Aston Villa Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2017

Panrich

CSF wrote: »

Completely Bruce's fault. This was inevitable. Elphick is a League 2 defender.

With Baker injured we don't have many options but he has looked a very poor signing.

rebelomar

Lads I wouldn't have Elphick in my way!

We just don't have any cohesion ....waiting on an individual moment of brilliance or a set piece

Panrich

A team that has lost 7 from 8 absolutely toying with us.

We've looked much worse since Calderwood arrived.

JPA

Patser wrote: »

Too many (on paper*) similar players - Kodjia, Ayew, Gabby*, Grealish - all players he like to ball in low, try to take on or trick players, with the end result they all get isolated, won't pass and just lose the ball.

Now replacing Gabby and Grealish with Adomah and McCromack.... which on my opinion are kust 2 more similar players. We need Bacuna in midfield (or even Gardner) as it's getting overun. No point having every sttriker on and no-one to feed them

I like Grealish. He splits opinion but he's got class. However away from home he and Villa need a 3 man midfield. I don't know if Bruce planned for him to be part of that 3 man midfield but he simply can't do it, yet.
3 central midfielders, almost any combination, with Grealish, Adomah and Kodija is a good setup away.

This failure of a line up with an attempt to correct it with substitutions doesn't work.
Maybe it was an attempt to take advantage of Norwich's poor form, but simply giving them the ball is going to give them confidence.

Panrich

Bacuna and Tshibola must be stinking out Bodymoor Heath to be not getting any game time ahead of Westwood

Patser

JPA wrote: »

I like Grealish. He splits opinion but he's got class. However away from home he and Villa need a 3 man midfield. I don't know if Bruce planned for him to be part of that 3 man midfield but he simply can't do it, yet.
3 central midfielders, almost any combination, with Grealish, Adomah and Kodija is a good setup away.

This failure of a line up with an attempt to correct it with substitutions doesn't work.
Maybe it was an attempt to take advantage of Norwich's poor form, but simply giving them the ball is going to give them confidence.

Agreed. And all changes so far are only changes of personel, not of formation. The 2 man midfield has just given Norwich so much space on the wing. No we're lumping it up to a flat forward 4. Any Norwich defender just has to nod it back to midfield because we've no-one there to mop up loose ball and keep up the pressure

Patser

Like the Leeds game, a bad game to lose. Chance to jump into playoffs groups and take down a rival. Instead we stink up a game away from home.

CSF

That was beyond pathetic. Bruce honeymoon well and truly over with 3 consecutive poor displays. Needs to shape his own team in January or he will fail, because whatever he attempted tactically there, he did not have the players for it.

Elphick, Westwood and Gabby should go.

JPA

Patser wrote: »

Agreed. And all changes so far are only changes of personel, not of formation. The 2 man midfield has just given Norwich so much space on the wing. No we're lumping it up to a flat forward 4. Any Norwich defender just has to nod it back to midfield because we've no-one there to mop up loose ball and keep up the pressure

Yep. Grealish looked rubbish tonight but then he was the only one on the ball. Gabby didn't look rubbish, he was simply anonymous, same as Ayew. Bruce is starting to put players out of position like so many before him.
Poor stuff I'm afraid.

Raven Runner

JPA wrote: »

I like Grealish. He splits opinion but he's got class.

Jury's out on Grealish he's not consistent enough plus his behavioural problems and the whole Ireland - England thing has left me a bit sour on him

rebelomar

I'm worried....very worried.

We haven't strung 5 or 6 passes together since Bruce took over.

I don't rate Jedinak at all...with him in there we'll struggle to play ball.

Grealish can't play that deep yet imo..but what's really worrying is the complete lack of movement from the front three...it's atrocious. I dunno if this is making the midfield look worse or whether the lads up top don't move as they know the pass isn't coming but it's breaking down somewhere there.

There is a he'll of a lot of work to be done.

Bruce must surely see this also...he played in Man Utd teams that played good football.

So either he's struggling to remedy this glaring deficiency or more worrying would be if he's actually planning on playing this way long term.

Leeds, Wigan and Norwich is three games in a row we've been absolutely hopeless.

You could go on about individuals until the cows come home but as a collective we've gotten progressively worse the last three games.

Very worrying...

Sono

Absolutely pathetic performance tonight, Elphick you're all heart but you are absolutely ****. Westwood is absolutely shocking and why is Tish not able to get in ahead of him? Ayew anonymous did bloody nothing. As for Gabby there are no words.

Bruce if you don't sort out this midfield in January we are in serious trouble for playoffs, the idea of automatic promotion with that side is quite simply laughable

LeBash

Bruce has a problem with the team he inherited. He has 5 strikers and 1 winger, 2 if you count Grealish. RDM bought players to play 2 up top which was never going to work without 2 seriously athletic midfielders

I don't know why a few want Bacuna in the team, he's woeful. We need a 3rd central midfielder who can pass.

Westy didn't look great tonight but it was clearly tactical that he didn't cross the half way line where he has been effective in closing down teams a few times since Bruce came in.

Gabby needs to go straight away. We should be playing Ross into getting some form before we lose the better forwards to the internationals.

Elphick is just not up to scratch. Hopefully Baker is back soon because he is a far better player. I think Clark leaving was a bit of a kick in the mush late in the window.

listermint

Once again i ask why we weren't after someone like Daryl Horgan he was free arguably the best player in this country, pacey confident fast and can score too.

??

Patser

I trust in Bruce.

I think he can see a lot of the problems he's inherited alright. Elphick has dropped below Baker in terms of choice, but there's still no alternative if Baker is out. Amavi is back instead of Cissokho. Tshibola is right out of favour for whatever reason but that again lessens the alternatives, Gardner has been tried again possibly as Bruce looks at his options, McCormack dropped more often, Gabby worked back in, front alternated. It seems like Bruce is assessing his options, where he has them, and making his descisions where he needs to. And already the links are leaking out. Keepers, defender, wingers like Brady.

And dispite this assessment curve he's picking up a lot of points despite stinkers like tonight. Bruce knows he has to get January right, and that needs proper prep work. Not like RDM being on reputation and availability as opposed to balanced needs.

Patser

LeBash wrote: »

I don't know why a few want Bacuna in the team, he's woeful. We need a 3rd central midfielder who can pass.

'To have a 3rd midfielder that can pass, first you must have a 3rd midfielder' -Dalai Lama.

Corholio

I'm a big critic of Westwood and he's not good enough to be playing in there but he was a bit down the list of shocking performances tonight. Gabby, Ayew, Elphick, Hutton and even Kodjia were all worse. We have quite a few players who 'expect' to do something that in the end doesn't come off, whether it's Ayew thinking he can run past 3 players at once all the time or Kodjia holding on to the ball expecting no one will nick the ball away from him. Jedinak did ok tonight I thought but the midfield is paper thin otherwise and his weaknesses are shown more. Midfield will certainly need beefing up quite considerably.

We have too little urgency in players, far too casual on the ball. You would hardly know Villa were 1-0 down there after Norwich scored. I think Adomah should start every time, he's much more direct and sharper than other options out there. Don't know why Tshibola isn't starting or even getting a look in, maybe Bruce just doesn't fancy him, but hard to see him being any worse than all the rest of the midfield.

At least Bruce sees it though, after the game he said "On days like today you apologise to people who have travelled. It was pretty pathetic stuff"

CSF

Its a good thing to hear Bruce say that, because this is the one he absolutely has to learn from. This was no accident or off night. It was blatantly obvious the weaknesses in the team and his refusal to change it ultimately cost us.

Di Matteo did not learn from his mistakes and being honest should have gone before he did. Bruce on the other hand now has a January window to fix things up. Once he's had a chance to bring in a few players (loans if necessary), there should never be a need to play Elphick, Westwood and Gabby again. Centre back, centre midfield and goalkeepers are the absolute musts for signings in January.

I don't know much about this Johnstone goalkeeper guy, but he needs to be good enough, because at this stage in his fledgling career, Gollini is not. Cannot be relied on to not make mistakes and inspire confidence in the defence in front of him.

Corholio

Further very strong words from Bruce afterwards, I genuinely don't remember a Villa manager responding to a defeat in such strong terms since Gregory.

“I accept getting beat, it’s part of football - sometimes the opposition are better than you.

“But when you don’t show up or put your boots on that doesn’t wash with me and I won’t accept it.

“I’ve had people travelling up and down the country over the last five or six weeks waiting for a chance, they will certainly be getting it on Sunday.”

“I can’t remember us having a cross or creating a chance and with the so-called talent that we’ve got, that isn’t good enough.”

“In that respect we deserved absolutely nothing, got nothing out of it and that’s totally disappointing"

pavb2

Corholio wrote: »

Further very strong words from Bruce afterwards, I genuinely don't remember a Villa manager responding to a defeat in such strong terms since Gregory.

“I accept getting beat, it’s part of football - sometimes the opposition are better than you.

“But when you don’t show up or put your boots on that doesn’t wash with me and I won’t accept it.

“I’ve had people travelling up and down the country over the last five or six weeks waiting for a chance, they will certainly be getting it on Sunday.”

“I can’t remember us having a cross or creating a chance and with the so-called talent that we’ve got, that isn’t good enough.”

“In that respect we deserved absolutely nothing, got nothing out of it and that’s totally disappointing"

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11677/10695228/steve-bruce-apologises-to-aston-villa-fans-for-pathetic-performance-against-norwich

Here's the sky interview he is fuming but has to take responsibility for that team selection.

I reckon Tshibola will be playing Saturday, we need a win and I think we'll get it

Panrich

LeBash wrote: »

I don't know why a few want Bacuna in the team, he's woeful.

Bacuna has more mobility and energy. Sure he might not be the most talented player on our books but he can at least influence things by getting to the action especially away from home. Too many games just seem to totally bypass Westwood.

shoutman

It was such a dire match to watch. I can't fathom how the team seemed incapable of putting a few passes together.

It was absolutely shocking stuff.

matrim

Too many of our forwards are too similar and like to run with the ball and then eventually lose it. Awey, Kodjia and Grealish were all guilty of holding on to the ball too long, losing our attacks momentum and then either being crowded out and losing it, or having to pass back to midfield.

Players like Jedinak don't help. He's great at winning the ball back but then all he seems to be able to do is hoof it. At one point around 20 minutes in he did a great interception and tackle to win the ball from 2 Norwich players and was then left on his own with loads of space around him. Instead of taking time and picking a pass, he tries to play it up the wing (I assume for Gabby to run onto), but just gives is straight to the Norwich defenders.

Raven Runner

Any chance we could get Gareth Barry back playing for us in January?
I see Fabian Delph is looking for a move away from Man City with West Brom interested but i guess that would be crazy to have him back?

LeBash

Panrich wrote: »

Bacuna has more mobility and energy. Sure he might not be the most talented player on our books but he can at least influence things by getting to the action especially away from home. Too many games just seem to totally bypass Westwood.

I think you are looking at Bacuna through rose tinted glasses. He's not a good player.

BTW, I'd take Delph back in a heartbeat.

Patser

Delph back in a heartbeat too, exactly what this team needs, and as for history - if Bacuna and Gabby still get to wear the jersey.....

But would be very surprised another Premier League team didn't step in for him.

pavb2

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38316110

Gary Rowett sacked. . . Didn't see that one coming can't see it being a good thing at this stage of the season.

Corholio

Bacuna had some good performances in midfield earlier in the season and is hardly worse than anyone else in there. I'd expect 2 midfielders to come in during January though

I didn't think Westwood played terrible last night he was just extremely ineffective. He completed just 5 forward passes last night......5, he also only made 1 single tackle. The whole midfield needs beefing up, I don't mind Jedinak but he can only play with someone in there that'll compliment him, guys like Westwood and Gardner are powder puff and aren't going to dominate in any way.

It got to the point last night where I was hoping Ayew wouldn't get the ball because it inevitably ended up 10 yards further back from where he started or he'd give it away trying to run through 3 players. Kodjia did the exact same thing at times, it's so slow and allows teams to get back. Adomah is the only player who's proactive and direct, like a winger should be.

Birmingham sacking Rowett too is absolutely mental, and replacing him with Zola. The midlands seems to be haven for crazy appointments in recent years.

pavb2

Kick off against QPR at 12.00 tomorrow hopefully Bruce won't start Gestede or Gabby. McCormack and Kodjia up front for me, I think Tshibola and Bacuna will play some part. After Norwich last Tuesday I think we need to win this one and I just have a feeling we will.

Sono

Gollini

Bacuna
Chester
Elphick
Amavi

Jedinak
Westwood
Gardner

Kodjia
Ayew
McCormack

CSF

Much changed team. I suppose Gollini being dropped is the biggest surprise there.

LeBash

CSF wrote: »

Much changed team. I suppose Gollini being dropped is the biggest surprise there.

Yeah, wasn't a lot he did wrong in the last game. Glad to see Baker back. Knew little about Elphick but he had a decent rep at this level. Maybe the year on the bench ruined him but he's muck since he arrived at Villa.

rebelomar

I don't have much confidence in that side.

I think we'll struggle to keep the ball again today unless QPR are absolute muck.

CSF

That'd pretty much have been my side, except I wouldnt have dropped Gollini until you're dropping him for someone who he'll legitimately be in competition with (which should be soon).

I agree on the not being great at ball retention thing, but that's the Di Matteo legacy. Who do you out in there that changes that? Westwood is supposed to be in that mould but does not provide what it says on the tin.

rebelomar

When you're struggling badly in central midfield decreasing the numbers from 3 to 2 isn't the answer anyway in my opinion.

Bacuna on the left is a nonsense also

CSF

Kodjia getting fouled a lot here. Literally only gotten the penalty from about 4 fouls on him. Ref having a stinker.

Corholio

McCormack linking up well with full backs and midfield, good to have someone up there who'll do that and actually pass the ball. Just a pity there's not a better midfield there to link up more with him and Kodjia.

LeBash

Corholio wrote: »

McCormack linking up well with full backs and midfield, good to have someone up there who'll do that and actually pass the ball. Just a pity there's not a better midfield there to link up more with him and Kodjia.

McCormack played 2 great through balls in that first half but if we have him on the pitch we have to lose 1 in midfield and it's just not working there. Jedinak doing well breaking up play but Gardiner and Bacuna aren't doing much at all.

I do think Bacuna should be on the frees though. He is a decent deadball man

rebelomar

Need to make a change....nothing happening really.

JPA

If Gabby is the answer, what is the question?

matrim

Kodjia 1-0

artanevilla

JPA wrote: »

If Gabby is the answer, what is the question?

Who's the father to half the kids in Birmingham?

Savman

Made hard work of it but a win is a win. Nice to do one over on Holloway after his prediction we'd be relegated

rebelomar

Good result if not a good performance....which has been the trend since Bruce came in.

Again today illustrates how important it is to sign one if not two midfielders of good quality in Jan.

Pity Gestede didn't score at the end for his own confidence.

Corholio

Better in the second half. A few good midfielders would change a huge amount though, I thought Jedinak had a really good second half but the team needs extra quality in there with him. The 2 or 3 in there are all mostly default defensive and there's a disconnect between them and the forward players because of it. Kodjia was at it all day today and deserved his goal, hopefully a balance can be found soon, especially for away games.

Chester and Baker make such a difference as well, look so more solid there. Two home games in a row now against Burton and Leeds, 6 points would go a long way, with Cardiff away after that on 2 Jan.

Raven Runner

CSF wrote: »

That'd pretty much have been my side, except I wouldnt have dropped Gollini until you're dropping him for someone who he'll legitimately be in competition with (which should be soon).

Mark Bunn is a pretty good goalkeeper he deserves a chance in the first team

LeBash

Raven Runner wrote: »

Mark Bunn is a pretty good goalkeeper he deserves a chance in the first team

He's a back up keeper in fairness. He played intelligently today by wasting time but he's not great.

What ever happened to the kid we took from Norwich about 3 years ago? He was supposed to be the great white hope of goalkeepers.

Patser

Jed Steer, looks like he's currently at Villa after spending last few seasons on loan. But yeah, he's not getting a look in or any sort of time. 24 now so should at least be on bench if developing in any way.

matrim

Patser wrote: »

Jed Steer, looks like he's currently at Villa after spending last few seasons on loan. But yeah, he's not getting a look in or any sort of time. 24 now so should at least be on bench if developing in any way.

He got a bad injury at the start of the season

JPA

Talk of Gestede to West Brom for 7 million.
Good luck with that lads.