So we’ll be up and running again by this time tomorrow and about time too.
It’s rubbish when we aren’t doing the serious stuff, isn’t it?
That said, it’s my firm belief that strange things can happen in the first game of the season, where teams can look totally disjointed and the performances are often lethargic, as the fitness isn’t quite there yet.
Then again, the first fixtures are normally played in very warm weather, but having seen the forecasts, that won’t be an excuse.
In short, I’m not going to set much store by what happens tomorrow, as the first game is more an extension of the pre-season friendlies, in my opinion.
So what do we know squad-wise?
I’m not going to talk about us much, as it’s been done to death, save to say Grealish, De laet, Jedinak, Adomah and Kodjia are definitely out.
I think we’re pretty ok otherwise, but blimey, that’s arguably half of our top eleven.
Yep, we’re certainly one lucky club of late, aren’t we?
Hull, well, I don’t really care, to be honest, but midfielder David Meyler is doubtful and Moses Odubajo, Will Keane, Ryan Mason and David Marshall are all injured.
I really don’t know if any of them are a major loss.
So what to think?
It’s a tricky one to call, this, but we’re at home and Hull have lost a few players, which ought to give us the edge.
But then, I’ve been consistent in saying that I’m not seeing where the goals will come from, so don’t see many goals overall.
So while I don’t have a clue how Hull will line up, things very much depend on how Steve Bruce sees things and if he has the bottle to go for it against a declining club.
I’m going to take a stab and say we’ll go 4-4-2, with this line-up;
Johnstone, Hutton, Chester, Terry, Taylor, Whelan, Green, Almohamady, Hourihane, Hogan, Agbonlahor.
That’s not how I’d go, as Gabby would be an impact player at best.
But it’s what I suspect Bruce might do.
There’s always the possibility that Bruce might throw our new loanee, Josh Onoma straight in, but I’ll be very surprised if he does.
Which leads me nicely onto my thoughts about him.
Let’s get one thing straight.
He’s seen by some of the press as a rushed signing to cover for Jack Grealish.
Er, except he really isn’t, because he’s more a box-to box type midfielder, where Jack can’t track back to save his life.
I know I’ve said I don’t like loans, but this is certainly the sort of player we need.
But this kid has never started a game for Spurs, simple as and that concerns me.
Can he even manage 90 minutes? Perhaps I’m just too cynical.
What’s interesting about this one is that while Daniel Levy has let him go on loan, he also tied the player up to a new contract, hence guaranteeing a transfer fee, should he leave the club.
And Spurs have not kept a player that they’ve loaned out, under the Pochettino/Levi partnership.
Hence I think we’re looking to actually buy him.
I hope he does well for us and welcome him.
But what does it say about our own kids who are supposed to be coming through?
Hmm, it says a lot, in my opinion.
In other news, we’ve teamed up with Science in sports PLC to provide the grub and Isotonic drinks and all that rubbish, to the players.
I’m sure this is old news, but whatever.
How I long for the old days, where the instructions were “I don’t give a toss what you do, just get the ball up there and put it in their net.”
We have all this science/stat stuff, but the game has got worse, imo.
Balls on the block then and it has 0-0 written all over it.
But I’m going for a 1-0 win to us, in what will be a rubbish game, purely because we’re at home.
I hope.
UTV!
Comments
136 responses to “The proper footy starts tomorrow, Hurray. And Welcome Josh Onomah”
1st game of the season cant really base anything on it.. we need 4 or 5 games to really tell how were performing. I wouldnt start thinking too much in to it.
Tell andrew that
Here we go again. Not Villa but the same supporters demanding the manager’s head.
GET A GRIP!
* 1st match of the season.
* Manager second to none at getting teams out of the championship.
* Our goal was scored with 4 of our players attacking their goal – a real positive.
* Certain key figures missing -who will add not diminish the team.
* Hogan showed enough to know there is more to come.
* Green looks like he has a bigger role to play this year and will be a match winner in games this season.
* Lansbury was allowed to play further up the pitch and will score a number of goals this season.
* The defence looked strong. I no longer had that anxiety that every opposition attack would lead to a goal.
The downsides were
* Bacuna – I just don’t rate him, surely there is a Champions League team who want him.
* Not killing games off – we had a number chances to kill the tie but wasted them and then took the gas off the pedal. We are not that good to give the opposition the all for long periods of time.
Finally all those who demand the managers head should be called snowflakes. The want it now generation. Patience and perseverance will see us be successful this season.
“Should be called snowflakes”… Yeah, taking anyone who uses that word seriously is a no go.
Don’t get me started in snowflakes
Haha Oohah. Anyone who even uses that word is a complete joke. People who use that word are usually the ones who get far more riled up than the person they’re calling one.
Snowflake is a great word it describes liberals and PC elite to a tee.
First game of the season, yes. But it’s Bruce’s 36th game at the club and NOTHING has changed from the 1st.
Yes the friggin squad has
Hutton I’m sure is the only player who featured in last seasons opener
you’re right, the squad has. And yet the performances are still defensive, we still can’t pass in midfield, we still can only score once. Terry was brought in to fix the defensive issue and that clearly failed for their goal. The squad can change 100 times, when you have a crap manager, the performances won’t.
Terry was woeful for their goal he was marking space and they had 2 players on buttons side unmarked. The ball got cheated and put back in again and Terry was still marking space and 2 players were free on Huttons side. Organising the back four is supposed to be what he’s good at no excuses.
That’s the problem with Hutton. People claim he works so hard, yet he can’t defend, and that’s what he’s supposed to be. He always, always, always lets players down his side go free. He’s either too far up or pretending he’s a center back. He’s so god damn awful it’s not even funny anymore.
Agree he left his man free to score but then I’d expect Terry to be screaming at him to pick him up and he didn’t. That’s what Terry is there for allegedly
a leopard cant changes his spots,so why think terry can get hutton to do what he is supposed to instead of galloping about always in the middle
Ho ho – meat and drink for the naysayers. Disappointing – yes but not conclusive. Newcastle lost their first two games last season.
Yes but they win games as well we will not win enough this season. Under Bruce
Newcastle United drew 1-1 with hull city on last seasons opener look what they achieved they even lost to forest 2-1 in their second fixture its far from over UTV
Newcastle lost 1.0 to Fulham last season hull were in prem ffs
See below 😁
Ignore the above the 1-1 was a cup game they weren’t even in the same league I’m losing it
You two realize Hull was a cup game, correct? Newcastle lost their first league game, and won their next 3. So fine, we’ll give him 3 more games before we start criticizing Bruce. But he has to win them all.
Oh, and Newcastle lost to Hull on penalties.
I think Newcastle lost at home to Huddersfield the week after so lost 2 in first 6. The difference was they won games and didn’t draw many. Bruce is like Mourinho he would rather draw 6 games get 6 points and brag we are unbeaten. Where we would be better off losing 3 and winning 3
Alright so they lost to Fulham and Huddersfield first, and then went on to win 16 of the next 18 games (including cup games). So if Bruce can have that impact, then great, we’ll keep him, we’ll all love him, yada yada. However, it’s not like we’re not expected to lose and put in bad performances, but we’ve not gotten better over 36 league games, and an entire pre-season now that our fans wanted him too have.
I agree we need to sack him. But then who do we get. I can’t think of anyone if the top of my head tbh
john terry
Karanka, Paulo Sousa, Ayestarán, Schaaf, Veh, Voro. Those are just the managers without jobs.
andrew
was oonly joking but knowing what our board have done nothing would surprise me,agree with most your comments ,someone sees it without villa eyes on,shocking today like most of bruce reign ,with all players he is signing bound to get couple right soon
I know you were, that was a response to Oohah.
Karanka lmfao he’s a really attacking minded manager check wiki he falls out with players fans board members basically every man & his dog good call andrew keep them coming
Aw Giddy, you’re getting incredibly stuck up at this point. Though as per usual you clearly aren’t aware of the story behind him leaving Boro. He asked for two strikers. He got Gestede and Bamford. Two strikers he didn’t want. He also thought the players weren’t playing how he wanted and the club showed no ambition. You’re right, he fell out at Boro. But he had his reasons too. Not even you, who… Well… Yeah… who wanted two strikers, wouldn’t accept Bamford and Gestede to try to keep you up.
Paulo sousa 7 teams in 9 years he would be a very slable appointment
Sousa isn’t a manager you sign for stability. He did however start the Swansea campaign to where they are now after Martinez left them, leading them to the highest they ever got before Rodgers took over and he went to Leicester. He’s literally been sacked once, which was at Leicester. He left clubs due to family reasons. The guy’s a great manager. Which is something we haven’t had in how long?
I thought we were alot more solid than last year. Were missing kodjia deffo. Also should have had hourihane and green on instead of elmo and bacuna ( who is the shittest player in our squad) i actually hate him hes that bad. But overall should have wrapped it up in the first half. Missed chances but that will improve. At the end of the day its a draw against a team thats just come down from the prem. The Cardiff game should be a better indicator.
Can’t see us winning at Cardiff. Think they will turn us over tbh 2.0
That’s the problem Adam. Bruce wanted Elmo so bad, yet you don’t even want him playing.
The fact we have to be reliant on one striker, is also a giant problem, one Bruce should’ve fixed 5 months ago, I mean he’s supposedly so good at getting teams organized.
Shouldn’t the team we face be irrelevant? We’re supposedly favorites and we can’t even beat a horrible Hull side at home?
While Wolves, who went foreign, beat one of the actual favorites in Boro at home 1-0? Weird isn’t it.
Thought ELMO was very poor tbh. He also never tracked back for their goal him and Hutton left 2 men free
Atrocious management again by Bruce… once again sitting back in the 2nd half waiting for Hull to come onto us and score. Its the same old ultra cautious approach.
As for bringing Chris Samba on as a forward, I could only laugh. Pressure will well and truly be on if we continue last seasons diabolical away form at Cardiff and Reading, which based on today and the lack of forward options is pretty much a certainty.
Bruce said he knows there’s an Achilles’s heel since he arrived… Yeah, the problem is him.
For me bringing on Samba and playing him up front with a few mins left just convinced me beyond all doubt he really hasn’t got a clue what he’s doing!
The team, squad,style of play or whatever you want to call it has not changed from last season. I find watching villa boring, boring, boring. Do we look like we can kill teams off?. No. Do we look creative ?no. Does Bruce fill YOU with confidence? No, is bacuna a footballer? NO NO AND NO AGAIN.
I appreciate its early, early doors but as soon as i saw the side my heart sank. Gabby up front? I know McCormack face obviously doesn’t fit but any football fan knows he is a more intelligent footballer than flabby. Fulham and Leeds fans will testify to that. Hogan. We don’t play to his strengths. You can see him making the runs but there is no one creative enuff pick a pass out to him.he is a ball to feet player, not a big hoof up front. If You gonna play that sort of footie, play samba up front with him.
How must hourinahe feel as well?. Most assists for Barnsley last year, comes to villa and a young lad on loan from spurs comes on before him. Surely that can’t be right. If his confidence was low, it must be as low as a snakes belly now.
Last point. Lansbury??????. Anyone see anything other than a ponytail????
Enuff said. Night night.
By the way I van villa, promise.
Just weren’t at the races after half time then brucey baby brings on green ( good call) he has an impact and then he (bruce) goes route one with that top drawer quality striker samba up top and has a consequence cuts green out the game.
He’ll be gone by Xmas.
PS. And Lansbury was fooking woeful ( imo).
Lansbury was ok for 20 mins then died a death
Lansbury is very average from what I can see. And as for Bacuna, I cant believe we were stupid enough to turn down a bid of 1.5m!
Hourihane should be starting every game for us! He was best midfielder in the championship when BRUCE signed him. Now, he cant even get off the bench…what is going on?!!
Green was best player preseason and yet gets dropped so Gabby can play. Fair play, he took his goal well, but we were much more threatening when Green was out wide.
Bruce has the players, he’s just using the wrong ones…
He’s using the wrong players because he dosnt know what he’s doing. Every villa fan to a man knew it was wrong to pick Bacuna yesterday but Bruce still picked him
Yeah, Bruce should be sacked because it was his fault alone that we missed all those chances for a second goal.. C’mon, only call he got wrong yesterday was playing Bacuna. It may be 2 points dropped now, but draws aren’t so bad if they are paired with wins, which the game against Cardiff is now a must.
If what maybe could a should a
Played one half capitulated the other, Bruce runs out of ideas and goes route one!
Hardly installs confidence for the next forty odd games never mind a tough away trip to a take no prisoners Warnock side.
But even heading into the second half, we should have been out of site.. Gabby and Hogan could have had a brace each in the first half. The draw was frustrating, even after they levelled the score we still had the better chances to go on and win. 9 times out of 10 Green heads that into the back of the net. I would’ve taken 4 points from our first 2 games, however I would have rather that draw be away to cardiff. That is going to be a very tricky test.
Very tough game next week can see us seriously getting beat at Cardiff 2.0
We still can’t play for a full 90 mins Cardiff will bully us all over the pitch next week. We never beat these so called small teams away from home
What about putting Samba on up front. Desperation springs to mind
Ayestarán, Schaaf sorry but are these managers really being suggested by super cpu expert. like giddy said the first two we know and are both just as shit as we have or had. these two i never heard off. so i googled them. first one last job at valencia won 3 drawn 1 lost 8 i assume he was sacked after that great start. maybe i didn’t look back into his cv nope he managed in mexico and isael
schaaf record is worst if you just take his last effort. managed hanover won 1 lost 10 again i reckon he was sacked or they stopped adding to these wonderful stats.
i haven’t enough time to research the other managers mentioned, but i am guessing they are just as wonderful as the first 4 mentioned. i am all for sacking the manager and tearing down villa park and starting from scratch. but hang on a darn minute, 1 game down lets give the players and manager a chance.
I ain’t calling for Bruce’s head just predicting his demise.
But saying that neither am I a Bruce fan, seen all the sides he’s managed and have never been impressed, he’s never had sustained success or left a legacy at any club.
i am always being mistaken for a bruce fan. which i am most defiantly not. i understand fans are feeling down in the dumps, bad start to season and all. but we need to calm down.
i don’t even want to start trying to work out, who we could turn to if bruce fails. but for changing a manager now. would make a mockery of our club. you can get a idea of our seasons fortunes in the first 10 games. players are still not 100% match fit, new players need time to bed in. the spuds new boy only arrived days before the game.
i was amazed by second half. maybe we should credit hull they changed things and this stopped villa.too hard to judge on one game. plenty more games are just around the corner.
what makes you amazed at second half,hull had 5/6 players making their debut as well as their manager,it took him 20 mins to suss out bruce way,so by half time they had a plan we had pot luck with bruce and explain what hutton was doing on goal line for goal
we had 5 new players playing yesterday. oh i get it. other clubs are fine using that excuse but we aren’t. hull were premiership last season plus wind was behind them second half. as well sun was in our eyes. i should save some excuses for the defeat at colchester on weds
We were premiership dropouts last season means nothing
nath
terry whelan elmo made full debuts thats only 3,elmo played for bruce and other 2 are experienced internationals, 2 of hulls defenders are loanees from chelsea
Elmo was very average no better than what we already have
The problem is that Bruce is a dinosaur his tactics are exactly the same as last year. He has had plenty of games to get it right but he’s doing the same old thing. Going 1.0 and defending deep. He’s learned nothing from last year and Terry us no leader he should of been pushing the defence out. His own game was ok though he was worryingly done for pace a couple of times. Elmo and Hutton were well out of position for their goal. Disappointed in Elmo thought he was average at best
oahahaha my post above, had a touch of sarcasm like all of it. i don’t offer any excuses for yesterday. i thought the sun in our eyes gave it away
oohaah
terry has been used playing with decent players all his career so i dont know what bruce offered him to sign maybe his daughter
chelsea played a zonal marking so terry took up his place except chester went with his man and hutton ran for cover,elmo didnt track back either but the attack came from gabby giving ball away per usual
Agree we don’t defend as a team properly. Terry needs to change his ways then as he must be aware that he cannot mark zonally whilst the tart of the team man mark. Elmo was average at best nothing he did was better than what we already have. Other than he is Bruce’s love child
We gave Bruce 36 games last season plus pre season friendlies and squad is pretty much the same. How much more time do we give him he’s learned nothing
Schaaf had one bad season. Woohoo. I’m not going off that. I’m going off his record at Werder Bremen where he spent 14 years. He’ll never come to us because he’s German through and through, spent 41 years at Werder. Thought stability is what you liked?
You might wanna do a little more research on Ayestarán however. He took over for Gary bloody Neville, that team was so crap it’s not even funny. He wasn’t at fault for them losing. His Valencia side also beat the likes of Sevilla and Barcelona. He’s more of an assistant manager, I get that, mainly Rafa Benitez’s assistant manager. But actually research things, it might help Mr. Bruce’s biggest fan.
Get monk in I’m sure the smoggys are calling for his head
Dean Smith??
i said monk before bruce. but hes not gonna come now hes at bro. i think hes a good call. dean smith done a brilliant job at brentford. he has had to sell loads of his better players. but he has kept them punching well above their weight.
Get real!
FFs FFP means there is no money for sacking SB. These calls are totally absent of our reality. To sack a manager and his team costs millions. Quite simply we don’t have millions. If SB were to be sacked it would be at the end of the season if promotion is not achieved. At this point there would be one less year on SBs contract and as long as losses are minimal this year, approximately £40m could be spent next year on players and a new manager. But I am confident we will be promoted.
The stats from yesterday’s match indicate great potential, far better than last year. I recommend looking at 7500 to Holte blog on the stats. The stats show a team who create sufficient chances to win matches.
As a side line, 5 players made their debut yesterday. Wait for the team to settle. There are still certain positions to have the appropriate fit player back. My only criticism of yesterday was Bacuna playing. I don’t think he is fit to wear the Villa shirt. Surely Reading or another champions league team will put us out of our misery and take him off our hands.
UTV
I agree to a point but we can’t afford not to sack him we have to go up this season and we will get more money back.
thank god for Sidforever bringing some sense and reality to the thread.
He’ll be gone by Xmas ( you heard it here first!).
Hope it’s before that
How the fuck did green miss that header???
hogan missed a few, which you would have thought he could have converted first half .
Even badger would of scored that ffs
Who the fuck was marking the fella who equalized???
Nobody Hutton and Elmo were nowhere near the two men free on right hand side. The ball was cleared out the area and crossed back in and he was still unmarked. Terry was marking space and was not shouting to Hutton to go a couple of yards to his right. Same old shambles
Onomah and samba makes it 5