I attempted my usual drive up the A38 to work at six o’clock this morning and only made it as far as the Horse and Jockey in Sutton, before I decided that I was being stupid and headed back home.
The roads didn’t look like they’d been gritted at all and the thought of going down the hill at Weeford frankly scared me.
Hence I really would advise against driving today, as the roads are lethal.
Anyway, it means I’ve got a chance to post my thoughts on yesterday’s game and frankly they can be summed up as “disappointed”.
We really ought to be beating a side that is barely in the third quarter of the league; especially at home and we just can’t afford to be dropping points like this if we’re to challenge for the play-offs.
As is often the case of late, I didn’t see or hear anything of the game as I was stuck at work, but by all accounts we were very poor. The stats would seem to back this up, with us only having one shot on target against Millwall’s eight.
Now, we can all have off days, but that frankly isn’t good enough is it? And that’s not bias of any kind, it’s just pure fact.
It says a lot that Johnstone was head and shoulders our best player and not a single other player came out with much credit and I really don’t know what else there is to say.
I suppose you can look on the positive side and say that at least we didn’t lose, but I’m not finding much comfort in that, especially after we’ve dropped a place to Derby. Continuing the positive vein, at least they’re only one point ahead of us now that they’ve used up their game in hand.
But what makes yesterday so disappointing is that on paper, it was the easiest fixture we’re going to have for the rest of December, with Derby (A), Sheff U (H), Brentford (A) and Boro (A) coming up.
I really don’t see many points there, do you?
The lads are really going to have to dig deep.
Which is pretty apt, as it happens, because I’m looking out the window and seeing 4 inches of snow, with the forecasters saying we have another seven hours worth to go.
If you really do have to drive today, be careful out there.
Comments
82 responses to “Villa 0 – 0 Millwall; Oh dear!”
just watching the reading game. you see differences between them and us. one noticeable difference is how hard reading work with the ball. their players are moving constantly to give the player with ball options. not saying we don’t do this but i am saying saturday we never we didnt work with and without ball.
is that the managers fault i don’t think so, i think its the attitudes of the players collectively and brining in a supporting striker or attacking midfielder to play the lone ranger role wont make them work harder. its a recipe for another shocker of a result
Reading 2-0 Cardiff! I told you so! Millwall draw a point gained!
joe bennet scores where have i heard that name before
2 2 draw status que or as you were
They are faltering though- we’ll catch them
they are all faltering including us. that was one quality i thought we had guts and stamina, i hope last saturday was a blip. quicker terry returns the better too many bad habits are creeping into our game good night jon boy
http://timesofoman.com/article/123678/Oman/Muscat-Football-Academy-forward-Tariq-Al-Sadi-signs-a-three-year-development-contract-with-English-C
i don’t make the rules up. their are reasons why goalkeepers are usually bigger players than say those under 6feet. same with target men. they are usually bigger players. if your 5feet 8 and you have 2 or more 6 feet plus defenders breathing down your neck. you are not gonna be able to get a hold of the ball to show your silky skills. what the game davis has skills too but half of what he is doing is fighting of defenders, players like vassel or other smaller skrikers do not play up against the defence they drift out wide and deeper to collect the ball and RUN at defences. we need a target man to build up play BIG difference. we have plenty strikers they can play second striker and not many who can play the main role of target man.
havent got time to explain the basics. but you try to pass the ball along the floor through midfield to your small target man, chances are that ball will be cut out. iam sure they could change the style of play to complement the smaller striker. but i doubt we have the players to change this style. so most balls the target man will get are high balls he has to control and fight off defenders and then try keep possessions lay it off or pass to another player. not forgetting to try get into the box and score. the players you are all suggesting are knocking at the door but as support striker. next idea why don’t they shove them in goal get some experience of 1st team
I wasn’t suggesting we drop Davis for either of the young players. On a previous thread I suggested that Davis needs resting (which he does), but when Hogan got injured after Kodjia that option disappeared. What I was suggesting, maybe poorly, was that O’Hare and McKirdy should at least be on the bench so they could come on to give us some forward presence if Davis was tired/injured. It would also give the option of playing a support striker/attacking mid which we clearly lack. That would help us retain the ball as Davis shouldn’t be so isolated, which he clearly is. That is a tactical change though. Not Bruce’s forte. He’s far more likely to put Samba up front. Of course, if the players aren’t even on the bench that option isn’t there.
To look at that further, Davis is isolated because we get so many players behind the ball, and don’t play from defence, and instead too often hit the ball upfield to Davis. I think that’s coaching and tactics, not that players like Whelan, Hourihane, Onomah, Snodgrass can’t play that way.
Thanks for the lesson in tactics though!!
Worried that Hogan will play to rest Davis – thus giving us no one to hold the ball up. Jedinak and Whelan in centre mid for me against Derby.
The only problem with Hogan is he is far to intelligent for this team.
Give him someone who can spot the clever runs he makes and gives him the service and he’d score for fun, like he did at Brentford.
Whats the chances Bruce goes mega defensive against Derby, and for the 1st 60 mins we play hoof ball and by that time were 2 goals down??.. i can actually predict with some certainty that will happen! I hate myself being negative but thats the way i see this game panning out. Please Bruce PROVE ME WRONG!!
glad you enjoyed the tactic lesson, but it was just my observations, i watch the games and i used to play it, so you pick up shit, my comments or rants wasn’t aimed at yourself. anyways it matters not what i say or believe, if ppl want to believe in fairies that’s their life.
i disagree with your comment on why davis is isolated. i think you will find onomah is not that good at this role of supporting davis. he drifts too much and when davis is receiving the balls onomah is too far away. grealish i think is the better supporting striker. then i think ohare and mckirdy both would do well at this position as well . why onomah is getting picked for this role ?? can only be a clause in contract he plays if fit. i think onomah could play the role, but he has not done well so far. he would be suited with a role further back,
hogan can play the lone striker he has done at brentford, but he isn’t gonna hold the ball up like davis, but he will offer more of a goal threat. he loves attacking of defenders shoulders. where davis is happy with his back to goal. B6 is right is saying hogan is too clever, he makes very intelligent runs., grealish would pick out his runs. i love to see davis hogan but doubt that would happen.
again what the fook i know. last time hogan played was in the 2 1 sheff wednesday we started two up front. but wednesday smashed us and hogan didn’t get a sniff. if we do play without davis we will have to change the whole dynamics. couldn’t see that at this part of season.
Peterborough 4-2 up, looks like them in the cup.
5 now, that’s going to make us think, they have goal scorers in the team.
Seems Ulloa and Nakhi Wells are our first two choices to bring in on loan.
Find it funny how the media completely misjudged Villa fans and their opinion on Onomah. Most of the media claim he’s been great, but whenever they posted twitter comments from Villa fans, they seem shocked that Villa fans don’t think he’s actually good.
As for Peterborough… 10th placed League One side scoring on a 12th placed National league side should be the least worrying thing of the season. Very much should be giving some youth a chance against them, as well as starting the likes of De Laet, Bjarnason, Elphick, etc.
And I agree with Nath. Starting Hogan would rely on us not relying on someone holding the ball up. It would rely on someone knowing how to make a pass to a player attempting to get behind the defense. We only have one player that can do that and that’s Grealish, who needs to start every game from now on. While that would completely change the way Bruce would have us playing, it worked for him with Abel Hernandez.
bruce will probably go with davis but he looks knackered – i’d love hogan to come good – but i don’t think he will for us – ooh look at me being negative!
think we need to play – johnstone – elmohamady for his crossing, elphick because he doesn’t become a bad defender over night, chester and taylor – snodgrass whelan because he’s the irish iniesta jedinak to make us solid adomah- hourihane behind davis as they linked so well against norwich and we haven’t played that way since strangely – grealish at the moment hasn’t done enough to suggest he can be anymore than an impact player – not yet…
A chance to see the young guns at Villa tomorrow, tickets £4 kids, £1
Coventry City fans are hoping to turn out in force to support the club’s Under-18s who face Aston Villa in the FA Youth Cup tomorrow night.
For some of the Sky Blue Army, it will be the first time they have returned to Villa Park since City were relegated from the Premier League back in 2001.
And there will be one noisy spectator ensuring Andy Crabtree’s boys get a thumping good welcome on the night, the Ricoh Arena’s resident drummer from Block 14 in Singers’ Corner.
“The Under-18s have taken time to adjust this season but they are a good young side and they deserve the support,” said season ticket holder Nick Robinson, who believes there could be up to 500 away fans making the short trip down the M6 for the clash.
davis does need to be rested and does need to be eased into the second half of season. so getting a replacement like ulloa would be so beneficial to are promotion and davis would learn the ropes from him. davis has been brilliant but he is getting found out more and more, teams are marking him out as danger. they surrounding him and lately the back up for davis is not fast coming. he has been holding onto the ball too long.
grealish has come on and played the onomah role and looked dangerous. against wednesday we were weak all game. grealish introduction with ohare changed our game. grealish found ohare with a nice through ball inside right. ohare crossed and samba scored. against millwall grealish came on again in the onomah position. he striaght away got close to davis. he was again looking to thread through balls. he his looking to beat defenders. and he had the one shot in the game i think. grealish is our best attacking player. he has the ability to beat the defenders with quick feet. he can pick out a forward pass. he will get close to davis or whoever is the forward.
i worry about the millwall game i saw worrying signs our shape was wrong and work rate both with ball and without was not good. leadership was lacking. jedi is vital we lacked organisation when the shit hit the fan against leeds and millwall we had no answers against millwall they out worked us and had better organisation. two attributes i would have said we were the best in this league at. i hope that millwall game was a wake up call and they now work and take all games serious
predicted villa side for weekend. not mine on the news page
they got us switching to 442. davis and hogan up front. i myself wanted this formation since hogan arrived. but last time we tried this was the wednesday game. it never looked like working. but the formation wasn’t the reason we was mauled on that day.
davis wouldn’t be so knackered if he had another striker sharing the load. what makes it hard for him is doing all the donkey work, plus trying to get onto crosses.hogan should benefit from playing off davis as will davis benefit with hogan closing down defenders and his pace will automatically stop the derby defenders from pushing high.
i think the defeat to wednesday will haunt bruce and he will keep the same formation, onomah will continue as support. i think he can play this role. just he not managed it yet. the position is new to him and he is drifting to the ball and this leaves davis stranded. if he can work with and near davis. be more direct and when in range shoot or think forward passes. he could play the role. i personally would drop him and stick grealish in. but call me deluded i would go with davis and hogan 4 4 2
Young guns beat Coventry 2 -1 , live on Birmingham mail live football.
any decent prospects for us to keep a eye on bill
Fast game Nath, names escape me due to commentary, but the captain of Villa scored the two goals, one Nath from 25 yards and it was a cracker, he was midfielder and have to say Villa played some neat football, the centre forward was a black lad and I believe he was French, in fact 3 of them lads are foreign,
Good football though and pleasure to watch.
Colin Odutayo got both goals, Dmitri Sea was our striker. Both signed over the summer due to our improved scouting. Other than those two, though Odutayo looks the brightest, Jacob Ramsey is going to be a quality player. Those 3 could do very well for us in the future.
http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/football/match-reports/aston-villa-under-18s-2-14035788
If you wanna read up on it.
Apparently we’re interested as well as other Championship teams, in Peterborough striker, Jack Marriot. Apparently they want around 2.5m and he’s scored 17 goals so far this season. Not sure Bruce would be willing to take a risk on a 23 year old who’s played for Luton Town and Peterborough so far in his career.
Bruce has apparently been in lengthy talks with Steve Rounds about transfers in January, Ulloa seems our number 1 striking target.
definitely going up if we get ulloa – would be great signing