So that’s nine wins out of nine games for the first time since 1910 and we look for 10 on the trot for the first time ever.
The first half made for tedious watching for me, as Bolton did their best to crowd us out. It seemed at times that there were way more than 22 players on the pitch, but we had a few chances as opposed to Bolton’s one, from memory.
Regardless, while we went in at 0-0, I always felt we were in control and I was very impressed throughout the game with our close passing while under pressure. After watching so many years of utter dross football, it really is a pleasure to watch us when we’re on song.
Straight after half time, Abraham, who had already impressed me with his skills played some lovely stuff on the right wing and fed Grealish for a simple knock-down header to put us in the lead.
Once that happened, you just knew it was all over and Bolton fans started leaving.
And then Bolton offered nothing at all. It’s sad, but you can see why they’ve been relegated today.
I was expecting us to go on and get a few more goals, but it seemed we weren’t really pushing too hard, yet Abraham managed to get his 25th goal, before going off with what looked like a shoulder injury.
That’s a bit worrying, to me.
McGinn was subbed and I thought he wasn’t his usual self today.
He seemed like he’d been warned about getting booked and it seemed to take the edge off his game. That’s no doubt the right way to go though.
Jack seemed a bit off the pace in the early part of the game and gave the ball away, but he soon warmed into it and just looks so controlled in his play at this level.
Likewise Mings, who looks comfortable whereever he is on the pitch.
I can’t call anyone as outstanding today, because I just thought it was a decent, but very steady performance all round against frankly inferior opposition.
The lads went out and did exactly what they should do for their money.
It’s another full house for the visit of Milwall on Monday.
Can we make it 10 out of 10 for the first time ever?
I’ll give you my opinion nearer the time, but you probably already know what it is.
I’m a bit miffed that we didn’t get the third, but hey, I’ll take that 🙂
Now you’re just being greedý 🙂
Last Thursday no we need now is Tammy out of the side for the plays let’s hope it not to serious as I believe no team will come near us in the play offs with our full squad available
Last thing we need now sorry lads feckin predictive text
Last thing we need now is Tammy out of the squad for the play offs as no team will come near us in the play offs lads fingers crossed he will be ok
Excellent win again, with minimum fuss. Looking at the table, there is still plenty of work to do. Let’s say we draw on Monday (I hope not) and Boro win, they’ll be 3 points behind us with 2 games left.That’s staggering considering our run and how many games they lost recently.
Then we’ll be playing a wounded Leeds animal, absolutely desperate for the points in the cauldron that is Elland Road. Monday looks like another MUST WIN in my opinion!
One last push needed. I’m confident that Kodj can step up and make his mark up front, at the most critical point in the season. Let’s see if he fancies centre stage…
Apart from Middlesbrough results went well for us. It’s quite a turn around in our defensive form, considering before our amazing run we were in the bottom 3 for goals conceded. The last 10 games has seen us conceding only 6 and a lot of that has been down to Mings who has been superb. It was Tammy’s goals in the first half of the season that prevented us being a relegation team and it will be a massive blow if he is out for the rest of the season. If we can get 10 out of 10 then we are almost certain we will be in the playoffs. It’s looking more and more likely we will be playing Albion with us playing at Villa Park first leg. I’m getting tense just thinking about it! UTV!
I’m not banking in 5th yet, Holte. Like I said, there’s still plenty of work to be done, especially in the next two games…
*banking on
It’s been a strange season. It’s been like 4 mini seasons:
Bruce’s portion, which seems like decades ago
Smith’s first run, up to the Leeds game
The dreadful winter run in the New Year
And the last 9 games
It was the run after New Year that cost us top two. Can’t include the Bruce bit, because Smith wouldn’t be here if Bruce had had a good start!
Agreed 5th place isn’t guaranteed Big Fat Ron, but having checked remaining games, Bristol City still have Sheffield Wednesday and Derby, plus Derby are away to Albion so points will be dropped. Middlesbrough have the ‘easiest’ run in but I still expect them to drop points. I’m still hopeful we can get 4th so we would be at home 2nd leg but it’s looking unlikely now. Albion fans posts are mixed about possibility of playing us. Some of them are dreading it and others thinking they are hitting form at right time and are unbeaten against us.
Norwich getting beat at home by Brucie…
Leeds will be kicking themselves.If it stays like that, they could’ve been one point off top and pushing for the title.
And we smashed Wednesday.
We’ll do Norwich too.
I have the faith.
I always thought that the end of the season would be a bit of a roller coaster ride but not for us (so far anyway fingers crossed).
A look at the form of the top 8 clubs over the last five games is quite interesting –
Norwich WWDDD 9 points
Sheffield Utd LWDDW 8 points
Leeds WLWWL 9 points
West Brom WLLWW 9 points
Aston Villa WWWWW 15 points
Boro LLWWW 9 points
Bristol WDWLD 8 points
Derby WDLWD 8 points
Every team in the top 8 has dropped at least six points over the last five games. Just wondering who exactly we should be scared of?
No-one.
Which is exactly what I’ve been saying for a few weeks now.
We may well lose the odd one, but we are easily capable of winning every game we play now.
And that includes Albion, if we do meet them.
We’ve a very good record against them, after being unlucky in our last game against them.
It’s bloody annoying, because if we’d played to the abillity that we all know the squad has, throughout the season, we’d have walked the league, imo.
without tempting fate, villa have timed their race to perfection. we started slow but finishing like a express train. where the others are all feeling the gruelling league which is the championship. teams that finish inside the playoffs will be running on empty, playing on adrenal alone. we on the other hand look fresh and being full on confidence we are looking forwards to the challenges.
i went on the leeds fans pages last night lol they are dreading losing the top two position. the way most of them see this is, their one chance is auto they see villa as the best team in the top six which i concur. leeds have lots of baggage now, they blew two chances to secure top two. losing at home to wigan will hurt them badly. sheff utd will not be dropping many points from here on in. leeds will have to beat us and thats not a easy prospect.
off the teams in the playoffs i fear only sheff utd if they end up there. leeds i have been impressed with all season and they deserve better. but i think the season will end in tears for them. other teams in playoffs middlesbrough simply are not good enough, they will cause problems if your not at it. bristrol city or derby shouldnt be a problem, wba could cause us a problem all depends on which baggies turn up.
lastly one leeds fan said i can see us losing to pulis dinosaur tactics lol i can too if they do indeed miss out on autos
I had the same thought this morning as to how we started slow. Things started to change but maintained some kind of composure, just look at our start, unrest in the dressing room, that’s gone, players not knowing what the hell going on then our miracle happened New owner, players now are best of buddies by working together and playing for each other. Over the last few weeks the media have woken up by giving us praise on each game and pointing out how good the football is. All down to Dean Smith and his coaching staff. Deadly Doug must be turning over in his grave thinking why didn’t I think of that. The answer to me is no interference from top brass let the manager manage.
I think Smith has been amazing for us. We had a new manager bounce after which we had a sticky patch. He stuck to his guns though and eventually got the team playing the way he wants and everything just clicked into place.
The final piece of the jigsaw was Mings who I see as one player we must sign if we get promoted. Also wonder how much of our amazing defence is down to the work of JT? It certainly can’t hurt having one of England’s best ever defenders advising the players.
I honestly don’t fear anyone right now and certainly not Leeds or Norwich. They’ve both shown in recent games that they are vulnerable.
for smith to turn the club around in such a way is mind blowing. he had no preseason to imprint his style his tactics on a set of players. your right about the unrest pre season. not knowing which players would be here. if we would start season with points deducted. bruce should have probably walked if he was totally honest with himself.
the players we have now are like you say buddies they will run through brick walls for each other. you can see that with tammy injury yesterday. he was clearly in pain. stamping his foot on the floor while being treated by the medics, there were a few villa players around tammy to comfort him showing real concern for their friend and team mate.
Albion will be our biggest danger in my opinions and reason is they might be sleep walking right now and have been for some time. but come the playoffs they might switch back on and iam sure if it was just a midlands derby game they would rise to it, but a chance to deny villa promotion would spur them on even greater.
i said back when they sacked their manager that their best chance had gone with him and i hope iam correct. but of the potential clubs in our way for promotion. Albion are definitely ones that could pose the biggest dangers. the final takes care of itself, it will be a great occasion, we have the big game players. we will be on fire if we are there.
i also think we need tammy back fit and healthy, kodjia and davis are both good strikers and hold the ball up well, but both have struggled putting the ball into the net and that could be the difference. tammy definitely will be a massive blow if he doesn’t make it and it will weaken us some what
Losing Abraham is as big a blow as losing Grealish was. Assuming we are in the playoffs then we need all our key players fit. Mings stated that he is the toughest one to play against in training sessions. If we do play Baggies then I really believe that the winners of that will be promoted. Middlesbrough are the dark horses because they have turned their form round at a crucial time of the season. Leeds I think will finish 3rd and will feel devastated to miss out on automatic promotion and I wouldn’t be surprised if they lose at semi final stage.
On a pessimistic note, we really need to get promotion otherwise Smith will have to virtually rebuild the team for next season. I can see Mings, Tuanzebe, Grealish and Abraham gone if we don’t and maybe even McGinn, El Ghazi and Hause might be tempted elsewhere. Add to that we have a large number of players coming to the of their contracts! With promotion Smith will have a good chance of keeping our star players and have great scope to add big names to replace those leaving. It’s fair to say that we are at a pivotal time in the clubs history.
Here are some chilling stats on a hot Easter Sunday.
We are winless against Millwall in 4 matches and Millwall have beaten Villa 6 times in their last nine meetings. Add to that, Villa are winless in 11 games against London opposition.
Millwall are fighting for survival so, given that Millwall are not one of our favourite oppositions, I’m not completely confident about tomorrow’s game.
I have voted on the Mail’s poll but will keep my prediction to myself!
Please Hitch, Now been watching man utd and the thoughts after the match, I said this was happening in football and today’s match at Everton shows it, we have player’s that are now putting clubs on the line, Arsenal, Chelsea, Man utd, Villa, all have fell victims to players behind close doors undermining manager’s, Old player’s are saying its going on and they know who they are at Manchester utd. POGBA springs to mind but fell short of names, I can see players getting moved on in all them clubs, hope we can stear clear of trouble makers its football not regimes to I’m the best and should get more.
Players have been getting too strong – they, after all, are employees of the football club or am I just being ‘old fashioned’
Is that right Caen been relegated, which mean we have another defender.
Does he join us if Caen get relegated?