I seem to have said that a few times lately, but it’s true isn’t it?
It’s got to the state that if we drop any points, it’ll be a massive setback, because there are too many teams that are more consistent than us.
I was really hoping we’d have had at least a couple of outfield players in for this game and the fact that we haven’t is disappointing. I’m not going to get on the club’s back about it, as we all know deals aren’t easy, especially when the clubs don’t want to let them go, as is certainly the case with Lansbury.
So we are where we are and it’s as simple as that.
We can bitch and moan, but it won’t bring them in any quicker and we can only judge at the end of the window, in my opinion. Although sooner rather than later would be vastly better.
So the first thing that comes to mind again is the midfield, isn’t it?
We’re desperate for reinforcements and only have two that are….
You know what I’m going to say, so I won’t bother.
I’m concerned though that a gutless, none creative midfield is going to be going into a Derby game run by one of our ex-managers.
The omens aren’t good.
And then, where are the goals going to come from?.
I’m getting even more repetitive, aren’t I?
I know, but it’s the exact same weaknesses that manifest themselves every game after all.
Which goes back to earlier, where I really thought we’d have got some in quicker. Not so much on Bruces’s part, but certainly the likes of Round, who’s had half a season and can surely see what we’ve seen?
Squads then and on Wolves side, they have Romain Saiss away at the African nations, but Ivan Cavaleiro and Prince Oniangue are both back. Mike Williamson played last week after a long term injury and might feature again.
As for us, nothing’s changed although we can go into the game knowing that we’ll have what looks like a decent goalie. A goalie who might prove to be our most important player over the next couple of games.
You’ve probably worked out what I’m thinking and you’re right.
We have no midfield and an attack that doesn’t score.
It doesn’t take much working out, does it?
I can’t see us getting anything out of this at all.
A derby, when we’re not playing well and lack everything that’s required to win a game?
Wolves to win by two.
I can’t even raise myself to go for the draw.
The only hope is the game can’t be as bad as it was against Spurs, surely?
Here’s a proposal.
Sod playing canny. If we don’t look like winning at half time, there might as well be a major change in formation and we should go for it. Preferably with the kids going balls out, where we’ll really see how good or poor they are.
After all, we all know that if we go one down, we’ve no hope of winning a game, the way we’ve been trying up to now.
So why not try something different?
Bruce won’t do it though, because he knows what will happen.
No review from me tonight.
I need to mull things over.
When Hutton’s your MOTM, there’s something very badly wrong.
We need players in NOW!
Having said that Badger, you and quite a few others on here – me included – didn’t expect anything different. Not one shot on target – says it all really.
Fuck me, back to feeling depressed again after a match. Is Lerner back.
We would have been better off under Di Matteo. I’m not even joking.
Chester and Green the only players that showed up tonight, the rest were an embarassment.
i blame hutton and lambert
but honestly we were second best. wolves deserved the win. our play with the ball is shockingly dire, pedestrian passing speed and no cutting edge. we pass back to the goalie to huff it. that was all we had. the two up-top did nothing. mccormack missed our only chance i can remember. 12mill to 15m million and can’t scout from 5 yards out, from a wonderful cross amavi. our only real clear chance, we didnt deserve anything. well done lambert
Wolves would have been out of sight if it wasnt for Hutton and Chester….I said many a time that if Lambert had been given decent funding we would be far better than what we presently are. What a waste of £50 million! BTW, McCormack is far too good/ intelligent for this team(no one is capable of picking out a killer pass for him. We desperately need at least 2 midfielders in this window. FFS Hutton was our only threat going forward all afternoon apart from one Amavi cross!
Got to say well done to PL and dont judge Bruce until he buys his own players….and he needs to do that pretty sharpish. Ditch Gabby and Bacuna….they are not worthy of the shirt IMO.
lambert signed bacuna and gave gabby his long contract ,plus moreless told keane to do one over gabby
Did you deliberately forget Benteke?
The new Heskey I was right about that too
Even a broken clock is right twice a day!
mcleish had him scouted ,joe cole sendeross richardson bowerey luna tonev sylla dawkins kea bacuna holt bennet kozak cissko steer okore jesus lambert could pick a player
I did think Okore could of been good but his injury finished him. Other than that the rest of the players were dross and we were about 8 years too late for Cole
Can someone explain why footballers cannot trap or control a simple pass from a few yards away…every time it just bounced off them….or is it just our team. ..
Just us
Good summing up Langford. As I said before our problems do not stem from our RB – there are much bigger challenges in mid field and neither is the solution in playing youngsters in this side.
We (Dr. T) made a massive mistake in appointing RDM and then giving him a load of money to spend. Now, I suspect SB is having to rebuild with a lot less money available and very few saleable assets.
Lambert never played the kids at the villa.
Bought dross instead of promoting youth.
Played players out of position albrighton (of he got a game) centre of midfield.
It is a myth he had no money. A lot of teams finished above villa who spent less in his reign.he moaned how bad it was yet signed a new deal.
Gave average players long term deals. We are stuck with gabby no goals.
Fair play he won today but at villa he was shit.
Why do successive managers play bacuna who offers nothing.
I hope bruce gets the chance to build his team if it takes a year or two in this division so be it.
So shit he kept us up without funding….I just wish we were still that shit because we were far, far better under PL not to mention a division higher
Without funding are you kidding!!
Lambert in his tenure on average was the 9th biggest spending manager in the prem. To me that means we should have finished 9th not just above the drop.
Badger123 did the stats some time ago and it is correct.
When they get together at Bodymoor Heath and work on tactics, I always think It’s like a bedroom conversation between Dougal and Ted.
An all time low getting beaten by a team managed by Lamberk! But don’t worry we will pick ourselves up and go again
not far wrong with gabby as mrs doyle instead more tea its more kfc
Fuck me it’s got to be bad if we’re now singing lamberts praises ffs
Exactly says it all. Bruce should hang his head in shame after today. Losing to Lamberk and picking gabby and Bacuna. Bruce has lost the plot like all managers before him
Steve bruce team next season in championship
JOHBSTONE (if signs)
X CHESTER BAKER X
X X X GREALISH
X KODJA
It honestly looks like they have never played together before.
Twice this season Wolves have played us off the park. I have no idea how they are below us in the league.
There isn’t one Villa fan that wouldn’t say (How I not like that) its a shame that in a memorable day like today Villa didn’t show passion, Grayham forgive them for they know not how to play.
We haven’t had a single impressive performance under Bruce yet, very concerning. Obviously this season is finished now but i have no confidence based on the performances since mid October that this team and management structure can get out of this division. We’re going to be stuck at this level for a long time IMO at best
I know – let’s all blame the manager. Tell you what let’s sack him and get another one in so they can fail with the same poor unbalanced squad of players. I mean he’s been in the job for far too long already!
Bruce cannot be absolved of blame. Nobody can deny the midfield needs strengthening desperately and that the options atm are woeful but the forward situation IMO has been handled very badly.
Bringing back Gabby and expecting him to compensate for the missing Kodija (and to a lesser extent Ayew) was a very naive mistake as its common knowledge he is finished as a footballer. What has he done to repay this faith since coming back into the fold…. absolutely nothing as expected.
And like him or not, selling Gestede and not having a replacement lined up is also a poor move as we didnt even have a real plan B on the bench.
Dr Tony must be in despair, having spent 50m in the summer we are struggling to compete with Preston and Barnsley. Says it all
Agree Villain1. Getting rid of Gestede was poor management imo. I actually rated him and he’s def better than McCormick and gabby put together.
Nobody is suggesting Bruce should be sacked, this seems to be a very typical response from you should anybody dare question Bruces tactics or decision making.
Villain1 is spot on, Bruce should not be absolved of all blame, he has made some very questionable decisions, and i do not understand why you resort to the same petulant response everytime somebody dare say anything negative toward him.
don t worry guest hitchens thinks hutton is a footballer
Good point guest
Well that failed at an attempt at irony 🙂
Nottingham have sacked their manager, now what.?
Rowett will be their manager and he rates Lansbury so that deal is dead
He is out of contract at the end the season. Can forest match villa financially.
Everythng is about money and in the championship with Xia Villa are a big fish.
Our problem is when a prem club comes on with an offer.
I don’t think Xia is that rich tbh. He won’t be able to compete for the top players if we get back to prem. But like you say in the championship he’s a big fish in a small pond
On what I witnessed we simply lack players with the ability and/or the heart – same old same old.
Must have been sweet for Lambert though, the guy (imo) performed bordering on miracles keeping us up as long as he did given the constants RL placed upon him and it was blessing (for him) he was sacked. Right manager, wrong time.
Haven’t seen the match but looking at the stats (shots on target=0) then it doesn’t look good.
People posting here have questioned SB’s tactics and I think that is absolutely valid. However he’s still got the same unbalanced squad of players (barring the GK) and, we have to be honest, mid-table means we’re over-performing as this squad, even with the buys at the start of the season, might potentially have taken us straight to Div 1.
I think that SB has improved our performances greatly and it’s always open to question whether we might have improved more with better tactics.
However when it comes to judging SB we can only do this after the window when he gets some new blood in or, being more realistic, as the Jan window only offers a very limited choice, after a summer window.
I’m not saying that you can’t criticise SB but mid-table is what many of us would have settled for when RDM was shown the door so it’s not all bad.
I honestly feel that if we had been able to appoint SB towards the end of last season giving him a full summer window (as Benitez had at Newcastle) we’d now be vying for automatic promotion.
In short all I’m saying is that we probably have to patient this season. A top 6 place would be a bonus but it’s a tough league and we may have to settle for less.
If we’re still playing this way next season then fans will be justified in howling for the manager’s blood but anyone doing this now is frankly being a bit silly.
Good post Pat, he has to have the time to show if hes the man for the job, yes he has made some questionable decisions, I can see that Villa will not escape the championship this season, but he has to show us fans that he understands midfielders are needed badly, Seeing states like no shots on goal, no movement in attacks and playing players that have no ideas how to get goals its going to be a long season.Steve Bruce up till now has solved the defence but needs to address midfield.
correct bill steve bruce has solved the defense issues which has been a problem for years. this with players at the club. he would still want to bring in a few defenders. right back center halve.
another problem we have had for years is with the ball. we haven’t been a good side with the ball in decades. we have been either a countering attacking team, or a very poor aimless passing team. i cant remember when we last played decent was it under atkinson ??
bruce has tried all the combinations in midfield. the center mids. we have jed and tish both are dominate without the ball. both can stick there foot in or cover fullbacks and both are pretty poor at the passing side. we miss a gordan cowans type player. somebody the team passes to that’s starts off moves. somebody that can switch the ball from one side to the other. spraying the ball around with ease and accuracy.
hard for me to balme bruce for any of the current mess or issues. because this mess has been around for years and is down to having too many managers come in and been allowed to start to build their teams,only to be sacked then another manager arrives and starts his rebuilding.
The players aren’t world beaters. Neither are the Wolves players, or any of the other mediocre Championship teams that outplay us week in week out. Kodjia has been our “get out of jail free” card.
It’s the manager and coaching/tactics for me. We don’t play attacking football. We don’t get numbers forward. We play 2 defensive mids.
At this rate Bruce will be hounded out like others before him. What is it about this club that paralyses the managers into a defensive approach?
What is it about this club that paralyses the managers into a defensive approach?
Bruce has already stated that the players aren’t good enough, that’s the truth of it.
What the club need is stability, we can’t keep sacking managers and replacing them with new ones who want to bring in their own backroom team and own players.
Bruce is the man to take us up but it’s not going to happen this season.
It’s vital we stick with him and let him build his own team as constantly sacking managers isn’t doing the club any good at all, as has been proved.
We have a manager who has the experience and knowledge to get us back into the prem. Lets not go the same way as we have for the past 7 years by sacking manager after manager after manager.
IN BRUCE I TRUST!!!!
You trusted Lamberk and mclown too look where that got us!
It’s not Bruce’s squad yet. Give him at least a few windows to put his stamp on the team. The past 2 summer windows have been awful. Chester and Kodjia aside nobody has stood out.
Wolves showed more heart and bullied us in midfield just by harassing and pressuring. As soon as these positions are sorted the better. Having said that it was embarrassing they way they’d celebrated like they’d won the league. We’re a big scalp in this league and we need to come to terms with the weight on our shoulders.
For me the alarm bells started ringing when Bruce suggested Gabby could replace Kodija and Ayew. Its laughable it really is, if you offered Gabby on a free to all the other 23 championship clubs id guarantee there wouldn’t be a single taker. I wouldn’t want him if we were in the conference, he is finished as a footballer and his off the pitch behaviour last season was a disgrace to every tradition our once proud club stood for.
Some fans have such short memories, still singing and applauding his name, while he picks up 60k a week for yet another mediocre, half arsed performance. He isnt a Villa fan because Villa fans care more about the club than that waster.