Well, I suppose if you were a neutral that would be classed as a great game as the play swung backwards and forwards.
But it certainly wasn’t for me.
We were comfortable when we went 2-0 up, until Chester got sent off for clipping the attacker’s heel. It was a soft penalty award and I thought the red card was extremely harsh, but that’s the way it goes.
But that’s all of the allowable mitigation that Bruce gets from me.
We can all recall game where the side with eleven players immediately gain momentum, but just as equally we’ve seen sides with 10 players go on to nearly win games too.
Through most of the second half we looked poor and it was odds on that once Preston had got their first goal, they’d get the equaliser.
And likewise, it looked certain that they’d get a third.
It looked all over when they did and there was a lot of booing and chants of “sacked in the morning” from the fans.
Fair play though and the lads pulled the equaliser back, via a scrabbled goal from Bolasie, which sent Villa into the ascendancy for the last few minutes.
An intentional push gave Villa literally a last kick penalty, which for some reason Whelan took.
I don’t understand why he took it, unless no-one wanted to.
Whatever, he failed to score what would have been a memorable goal looking back.
It would have massively hidden the underlying problems we have as a team too, though.
And while I massively wanted the win, a little part of me wonders if today’s draw is just pushing closer to the sack?
If we’d lost today, the baying from the fans afterwards would probably have made the TV news.
But with us equalising and missing that last-minute pen, the fans (myself included) just seemed somewhat bamboozled and as far as I could tell, complaints were temporarily forgotten about.
I said in the last post that anything less than a win was unacceptable and I still think that holds true.
Millwall next, who I suspect will prove tougher.
Lose that and I’d expect to see Bruce sacked immediately after the game.
Whatever, he has to go and tonight’s game changes nothing.
I’m off to look for Bruce’s comments.
They should be interesting.
Or maybe not.
This might be controversial to some but its my opinion. As much as i love Grealish i think he should hold his head in shame for allowing Whelan to take that penalty. He gives it the big i am and he talks about playing for England and Spurs and the Premier League yet he’s meant to be our talisman, our go to player for a bit of magic that bit of class to win a game on a knife edge..and yet he let a 30+ year old defensive midfielder has been who has an awful scoring record take the penlty before him!!! Why on earth?..Lets be honest Jack has been poor this season and his stats are shit they were last season for someone being touted as a £40m player. This was his golden opportunity to grab the plaudits, send the fans wild and kick start his season and he has absolutley blown it. Shame on you Jack. Whelan confident or not should never ever be the 1st penalty taker in the team. The others are also to blame Mcginn, Bolasie anyone of them could have taken it but Jack more than any imo needs to take the blame for that. Oh yeah..BRUCE OUT!
Whelan ? One goal in 7 years. I know Kodjia, Abraham and Hourihane were off the pitch but why didn’t Grealish, Bolasie or McGinn take it ? I haven’t seen Bruce’s comments yet but, when we failed to beat a 10 man (for most of the game) Ipswich Town team recently, he was quoted as saying “It’s hard to break down teams who are down to 10 men”, or something like that. Funny then that Preston carved us open at will after Chester was dismissed.
He has not got a clue and must go before the chance of promotion disappears in to the horizon.
Adam/Mark,
Don’t forget Whelan was supposed to have been brought in because of his strong character.
Apparently he was insistent that he wanted to take it and I guess he’s not the sort you argue with.
I think we should be blaming Bruce for not telling the players that he didn’t want Whelan to take it, myself.
I really can’t be bothered to hear what Bruce says. He has run out of excuses. I actually thought at the start of the season when new investment came our way and he was able to hold onto our ‘best’ players plus add loan players ‘too good for the championship’ that we would be comfortably in top six, even top two, but let’s face it, all the good work to unite fans and players is now getting toxic again. For Bruce’s own sake if he walked now, he would be remembered as someone who stopped the rot but was lacking in ability to push on. There is a risk that morale will dip too much and players confidence levels so low that we could end up in a relegation battle. I don’t know what the coaching team are employed for. They seem incapable of structuring a team that can play more than 20 minutes a game. I will hopefully see the breaking news on Sky sports news that I would imagine 90% plus are hoping for.
Can anyone seriously see a way back for Bruce after this. I really really wanted him to succeed and thought it only fair to give him another crack at it this season. But it must be time to change now and try something different. Don’t see us making top two under Bruce if he stays for another ten seasons. I think he has lost the dressing room, the fans and most certainly now the support of the board. 3 wins in eleven games is not good enough. New man in after the international break and we start again. We need a miracle to get out of this league this season. Bruce may have had 4 promotions but would never been under the pressure to do it that he has been under at villa. Too big a job for him. Would love Benitez or Rodgers to come.
Chester’s red was very harsh. I wonder if he can get it reduced to a yellow? Having him out for 3 games is going to be tough.
When Ipswich went down to 10 men, I dont think we managed a shot on goal. Preston managed to score 3 and had various other good chances.
Its not good enough from front to back. Bruce has to go now, before we waste another season in the Championship.
Food for thought, whose to say that Whelan also holds a grudge on Bruce, that game to me looked suspicious to me, first half exceptable to a degree but second half we looked bad. I firmly believe something going on at Villa, we look as if we had never played together, Whelan as you all say should never have took that pen. The writings on the wall for Bruce.
Bruce. Go.
Before it starts to snow.
This club will never grow.
With you at the helm. Oh.
Repeated theme – ‘we have the best squad in the Championship and should be walking promotion’ – or words to that effect. We have the best attack and mid field on paper but the worst defence in the Championship so I beg to differ.
Without Chester for the next 3 games, I can’t see us winning one of them.
I still support the call for a new manager but we need a reality check – he can’t do anything about having only one decent defender.
Plenty from SB in the Times report:
“To say it is disappointing is an understatement for a club like this.”
True about the performance – but apparently he was talking about the cabbage thrown his way. What was disappointing – that it was only one cabbage or that it wasn’t asparagus?
“It sums up the society we are in at the moment.” True, if food banks are provided people will use them, whether they need to or not.
“We’ve had some awful decisions.” True, like allowing Whelan to take the spot kick.
” I will battle on.” Thanks but it is a relegation battle now – thanks to your efforts. Steve, you are well past your best before date – like that cabbage.
I’m surprised anyone still values a word Bruce says apart from his media pals who suck up to him at every opportunity.
Lets not forget against Ipswich it was all about “it’s tough to play against 10 men”, now against Preston “its tough to play with 10 men”.
He by his own words tracks Nyland for 4 years and then drops him after a few weeks for a League two reserve in Mark Bunn.
A man who harps on as if a play off final defeat is an achievement.
Words fail me when I hear people describe him as a decent bloke. He is NOT. He’s had a tough year but remains very very arrogant and a man of decency would have stood down over the summer. He deserves all the criticism, abuse and cabbages he gets IMO
On a seperate note, I thought Grealish was pretty gutless not to take the pen. If he really wants to star at Spurs and in the England team / Champions League, he should be grabbing the ball off of the useless crab Whelan and demanding to take the pen. It seems he’s already downed tools and is waiting for Jan to get out of Villa Park. Can’t say I blame him but that for me is bottling it big time.
‘Cabbage gate’ – https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/what-happened-aston-villa-fan-15231270
Perhaps the bloke shouldn’t have thrown it but he makes a good point.
I believe that several onlookers thought Bruce’s head had fell off.
Police hunting cabbage thrower. What a total waste of Police time. Eejits.
Sorry guys – call me old fashioned, soft or just stupid – OK not stupid please but I don’t like personal abuse and, whilst on one hand throwing a cabbage is funny, it’s just not acceptable in today’s society.
Bruce will not be removed by abuse (or cabbages) being hurled in his direction but by a recognition that he has failed to build a balanced squad (don’t buy his excuses), get the team to gel and has lost the dressing room and the fans
Oh happy days
Reliable sorce Bruce gone,. Talk sport .just.
Cabbage appointed as stand in manager after dismissal of potato head
Well that news about 2.7 million must have been his death Warent . I thought last nights game was his last.