Kicking towards the Holte

[Meanwood Villa]

I make it 5 out of the last 7 home matches (Brentford, Man Utd, Liverpool, Leeds and Leicester) that we have attacked the Holte first half.

I assume it is the away team determining this. I wasn't there yesterday but there was the traditional booing at the Leeds game when it happened.

Given its recent frequency, at what point does it become the norm?

[ez]

I remember Graham Taylor also tried it.

[SoccerHQ]

Someone in the post match thread was going on about it and saying it needs to stop immediately. Why?

We've done it a fair few times now and Brentford, Man. United, Leeds and yesterday we made terrific starts and were at least a goal up in the first 10 minutes which is generally what you want to do in home games.

Even the Liverpool match we started pretty well after going 1 down early but couldn't finish.

I think it's a really good tactic by Emery if he's instigated it. Shows the attention to detail other managers have lacked as means we're more switched on at start of match rather than a sloppy start and then thinking we can just get back into the game second half.

The stats show the tactic is generally working so I don't have an issue with it continuing. I also feel more confident if we're leading and away teams are trying to get back into the game infront of Holte as they're obviously not attacking towards noise encouraging them as they would if attacks are coming down the Witton side which can give a team a boost.

[olaftab]

Home team winning the toss and selecting other end is bollox. It’s just silly. Unprofessional and unnecessary. If you are going to do that than take to the field properly however not lining up in front of your iconic end is just desperate. Stop it now.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

The solution is to build an exact replica of the Holte in place of the North stand. Ultimately profiling all ticket applicants at both ends as well to achieve an absolutely precise crowd atmosphere at both ends too.

[pauliewalnuts]

They said Martinez chose yesterday

[Risso]

Did the direction we were kicking really make any discernible difference to Kamara dawdling on the ball, or Moreno being able to control a moving ball?

[AV82EC]

Did the direction we were kicking really make any discernible difference to Kamara dawdling on the ball, or Moreno being able to control a moving ball?

Quite. I couldn’t give a flying fuck which end we attack first. As others have said and in my own view it’s been over 20 years since I’ve seen us generally get up a head of steam surging towards the Holte second half, mostly because we’ve been utter bobbins in that time.

[Brazilian Villain]

Did the direction we were kicking really make any discernible difference to Kamara dawdling on the ball, or Moreno being able to control a moving ball?

Quite. I couldn’t give a flying fuck which end we attack first. As others have said and in my own view it’s been over 20 years since I’ve seen us generally get up a head of steam surging towards the Holte second half, mostly because we’ve been utter bobbins in that time.

I'm also in the 'whatever the players prefer to do' is fine by me camp.

[manic-road]

Villa have chosen a few times to kick towards the Holte in the first half and a few times we have scored early goals.

[Legion]

Does it really matter or actually make much difference?

[pauliewalnuts]

Does it really matter or actually make much difference?

Absolutely none whatsoever.

[Meanwood Villa]

I don't think it makes any difference (or it shouldn't at least) but I thought it was curious that what used to be a once or twice a season occurrence now appears to be happening more often than not.

[Chris Smith]

Does it really matter or actually make much difference?

Absolutely none whatsoever.

Yet the players obviously think it does. They haven’t just broken with tradition on a whim.

[Risso]

I couldn't tell you which way round the kicks off have been, but apart from Man U, the home perfomances have all been a bit shit. Even the Leeds game we didn't really deserve to win, as Emery himself acknowledged.