his own and we look edgy and liable to concede at the back.

With the squad we have we should be doing much better.

Allready this managers limitations are exposed and we are only 4 games in.
Why any one thought  that Bruce was likely to  experience a Damscene conversion I really don’t know.
It will be interesting to see if the new owners are prepared to write this season off.

I agree with the first bit, which makes me think we don't need to write it off.

I reckon there's more than one candidate out there that's champing at the bit for an opportunity of the like of managing Aston Villa out of this division with a squad including Chester, Grealish, McGinn, Kodjia, Bolassie, El Ghazi, Adomah, Bjarnason and Hourihane.

[ChicagoLion]

We have regressed to two seasons ago. Kodja wants to play on his own and we look edgy and liable to concede at the back.

With the squad we have we should be doing much better.

Allready this managers limitations are exposed and we are only 4 games in.
Why any one thought  that Bruce was likely to  experience a Damscene conversion I really don’t know.
It will be interesting to see if the new owners are prepared to write this season off.

I agree with the first bit, which makes me think we don't need to write it off.

I reckon there's more than one candidate out there that's champing at the bit for an opportunity of the like of managing Aston Villa out of this division with a squad including Chester, Grealish, McGinn, Kodjia, Bolassie, El Ghazi, Adomah, Bjarnason and Hourihane.

The issue is how long can they let the situation drift, before it is too late.

[cdbearsfan]

Shite.

[mr underhill]

we could nearly do a RDM type start here- it's quite possible that the next two games result in defeat followed by a draw or two. The last thing I want to happen, but that sort of sequence saw Bruce arrive

[GarTomas]

We never seem to go for the jugular and kill teams off. Bruce is too cautious especially when we have a makeshift central defense.

The positives are that we are playing from the back now and we have some real quality in midfield. Bruce has finally twigged that it’s  worth allowing the ball to pass through them. Oh and our threat out wide has improved.

Makeshift defence as Bruce won’t play players in their positions.

[The Edge]

It’s the end of the world!!! Aaaaaarrrrgggghhhhh!!!! We’re the worst team in the world, ever!!!!! It’s all over!!!!!!

This is a forum for people to debate and make their point how they see fit. Would you prefer it if the mods banned all negative comment?

[GarTomas]

If you try and win games against shit teams by one goal then you leave yourself open to getting mugged.

I think we did try and get another goal though, we just made too bloody hard work of it and it came back to bite us.

Those subs were not us searching for another goal.  Adding another striker would of signalled that.

[The Edge]

Where did El Ghazi play on the left or the right?

On the left. Had some lovely touches first half.Seemed to run out of steam after an hour and got subbed. Very promising debut.