So what to think here then?
After what I think was a total debacle against Wolves, I’ve decided to let it go and think we should just move on.
I’ve seen it said in quite a few places that we can’t beat teams above us and while at a glance that’s true, I’m not convinced that’s quite fair.
Ok, Wolves beat us easily and they’re not currently top of the table for no reason.
Cardiff beat us quite easily too and they’re currently second.
Reading beat us and they’re currently struggling.
We got a point against Bristol City.
Er, so what’s my point?
Well, while our record looks bad on paper as it stands, all of those games were away.
But if we beat them at home, it puts things in a slightly better light, doesn’t it?
As for the rest of the clubs above us, we haven’t played them yet, so we can’t really comment.
What I’m saying is if we’d played those sides at home and won, we’d be top of the table now, sitting very pretty.
Whilst perhaps not immediately realising that we’d have to face them away later in the season.
Things can and definitely will change over the course of this season and we’ve got some very tough fixtures out of the way quite early.
Which leads us to Fulham. At home.
Where I think this is much more of a “must win” than last week.
Fulham are sat just a point below us and play a pretty open game, with the same sort of threat that Wolves presented, in quick passing and pace.
There’s no doubt it’ll be another tough test, but I think it’ll be a much better representation of our credentials for promotion.
Win this and we’ll all no doubt be happy for another week.
And we really should, as we all know our home record is much better than the away one.
So what do we know?
Grealish, Lansbury, Jedinak aren’t quite ready.
Gabby is injured. Again? Hmm, read permanently out of the frame and rightly so, although expect him to miraculously recover to make the squad against Blues.
Otherwise, I don’t see much changing, except maybe Onomah coming in to give Davis a rest? Or perhaps just an early substitution if the game’s going well?
There’s a very good case that says Whelan and Hourihane are too slow, so maybe Conor will sit it out with Onomah in his place?
I can’t see Bruce dropping Whelan at all.
Taylor is of course, still suspended.
As for Fulham, Ryan Fredericks is a doubt, but Aboubakar Kamara,
Captain Tom Cairney and ex-Villan Jordan Graham are all available.
All in all, we’re very decent at home and Fulham are very decent away, which should make it a good game, you’d think.
I’m going for that home advantage to give us an edge.
2-1, to us then.
And I dread to think of the repercussions if we don’t get the result.
The pressure on Bruce is about as strong as I can recall in recent times. I don’t envy him in the slightest.
Another “fingers crossed” job, I’d say.
But we should be good enough, I hope.
I think we’ll sneak a 1-0 win, that I will definitely celebrate…..
Same team that lost to fulham will play for me – if Elmohamady doesn’t fuck up we could have maybe hung on for a very lucky 0-0. Second goal a result of pushing forward and a definite handball.
Fulham are good but we always get a result at home, – 3 defeats at Villa park in 18 months – 1 defeat in 14 games at home , fact. I think we’ll be okay tomorrow – opinion.
Against Wolves i mean, hung on against Wolves
Must win after last weeks debacle, but we struggle against teams with technically superior players and its usually when Bruce’s non-existant tactical ability get shown up. With that in mind id be pleasantly surprised if we pull of a result
last week we should went 1 up front ,not today at home to fulham bruce still doesnt realise we should not be afraid of any team in this league,defeat today and he has togo
Nope, we should always play a 4-3-3. That is the formation that continuously works for us.
That means playing 5 in midfield every week which is good in some games when we are overpowered in midfield but sometimes better to have 2 up front
Not always 5 in midfield. 2 wingers that should be pushing forward/inter changing. Kinda like Milner and Young did under O’Neill. Something Adomah and Snodgrass don’t do. 2 up front works against teams like Burton but they’re not gonna work against top 12 sides. Don’t think 4-3-3 as defensive as it doesn’t have to be. Napoli are the most attack minded side in the world right now, bar maybe City, and they play a 4-3-3, they just have an attacking midfielder who is willing to drop back.
3-1 Villa meaning Andrew and JV both have crappy weekends.
IN BRUCE I TRUST.
UTV.
Maybe a draw. Good luck with placing your trust in Bruce😟
Good luck in supporting the club. 🙂
Why would I have a crappy weekend as we won? Right…. You actually think I’m happy when we lose. Clueless.
i take it you are langford or one of his 4 amigos who have disappeared after last horror show ,
Oh forgot. Another crap performance whatever the result
HT 1-1
They score at 45+2.
What a choker.
2 – 1 Adomah
Quiet this afternoon 😂.. 3 points up to 5th, having a great season so far, long may it continue.
Good result today and we played well overall. I think it’s fair to say it’s away from home where Bruce hasn’t cracked it. We will be bullied all over the place next week. I would start with Davies as Kodja gets bullied to easily away from home
Yeah It is just the away form we need to crack. It will come though, id agree, maybe Davis and Hogan? With Grealish picking up the knock downs and feeding the intelligent runs of Hogan?
Hope so away Form is the real worry now. I’m not convinced that away form is top 12 let alone top 6
4-3-3 works best for us, especially away. Davis or Kodjia up top, Grealish in behind them. If need be we can take a midfielder off and put Hogan or one of the other two on, but 4-3-3 is still our best formation where we get the best results.
You’re insane, 442 has just got us in to the playoffs with 5 wins in 6 and loads of goals scored- what planet are you on? I think you’re a Blues fan – on here for a wind up.
Seeing we just played 4-3-3 against Fulham and won, you’d as per usual be wrong. We also played 4-3-3 during that run of wins where Kodjia kept us up before getting injured. I know you like to think you’re smart when you make said comments, but you’re not.
Plus, why would I be a Blues Fan? I could pick any team in the entire world… I would have better options. I’ve been on this site for 9 years now, but you keep telling yourself I’m not the Villa fan. I’ve argued with more intelligent trolls on here before.
I’m pretty sure it was 442 or 4411 yesterday. Onomah far too close to Kodjia to suggest he was playing in midfield as he was not next to Whelan and Hourihane who in my opinion were in the centre of a 4 man midfield with Snodgraas and Adomah on the flanks. 433 worked last year when our midfield was shit I will concede. But this year we’ve only won when we’ve had Kodjia and Davis up top or yesterday Onomah just behind Kodjia. Onomah was in the box and attacking far too much to have been part of a conventional 433.
This is what the Birmingham Mail thought, just their opinion but…..”Onomah played almost as a second striker and was the difference”. The article is on the website in the match report if you would like to check the reference.
As a History teacher with an MA in Military History, I doubt you’ve been trolled by someone like me before. Have a great weekend…
😄😃
Interesting debate going on here.
Fwiw, I’d have said it was more like a 4-4-1-1 too.
But I can also see why you’d call it a 4-3-3.
I think it’s more difficult to call now, because rigid systems don’t apply anymore. They’re far more fluid these days.
Onomah was used just behind the striker at times, but was also expected to dig in and help out in the middle. I think he did both well.
It’s almost exactly the same as 3-5-2, which I will always call a 5-3-2 under Bruce, because I know the reason behind it.
And it’s also why the likes of Grealish get slated, because he doesn’t do enough as a defender (!)
It’s more about the intent for me and whatever the small differences in how we think they lined up, it’s fair to say overall, we played with attacking intent.
The point is, I believe a player having “a” position is outdated these days and he’s expected to have a much more “all round” game in him.