Blackburn Rovers vs Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[Damo70]

44 fucking 2 at home Tuesday.

Wow, that's an optimistic scoreline prediction

I thought Ads meant he was going to swerve the game to watch 'gangbang' porn instead.

[Damo70]

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.

I totally agree that Bruce consistently sets the side up to counter the opposition as opposed to going out on the front foot. However, I think that the more pressure he is under to save his job then the more it will just resort in him becoming even more focused on not losing as opposed trying to win.

[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.

Which pub was that Pat?

The Coningham Arms on Uxbridge Road, more or less opposite the Adelaide

[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?

The Coningham Arms on Uxbridge Road, more or less opposite the Adelaide

Ah, thanks. I thought I recognised your description but it turns out that there's more than one shite pub with old Irish fellas in Shepherds Bush! Not that I have anything against old Irish fellas - I'm related to most of them.

[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.

Which pub was that Pat?

The Coningham Arms on Uxbridge Road, more or less opposite the Adelaide

Ah, thanks. I thought I recognised your description but it turns out that there's more than one shite pub with old Irish fellas in Shepherds Bush! Not that I have anything against old Irish fellas - I'm related to most of them.

Me too!

Were you thinking of the White Horse or the Shepherds Flock? I use the Coningham as it is closest pub to me showing Sky so not been in the other 2 for a long time. Weirdly I have never seen us lose there

[paul_e]

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.

I totally agree that Bruce consistently sets the side up to counter the opposition as opposed to going out on the front foot. However, I think that the more pressure he is under to save his job then the more it will just resort in him becoming even more focused on not losing as opposed trying to win.

I completely disagree with the last bit, he's been doing this since he arrived but once he had Whelan it stepped up another level. It involves, at it's heart, the shittiest flow chart ever made, if the opposition have a centre forward who's good in the air or a midfielder who scores for fun then Jedi plays in front of the centre backs, if not then Whelan plays. A few times it's been disrupted and he's played Thor but that, in a nutshell, is all of the prep he does for most games. With the ball we never do anything different, it's always 'get it wide, get crosses in' with 1 striker, no one getting in th box to help him and wingers who are either on the wrong side and have to cut back or who can't cross.

[ktvillan]

As well as the "finding a system" he still bangs on about losing six players from last year and needing time to gel.  Conveniently forgetting that it was him who built much of the spine of last year's side on expensive loan players that we knew were unlikely to be here this year.  It's almost as if he doesn't know that if you want continuity you need to plan for it.

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

What is slightly annoying here is everyone who slated Hourihane previously have not given any credit to bruce for bringing him on and getting us a point. I am not happy with how we are playing. But before bruce arrived we were in the bottom 3 and in free fall. The Holte were booing our players for fun. We were a joke. Last season we missed promotion by 90 minutes. Support `our`manager our team. VTID   

[KRS]

You can support our team without supporting Steve Bruce.

[PeterWithesShin]

I don't find it annoying as it's their prerogative but I do find it surprising that anyone is still defending Bruce after failing to promote us twice, admitting he doesn't know what system to use after nearly 2 years at the club, has won 6 of the last 17 league games in division 2, has us mid-table this season and for scraping an injury time draw against a side full of players that were playing in division 3 last season.

[simboy]

What is slightly annoying here is everyone who slated Hourihane previously have not given any credit to bruce for bringing him on and getting us a point. I am not happy with how we are playing. But before bruce arrived we were in the bottom 3 and in free fall. The Holte were booing our players for fun. We were a joke. Last season we missed promotion by 90 minutes. Support `our`manager our team. VTID   

My view [criticised on here] is that for the 90 minutes of the game, at the ground, we should support the team and get behind the club. However for the rest of the time whatever views people want to express, they should express them and argue about it.

Some idiot on twatter criticised Ian Taylor for celebrating Hourihine's goal, suggesting that celebrating a draw was pretty pathetic. Taylor pointed out that he was celebrating the player's ability, a great goal and the fact that he supported Aston Villa [not Bruce] who had just scored a goal, any fan who wants their team to lose is really an A1 muppet.

I have to say i hold my head in my hands when i read "supporters" saying they want us to lose. Even in the darkest days we have been through [and these are nowhere near] I have never cheered when we lose or ever wanted us to lose. If I did i would go and support Man City or the Rags.   

 Criticise the team shape, the way we are set up, the fact that Bruce doesn't really have a clue tactically, that the chairman hasn't invested enough, that the shirts lack enough blue but don't want us to lose just to prove a point.   

 

[ktvillan]

Why do some people feel it is their right to tell other people how they should support their team?  I haven't seen anyone say they want to see us lose just to prove a point.  Some like me would take a defeat or two in the short term if that's what it takes to rid ourselves of a failed and failing manager who is holding us back in the longer term. It's counter-intuitive in some ways but it's a pragmatic view.  It seems to me some people would eat a shit sandwich every day if it was served in a Villa shirt.

[dave.woodhall]

Why do some people feel it is their right to tell other people how they should support?.... It seems to me some people would eat a shit sandwich every day if it was served in a Villa shirt.

[simboy]

So, every time you [or I] disagree with the manager and/or the club to any deep degree you want us to lose so things change?

I don't care that you express such opinions for 166.5 hours a week, you may have a valid view and I don't want Bruce to stay long term probably anymore than you do. However, i thought it was fans of other teams want to see us lose on the field.

Docherty once said that if you put 11 claret and blue shirts out on a line 10,000 would turn up to support them, seems that's not true unless it's the right manager/chair/cheif exec. 


 I apologise and will change my attitude. Come on Rotherham/Sheffield Wednesday/Bristol City whoever, stuff us 6-0 at home every game, because we want our manager gone. Do you recommend we all turn up in their shirts as well?

[andyh]

What is slightly annoying here is everyone who slated Hourihane previously have not given any credit to bruce for bringing him on and getting us a point. I am not happy with how we are playing. But before bruce arrived we were in the bottom 3 and in free fall. The Holte were booing our players for fun. We were a joke. Last season we missed promotion by 90 minutes. Support `our`manager our team. VTID   

Were we in the bottom 3?
Are you sure or are you accepting ‘alternative facts’ ?

Steve says we were bottom, then in the bottom 2.
You now say bottom 3 whereas the general consensus is that we were 19th.

Someone knows the truth, or maybe everyone is wrong ?