If I’d had time to do a preview, it was going to be something along the lines of “well, we beat the Tykes 3-0 on their patch, so surely we can expect the same today?”
To then counter that it just doesn’t work like that and anything was likely to happen, because it’s the Villa after all, isn’t it?
I saw via my phone during a smoke break, that we’d gone one up after just five minutes via Scott Hogan.
And that was the last I heard/saw until I was driving home and listening to WM on the radio, where to my delight I found we’d won and Hogan had got another, along with a third by Hourihane, very ably assisted by some incisive play by Jack Grealish.
I feel I should hold my hands up a little here.
It wasn’t so long ago that I said I couldn’t see Scott Hogan ever scoring many for us, as although I thought he makes all the right runs, so we don’t play to suit him.
Likewise Grealish, who I’ve acknowledged is a cut above anyone else we have at the club, yet I never felt he’d be the right player for Aston Villa and would be better suited elsewhere.
Well, that’s now two good games on the trot they’ve had, with Hogan now scoring 4 in three games and Grealish apparently pulling the strings again.
It’s seriously beginning to look like I might have been totally wrong on both counts and long may it continue.
I guess I’m just fickle.
It’s the same on my views of Steve Bruce really and my opinions will vary depending on how we’ve performed and more importantly, the results we’ve got. After all, the latter is all that counts, isn’t it?
Which yet again, just goes to show what a funny old game it is.
How long ago was it that we were 10 points off second and all looked doom and gloom?
I said last week, that we were beginning to look in a very decent position and with Wolves losing and Derby drawing, we’re looking even better today.
My point here is, that although I’ve blown hot and cold with regards to Bruce, so I’ve consistently said that I believe he’s the right man for us.
As it stands, I can’t see anything changing my mind, even if we fail to get promotion this season.
If we do fail, well, that’ll be another story.
I gave my Derby workmate some abuse/banter about the Bristol City result this morning and when it stopped, he admitted that in his eyes the race for second is now between Derby and us.
What was more interesting, is that when I pointed out that Derby have a seriously bad recent record of running out of steam in the last couple of months, so he conceded that I was right and it’s a worry.
I also temporarily have in my midst, a couple of Smoggy supporters, who after a very brief conversation, seem quite knowledgeable. Plenty of room for a bit of banter there, I reckon, which is great, because I love it.
Not much else to say, except all us Villa fans will no doubt be very content for this weekend.
Well, I’d be a lot more content if I didn’t have to work tomorrow; but we can’t have everything can we?
I’ll take automatic promotion as compensation, ta very much.
Please let it be so and we worry about being in the Prem if it happens.
Of course, I’m too long in the tooth to take anything for granted, which raises another point.
I heard a Wolves fan slating his club for having a monster pre-game fireworks display today, where he felt like they were celebrating without having won anything and maybe slacked off.
It’s a good point. While we’ve done nowt yet, so we need to keep the effort at 100%. Which Bruce himself suggested was a bit of an issue today, where we were also a bit slack and apparently let them back into the game too easily.
This is the part I like about Bruce and what makes him the best bet currently.
He’ll let them know we can’t afford that, in no uncertain terms.
And there I think I really have finished, although lots of thoughts/possibilities are streaming through my head.
Enough.
Well done lads and Up the Villa!
Oh and well done you people who have kept the debate going in my absence.
That’s the whole point of the site, where any stuff I chat is only meant to raise a few points.
It’s great to see you all move things on and update each other, as well as myself.
Cheers.
So based on the info in the post above and the fact that Palace now have 4 players registered as loans does that mean that Ulloa is indeed on his way to Villa Park?
Or have I ballsed up somewhere?
UTV
No, I think you’re correct B6 (at least about Ulloa not going to Palace) but I still don’t understand how Palace appear to have 3 loan players registered at the same time unless one of their existing loans has now been terminated. All very confusing!
Because Palace only have 3 players on loan. Mensah, Loftus-Creek and now Rakip. Meaning if they wanted too, they could get a foreign loan still. Not sure who people think they have on loan other than those 3. Technically they can’t get Ulloa on loan do to having 2 Premier League players on loan, but that could change if Loftus-Creek goes back. With Rakip being a young center midfielder, that could likely be the case.
european loans are seperate
Dr Xia’s latest Tweet, love or hate them, has number 24 so it’s probably date when something will happen or could be a squad number. Either way it’s all speculation and I won’t believe anything until it’s official.
Conspiracy theory: 2 and 4 equals 6. Six rhymes with sticks, as does Dicks, Julian Dicks played for West Ham. As does Andy Carol. Carol is a girls names as is Tracy. Tracy Pew played bass for The Birthday Party. Nick Cave was also in this band and is very tall. Tall people have to ‘crouch’ to get through small doorways. Another very tall person is non other than ‘Peter Crouch’!!!! You heard it here first!!!!! Back at The Villa!!!!!
De Laet to Royal Antwerp Football Club on loan in Belgium.
I like it Bum Bum, but do we play the high ball in our game, I’ve alway like Crouch but it would be a strange move.
Aston Villa’s chairman was at it again on Twitter over the weekend. Whilst he has previously posted much harder emoji-filed ciphers, this was one was quite clear – Villa were on the verge of completing a signing on the 24th.
Rumours about players arriving at Villa Park in this window have been plentiful. However, in the past week the focus has narrowed in terms of the targets for manager Steve Bruce.
Couple that fact with Dr. Tony’s tweet and fan reports such as this, it seems a good bet as to who will be joining Aston Villa in the coming days:
24 in Dr Xia’s tweet is obvious. It’s the name of his favourite TV series so we are going to sign a player named Bauer. Three names pop up on google, Patrick, Robert and Moritz. Think i’ll go back to my sudoku. 🤬
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-42781778
And on the plus side, Bruce said he won’t give up signing a striker even with Hogan’s form.
Wyness admits that Agnew came in and has become the attacking coach. Doing a lot of 1 on 1 time with each of Hogan, Murphy and Davis which has proven to pay dividends for us. Agnew should have a say on who we bring in if he’s going to be the one working with him as well as Adomah, Grealish, onomah and Snodgrass. Colin’s is the defensive coach, and Clemence is the dressing room coach. Not sure what a dressing room coach is, other than maybe bonding the side together. Gotta wonder what Bruce does then.
Bruce is the manager and not a coach. Not all good managers are good coaches and not all good coaches make good managers. Manager does what it says on the tin and manages his staff (coaches and players). All needed parts of the jigsaw. That’s my view on it.
See Wyness has said what we all think about FFP – so he’ll probably be ‘dragged over the coals’ for speaking the truth.
Agree with you Tekkers but can’t help wondering what a ‘dressing room’ coach is – perhaps he’s the coach coach as well! Any way we’ve looked a much better side since Agnew joined – coincidence – I think not.
I’m not sure about the dressing room coach thing. Maybe it’s more Bruce’s eyes and ears in the dressing room. He seems to be Bruce’s right hand man and more assistant manager than coach. If we keep winning they can call him whatever they want. Winning is becoming a good habit of late and long may it continue. 18 Cup finals to go!!!! UTV.
“Steve is a very gifted coach and he focuses on the attacking side and the movement of the players in attacking formations and individual performances,”
funny they hired a attacking coach and the MOVEMENT, where did i hear that before. thats right i think i mentioned it once or twice and got ridiculed, i got replies like what do i think of this ??? nath i am not as clever as you on football. not like i understand condescending remarks like that. i only expressed my thoughts on the matter.
since the middlesbrough game. i have witnessed gradual improvement on this side of the game. also on shape of the team without the ball and pressing. but they still not on par with a few teams in the league, but its a damn sight better than before the new coach came.
managers do not coach the team. well not all off them. some might have a hand in bits of coaching depends on how hands on they like to get. so when we played long ball before. it wasn’t that the team where being programmed to hit long and pass back to keeper by our dinosaur , it was lack of movement and effort displayed by our team when put under pressure. they just folded
I think its been obvious for years weve all recognised it. Why its never been properly addressed is beyond me.
Anyone for Markovic? Not me!
tick tock still no signings to moan at. looked like the bullshit about palace and ulloa have died down,
Still wouldn’t worry me if no signings were made unless there are any outgoings of course. De Laet going out on loan is a good move for player and club when he hardly gets in the team anyway. Barring another injury crisis we have cover for any position now and without cup games we should keep money in bank for worthwhile transfer activity in the summer regardless of what division we are in.
Aston Villa concluding Axel Tuanzebe transfer with Manchester United
47 minutes ago on Aston Villa news.
i disagree with the majority on this guy. my mates who have seen him recommend him. i have also seen clips of him and they are right he is strong and fast. he can also pass and looks a sound loan.
i don’t think hes coming to play centre back.but he could easily step in if terry got injured. he is as good as our defenders as he is now. i think hes gonna be playing the role shielding the defence. they say his reading of the game is immaculate.
1 hour ago, Ulloa is still on the cards for Villa, but might be a last minute signing.
If he signs Tuanzebe you would expect a clause in his contract to ensure he plays otherwise why would Mourinho let him come? If there is a clause to ensure game time who will be sacrificed? He might have plenty of ability but it will be Man Ure who benefit from this in the long run. We should re-name ourselves as Man Ure Nursery FC. Brucey helping his old club.
Agreed.
I’ve never been a fan of loans, as it does us no favours whatsoever, if we don’t have a signing clause.
Short termist, to say the least.
I don’t see as much in our kids as some do, but i’d rather they were tried first.
If you have no money and wanna go up/stay up (us and Sunderland are two good examples, neither have money, both can only look at loans, both could still use players). Going up with Axel on loan just to go back to United is much better than us staying down without him. Obviously I don’t think he’s the player that’s going to send us up, but would you rather stick to 2 goal Davis, Murphy, and 3 good game Hogan, than loan in Ulloa?
I agree Sulliman should get game time, but he won’t, so Axel wouldn’t be bad. I’d take him well ahead of Samba.
omomah has a clause in his contract. thats why spuds manager has been outspoken on deciding whether to recall him. but the truth is onomah is not as good as we have in his position, grealish is miles more productive, but this utd player is better than what we have, or is no worse. chances are terry will pick up another injury somewhere in the finishing straight.
i cant see a problem, if the kid plays and improves us. if your the opposition where is the villa weakness. i will tell you, its in behind us and straight down the middle of our spine. the iceland player has played 1 game in the holding role oh and a half that doesn’t make him a expert. he would be the same gable as this utd kid. but in that role i would pick the kid over him.
just a matter of opinion.
the holding role / jedi injured every game he plays hes out the next 2 or 3 months. whelen is probably the best at the this role, but has made errors in vital periods of games. but his good works is usually ignored or not seen. only his blunders. iceman played very well, but are we going to put all our chips on him ??? thats a big ask and risk. hes not a natural holding player, his positional skills will let him down. he is not a natural defender.
the guy holding that role has to cover full backs that go forwards, he has to fill in at centre back, we are going to play harder games than barnsley and they found loads of space in second half
i want our kids given a chance BUT some are not ready, why cant we accept that. if our kids are ready to play. they would be playing. mckirdy has gone out
on loan. you really think if he was championship ready,another club would not have snapped him up at a higher level??? sulliman is the same if hes not championship level. our kids have potential, but some are just not ready now.
why does it matter, that a player doesn’t belong to us and might improve himself playing for villa. helping villa to win 100 million guestimate amounts of money back to the big time.
it matters not who owns the players that get us up. if our loan players help us get promotion and improve themselves. everybody is a winner