I’m sure most of you know by now, but just to clarify, these international breaks totally frustrate me.
Especially when the only benefit goes to the FA, in helping to pay for a massively expensive (and not very good) Wembley stadium.
And even more so when they’re only friendlies.
I totally fail to see the point of playing countries that have failed to qualify for the WC. What do we gain, apart from pure practice?
If it’s going to be worthwhile, at least play other countries that have qualified, but in another group, in my opinion.
No manager likes it, along with pretty much all the fans and all it does is destroy any momentum or interest that the domestic season has achieved.
I do love venting a “bitch of the day” and that was it. It’s done.
So now, having practically slept through the last week and a half, footy-wise, I’m trying to wind myself back up again for Saturday’s late kick-off.
And it’s difficult, to be honest.
No disrespect to Hull, but this fixture doesn’t exactly light my fire.
Still, I’ve just taken a look at the fixtures and we have what I think are a few very tough games coming up.
You might want to take a look at that link, as I think it looks a bit scary, particularly if we lose to Hull, where it suggests we might have lost our momentum.
Which makes this a big game. We need to get back in the groove quickly, it’s as simple as that.
And yes, we’d have to go some to totally blow the play-offs now; but we need to keep getting wins, because you can be sure other teams will.
We all know there’s a team that can have a good late run-in and surprise people.
We should at least try and make that be us, even if it’s too late to get second place.
I’ll try and add any squad news as the game gets closer, but just as most of you get a holiday as of Friday morning, so I have to go full steam at work.
Hey ho. Hopefully I’ll get to see the game.
i seen many villa fans saying warnock would have got us promoted lol i reckon if he was at villa playing like that even winning game he would be slaughtered. they play long ball 100% the good old up and under ones where the ball comes back to earth with snow on.
we should should forget cardiff and concentrate on our own game. 2nd place is a dream. playoff now has to be now the goal. rediscovering our form is a must. just after we score our first goal since wolves game
Sorry, they’re 10 points ahead with 7 games left. But they’ll still go on that downward spiral and we’ll still finish 2nd, or Fulham will. 14 unbeaten, any team can beat them though.
On a real note and plus side, we can go 11 above 7th and basically secure a top 6 spot by winning tomorrow v Reading. Reading will likely prove tough for us, as they need a few more points to secure safety.
finally somebody sees the bigger picture than playing bottom sides is easy, lets forget that they are fighting for their lives. bolton and hull. both were 3 points above the drop zones. they are never gonna give us the points. when you face a side who are fighting, you have to match their effort to get your skill players on the ball
my honest assessment of the game tonight was sheff utd looked like a good team, far more than cardiff. but its cardiff who are sitting pretty 2nd. they didnt really play any football. they used madine as a battering ram. sheff utd had chances galore and will be kicking themselves.
hats off to cardiff they were outplayed tonight and this has been mirroring their season. they never give up and deserve their top 2. but would we endure that football to get promoted, ??? i bet most would say yeah but they really wouldnt
if we end up in playoffs which looks likely sheff utd look like a hard fixture.
I dont give a toss who we get in the playoffs to be honest they’re all beatable. unfortunately for our opposition teams this is a knockout and you have to come out and attack us at some point thats when we will pounce and our class will show.
My biggest problem with how they play is how we used to play. Under O’Neill, McLeish, Lambert, etc. Under O’Neill it somewhat worked, but we still always looked like conceding, under McLeish and Lambert, it didn’t work. We’re not a club that seems to have the mindset that we can score and hold a lead like that. I don’t know what it is but whenever, whoever we have, and if we go into park the bus and hold a lead, we always, always look like conceding, and typically do. I’m not saying all out attack works, because it doesn’t, but we always seem to look a decent side when we have the ball and push it around, thinking of Lambert’s first season. Bunch of young players moving the ball, sure we conceded on the counter, but we always looked like scoring. I have absolutely no confidence in any manager at Villa to play defensive football and get the results necessary. Sure, it works for Cardiff, and if they go up I hope they do well, but it rarely works for Villa and previous managers have proven it, which is also why I don’t like when people claim Villa need experience in English football in any manager or player, because we have again proven even if we get that, it doesn’t usually pay off well.
Sheffield currently aren’t in the playoffs. Though 1 point off them, 5th to 10th is separated by 5 points with 6 games. Going to be an entertaining finish between them all as none of them are exactly proving they’re good enough yet and are all dropping points which is why only picking 1 up in the last 3 games hasn’t hurt us too much.
i see loads of post saying if we go up we will struggle. well all teams promoted last year have struggled in this years premier. i think brighton and newcastle were better teams than most of championship again barring wolves. so yes we will struggle, but thats the challenge and we shouldnt hide from it, if we want to progress and regain our top flight status.
no matter the result this season, promotion or failure the squad will be different next year, if we miss out the squad will be much more youthful look with academy kids in some ready hopefully some not quite, if we go up then the dr will have to reach for the wallet. because we do lack quality all over.
A win tonight should more or less see us in the playoffs and based on current positions I think I would prefer to finish 4th rather than 3rd because I would fancy our chances more against Derby than Middlesbrough. Admittedly it could be a few other teams who could force their way into playoffs, but finishing on a high is key for confidence levels.
Holte66, have you noticed no Hutton tonight Taylor’s in. HOGAN leading the line
Jedi on the bench. right back Elmo. Interest..
Bill, I’m actually pleased with the line up. I’m guessing Hutton is injured seeing he isn’t on the bench. There are good options on the bench too. If we can nail down 3rd or 4th do you think it would be worth giving the likes of O’hare and Hepburn Murphy some game time?
anybody received a phone call off steve bruce, asking for tips on what line up we should play tonight and tactics we should use. i have been waiting but no call.
reading will try to bore the pants of us, passing it around and waiting patiently for us to commit too many men forwards. but i have seen too much of them since they sacked stamP
don’t think i’ll manage to view this game. which might be a blessing as i have had a shit day as it is
ppl moaning about palyers picked or not picked or in wrong positions. we have a squad and i think they are about to play 5 games in short period and some players coming back from internationals. this is why certain players didnt play saturday elmo for one. tonights line up looks like bruce had two line ups for the hull game and tonights in mind before saturday
tonights lineup in midfield looks good. we don’t need to play a holding midfielder all the time. terry and chester should be able to manage without jedi sitting 5 yards ahead off them
hogan should be hungry and ready to prove a point. grealish looks off his game. but that could be the rest of the team don’t move to offer his options
3 nil villa johnstone (3)