Aston Villa v Reading Post-Match Thread

[frank black]

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.

[Villafirst]

I thought our shooting technique was poor on several occasions today. So many shots underhit, scuffed and wayward at times.

[DB]

We have the squad and should be putting teams like Reading to the sword. Has Bruce got it in him to get the best out of them..

[Lastfootstamper]

I counted 5/6 pathetic daisy cutter type shots from what I’d rate as a decent attacking position, in the first hour of the game. Whilst finishing may well be an issue, if 2 of them had been put to bed then the game was over.

Whilst I’m far his biggest fan, I fail to see how the ineptitude of our strike force today is Bruce’s fault.

It's not. I commented Wednesday that we don't shoot enough, so I was glad to see us at least having a (weak) pop. But like Wednesday, his reaction to a game through the use of the bench cost us. Then, it was his failure to react to a game that was turning. Today, it was mental changes based on what I must assume was a belief that the game was won.

Every game is a 14-man game nowadays. He needs to wise up.

[SoccerHQ]

He brought Taylor on for Kodjia instead of RHM? Says everything you need to know.

I think that double save from Nyland spooked him as Taylor was warming up for a good five minutes after that.

I actually thought Bjarni was really good today, got his foot in and passed well. I like the combination of him and McGinn as duo, good mobility and passing.

Shame the rest were so off.

As exciting as Wednesday was as a game to watch, today was very boring in how we attacked and then decided to hold on for the 1-0 with twenty minutes left.

[eamonn]

He's not going to wise up at this stage of his life. I can see us being eight to twelve points adrift of top two once we have a horrendous December out of the way with - we have to stockpile points over the next couple of months and hope that a couple of player combinations click. Otherwise, we won't even reach last season's achievement.
And the fact that he hasn't replaced Terry, who he worked hard to bring in (on the golf course in Portugal admittedly) and was so important for us last season, beggars belief.

[SoccerHQ]

Who knows what his remit is though? If it's to be in the mix he is delivering again although of course the performances and results are becoming more shaky.

I imagine the owners want to sort out getting a new CEO in and also other off field stuff (given the mess Xia was creating) so they trust SB to keep us in touch and then around November-December they'll be a change.

Considering the poor run we had in November and December last season I'd say it's likely we'll have a similar period of results as we are playing top 8 teams every week then so can't see SB getting to the New Year.

[brian green]

That's it for me I'm afraid.  I am breaking the resolve of a lifetime and getting Sky next Thursday.  I am not doing the hard miles any more to watch a Bruce game.

[BoVillan esq]

I'm not sure which is worse, this kind of result or the fact that I just don't expect anything else out of a Steve Bruce team, it is what it is.

[clash city rocker]

That's it for me I'm afraid.  I am breaking the resolve of a lifetime and getting Sky next Thursday.  I am not doing the hard miles any more to watch a Bruce game.

Hope the owners take note.

[SamTheMouse]

Just not good enough I'm afraid.

The only way Bruce ever seems to win games is by having better players than the opposition, and hoping they will somehow come up with something. I honestly struggle to see what input he has, that your average armchair football wouldn't be capable of providing. Motivational, perhaps. The basics. No more than that.

We did score a good goal, with some nice movement from Hourihane and Hutton to create space for Ghazi to cross well. But we did it once in the entire game. I can't really remember any other clear cut chances.

If this team had a really intelligent coach, instead of a nice but dim bloke in charge, they would be tearing utter cloggers like Reading to shreds, not huffing and puffing for the best part of 90 minutes before panicking at the end.

[Clampy]

We tried too hard to score the perfect goal today at times instead of keeping it simple and passing it to unmarked players in the box. Utterly frustrating because they were rubbish and we should be putting teams like that away. Not seen the pen back since but even if it wasn't, we've only got ourselves to blame.

[Des Little]

Any team with a half decent attacking threat would have that game won by half time, such was Reading’s ineptitudes - they were there for the taking. Relying on Kodjia to create something (or create for others) simply isn’t good enough. Toothless.

[ChicagoLion]

I still don’t think Kodija looks right and he was awful today, why he was not substituted earlier.
He acts like he is too important to be subbed.
Bruce man Management again.

[villa `cross the mersey]

That's it for me I'm afraid.  I am breaking the resolve of a lifetime and getting Sky next Thursday.  I am not doing the hard miles any more to watch a Bruce game.

A man up to my own heart there Brian - I have managed to resist SKY in the house thus far even with two grown up kids who have craved a dish on the roof like all our neighbours
I've not attended a game so far this season and to be honest I'm hardly likely to anytime soon with Bruce as manager - the new owners need to appoint a CEO/DOF pretty smartly otherwise this season will be written off soon after it started