Let me say straight off, I’ve never seen first games as really meaning much.
They’re sort of in-between, as not really a friendly, but not really a proper game, where you can judge much at all.
You only have to look at some of the opening day results to see that.
But if I’m going to judge, I have to say that I thought Hull were awful and we weren’t much better.
Was I alone in thinking Jack was playing generally way to deep, to keep him out of any real trouble? Maybe.
I thought Steer had a pretty good game and I wouldn’t blame him for their goal. He did all you could ask in getting the ball away, only for our defenders to be half asleep.
But the MOTM for me was easily Hutton.
He’s the only one that I saw actually drive at the opposition and when you consider that’s not really his job, you have to wonder what’s going on?
Isn’t that exactly what Hourihane was bought to do?
Don’t get me wrong, he does get up there occasionally, but it’s nowhere near often enough.
And although I keep hearing he does the dirty work, I don’t see he does that enough either.
He’s far too anonymous for my liking, as much as the stats might say otherwise. Ok, he got a decent return, last season, but how good could that be if he was given his head?
Elmo produced the goods, but I wasn’t impressed overall.
Kodjia was greedy, yet again, but I’ve previously said I can live with that. But he looks out of sorts.
I seriously suspect he’s just not up to speed and it’ll come back.
And those players apart, I’m struggling to see anyone else as being anything more than total average.
Taylor? Oh dear.
Interestingly, Bruce is just saying that things are going to change, in that we need to go with a younger side.
Which is just as well, because I don’t see the new owners living with Bruce for long if things don’t change.
Hull, as poor as they were, made a couple of driving runs, straight down the middle, that had me thinking “why don’t we do that?”
And there lies Bruce’s problem for me.
His midfields are far too much designed to be an extension of the defence and they offer nothing in the middle.
Yes, Bruce brought on a couple of kids, but they need to be thrown in quicker, as much as I’m cautious.
It’s just that I see the current midfield going nowhere fast, especially against better sides.
Ok, we got three goals today, which is great.
But I just see us as frankly average and Bruce’s defensive attitude will not win him any favours from the owners.
Unless we’re top two, come October, Bruce will be gone.
It’s as simple as that for me.
As much as I think he’s been our best bet in giving us stability during some torrid times.
Duh Bryan
What a crazy summer! With Bryan and McGinn likely inbound today/tomorrow. I would be curious to know who might be leaving in midfield, because I honestly can’t see Gardner or Lansbury getting much game time this season.
Hitch, hope that about Jack not being happy isn’t true.
We’ve had more than our fair share of ‘unhappy’ players recently and, if he’s going to play up, I’d sooner he went now.
Let’s just hope it’s all paper talk.
We’ve had far too many players over the last few years who didn’t want to play for the club and I hope that, whatever happens, Jack doesn’t turn into one of them and end up poisoning the dressing room.
If he’s really ‘unhappy’ I’d sooner he went.
AARGH!!!! Thought it had rejected the first comment as I got an error message about a duplicate comment.
I think he would be ok once over the disappointment being a lifelong supporter. Probably get improved contract as well as promise if move if we fail to get promoted again.
Web site playing up a little Badger. Won’t accept replies and filling in details overwrites the wording in the boxes without deleting it which is weird!
Could someone explain why Grealish is not happy? I thought he was Villa through and through. If you look at it should he stay and we get through no doubt he would mark his name in history, be given the key of the city and remembered all his life. Pongo Warring didnt moan time is on his side, plus who kept faith in his abilities. One more year please Grealish.
Reported that – ‘No move for Robert Snodgrass in this window. Scotland international is staying at West Ham despite loan interest from Aston Villa’
Shame
Bill – this is what’s being said – draw your own conclusions.
Before Sawiris arrived Grealish was told he could leave and join Spuds (whether there were any conditions who knows) but clearly Xia was keen to raise cash. If Levy hadn’t been so ‘clever’ thinking he could knock the price down JG would now be a Spuds player.
Fast forward – Sawiris arrives and wants to make a major statement of intent – Jack boy you’re going nowhere.
JG wants to play for a top 4 Prem side and has been swayed by Pinocchio’s glowing praise for him so now he is disillusioned and disappointed having had his head swayed!
Deep down he wants to play in the Prem for Villa but at 22 we were all impatient weren’t we. Up to Steve Bruce to persuade him to stay and give Villa another season sweetened, no doubt, by a lucrative new contract.
My add on – don’t be surprised if SB enlists the aid of JT who had been hugely influential with JG and has already advised him to stay put.
I reckon JG will regret moving to Spuds now as he will be a squad player and bit part player satisfying the English allocation requirements for the Champions League.
One report is saying that Levy has right royally pissed off our new owners.
Apparently before they came on board he offered Xia £3m plus Onomah for Grealish!
In less than 24 hours we will know our squad minus the loan window which will be a couple more weeks. I hope the stories of Grealish being unhappy about the Spurs snub are untrue or exaggerated. Our owner needs to stand firm now and not back down to pressure. Grealish still owes us more game time IMO. If at the end of the season we are still in the championship, no one will object to him going to premier league. If he forces a move I will look at him like I did Delph as a greedy mercenary who doesn’t love the club as much as we thought. In fact I would be more disappointed because Delph wasn’t a Villa fan.
Cheers Hitch,
My thoughts is ask yourself if money is the big motivation? Ok would I be happy doing a move,? I’m 22 I love my club I could be someone in time to be somebody. Footballers have a short life in the game, he could pick it up at twenty three, I think the future is with Villa now we have billionaires, me I would stay and follow my heart not a agent making £sd. Jack be a martyr stop with the Villa.
OS saying new signing done with reveal at 7.30 – Bryan?
Joe Bryan being unveiled at 7.30? OS site but not naming player
loads to read and absorb lol first off grealish is villa fan and off course he loves the club. but we are thinking like fans not players. careers are over in a flash, nobody knows, when one will end through a rash challenge or fall down with kidney trouble and die. so players who trained all their lives want to reach the pinnacle of their sport, when they are at their best. jack is no different he has a chance with spuds now if he is denied this chance who knows what he would miss out on. this is probably why the kid wants it bad.
on a personal note i would be well happy if he stays, if bruce can sort his head out and get him playing like last season. villa will be promoted for sure.
what i don’t understand is players seem to be signing for us, can somebody post players we signed today and how much they cost, i thought we had no money to spend due to ffp. have they abandon keeping to ffp and accept a fine like a naughty club we are
John McGinn not Joe Bryan signed
Looks like Joe Bryan may be going to Middlesbrough after all – big disappointment.
On Grealish – if he wants to go then I feel we should sell him and make as much money as possible. I don’t care whether he supports Villa, if he doesn’t want to wear the shirt he can go. NO ONE PLAYER IS BIGGER THAN THE VILLA.
just been researching jon mcginn he looks well decent 🙂 well happy and the guy bryan also and then your post alerted me seems like fulham have hijacked the deal but its could still happen, hope he realises fulham is a premiership team for one year and only warming our spot for us,
These Bryan rumors make no sense, but it has everything I’ve come to dislike this summer; Fulham, Spurs, and football agents. It will be a blow if we don’t get him in tomorrow, but at least the club still has Hutton to replace Taylor.