It was just so typical Villa, wasn’t it?
Almost one step forward and two steps back.
How can you whup Wolves the way we did and then get beat by a mid-table team, with nothing to play for shortly afterwards?
I commented in the previous thread replies that I was disgusted, but that wasn’t true. It was pure frustration and disappointment that made me say it. And I regret it.
What I don’t regret thinking though, is that Steve Bruce and his tactics were to blame.
We kept banging in highish crosses in front of a big defence and it was obvious it wasn’t working. It never looked to me like it was going to either; check my comments.
Grealish played well and ran our game, but he was pretty ineffective because he was played too deep.
I think he should have been pushed further forward, but what do I know?
And so, after doing so well against Wolves, we shot ourselves in the foot during the most important race we’ve had in donkey’s years.
But while this particular result seems particularly bleak, so, as daft as it sounds, I don’t think it’s all bad, on reflection.
We had to end our excellent winning run sometime, although I totally accept that it would have been way better to do it against a “better” team. But just as we’ve lost one, so I’m fairly confident Cardiff will lose one too. Likewise Fulham.
And if Cardiff don’t, it wouldn’t have mattered anyway, would it?
Looking for the positive, maybe that will prove to be the kick up the backside that keeps us on our toes.
What’s encouraged me is that Bruce has come out and blamed himself, hence deflecting it from the players.
I think it’s good management in that sense.
But he also cites the reason that we should have changed it up, for 3 or four pairs of fresher legs.
We all know that’s rubbish, as it’s never been what Bruce does or has done at the Villa, at least.
I still go back to the tactics and not the personnel deployed and the very valid point has been made that how would winning, dropped players feel if we’d still have lost?
Aren’t some of us thinking Bjarnasson is feeling hard done by?
So the only solution is to immediately bounce back and beat Bolton soundly on Saturday.
After all, It should be pretty straightforward shouldn’t it?