I’m stunned.
The first half sounded superb and Tony Morley suggested that the first half was the best we’d played for around two years. Indeed, it sounded like even Westwood, Gabby and Hutton were playing really well and Johnstone hardly touched the ball.
At one stage, it wouldn’t have been a surprise if we were 4-0 up; we were that impressive.
So what happened?
We went in two up at half time and things should have been very comfortable.
Nothing changed when the teams came back on and we retained the same 4-1-4-1 that seemed the best balanced we’ve been in a long time.
Yet we still managed to let them back into it and this surely has to be a mental thing?
Steve Bruce, who I don’t see got it wrong today, even though I feared for us from the off when I saw the line-up, must quite simply be pulling his hair out.
I predicted a 0-0 today and I’d have taken that.
But to have played so well in the first half and still end up drawing?
That’s a massive 2 points dropped, whichever way you look at it.
There are plus points in that we showed that we can do it.
But we have to show more resilience if we’re going to get to the play-offs.
Lansbury looked ok and that’s another plus.
Along with us retaining our home record.
Oh, we got two goals too.
But I’m still massively disappointed.
Comments
974 responses to “Villa 2 – 2 Preston; We threw that away”
I can’t believe i felt so good listening to that first half, yet so deflated as time went on in the second.
Talk about a roller coaster 🙁
That’s what being a villa fan is all about why do you think I hit the bottle
Yes, I suppose you have to laugh Giddy.
Or else you’d cry 🙁
Mate, nearly 60 years of watching the Villa – only surprise is I’m sober at all 🙂
I’ve got a feeling there’s a lot going on behind the scenes, I can see a few new faces coming in very soon. Especially with a no show by RM
Giddy The great thing is that, if we do get Hourihane and Bree and whoever else in soon SB then has until Jan 31 to get them playing together.
Almost as good as a winter break.
Serious point Badger – I agree that we just haven’t shaken off that losing mentality and the fans have it as well. We go two up and I say to the missus – we’ll not win this and I suspect I’m not in the minority.
An odd ein here and there isn’t going to change that – we have to find a way of winning consistently so I, for one, hope that SB can deliver that by addressing the imbalance in the team thus window. As OLL commented we also need to ship out more of the players that were part of last season’s debacle.
Yep, Hourihane and Bree in, RM gone and surely another striker coming in.
Gabby played a blinder today, yet still doesn’t score.
He’s done nothing to change my opinion of him, which is a shame seeing as surely all any fan wants him to do is bloody score.
What I find very worrying though, is that we are looking to pick up two players from Barnsley.
Not that I think they’re bad players.
It’s more that it demonstrates there’s still something massively wrong at the Villa, from top to bottom.
I mean, Barnsley??? (no disrepect meant)
How can their players be better than ours when you look at the resources available?
They shouldn’t be Badger SB considers they are which either means he’s wrong or it reinforces the awful transfer and contract policy that has been endemic within the club for several years now.
If we didn’t fully understand the terrible aspects and legacy of Learner’s ownership, We are beginning to fully realise it now.
Well we’ve all been saying that there was something wrong with the team all season and I think that the word ‘unbalanced’ was used a lot. RDM threw money at the problem and mostly in the wrong places.
If Bree and Hourihane are the answer then personally I’m not worried if they come from Timbuktu FC
Let’s face it Dele Alli came from MK Dons, Vardy from Fleetwood and (more my time) Ian Wright played for Dulwich Hamlets! Even Barnsley look like a top flight club compared to those.
Yes, good point Pat.
As for those saying Bruce and Xia out, well I’m not even going to comment.
I see bree & hourihane are playing tonight
BBC Radio WM twitter –
‘Ross McCormack not fit – disciplined by the club for his attitude and for continually missing training. #avfc’
Get rid ASAP
That shows he’s not happy where he is, it’s not worked out for him I for one expected big things from the guy.
Unbelievable.
Wtf is going on down the Villa, where we continually pick arseholes?
I don’t believe RM has shown this sort of attitude before and again it seems to demonstrate there’s something massively wrong.
Fortunately Bruce has done his nut and said he won’t stand for it.
I wonder if this might be why he’s going down the road of looking for more down-to-earth types?
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-ross-mccormack-feels-12488480
We don’t arf pick em
I wonder if he’s continually been fined?
He ought to be, but I doubt it, seeing as it goes through players association and we normally get to hear.
Bruce has given him chances too, which surprises me.
What a wanker RM has turned out, yet I always thought he was a good professional.
Confused,com
Another massive loss of money coming up, I guess 🙁
Bruce ‘there has been too much indiscipline at this club for too long and I won’t put up with it’. Too bl**dy right and with all due respect RDM was a soft touch as well.
Bruce is going to need all his managerial experience to sort this mess out and the absolute least he deserves is the full support of the fans. In some ways I can see why Gabby has been rewarded with a place if he’s responded positively.
If Fulham want McCormack then they are welcome to him.
Glad that SB is chucking his toys out of the pram with regard to RM. Arses need kicking at VP and I hoped when he came that he’d bring his size twelves with him. Personally hope that RM takes his fat arse back to Fulham.
SB is not just having to deal with improving us football wise but to somehow overcome the cancerous negativity that’s riddled our club from top to bottom
I think he’s the man to do it but we can’t expect miracles either.
Will Fulham be put off now after more than likely hearing this??
Probably not Giddy.
I’ll bet he hasn’t moved house and is pissed off commuting to BMH when he can’t get a game.
Who was it who made a point of wanting players to move local when signing?
Whoever it was had a point.
Hitch, the word was RDM rarely turned up for training at WBA.
You can bet your boots it was the same at the Villa.
How can you run anything if the gaffer doesn’t even bother?
Any outfit has to have discipline, as much as none of us like it.
It seems to me indiscipline courses through the club’s veins.
And agreed, Bruce needs support in stamping it out.
Ps I think at his previous clubs he knew he was guaranteed a starting place if fit, maybe this has now become a wake up call
oh, Hitch.
It’s why Westwood plays too.
Good pro and all that.
Hourihane looks a decent player. more importantly hes different to the midfielders we have. dead ball specialist.
the cheesey right back is it bree. he is a maybe. has speed strong tackler and header. but hes not the finished article. he was always supporting the winger and going past him,
It’s all well and good moaning about only bringing in players from Barnsley and the like but surely we all have to accept that,apart from being able to stump up the over inflated transfer fee and wages, we are not in a position to attract Premier League players who would only look upon us a a step backwards in our current situation. Not only that,we need a championship type of player who has the right attitude and work ethic to graft and help get us out of this bloody mess. When we are back in the big time,then we can start complaining about only attracting players from smaller clubs
So couldn’t care less where they come from if they are better than the dross we’ve got and had, I’m still looking for that player that plays for the shirt on his back, plus loyalty to the club and team mates, in today’s world its money money money, I’m pissed off losing that game being two goals up, I’ve yet to study what the he’ll happened. I think he’ll get it right given time, then who the he’ll out there to do better?
i just seen our goals. i must say our first goal was very fortunate. gabby definitely fouled their goalie.
Poor game management from the team yet again. Heads dropped as soon as Preston got their first goal, and from then on it was a matter of time til the equaliser. Grealish in particular was diabolical today and often escapes criticism i find. Hopefully the signing of Hourihane pushes him out the team.
Have to say though Johnstone is a completely pointless signing, looks no better than Gollini and instead of developing our own player for the rest of the season, we’re developing Man Utd’s. With Mccormack now seemingly on his way following the fall out with Bruce, the forward line is going to need more surgery than expected
Badger you make a valid point about Westwood and Hutton the same. Whatever their limitations as footballers are It seems they are real pros who always give everything they have. We should never underestimate the value of these who give it their best shot.
If what’s being said about McCormack is true then he’s a disgrace – we don’t need players like that at Villa.
I’m seeing talk that RM’s missus recently left him, which might go some extent to explaining things.
Even saw a rumour that he was seen in the Warriors at Kingstanding tonight.
I’d find that hard to believe though. In Villa’s heartland??
If true feel for the guy but he is paid to do a job and needs to act responsibly.
Either this is the expanded version of what Bruce actually said or a not very funny joke;
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/why-ross-mccormack-missed-training–9669525
Reporting it as far away as Ipswich….Ipswich, Australia that is –
http://www.thesatellite.com.au/news/aston-villa-coach-like-a-bull-at-a-gate-after-excu/3134404/
A grown man ‘trapped’ inside a 4′ 6” fence who’s getting paid more in a week that most of us earn in a year.
I think a lot of people find it hilarious….I don’t
And still no hint about Jedinak being missing.
Surely it’s not a similar case?
According to Mail its a groin injury and he’s had injections –
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-steve-bruce-reveals-12488723
Pity we might have won had Jedinak been fit.
Just read the full transcript of the press conference and, as usual with Bruce, he does hint at the underlying problem. ‘He (RM) thinks the team picks itself’ – the implication being that RM is behaving in a petulant way because he is not starting regularly. Surely the answer to that is to prove the manager is wrong in not picking you rather than sulking and missing training?
Cheers Pat.
Hitch, I’ve got to be honest and say I’d probably have the hump with Gabby starting before me. But I’d make sure I was in good condition, so the gaffer wouldn’t be able to use it as a reason.
Very unprofessional and he should never play for us again, imo.
gabby is starting by default. we are down to the bare bones in experienced strikers. RM has only himself to blame. if the guy can not turn up for work, why should he be picked before a guy who does. the manager picks the team on numerous things. ability has to be one but another must be effort. if you put more effort in making a bad excuse. than exactly turning up. you don’t deserve to be a great club like villa. fook him off build a 4foot 6in fence around vp
I’m beginning to wonder if some players cause this unrest, we’ve had it in the past and has it started again?, a manager is paid to run a team, if he gets it wrong he’s the one that gets his arse kicked, no player should think I’m better than him, its team work and being as one that makes a football club.if RM thinks he’s better get him out because he will lay blame.
Any transfer news?? It seems RM is stealing all the headlines. If he’s narcissistic he’ll be loving hogging the limelight even if it’s for the wrong reasons
Giddy – had a quick scout about and nothing particularly new that I can find. One interesting little side line was a suggestion that Barnsley have upped the price for Houlihane from £1m to £3m which may have been the stumbling block referred to on Friday. Problem of being Villa I suspect plus Barnsley having seen us pay that amount for Lansbury who was in the same contract position as Houlihane. Comments all round suggest that he’s still coming though.
Bruce says ‘2 or 3’ close so I would think that’s Houlihane plus Bree and a striker (Ashley Barnes?).
The Mail had a small side line suggesting the Rhodes deal might not be as dead as recently suggested by Pat Murphy.
I really must try and spend my days more profitably!
Cheers hitch I hope we don’t start quibbling over a couple of mil for hourihane the lad can take a decent free kick something we’re lacking. If we pay 6 mil for lansbury & hourihane that’s gestedes fee so not out of pocket get em in