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Aston Villa News and Views News,Opinion,Preview/Review Cardiff 1 – 0 Villa; A demoralising loss

Cardiff 1 – 0 Villa; A demoralising loss

2 January 20172 January 2017| Badger123Badger123| 165 Comments| 7:19 PM
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Well, I listened to that and it sounded awful in the first half.
As I suggested in the preview, a lot revolved around how our midfield performed.
And when I saw that Mile Jedinak wasn’t going to start, I immediately worried that they wouldn’t be man enough.
I’m sure I wasn’t alone and surely now Steve Bruce knows that if we’re going to miss out on promotion, it’s going to be because of the midfield.

I know I might be being impatient, but I really expected players in already and am wondering why we haven’t done any business in this area yet?
I mean, surely we can negotiate before the window opens, like it seems we have done with Gestede and Johnstone?
Whatever, we need them in as soon as possible so they can integrate, before our promotion chances go totally down the pan.
And they’re already fading.

So what went wrong?
Well, Cardiff played just as we expected and roughed it up.
The treatment Jack Grealish got was an absolute disgrace, so bad that he was constantly being fouled off the ball.
There’s absolutely no room for that in the game and to my mind Warnock ought to be charged with bringing the game into disrepute.
The amazing thing is the officials either didn’t see it or simply weren’t interested.

Regardless, in the end it boiled down to the fact that Gardner and Westwood weren’t strong enough and Cardiff should have been 4-0 up at half time.
That’s disgraceful.

The pair were duly hauled off at half time to be replaced by Tshibola and Gabby.
You know you’re in trouble when you have to call on Gabby, but things actually improved in the second half.
McCormack hadn’t had a sniff in the first half as we couldn’t link to him.
For me, this problem isn’t going to change until we get at least another two midfielders in.
I know I keep going on about it, but we all know it and I refuse to believe Bruce doesn’t know it.
Tshibola didn’t sound brilliant but at least I heard his name mentioned a few times in the commentary.
How long can Bruce keep starting worse players over him?

The second half was much improved and we created several chances, but it just wasn’t enough.

There’s no other way in looking at this game as three points dropped.
Cardiff have been on a really poor run and we really should have been able to beat them.
I don’t think it quite means the end of our promotion hopes just yet, as there’s still a fair way to go.
But we need to improve, as our performances have been poor of late, even if we’ve scraped wins at times.
And that isn’t going to happen until we get some better players in.

165 thought on “Cardiff 1 – 0 Villa; A demoralising loss”

    1. It doesn’t work like that Giddy, unfortunately.
      A mail article explains how Forest are in the middle of a takeover, hence either one or even both parties may have to agree to any sale.

    1. Agent fuelled, I’d say Steve.

      In other news, “The Italian shot-stopper (Gollini) is reportedly homesick and keen to move back to his homeland.”

      This makes perfect sense and totally explains Bruce’s “young” comments, imo.
      Pretty much a cert that he’s going, even if only on loan.
      I can’t see us getting our money back in an outright sale, given any buyer is at an advantage.

      http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/aston-villa-transfer-rumour-pierluigi-12412120

  4. Bruce rubbished stories re McCormack loan and bid for Stephens at Brighton. If we wait long enough we’ll be linked with every player in the Championship 🙂

    1. Yes, he’s rubbished any loan and he’s right, it doesn’t make any sense whatsoever.
      Lend him out and leave ourselves short, only to have to take him back?
      Not a chance.
      But any statement that he wasn’t for sale was noticeable by it’s absence.

      I personally think Bruce would let him go for the right money, with a view to replacing him. Trouble is, we won’t get anywhere near the right money.

        1. No chance of Rhodes, if you read my previous link where Gestede spoke to him before signing.

          1. Hmm, strange.
            I’m 100% sure I posted the Mail link stating that Gestede talked to Rhodes before signing, but it’s gone.
            Apologies Hitch.

  5. Badger, I can’t get the Championship Table you have a link to – to show anything other than a blank page. But is it a plain vanilla table as is – or a predictive final placings? If the former there is one on footballwebpages that anyone can put into their browser.

    2. OLL, it’s a vanilla table, with recent form.
      Because the content isn’t encrypted, it’s deemed as a security risk, so many browsers automatically block it.
      Which is good, except it’s only a worry for confidential stuff and everything we’re posting is public. Hence in this case it’s a PITA.

      There will be a browser setting somewhere, where you can allow “mixed content” for this (our) particular site. On Firefox (which I use), it’s on the lock symbol next to the web address at the very top of the page.
      Chrome, Explorer and Edge are probably similar.
      Just do a Google on your browser mate, if you’re that fussed, but if you don’t have much knowledge, don’t bother. Tables are easily available anywhere, but I just thought it would be good to have a bit of a shortcut 🙂

      Bill, I’m glad your missus is ok mate.
      Give her our regards, please.

  6. Many thanks lads, now I’ve got someone to moan at about the Villa, I think we will get Langbury money talks, its them frigging agents holding out for that extra bucks.

    2. I must have missed the memo on the Pearson home comings and goings! Glad yr lady is back home chap.

    1. Hope you’re right, he’s not a bad player but £7 million more than Lansbury just doesn’t make sense.

      Just have to trust SB. Liked the way he made mincemeat of a lot of the ‘rumours’ that the press were peddling as reality.

      I’ll only believe any move has actually happened when I see the official announcement.

        1. What about David Nugent from Boro also supposed to be available and would be cheap?

  9. So see that Rushian Hepbern Murphy playing Bruce, Bruce has pulled him out of the senior squad because he wouldn’t sight a contract. I would think that might make both parties stand their ground and have a prospect player going nowhere.

    1. Bill, this is a rum do – Murphy must have indicated he would sign so SB pulls him into the squad only for Murphy to retract – according to the media. Not sure who is advising him but if he’s getting very greedy I don’t care how good he might become he can go. We’ve had enough mercenaries at VP recently to last a life time and we’ve also seen too many ‘promising strikers’ become flops to pay over the odds.

      1. My thoughts exactly hitch sounds like he’s holding out for an even bigger payout, he’s still an unproven first teamer so it’s definitely greed in my book don’t want these type of players at the club

      2. @H60
        Couldn’t agree more. No player is bigger than the club and if H-M doesn’t want to play for the shirt without holding the club to ransom then the only thing I’d be holding would be the door open so he could get in his taxi and never darken VP’s doors again.

        He’s 18 and already on money that kids his age can only dream about. He’s a decent player but it’s pity he’s turned into a greedy sod.

        Honestly think SB should tell him that if his signature’s not on a contract by Monday he needn’t bother showing up for work.

        1. Pat – checked over a couple of other blogs and pretty much the same comments – haven’t seen any sympathy for HB’s position.

  11. Well Hitch, its smacks that way, I agree don’t go there with players getting greedy, he’s not shown his worth yet but someone pulling strings.

  12. good midfielders
    Daniel Johnson of PNE
    might cost us more than the £50k we sold him for.
    another Lambert cockup.

    Does anybody know what has happened to Jordon Lydon he seemed promising

  13. On another matter just noticed the Hull presser.

    I’ve said previously that they’re doing a Villa this season and they seem to be following the script to the letter. They’re now in January, bottom of the league with no money to spend and the club up for sale. So what do they do? They’ve appointed a young, inexperienced European manager in the hope that he’ll do something magical.

    Sounds familiar somehow :-/

  15. According to the Sun the new owners of Forest might block Lansbury’s move to the Villa even though he’s agreed personal terms.

    Why is nothing ever simple?

    1. There is no loyalty in football any more its just greed, Rushian is a young player he needs to learn his trade first before he or his agent starts dictating to the club.

      1. They could pay me the minimum wage I’d snap there hands off to wear the claret and blue & play on the hallowed turf of villa Park but that’s me

  17. Lansbury won’t be playing tomorrow, as the manager says his head isn’t right.
    Expect him in soon, I’d say.

  18. Sky update on lansbury he won’t be selected for tomorrow’s game as his head won’t be in the right place the manager says there has been Contact by another club he might be going but that’s someone else’s decision or words to that effect

    1. May not be Villa (although hope it is) and the owners won’t be able to effectively block it if Lansbury wants to go as he is out of contract in the summer so can talk to clubs now.

  19. According to Sky, Hull have turned down a £3m bid from West Ham for Snodgrass – at that price we should pitch in an offer.

    1. Definitely I’d love to see Snodgrass at VP. Every game I’ve seen him in he’s always trying to make something happen. Here’s hoping.

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