Blackburn Rovers vs Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[andyh]

I’m not so sure we would have wonthat game last season.
I think it was a bit like the Bolton game.

Whether we would have won it or not, it shows we are not progressing.

[Chris Jameson]

Quite enjoyed the first 5 minutes or so of the game yesterday and then found myself reading the paper and looking at my phone as the match went on and hearing the commentators saying what an enjoyable match it was between two good sides. I have no idea what constitutes a good match or what good teams look like these days in that case.

[Flamingo Lane]

The commentators did not just say how enjoyable the game was, but repeatedly reminded us of it.

[olaftab]

Happy that we managed to get a point out of it but we were pretty piss poor again to be honest. It's a game we would have won last season.

And our target is to improve on last season's failure so not good.

[ez]

Quite enjoyed the first 5 minutes or so of the game yesterday and then found myself reading the paper and looking at my phone as the match went on and hearing the commentators saying what an enjoyable match it was between two good sides. I have no idea what constitutes a good match or what good teams look like these days in that case.

Me too, except it was my kindle instead of a newspaper.

[Pat McMahon]

Quite enjoyed the first 5 minutes or so of the game yesterday and then found myself reading the paper and looking at my phone as the match went on and hearing the commentators saying what an enjoyable match it was between two good sides. I have no idea what constitutes a good match or what good teams look like these days in that case.

Me too, except it was my kindle instead of a newspaper.

I could only find a fairly Shiite local pub which had one screen showing us. One of the few remaining pubs where the  old time Irish fellas gather in Shepherd’s Bush.

Had the benefit of the wisdom of a Hibs fan telling me how McGinn would run the game  and a 66year old nutter who told me that different Villa managers allowed McGrath to have 4 pints before a game. I was almost pining for the sky commentary to be audible.

I thought it was an awful game and we again had no pattern to our play. Too many players below par and nobody shone. Unlike many on here I thought Jedinak’s defensive work was decent.

At one point the cameras panned in on Tore Andre Flo who apparently is technical coach to Chelsea’s loan players. I imagine Abraham will have him on speed dial after that.

[Sexual Ealing]

Quite enjoyed the first 5 minutes or so of the game yesterday and then found myself reading the paper and looking at my phone as the match went on and hearing the commentators saying what an enjoyable match it was between two good sides. I have no idea what constitutes a good match or what good teams look like these days in that case.

Me too, except it was my kindle instead of a newspaper.

I could only find a fairly Shiite local pub which had one screen showing us. One of the few remaining pubs where the  old time Irish fellas gather in Shepherd’s Bush.

Had the benefit of the wisdom of a Hibs fan telling me how McGinn would run the game  and a 66year old nutter who told me that different Villa managers allowed McGrath to have 4 pints before a game. I was almost pining for the sky commentary to be audible.

I thought it was an awful game and we again had no pattern to our play. Too many players below par and nobody shone. Unlike many on here I thought Jedinak’s defensive work was decent.

At one point the cameras panned in on Tore Andre Flo who apparently is technical coach to Chelsea’s loan players. I imagine Abraham will have him on speed dial after that.

Which pub was that Pat?

[Lizz]

We watched most of the game in a hotel bar prior to attending a party. Left before the end to get changed, convinced we'd never score. To say I was surprised when I found out the score this morning was an understatement.

[Ads]

The good;

The back four looked more solid. We defended well by and large. Blackburn are a big physical side, even Dack looked a fatty.

Tuanzebe moving the ball out of the back four gave a link to the midfield.

We showed resilience to come back.

Taylor played alright.

Nyland made a brilliant reaction save to Tuanzebe's header. Fumble of the free kick apart, he looked ok. I do think with confidence he will be fine.


The bad;

Elmo and Adomah. They didn't stretch Blackburn and put in 6 crosses that we're woeful.

Tammy was isolated.

We moved the ball too slowly through midfield.

Jack was too deep.

We had 40 million quids worth of wingers and had a full back out wide.

Jedinak. What's the point?


When Kodjia came on we looked more like it. We also had a bit more zip to us and opened them up.

We didn't deserve to lose, we were probably the better side second half, but that's not good enough. The run we're on isn't good enough. There is no viable means of breaking a side down and we are consistently relying upon moments of quality.

Yesterday we ought to have gone 433, where Kodjia could drift or get close to Tammy and El Ghazi could have added pace wide.

McGinn and Hourihane are box to box. They can pass, the latter is a huge goal threat. Why aren't we aiming to play at a higher tempo? Aiming to run aides off the park without the ball rather than relying upon gaining physicality to win it back?

Keep it, thread it quickly through the phases, dominate territorially and youre asking thr opposition run 70 yards to jit your box.

We're playing within ourselves when we have the best attacking players in the league.

44 fucking 2 at home Tuesday.

[achilles]

Ads, I would like to go 4-3-3 as well but I am not certain Grealish would fit that formation, as i think we need Jedinak in the middle of the middle three, with McGinn and Hourihane either side.

[Ads]

I don't think we do.

A Man United game sticks in my head for the  they played 442 and their full backs were so high that Evra was often starting 15 yards inside our own half and him and Valencia were absolutely hemming us in.

If you keep most of the ball and have pace to burn then I don't think you need anybody occupying that zone 10-15 yards in front of the back four. Instead you're reliant upon dominating territory and really using the press to smother the ball higher up. Hourihane played as a defensive player for Barnsley and as a box to box one. McGinn rats after the ball. Both are so much more mobile than Jedinak and both offer more of a threat going the other way.

We need some attacking intent.

[PeterWithesShin]

I find it difficult to criticise individual players with the Elephant man in the room.

Ftfy

[ChicagoLion]

Happy that we managed to get a point out of it but we were pretty piss poor again to be honest. It's a game we would have won last season.

No, It’s just another game we should have won.

[simboy]

I don't think we do.

A Man United game sticks in my head for the  they played 442 and their full backs were so high that Evra was often starting 15 yards inside our own half and him and Valencia were absolutely hemming us in.

If you keep most of the ball and have pace to burn then I don't think you need anybody occupying that zone 10-15 yards in front of the back four. Instead you're reliant upon dominating territory and really using the press to smother the ball higher up. Hourihane played as a defensive player for Barnsley and as a box to box one. McGinn rats after the ball. Both are so much more mobile than Jedinak and both offer more of a threat going the other way.

We need some attacking intent.

And that’s the problem with what’s going on summed up. Bruce has the players to dominate sides such as Blackburn by setting the agenda on the pitch. Instead he sets us up to counter the oppositions tactics too often.

I couldn’t go yesterday as sorting out family stuff but when I saw the team my view was it was set up to match Blackburn at their game not play them at ours.

I was pleased to see the central defensive pairing but worry that we play 4-1-4-1, isolating Kodjia, Abrahams or whoever.

McGinn is the class act of the midfield this season so far, I want him (with Hourihane) to allow Grealish and whoever to hurt teams further forward. Last year we couldn’t hurt teams with pace, this year we have it to burn but play to a design suited to Snodgrass et al.

Very frustrating, another nail in Bruce’s coffin and, sadly 4-4-2 (or 4-1-4-1 in my view) on Tuesday.

Analogue manager in a digital world.

[CT Villan]

44 fucking 2 at home Tuesday.

Wow, that's an optimistic scoreline prediction