Let me say straight off, I’ve never seen first games as really meaning much.
They’re sort of in-between, as not really a friendly, but not really a proper game, where you can judge much at all.
You only have to look at some of the opening day results to see that.
But if I’m going to judge, I have to say that I thought Hull were awful and we weren’t much better.
Was I alone in thinking Jack was playing generally way to deep, to keep him out of any real trouble? Maybe.
I thought Steer had a pretty good game and I wouldn’t blame him for their goal. He did all you could ask in getting the ball away, only for our defenders to be half asleep.
But the MOTM for me was easily Hutton.
He’s the only one that I saw actually drive at the opposition and when you consider that’s not really his job, you have to wonder what’s going on?
Isn’t that exactly what Hourihane was bought to do?
Don’t get me wrong, he does get up there occasionally, but it’s nowhere near often enough.
And although I keep hearing he does the dirty work, I don’t see he does that enough either.
He’s far too anonymous for my liking, as much as the stats might say otherwise. Ok, he got a decent return, last season, but how good could that be if he was given his head?
Elmo produced the goods, but I wasn’t impressed overall.
Kodjia was greedy, yet again, but I’ve previously said I can live with that. But he looks out of sorts.
I seriously suspect he’s just not up to speed and it’ll come back.
And those players apart, I’m struggling to see anyone else as being anything more than total average.
Taylor? Oh dear.
Interestingly, Bruce is just saying that things are going to change, in that we need to go with a younger side.
Which is just as well, because I don’t see the new owners living with Bruce for long if things don’t change.
Hull, as poor as they were, made a couple of driving runs, straight down the middle, that had me thinking “why don’t we do that?”
And there lies Bruce’s problem for me.
His midfields are far too much designed to be an extension of the defence and they offer nothing in the middle.
Yes, Bruce brought on a couple of kids, but they need to be thrown in quicker, as much as I’m cautious.
It’s just that I see the current midfield going nowhere fast, especially against better sides.
Ok, we got three goals today, which is great.
But I just see us as frankly average and Bruce’s defensive attitude will not win him any favours from the owners.
Unless we’re top two, come October, Bruce will be gone.
It’s as simple as that for me.
As much as I think he’s been our best bet in giving us stability during some torrid times.
Comments
126 responses to “Hull 1 -3 Villa; Bruce needs to step it up”
lets get to work lmao
really no need to say anything, fans will overlook whats happened as long as he performs.
looking at the squad now and what i thought it would be before new owners bailed us out. we have no excuses this season. we should really be up their at the top end, i think its stronger team so top two nothing less will do.
no need for talk. lets do the talking on the field for once.
Thrilled that the club was actually able to not only keep players (all star players) but actual do business in the transfer market… although I can’t help but think in a months time we will possibly see Hutton at LB, McGinn in CM, and Snodgrass on the right… a Scottish form of Connect 4. Majestic it could be.
Don’t forget that our transfer business might not be finished as we could still get some players in as loans. Tammy Abraham would do for me.
However, even if we don’t, I still think we’ve got enough to do it this season.
even if you don’t like bruce or don’t think hes the man. get behind the club because bruce has no backers inside the club like last season. he too will be on trial. he messes up he will go. stay positive new owners want premiership today, this meets our desire we also want premiership. this squad is good enough to win that .its all down to manager now no pressure
When Jack was out at the beginning of the season it was all too clear that the major failing of the team was its inability to create anything in mid-field. We got better when Jack returned but we were putting all our creative eggs in one basket.
With the arrival of McGinn we should now have two players who can make things happen in mid-field. I’m really hoping that they can gel as a partnership and, if they do, I think you’ll see some of our attacking players improve as well as the quality of the balls they’ll be receiving will be better too.
While we still have some deficiencies in other areas I honestly think that it will be Jack and McGinn in mid-field who will ultimately be responsible for getting us promoted.
UTV
We could play Kodjia up top with Grealish just behind floating around picking up the ball as often as possible. Have Green/Adomah on the left/right wings..Mcginn and choice of either Whelan, Jedinak or Birkir in the middle. Sounds pretty good to me. Plenty of players as backup too like Hourihane, Lansbury. Might even get Snoddy back. Things are looking bright. Can see us having a good run now and winning the next 7 or 8 out of 10.
Let’s take stock, we’re all happy with what’s happened over the last week, now lets forget the piss taking players that’s sitting on arse at the Villa and move forward on knowing we come through a tricky time. Its time to embrace the luck Villa got and thank our history for giving us two billionaires to take us forward., tomorrow is going forwards and may it be the beginnings of a new Aston Villa still making history.
Amen to that Bill
The thing is Hitch, I’m not a church person, I suppose it sounded like one.it’s that I’m so in to the Villa I get carried away, I now have that feeling we are on the move.
Just agreeing with you 100% – and hoping this is the real dawn we’ve all been hoping for!
I’m glad to see Steer went out on loan today. After the last two seasons he just needs game time and it looked as if he wasn’t going to get a full season at Villa, so good for everyone.
While I predict the same squad at the start of tomorrow’s match (minus Steer), I am excited to see Nyland, McGinn, Tuanbeze all get a run out.
The cheers for Grealish tomorrow should be something else though – and if he score I’m not sure what will happen.
I wished I could go tomorrow but looks like watching the highlights instead. Let’s hope we can get a good early start to the campaign. Wigan won’t be a walkover so hopefully Bruce will play a bit more attacking line up to try and break them down. I think Hourihane will keep his place tomorrow and apart from goalkeeper I don’t expect any other changes to first eleven. New signings will probably be on bench at this early stage. You never know though!