Aston Villa vs Preston North End Post-Match Thread

[Lastfootstamper]

He lost that game when he panicked and substituted Abraham straight away. Everything after that was a foregone conclusion. The fact we were even in a position to win the game shows how crap Preston were. I thought the 1st half performance was really really poor and yet without getting out of 1st gear we were 2 up.

Everything about that game just stank of Steve Bruce and we’ve just drawn at home to the team bottom of the league.

He needs to be gone soon.

It was. It's as if he genuinely cannot stop himself. And I reckon deep down he'd changed his mind about bringing Whelan on, and wanted to put Hogan on instead. But he didn't want to make himself look like a twat.

[PeterWithesShin]

He'll probably say it was because Tammy was still carrying a knock.

[CJ]

Can't even be arsed to read the thread. I'm practically speechless after that debacle. After the first half I expected us to go on to win comfortably but even before the penalty we looked as though we'd had mogadon at half time and they'd had coke. Complete shambles second half from the penalty, the sending off, sloppy passing, dropping deep, hoofing to no one in particular, baffling substitutions (again) and someone who's scored once in 7 years  elected to take the penalty. I think that's the end for Bruce and from his post match interview he sounded like he knows it.

[ktvillan]

I hope this is history repeating itself.  An abject display against Preston led to RDM getting the push.  Hopefully the same will happen after this latest disgrace.

I thought that too - history repeating itself as farce if tonight is anything to go by.

[PeterWithe]

Just back and haven’t read anyone else’s comments.

For me a 90min snapshot of why we should be pissing this league and also why we are not.

First half we were energetic, aggressive and moved the ball with purpose against a very poor Preston team, they were lucky to have nil at half time.

Second we retreated into Bruce’s tactical shell and then it was up there with the direst performance of the last few years, no mean feat. He just hasn’t got the tactical nous to cope with what should be a manageable issue, a sending off. That this early in the season we are playing with two 20 year old CBs is just another nail in an already crowded coffin lid.

I really don’t wish him any I’ll will but he’s crushing the spirit he admittedly helped return.

Just fucking go.

[paul_e]

I don't get the nice guy thing either but anyway it's irrelevant whether he's Mother Teresa or the devil incarnate as a person.  What matters is he's stealing a massive living from our club, leaving it in a right bleeding mess and trying to cover it up with spades of bullshit.  That makes him a c*** in my book.

True.

Can we go with both so he can go f**k himself?

Sorry, harsh but couldn't let that pass.

[Nev]

While the result was unsurprising, the manner of it was astonishing. I watched the start of the second half and kept looking at the clock, six minutes elapsed until we had any possession of note, while Preston stroked it around gaining confidence with every pass, seeing us sitting back like Billy big bollocks. They had us then, scented blood and I knew as well sitting on my sofa. It was all so predictable and a consequence of cowardly management that has become the managers hallmark in the 2 years that he has been here. Add to that a set of gifted players who patently don't want to play for the man and hid when the penalty was given.

It's a lost cause, everyone knows that now and as someone stated earlier, the onus is now on the people that run the club to change things.

[The Edge]

I don't get the nice guy thing either but anyway it's irrelevant whether he's Mother Teresa or the devil incarnate as a person.  What matters is he's stealing a massive living from our club, leaving it in a right bleeding mess and trying to cover it up with spades of bullshit.  That makes him a c*** in my book.

True.

Can we go with both so he can go f**k himself?

Sorry, harsh but couldn't let that pass.

Sorry I edited my post before your reply. Yes we can lol

[Dave P]

I hope this is history repeating itself.  An abject display against Preston led to RDM getting the push.  Hopefully the same will happen after this latest disgrace.

I thought that too - history repeating itself as farce if tonight is anything to go by.

After game 11 as well (plays X Files music)

[olaftab]

If ever we are playing a team that goes down to ten men I want that opposition team to play like we did tonight.  Pathetic, shambolic, gutless panic driven clueless  effort with no plan and no fix from the man in charge. It was unbelievable.

[PeterWithesShin]

I still think it will be after Millwall. I'm hoping it's sooner though.

Our 11th league game this season is against Preston, our 11th, and final, league game under RDM was against Preston. I wonder if history will repeat itself.

Although I think it's more likely that Millwall away is the most likely bullet game. A quarter of the season gone and a 2 week break so if things haven't picked by then it seems the best time to do it. From the owners perspective at least.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

If ever we are playing a team that goes down to ten men I want that opposition team to play like we did tonight.  Pathetic, shambolic, gutless panic driven clueless  effort with no plan and no fix from the man in charge. It was unbelievable.

And at the same time no surprise.

[The_ads]

Bruce said on Talkshite that 'he deserves more respect from the fans for getting Villa to the play off final last season'.  He needed to add 'where I also failed to get a tune out of the team and turned in a completely negative performance and deserved to lose'.  Some sensible fans on Talkshite for once. Other than some Leedz wanker on right now.

When’s he going to admit that finishing in the play offs was fucking abject failure compared to the resources he had

[SoccerHQ]

For me last season play offs were failure, top 2 was the target. Indeed John Terry in his first Villa interview said his target was to win the league so yes desperate spinning from SB on that one.

[Leicester_Villian]

Think I was at a different game ......
Bruce saying what excellent football we played in the first game ...... we played with little tempo and were 2-0 up against a very poor team
Preston made a tactical change and we hardly touched the ball for 10 minutes ...we should have been on the front foot and killing the game off but no we sat back
Yes it was a penalty ....and yes Chester had to go he was last man
Our play then was dismal with 10 men
Whelan took the penalty possibly because others went and hid ....why was no instruction given from the bench
Enough is enough and tomorrow we should hear that Bruce has left ..... and put us out of our misery
We watch a shambles when we have a team who should be playing attacking football and scaring other teams but we are dull tepid and negative and thats down to one man