This was yet another strange game.
We walked the first half and looked totally in control, even though Sheffield took the early lead.
I remained totally confident, until the home side seemed to get their act together and were all over us.
I thought Whelan was not at all suited to the way we were playing and Green seemed ineffective. Until he put that cross in for McGinn’s very nice take.
Which shows what I know.
So 1-1 at half time and I thought we were well worth that and should have led, even though we never had many shots on target.
The second half and Sheffield looked a different side and much more threatening.
It seemed we were struggling to contain the onslaught and I was blaming Whelan at the time, as he did very little right today.
Taylor still looks lightweight to me, even though he made a great tackle at one stage. He just always looks out of position to me.
So while we were being battered as the game went on, injuries were ocurring throughout.
Which had me thinking that given the really fast early pace of the game, it has to be down to fitness.
I thought both sides looked tired as the game went on, but obviously we had the edge, which sounds about right if supposedly Bruce doesn’t put the emphasis on fitness.
Given the balance of the game, I’d have called it a draw, but the fact that we got two goals in the last few minutes, tells me we either are much more fitter, or possibly just have the winning mentality.
I strongly suspect it’s the mentality.
But it’s combined with the fitness.
That, plus the fact that we have very good back-up in reserve.
Which is exactly where Steve Bruce should have positioned us,
regardless of what he says about our financial position at the time.
I’m wondering how he ultimately managed to make such a mess of his time at the Villa.
Fucking have that!
Do we still have any doubters?
What a game, Minns had a stinker first half but God made up for it second. Great win.
Saw the 1-1 score on the BBC website… Then refreshed it and 2as totally confused!!!
Wow!!! Wow!!! Wow!!!
Amen Bill.
A few beers and I’ll write something.
Chuffed to bits with that performance.
Well I’m in heaven, I thought at times we was going to drop points, they was all over us in the dieing minutes and we looked as if its one of them games, Ming was getting it all wrong at times a gave away a penalty but as you know it was saved. Classic Change in subs again bringing on Adomha then Kodja fresh legs helped us to over come their defence. Well done the lads,.
Win ugly when not at your best – top marks to Deano to see that one of his team’s can do that.
We have awesome firepower and a defence growing in confidence.
Rotherham a potential banana skin but a play off place is now ours to lose.
UTV
Rotherham is NOT a banana skin.
Think positive, Hitch 🙂
Bananas are not PC at football any more Hitch. The replacement trend – set today in Scotland – is a coconut thrown onto the pitch.
You can take that any way you like – proof positive that global warming has reached the frozen north, or a subtle racial slur that Big Brother doesn’t yet recognise.
Rotherham a potential Bounty.
Bl**dy hell – does that mean bananas no longer have skins? So Rotherham is now a Brian Rix risk like Leeds at Birmingham today.
I really can’t keep up with PC – appararently I’m no longer male as I’m not allowed to put myself into any specific category so I must be TGMFBSLHG something 🙂
Resilience! Second half against Blackburn and second half against Wednesday. There seems to be an added toughness within the team, added by Mings mainly but all of them have stepped up when needed. Next up Rotherham who beat Forest today but we beat Wednesday after they were eleven games undefeated so we have to believe we can get the 3 points and 7 out of 7! UTV!
Things I wrote on FB and shouted for all within 100yards were….
Worse match/football I have seen ever…repeated all through match….
why does everyone keep falling over and hold match up for ages then see the sponge and walk off O.K…
whens the Ref going to sort out the Grealish killers…
was that a pass ( El Gazzi straight to goalie whaan 2 of ours were running in)…..
stopped booting the bloody thing up the pitch…theres no one there….
have we got in their area yet…
YES YES YES YES…..
HA HA YES YES HA HA HA…..
Yes I AM that bloke you don’t want to be near at the match….LOL
Cant believe we won…or they lost that match.
BTW…the worse – or best …penalty I have seen since the Whelan one…
Can’t help wondering if that was the sort of scenario where Steve Bruce’s Aston Villa would have settled for a draw? Brought on Jedinak to shut out the game at 1-1?. But Dean Smith’s Aston Villa bring on fresh attacking legs in Kodjia and Adomah and go for the 3 points. Nuff said!
Defnitely, BFR.
And it’s why Bruce wasn’t good enough for us, given the resources over the last few years,
You can’t spend the money we have and not play to win.
Don’t know what others think – but I reckon that we’ve gone from a decent squad who win on a good day/lose on a bad day, to a squad (who can still lose)- but we can win on a bad day too, like today – and on a good day we blow teams in this league apart. Almost the same players – but a MASSIVE difference.
Mings and Hause make a big difference – aggressive defence that can command their area.
I think this could be a better team than the one we had before we were relegated (apart from we miss Ashley Westwood of course who’s been banging them in for Burnley again today)((sarcasm emoji))
Nobody’s mentioned Jed Steer. Is it a coincidence that the run started when he came into the team? Remember how many point we lost directly through poor goalkeeping in the first half of the season? We’d be clear in the top 2, probably top, if it wasn’t for that. A strong goalie is as good as a 20 goal a season striker. People may remember Cantona won the league for United in ’96, but Schemeichel had something to do with it too!
Good point BFR.
And another negative for Bruce – loaning out a perfectly good goalkeeper.
You are right, but simultaneously Hutton has gone from the RB position, and IMO he was another liability when defending. New man sees players differently and proved his points today to the old man.
That’s a fair observation OLL. Elmo has certainly stepped up to the plate after some indifferent performances earlier in the season
Did anyone see Tammys signal to the crowds after scoring his goal, he pointed to his chest, then to the ground did a heart shape and it looks as if he’s not going anywhere but Villa. I just cannot stop watching repeated video of the game. I also could see how Grealish ran the show for Villa and Barry Bannan for Sheffield, good job I’m still taking the tablets I have to the way Villa have come back from not having the chance, to getting the chance for premiership football again. Roll on Wednesday.
Wolves were unlucky today. Strange substitutions and sitting deep allowed the comeback. Mind you, after last seasons constant digs at our expense, it’s fair to say ‘Mind the Watford Gap’
Didn’t look like the Wolves of late, thought they got tired quick and no enthusiasm from them, 2 up and loose it in the dying minutes.
Villa under23s beat wolves 1-0 .Wolves are second in the league and Villa are now 4th .
I was away for the weekend and checked the score at 90 minutes and then thought, oh well, a draw away isn’t bad. I couldn’t believe it when I saw the final score later on.
Is this going to be our year?
So Blackburn do us a favour but the Baggies lose. If we win we go back to fifth.
Anyone feel that the Baggies are beginning to blow up?
Bit topsy turvy for Baggies but reckon they have enough points.
Are Derby going to do their habitual fall away at the end of the season?
So still three or possibly four vying for two play off spots. Need a win tonight and a draw on Saturday would do us.
UTV
You can see just how tight it is in and around the two remaining play off spots. Middlesbrough right back in the mix and they’ve only won 1 in like two thousand games, sheff wed still not out of it either, looks like we were just a minor blip in the late surge. Derby look like their crumbling but again one win and they’ll be right in there. Baggies might just allow that 4th spot to be obtainable if they lose their next match.
I mean have you seen the bloody table, anyoneone all the way down to Swansea down in 13th have a chance if they put a string of results together (highly unlikely though of course)!
It’s for us to lose it. Thank fuck Bristol play derby. I think we can allow for one draw and one loss in the remaining games, that’s about it, anything more will be critical.
Would tend to agree Hitch, but still think we should go for the win on Saturday. We will, of course, Smith always does, but we should never settle for a draw.
Absolutely BFR – wasn’t implying we should ever play for a draw
I predicted they’d fall out of the top 6 after they sacked Moore. Unlikely, but it could still happen until the last day. There are teams literally queuing up to get in there…
We just knew the baggies would bottle it, didn’t we?
Absolute must win tonight, always was though. And then Saturday is cup final material!
Why have I got a bad feeling for tonight? Ah Yeah, coz it’s the villa.
Squeaky bum time lads. Coyl!!!
Totally agree, apart from tonight. Bristol winning last night will have reminded the manager and the team (if it was needed) that there can be no slowing down.
If I was in Smith’s position, I’d be telling them to get out of the blocks quick, build up a 3 goal cushion asap, and then take off Jack, McGinn, and Tammy to save some energy for Saturday, which is, as you say, cup final material. We should smash Rotherham tonight to make a strong statement, then expect the real 12th man to kick in on Saturday, not the bullshit one that gets tetchy when things get a bit tough. The team has fighting spirit, no doubt Let’s get them over the line on Saturday!
It’s the games everyone expects you to win ………….
Is 5 our lucky number?
If we win we go into 5th place, 5 points ahead of Boro with 5 games left to play.
Also another 5 wins would be nice!
i cant believe i predicted the last two score lines and gave you guys a placed horse in national at a massive price. bloody ungratefuls well at least i won some on the horse,
Rotherham needing points will be a blessing tonight, otherwise they would have built a wall across their goal line hoping for a nil nil. i can see them coming out and making a game of it. so the score tonight will be * * or * *
note from last game mings missed place a pass and almost let in a owl striker,great covering by hause. mings made up for tha rare blunder by a excellent LONG pass to green,who cut it back to mcginn. that has to be one of the great team goals this season. we have had loads of individual brilliance but this is a collective goal to match. a major reason why we are where we are now.
your slacking again badger no write up / three strikes and your off. bristrol saturday its big one, almost guarantees the playoffs when everybody said it was madness to dream