What a strange game that was.
I don’t know what Reading came as, but it wasn’t a football team with any intent on winning, was it?
I don’t know what their plan was, but if it was to try and contain Villa, it failed miserably even before they had Dave Edwards sent off for two clumsy challenges.
It was almost like watching an “A” team playing a “B” team, with the latter being instructed to not really try and the result was the most one-sided game I can recall in years.
It comes to something when their goalkeeper was probably their hardest working player.
Still, Reading’s lack of effort made it look like we were in a training game, where we literally had the run of the park, with plenty of crossing practice thrown in. Which is just as well, as it looked like we needed it.
With the poor crossing matched only by some equally poor shooting and heading, it made for somewhat frustrating viewing and that was the quietest I can recall Villa park being, for a 3-0 win, ever.
Never mind. After us having about fifteen attempts on goal and nearly 75% possession, Bjarnason opened the scoring with a nicely taken strike not long after the restart.
I have to say I marked him as our MOTM, as he worked hard and had much more movement in the middle.
Grealish was a close second, as he pulled the strings.
Anyway, after some more good teamwork, Hourihane scored the second with a glanced header and that pretty much wrapped up the game, which led to Onomah and Kodjia coming on for Snodgrass and Adomah, followed by Whelan for Grealish.
These were good, common-sense changes aimed at resting the starting three, but the truth is I could probably have got on and looked a threat.
Even Whelan had a small dalliance near the penalty area in open play, such was Reading’s lack of intent.
Not that I’m taking anything away from the win, as you still have to get the goals.
Talking of which, Scott Hogan scored the third to make things more deserving of how the game went.
So it’s hard to judge if we played well or not really, as the opposition were so poor, but a 3-0 win is exactly that, which helps nicely with the goal difference and should see us safely into the play-offs.
More importantly, it’s a win, where we can hopefully go on another roll, leading to good momentum for when it really counts.
Happy days, eh?
Looking for a gradual improvement in our play instead of the wild swings we have seen. A close win with a decent performance would suit nicely
i haven’t disrespected norwich i had this down as a toughie along with other three games i said bolton norwich and millwall. norwich are a odd team they can play some decent stuff and they can throw in some awful stuff too. which will it be today
i am going for a win for villa the players now can see the finishing line. cardiffs loss, if a lifeline to us. fulham are fantastic the villa fans say lol who cares they will feel the pressure too. i saw their game at preston and they were lucky then, sheff wed today isnt a gimme. i would be happy if we just got on with villa
norwich 0 villa 3
Horgan leading the line today, same team and same subs. Come on villa make my day.
i thought it was noon kickoff lol i just made my family rush around the supermarket lol for nothing
hogan looked sharp against reading, so hopefully he will get better service today and finally show his true ability, its like the wide boys don’t know how to serve him up chances, grealish has the best relationship with him but he needs to be braver about threading them balls he likes, they are not easy balls to play and you can look silly when they dont come off
I’ve paid for the week on Sky, my account with BT, waiting for grandson and brother-in-law, beer out .Just want that win today, nail bite time coming up. not predicting cause I get it wrong.
Looks like it going to be a long ball day….
Not fighting for that ball again, we got a corner, no good,
All a bit slow paced for me. Not enough running off the ball either. Match is there for the taking if we go for it
One nil…that’s what you get for walking around for 48 mins…
I could see that coming, Dont bank on villa going up , Bjarnason sorry to say not creative enough Grealish is doing his job., a goal down now .
Im sure we can all agree that Norwich deserve their 1 nil lead. We did nothing not a single bit of imagination or desire to move the ball at pace and find the runs of Hogan. Now they will just sit deep and laugh at us struggle to break them down.
Looks like we aren’t up for it – again. Their keeper should have brought a book to read. Ours has had nothing to do until the goal as well. I can’t understand the lack of urgency with so much to fight for.
Apart from the odd handful of games a lack of urgency sums up the season…bet they all rush to check their bank accounts at the end of each month though…
Why can’t Bruce learn? Beat Wolves then with same 11 players flat next match. Beat Reading and same 11 players and flat. Our full backs have wasted possession. Bjarnason good in defensive role and Grealish only spark going forward. Why play two wide players if never get the ball.
I hope the players shove this back at me, but they haven’t even the character to win this one.
Our problem is not wanting the ball, money going in their bank seem the only thing they know, I’ve seen these games from Villa week in and our for years, Where’s Adomah not in the game, Where’s Langbury, not in the game. Bjarnasson the only thing he’s got is long hair.
Is Taylor a footballer
oh dear here we go again. other than the goal which was ok lol i scored them many times asleep. it was a none event. dead rubber villa need to wake the fook up
See how they fight for the ball, we don’t, just walk around, i just down believe our team.
The end…
2 down Grealish gets ball in front of our area looks up just Hogan about 50 yds away….later ball out to wing area…1st time cross …no one there…PATHETIC.
You’ve got to laugh, tactical know how is nil, I feel sorry for all our fans that believed we was ready for the premiership .
No wide men but 3 up front. How can Hourihane still be on the field? SB useless tactician. Dr Xia at the end of the season please get a new manager.
Every game the same…even down to other team just pulling us back all the time……ABOUT TIME…GREALISH…2-1
Norwich were there for the taking early on but the lack of urgency and desire considering the importance of the game baffles me. Taylor is useless and that’s why Hutton is number one choice when fit. Kodja getting more game time is only bonus now.
It just baffles me……the term used to be battles for promotion…not at VP it isn’t. ….more like strolls in the hope
Wofeul defending by Chester then. Put a fuckin challenge in!!
I cannot believe the way Bjarnason doesn’t go forwards he’s playing safe balls backwards, the only player that takes them on is Grealish, we don’t have constructive play just defending all the time.
I said at half time he must fancy our goalie as he was looking at him all half. ..or maybe keeping an eye on Terry as his wife is in the stands…
wishing i hadnt rushed around the supermarket for this. we are going to be staying in this division, which is probably for the best. we lack imagination.
Stopped watching at 2-0 – woeful. No energy, no drive, no passion, no nothing and this against a side that’s lost 3 of their last 5 games.
SB is consistent in one thing, he hasn’t won at Norwich since Noah was a lad!
Over a season we haven’t done enough to earn automatic promotion and if they don’t wake up they’ll be scrapping to stay in the play offs