Aston Villa vs Preston North End Post-Match Thread

[SoccerHQ]

Interesting thinking about all the chaos PNE caused v our 10. When Fulham went down to 10 for last 20 minutes in the play off final SB wants us to gratefully thank him for, I don't think we had a shot on target or even a corner.

PNE could've easily scored 4 or 5 in that spell. Look at all the free headers from crosses they wasted.

[SoccerHQ]

This FFP business and paying him off.
If he is on a rolling 12 month contract and ssck him, doesn’t that mean we would pay him 12 months salary as compensation?
If things were going ok and he was still our manger for the next 12 months, wouldn’t we be paying him the same as a salary.

How are we breaching FFP by giving him in a lump sum, what we would be giving him anyway?

That said, why the fuck he deserves a payout for failing is another one of those football related mysteries.

The cost for Bruce is the same, but we'd also have to hire and pay a new manager.

Allegedly paying 70k to Bolaise dosen't seem a big issue for us.

[Clampy]

A quick mention for Axel last night. I thought he had a decent game and tried to hold us together when we were under the cosh.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

True and he was the only one in the face of the ref with the red card.

[Chris Jameson]

Why would anybody take a cabbage to a football match?

*insert obvious Agbonlahor joke here*

[andyh]

There was one moment last night that summed up the team mentality for me.
Not long after he came on, Bolasie was just inside his own half on the DE stand side of the pitch.
I can’t recall if he got robbed of the ball but, he was within 5 feet of a Preston player who had possession and was dithering about who to pass to.
Bolasie, 5 feet away, just stood and watched.
He made no attempt to close down the player, to put him under pressure or to force him into a mistake. He just stood there and watched.

I know it sound a trivial  thing, but for me it just epitomises the lack of professionalism some of our lot are showing.

£80k a week?!

[mr underhill]

at least he scored and salvaged a point, but what the fuck Bruce thinks he's doing spending 100k a week on two wingers and not playing them is beyond reason.

[Ads]

There's no way we are paying him £80k a week.

[andyh]

Was it a cabbage or an iceberg lettuce?
Any greengrocers on here who can confirm?

[Chris Jameson]

at least he scored and salvaged a point, but what the fuck Bruce thinks he's doing spending 100k a week on two wingers and not playing them is beyond reason.

Where on earth are people getting these figures from?

I've heard we're paying the two loan keepers who aren't better than our 4th choice keeper the same amount.

[footyskillz]

Hutton was at fault for the 3 rd at the corner he never even got off ground or challenge lewis moult who came in with a determined header

And by the way I would like to see more determined headers and runs at the ball by Villa players from set pieces corners.

Yes Villa have scored allot of headers and set plays but where are the sort of goals when they really attack the ball like a Harry Maguire . Most of the time the ball is so good and accurate it (as well as awful defending) that it's a header in the goal rather than one of those attacking ones.

Can even argue Bjarnasson was in right place other day with his header but as Bruce was a player who scored a threatened from set plays like to see even more in both ends of the pitch.

Martin Laursen was a master at this and that's what we what.

JT and Jedinak excellent headers of the ball.
Hutton yesterday was the one at fault and it's not first time I see him not jump to clear a ball . Seemed to switch off.

[Damo70]

Sadly this side isn't going up even with a half competent manager. he's fucked up the defence, unbalanced the midfield and stuffed us full of loans. time to rebuild.

I agree 100%, the only saving grace is that there isn't a decent side in the division this year so any kind of decent run would take us into contention.

I don't agree with the narrative that we have a group of players that should smash this division. We have a hopelessly unbalanced squad with no keeper, defence or functioning midfield. We had a much better squad last season.

Not sure about the no decent side in this division argument.

Almost every side we face is super fit, well organized and aware of their own and our strengths and weaknesses.

For a man who obviously doesn't see fitness a major part of his own well being, I'm pretty sure it would not be high on the list of priorities for his players too. What the bloody hell goes on at BH daily is anyone's guess?

Joey Barton made a similar point regarding the poor state of fitness David Unsworth appeared to be in whilst being caretaker manager of Everton. I remember Jim White on Talksport arguing with Barton about it. On the subject of Talksport Alan Brazil was this morning trotting out all the stuff about Bruce getting us to the play off final, Bruce being a promotion specialist and the fact that if we had won we would have been level on points with Brentford and Swansea who are in the top six. I also heard an interview with Bruce and whilst I can't recall his exact words he seemed a lot less 'bullish' regarding his position and seemed to concede he may well lose his job. One or two of the Talksport a couple of pundits have also stopped sticking up for Bruce and conceded it may be time for change at the Villa. In that respect, today was probably the only time in his career he will ever be compared to Mourinho. The Bruce talk had an amusing conclusion when they were discussing the fact someone took a cabbage into the ground to use as a missile. It was pointed out that in Italy over the years a motor scooter, a wheelbarrow and a car door have all been thrown onto a pitch, so Bruce got off relatively lightly. Personally I think now is the time Bruce needs to go due to the international break and the fact he is now clearly a dead man walking (or stumbling to be more accurate).

[tomd2103]

Interesting thinking about all the chaos PNE caused v our 10. When Fulham went down to 10 for last 20 minutes in the play off final SB wants us to gratefully thank him for, I don't think we had a shot on target or even a corner.

PNE could've easily scored 4 or 5 in that spell. Look at all the free headers from crosses they wasted.

He was bemoaning the fact we went down to ten after the game, yet earlier in the season he said how difficult it was to play against 10 men when we drew at Ipswich.

I said to my mate as we left Villa Park last night that after the penalty and the red card, we were the footballing equivalent of a boxer who gets caught and then retreats on to the ropes just trying to hang in.  It showed again that Bruce just cannot adapt to changing circumstances in games.

[tomd2103]

A quick mention for Axel last night. I thought he had a decent game and tried to hold us together when we were under the cosh.

Yep.  I thought he had a pretty decent game last night as well and looked far more comfortable at CB.  I also thought Kodjia and Abraham linked up well again at times in the first half.

[auntiesledd]

The silence emanating from the club this morning is deafening. I hope to God our new owners are busy behind the scenes lining up Bruce's immanent replacement - otherwise Millwall's gonna resemble one giant vegetable stall on Satdi. Pwoppa nawtee.