It’s a funny old game indeed.
Just when everything was looking really bleak, so we get a superb (but awful quality) win at Middlesbrough and then cap it with a 5-0 trouncing of Bristol City.
Apparently it was our biggest win since we beat Sunderland 6-1 in April 2013. That’s some length of time and probably shows how poor we’ve been in recent years.
And make no mistake we did trounce City and it was a pleasure to watch, with us applying strong pressure over a very sustained period, which simply proved too much for the visitors.
Where on earth has that come from after some really turgid performances over the last month or so.
Whatever, it makes a really nice change to not have to point the finger at Steve Bruce today and I think about my only criticism is in asking why he didn’t get the kids on earlier. If you can’t give kids a go when you’re three or four goals up at home, when can you?
Of course, O’Hare and Murphy did get on eventually, but I’m just saying…
There were some excellent performances today, notably from Hutton, who linked well with Adomah: Hogan, who I thought looked sharp, Snodgrass who got two goals and looked for a third and particularly Jack Grealish, who grafted his nuts off to good effect for once.
He looked every bit the player we all think he should be and he pulled the strings for an excellent Villa performance.
What was most noticeable was that sustained effort, which I didn’t for one minute expect us to keep up.
If we could keep playing like that, we could walk this league, that’s how good our performance was.
Talking of which, we now sit fifth, just five points off Derby in second.
If we’ve had our bad run, how encouraging do things look all of a sudden?
And the bonus, for me anyway?
AVTV works fine via a paid-for VPN.
Very happy days.
Comments
131 responses to “Villa 5 – 0 Bristol City; It feels good to be a Villan today.”
Very surprised how little Bristol offered, but I think we forced that upon them.
I’m on the beer after that 🙂
Their keeper didn’t help their confidence second choice keeper
I don’t think that had much to do with anything myself.
That was just a great performance, imo.
I’m over the moon, i streamed the game and we was excellent in ever corner of the game, to tell the thruth it could have been 8, Grealish played a big part in the game, Snodgrass today was up for it., Hutton should be well pleased with his contribution to the game, you’ll hear no more from me on Bruce I give him 10 out of ten on him looking at the kids at last.
I reckon it was Agnew that’s made the difference Bruce has never played expansive football in his life till today. Great performance and even better we kept it up for 90 minutes
What a fucking surprise- a 5-0 win over a 4th place team and no one is chiming in. Only happy when they are moaning and Villa are losing. Home results against the top teams will be the key and we drew with Sheff U and then thumped Bristol C 5-0. It’s us versus Derby for second place, the rest are fading away. Our record against the top half sees us with 5 wins from 11. Forest and Barnsley next two chance to get on a run! By the way we won 5-0 enjoy it dick heads! UTV
We have also halved the gap to 2nd from 10 when we had play Derby to 5. Any thing else to moan about?
First 20 mins we looked tired and a bit out of sorts. Hogan’s goal changed the game annd we looked class from then on. I could not fault anyoneone today as they all played extremely well especially Grealish, Snodgrass and Hutton but I would like to single out one player that has come in and done well and that is Tommy Elphick. UTV
Nice to see you come back after we win, and nowhere to be found when we dropped out of the top 6.
I like to chime in and be positive, we were 7th after Boro and I chimed in. Never stopped believing look at the last thread after Boro.
No your doing quite well.
It IS bizarre how this forum is so much quieter after a win than a loss. I thought it should be the other way around.
Cracking result today, absolutely buzzing. Next 3 games this month Forest away, Barnsley home and Sheff UTD away. No reason why we shouldn’t be able to get at least 7 points from those games.
Massive credit to Bruce. He knows the division like the back of his hand and hasn’t once panicked or thought he weren’t the bloke for the job, unlike most fans who moan, panic and want change if we lose 2 on the spin.
I think Bruce has done a fantastic job given what he walked into.
Hope he plays the kids in the cup on Saturday because most of the team that has played over the festive period deserve a break. Now is the time to give it to them.
Well played lads, you done us proud.
IN BRUCE I TRUST.
UTV
I suspect that’s a lot to do with the expectation that Bruce talks about.
We simply expect to beat most clubs in this division and if we do, there’s not as much to be said.
Which explains why Villa fans are quick to moan if things don’t go to plan.
Otherwise, please don’t bicker lads. Not after our best result for four and a half years
Let’s just savour the moment!
i thought your write up was good again badger. balanced and correct
Who’s bickering?
Brilliant result. Cup game next so do we keep a winning team or rest players who played today? Normally I would always keep a winning team to keep the momentum going, but the league is priority so Bruce will have to mix it up I think.
Just a quick mention on Tommy Elphick. What a first class professional. He’s been an absolute model given the way his career has gone since he signed for us.
I for one hope Bruce keeps him in the team. It’d be extremely harsh to drop him given his performances.
No one’s chimed in? Go read the other thread. It was booming with positive vibes on the win.
First time the players were allowed to play football, most looked free. Keep with the team, keep allowing them to play freely instead of a try not to lose type game.
Definitely with B6. Play some of the kids in the cup. Give O’Hare, Murphy, Bree some game time. Allow Bjarnason to show what he can do. He does it for Iceland, no reason why he can’t do it for us. Freedom gives these players the confidence to put in performances like today.
Agree on Tommy Elphick. Never heard him moan about not playing and playing superb when picked. Doesn’t deserve to be dropped because Terry is eligible.
i don’t know how bruce manages to dress himself each day. seeing how he can’t manage to pick his team or tactics, without on-line posters knowing better.
i thought we played good and without any help from bruce. happy new year
adios
lee johnson gave a good interview. villa fans mocking them and bruce flicking the ball all over the gaffe. he was correct in his analysis. city played wolves and gave much more effort than villa mustered against boro. with no pressing in that game it was played in first gear.
first 20 today they were good, hogans goal broke them. but they still went after us until the 3 or 4 goal went in, they still worked their arses off. this was the first game i seen villa work like that, they got everything they deserved.
it would have been different game had they had more time to recover from a really hard game with wolves.
After the first goal, was the best performance under Bruce by a mile. We actually played some decent football! Who would have known that if we stopped hoofing long balls, we may actually be a good side!
The Front 4 were all excellent and Jedinak/Hourihane did a good job in behind them. Grealish MOTM again. Nice to see RHM and O’hare get some time on the field too, couldnt have gone much better really. Weird, because the first 20 mins were as bad as the previous few games.
Be interesting to see who we bring in now, as Elphick has shown he is capable of partnering Chester, so maybe we dont need a centre back. If we are only playing one striker, we have Hogan and Davis to choose from, plus RHM so do we really need another striker? I think Johnstone should be our priority, and if he is our only signing then so be it.
Missed the game today as at New Years Dinner with no internet. What a fantastic result. Not sure how it happened but have always felt the players were good enough to do this. Big question is whether this is a one off or the start of some better performances..
Injuries and sickness may yet prove to be positives from negatives and solve some of our (short term?) FFP challenges in the January transfer window.
We now know we have more than decent cover at left back in Taylor and at CB Elphick moves well ahead of Samba and can ‘spell’ Terry. We have cover for Jedinak and the mid field now looks strong enough with adequate depth.
Priority is to find £4m to sign Johnstone on a permanent and move on Richards after that do we need to (can we) strengthen with loans?
Bruce recently said we should be looking to buy a striker, but we can’t do it.
Hence I’m struggling to see how we’ll be able to buy Johnstone.
Also, as chuffed as I am after last night’s victory, I’m under no illusion that our midfield doesn’t need strengthening.
If it doesn’t perform, it’s frankly useless, imo.
Finally, it seems Bruce only makes the right changes when things are forced on him and he’s being knocked for it.
Personally, I don’t mind that, as I think a manager being somewhat lucky is a necessity.
Badger we could still take out an option to buy SJ in the summer when we will have more money especially if we go up
Or not, if we don’t go up.
Would you chance it and wait if you were Utd?
Depends how much they want the money, I reckon.
Although, that said, he’s certainly enhancing his reputation with us.
Which come to think of it, might mean he’s worth more.
He’ll be 4m now or 4m in the summer with just a year left when summer comes. It’s pointless to buy him now. There are plenty of keepers that can do the job if we fail to go up and Johnstone leaves. Hell, we have 1 already in Steer. Other positions like striker are a much bigger necessity than wasting 4m on Johnstone.
Also, you know how Bruce and Xia operate. We supposedly had no money over the summer and only wanted 2-3 players. We signed like what, 6? And are spending big wages on half of them, plus sign on fees for Terry and Samba. I wouldn’t doubt if Xia has some money to spend without screwing up with FFP.
I would be amazed and gutted if Johnstone ended up at the Albion, would make no sense for the player. If Onomah goes back, meh. Bruce has been extremely luck recently with the players he wanted pick, Whelan and Onomah being sick or injured and this has allowed Elphick and Grealish to continue to get a run of games and thrive. Jedinak in midfield whether starting or off the bench to hold a lead usually ends in victory so hopefully he won’t get injured again. I’m a fan of Whelan but I accept that you can’t play him and Jedinak.
Bruce said that Jedinak is key as it allows Hourihane and Grealish to get forward and I agree. One striker doesn’t matter if supported by those two and the wide men. In terms of goals and assists Snodgrass and Adomah have been ver y good. Hopefully we have a team now- when even Hogan and Bjarnason score surely it’s a good sign! UTV
Wouldn’t be all that surprising for WBA to want Johnstone. Is he worse than Foster? Not at all. I know the media claim he’d be wanted for backup, but with how Foster’s playing, I wouldn’t be surprised if Johnstone started there. But Xia and Bruce confirmed he won’t be leaving so that seems unlikely.
Bjarnason has hardly had a chance. Even as a sub, put him on the left wing with 15-20 to go and he’ll do something.
Well, the Express and Star (I think) have reported that Johnstone has told friends that he’s going to Albion and Bruce has basically said “I hope not”, so I wouldn’t be so sure.
I won’t be massively bothered either way, as Johnstone is decent and upcoming, but he isn’t a Schmeichel, as yet.
As for Bjarnasson, meh.
Regardless of his well-taken goal last night, he’s a squad player at best, imo.
Agreed on Johnstone. He’s a good keeper, as I said he’ll be a top Championship/lower end Premier League keeper, but that’s all he’ll ever be. A Ben Foster, which he’ll make a great living off of. But there’s plenty of keepers that can play in the Championship. And while Elphick has proven we may not be forced into getting another center back, we still need a couple players.
And you need those. Squad players can change games around. All teams have them and Bjarnasson can get goals for us when he gets time, but he needs more than 5 minutes to do something. Chelsea have Batshuayi and Willian, City have Bernardo Silva, United have whoever when fit, likes of Lingard wouldn’t start if everyone was fit. Liverpool have Chamberlain. Bjarnasson obviously not on par with any of them but he’s good enough.
Michael J Edwards @MichaelJEdwar14
@Dr_TonyXia can you put the fans at ease regarding all the Sam Johnston rumours
@Dr_TonyXia
Just like all stories to fill with newspaper space. He will be with us, hopefully we go up then he will be permanently. I think Villa is his fortunate place..
Bruce claims we won’t be signing players early in the window, and being we’re after loans, it’ll be closer towards the end. But we’re in for 2 players currently. Plus side, we only have 4 games. Boro in the cup, away to Forest, home to Barnsley and away to Sheffield United. All spread out by a week. So the team can get rested.
Andrew, to me that’s how I see it, all this about Johnstone leaving is just paper talk, as for Albion he would be stupid to contemplate a move to them at anytime as they might drop, it sounds common sense to me loans will possibly save us money and buying comes later.utv.
Just to let you all know the loss of a ex Villa player Alan Deakin who passed away today, i remember him as a solid defender and a skilful player, RIP Alan condolence to your family.
Yes, RIP Alan.
I worked with him at Metro Cammell (how times change!) for a few months and he was a genuinely nice bloke.
For those younger fans –
Deakin signed for the club as a 15-year-old. He became a regular in the side during the 1960–61 season and collected a League Cup winners’ tankard at the start of the following season. He broke his ankle during the 1964–65 season, but recovered to skipper the side for the 1966–67 season. Deakin also played for the England under 23 team.
Deakin left Villa Park for Walsall in 1969, having made 231 league appearances for the club and scored 9 goals. He went on to play 50 league games for Walsall before moving to Tamworth FC for a further 2 years of football then retiring in 1974.
On retirement from the game he became a welder. He lived in Aldridge in the West Midlands and played a number of times for the Aston Villa “Old Stars”. He died on 2 January 2018.
RIP
I disagree with Andrew about the ease of replacing Johnstone. You build teams from the back and a change of keeper would be disruptive. But Villa don’t have any say if a deal is struck between his ‘owners’ and a cash buyer.
This hiding was a game changer, it was against a team above us in the table and I think you have to go back to the last century to find Villa putting 5 past a side higher in the league.
I am pleased for Bruce – he deserves a change of fortune. But I still think he is not choosing players on the basis of who’s right for the job, but who’s left for the job.
While yes, you build from the back, and keeping Johnstone is obviously the best deal for us. However, plenty of teams change keepers, and while mid-season is much more difficult, there’s plenty of championship quality keepers one can get to replace him.
Spending what little money we have, if we have any, which I believe we do, on Johnstone would be a waste when we need a couple players elsewhere.
We would be a lot lower in the league and maybe the manager would have gone if Johnstone hadn’t saved us on many occasions so find it funny that a lot just say it doesn’t matter if he goes.
We also could be higher if it wasn’t for his mistakes at the start of the season.
No one said it doesn’t matter. It however should be a lesser priority in terms of spending what little money we have. If we get in the necessary players on loan and have 4m to spend, I’m all for signing him up permanently. And I already pretty sure said it’s in our best interests to keep him.
I would rather we didn’t take any more loan players, assuming Bruce would look at fringe premier league players, for the reason we shouldn’t be nurturing or adding value to profit parent club. (such as Johnstone or Onomah) it’s always a catch 22 in they are doing well, and Man Utd will potentially sell him to someone else for £4m, when Jed Steer could have realised the same potential. Onomah on the other hand has been average at best, barring a few games, when O’hare or Doyle-Hayes could have been picked, whilst some have questioned whether there is a play when fit in his contract. He has already said he wants to go back to Spurs so kick him out now if possible. If there is money for Johnstone on a permanent deal fair enough. Hopefully Hogan can realise his potential now Grealish is back to assist him. Davis and Hepburn-Murphy provide competition while Kodja is out. Just wish we could offload Gabby, Richards and McCormack to create funds but they will sit on their fat arses getting paid extortionate amounts rather than show ambition of playing again.