HarryFromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Saturday’s game at Portman Road by delving into their forums.
"We are looking at the play-offs and the lottery that these represent”, "I said to a mate at work last summer that we would have the best squad in the league but would still manage to make hard work of it as that’s the Villa way”, "We could still go up, but it’s going to be a battle instead of a cruise.”
Claret and Blues head to Ipswich on Saturday living in a world of hopes and fears. They sit fourth in the table with a play-off place guaranteed, but most accept that they are now unlikely to overtake both Cardiff and Fulham who are above them and vying for the second automatic promotion place.
"I hope we get some momentum up before the play-offs”, "Bring on whoever and let them worry about us. I know that if I was in any other team’s shoes, I would be desperate to avoid us”, "The final is on May 26th. What good could possibly ever befall Villa in a May 26th final on neutral ground?”
Optimists point to a strong squad and the coincidence of their 1982 European Cup triumph falling on the calendar date of the play-off final, but they are nervous that their inconsistent form — they have lost three of their last eight games — could derail their season’s work in a one-off play-off contest.
"I can’t see us going up in the play-offs”, "We have shown no courage away from home recently. You could see us losing by two or three goals in an away play-off leg”, "We should have stomped all over this league but our lack of bottle and application when it matters has simply been unacceptable.”
"My biggest fear is that this is all built on sand. In a few weeks the season will be over and this squad of loanees and thirty-somethings will need refreshing. If we can’t do it with Premier League money, we will probably have to do it with no money. It could be a lengthy stay in this division at this rate.”
"I don’t hate Steve Bruce, but I hate the way he sets us up. I don’t want him to be at the club next season”, "If we don’t go up he will be gone in the summer. If we somehow manage to make it up, I would be stunned if he was still here by Christmas”, "The football we mostly play just numbs me.”
The 57-year-old took over to manage his eighth different club when replacing Roberto Di Matteo in October 2016. Fans welcomed the tactical stability he initially brought but have grown weary of the "functional, uninspiring, hard-working but not particularly flattering” football now being played.
"Bruce’s chief weakness is his caution, he’s too negative”, "I’m bored to tears watching this ‘winning’ football under this manager. If we were playing with Brentford’s style of play with the quality that is in this squad, we would be top of the division now and monstering our way to the Premier League.”
"We have had no creativity during his time here which isn’t a surprise. He’s a pragmatist who creates solid teams that grind out results”, "His philosophy lacks relevance in the modern game”, "I would rather linger in this division if it meant no more of the dire, uninspiring Bruce-ball we’re witnessing.”
"At the end of the day, who really wants boring football?”, "It’s teeth-grindingly frustrating, because the players are good enough to play more adventurous and entertaining football”, "We are often outplayed by teams who keep the ball down and pass it, but rarely by sides who play it in the air.”
"Our full-backs get forward. We sometimes press and use wingers. We play through Jack Grealish and we allow individual flair and use the channel well. The only thing we don’t do is play possession football. We sit too deep, we don’t support the frontmen and quite often we aimlessly go long.”
"It would help a bit if we kept the ball for more than two passes”, "We lack the ability to make even the most basic passes at times. We revert too easily to aimless punts or deep crosses to nobody”, "I am sick of watching us playing long balls up to the wingers and hoping something will come if it.”
"Keep the damn ball.” Fans bemoan the side’s inability to generate a passing rhythm and a habit of reverting to long balls and crosses, often to an isolated striker. "No urgency, shocking passing and lots of pointless hoofs for the forwards to chase. This happens far too many times under Bruce.”
Bruce’s starting XI (above) for last Friday night’s 1-0 home win over Leeds had his preferred back four and one up front. Keeper Sam Johnstone and centre-half James Chester are seen as consistent defensive stalwarts but an ankle injury to John Terry saw holding midfielder Mile Jedinak drop back.
Ahmed Elmohamady is seen more as an attacking wing-back rather than a right-back and he has a strong partnership with Robert Snodgrass in front of him, but the left-back spot has been a problem lately with the erratic Neil Taylor recently dropped for the younger Axel Tuanzebe or James Bree.
Veteran holding midfielder Glenn Whelan is a solid option who lacks pace, but partner Josh Onomah has been criticised for drifting out of games. The alternatives are Birkir Bjarnason, who offers energy and incisive passing, or Conor Hourihane, who pushes forward and has scored 10 times this season.
"Our wide players look tired”, "Robert Snodgrass and Albert Adomah have been erratic but we don’t have any other wingers.” Bruce has preferred using inverted wingers, but he moved striker Lewis Grabban out wide to start against Leeds, resting top scorer Adomah who has struggled recently.
"As much as I love our midfield, none of them apart from Jack Grealish would stand out if we got back into the Premier League.” Villa are at their most threatening when playmaker Jack Grealish plays on the front foot and Jonathan Kodjia links with breaking midfielders and occupies defences.
Kodjia made his first start against Leeds since picking up an ankle injury in November. He is criticised by some for his selfishness but most Claret and Blues agree that his movement and technique give the side a threat unequalled by any other striker. His return is seen as a huge boost for the play-offs.
"If at first you don’t succeed, throw on all the strikers you can muster.” Kodjia has been replaced by Lewis Grabban and Scott Hogan while injured. They are good finishers with clever movement but are more effective in deeper roles. Many believe Hogan doesn’t suit Bruce’s direct style as a lone striker.
"Another win, another clean sheet”, "We won, but what a terrible game of football to that was to watch. We made that a lot harder than it should have been”, "We made that harder than it should have been, we were sluggish and wasteful and would have been mauled by a Premier League team.”
Villa took the lead after 29 minutes when Grabban’s powerful header found the net from a cross by Grealish. The hosts comfortably dominated the first half but Claret and Blues were anxious as their side lost their composure when Leeds attacked them in a strong spell after the half-time interval.
"That epitomised everything I can’t stand about Bruce. If we had pressed Leeds high from the off we could have scored more”, "We didn’t need to sit back against a shocking Leeds side. We should have gone for the kill and scored more goals. It sums up why the manager can’t stay after the summer.”
"That goal by Grealish was a thing of such wondrous beauty”, "It was a war of attrition won by the only moment of quality on the night”, "One thing you can say about Neil Warnock is that he knows how to mould a team in his image - nasty and ugly”, "Steve Bruce v Neil Warnock, it was El Jurassico.”
"Thank God for Grealish.” The Villa man won the game with a superb 20-yard volley on 85 minutes. Cardiff had some very good chances to win what one Claret and Blue described as "a horrendous game of football”, "Cardiff were stopping everything we were trying to create with niggling fouls.”
"That could be one of the most important victories of the season if it means that Fulham overtake Cardiff. I would much rather play this lot in the play-offs”, "Cardiff controlled the game and broke up our rhythm with some turgid anti-football. They created some good chances but couldn’t finish.”
"We bossed the game after Kodjia came on.” The starting line-up (above) included Hourihane in the centre. Left-back Tuanzebe was injured and replaced on 26 by fellow 20-year-old Bree, but Kodjia’s introduction for Adomah after an hour gave the hosts an attacking threat they had previously lacked.
"Did today’s performance really surprise us?”, "That was an embarrassment from start to finish. Our mentality was a joke. There was no urgency, pace, desire, hunger or awareness”, "There’s something wrong with this team. They only seem to play when allowed to”, "This was yet another bottle job.”
The Canaries took the lead in first-half stoppage time via a Josh Murphy 25-yard strike and Dennis Srbeny added a second in 54 from close range. Grealish pulled a goal back on 67 with a low shot before James Maddison secured the points for the hosts when he fired home five minutes later.
"I can see why the starting XI [above] is unchanged from what seemed like training game [a previous 3-0 home win] against Reading.” Visiting fans were critical of Taylor for standing off to allow Murphy to get his strike away, while many felt that Hogan was comfortably handled by City’s centre-halves.
"Here come the strikers!” Bruce made two switches (above) with Kodjia and Grabban replacing the two wingers shortly after City’s second goal. "This ‘play all the strikers’ nonsense must stop as there is just no room for them”, "We take the wingers off and where do we start playing? On the wings.”
"Sam Johnstone was easily man of the match against Cardiff, making some fantastic saves.” The 25-year-old loanee from Manchester United "is a great keeper at shopping shots, but his kicking seems to have deteriorated since the turn of the year”, "He pulls off countless top-drawer reaction saves.”
"Johnstone’s aimless kicking can be annoying”, "He has chances to send players on their way but he hesitates and boots the ball to nobody”, "He’s quick off his line to smother one-on-ones but he has to come aggressively and claim his catches”, "His shot-stopping is great but he’s weak on crosses.”
"Ahmed Elmohamady is not the best right-back defensively but he does offer more in an attacking sense.” The 30-year-old Egypt international and ex-Hull man "links up well with Snodgrass by getting around him. They know each other inside out”, "He will work his backside off for the entire game.”
"Elmohamody puts in a number of good crosses but he’s just as likely to kick it straight out of hit the first defender”, "He whips them in but they never seem to be towards anyone. Just get it near to the penalty spot and I have done my job”, "He loves that trademark lumped pass down the touchline.”
"Neil Taylor looked like he was really trying at Norwich but he was just awful. He stood off his man, completely giving him time to pick his spot for their first goal.” The 29-year-old former Swansea left-back "is a constant car crash waiting to happen. He doesn’t box down his winger and ball-watches.”
"When things aren’t working we don’t try anything other than giving it to Taylor to punt it up field”, "He is very much a weak link and has been for some time”, "He is very comfortable on the ball and can bring it forward, but he gets dragged out of position and can’t always be bothered to get tight.”
"James Bree looks a good prospect.” The 20-year-old ex-Barnsley right-back "can clearly get up and down the line and put a ball over. His positioning can be suspect but that will come”, "He’s quite big and strong and he is quick and comfortable on the ball. I don’t see him ending up as a centre-back.”
"I don’t get the hype with Axel Tuanzebe.” The 20-year-old full-back hurt his ankle in the win over Cardiff and is major doubt for Saturday’s game, as is former Spurs right-back Alan Hutton, with the 33-year-old battling a hamstring problem which has seen him make only one start in two months.
"Christopher Samba is a big lump who can head the ball but he looks lost against nimble opponents.” The 34-year-old one-time Blackburn and QPR centre-half "isn’t afraid to get his body in the way. He’s a great option to protect a lead when the opposition decide to go direct and lump the ball forward.”
"Mile Jedinak is ideal at centre-back on specific occasions. His aerial dominance serves us well but he is exposed by his lack of pace.” The 33-year-old former Crystal Palace player "has no movement, but the holding midfielders who are mobile can’t head a ball”, "He is too static and gets easily over-run.”
"Jedinak is so slow that he makes Joleon Lescott look like The Flash”, "He is good in games where the centre-back is heading the ball away 90 per cent of the time, but he would be murdered up against a team like Fulham”, "He struggles against pace, but he’s ideal against teams who set out to bully us.”
"James Chester is so calm and collected. He reads the game so well and is never flustered.” The 29-year-old former West Brom centre-half "is such a clean tackle, silent but deadly and smooth as silk”, "I can’t remember a player who has been so consistently excellent for us”, "He has been flawless.”
"Chester is everywhere and leads us superbly”, "His shirt number should be 7.5 because that’s what he is every week”, "The best things about him is his calmness on the ball and his passing ability”, "He can get bullied by big powerful forwards and dawdles on the ball, but he has been absolutely vital.”
"We have developed more of a winning mentality and shown more determination this season. A lot of that is down to Terry’s influence.” The 37-year-old July acquisition from Chelsea "is a true leader, a driven individual who only understands winning”, "One of the best signings we have ever made.”
"Terry will run through brick walls to get to the ball”, "You can’t beat a good last-ditch block from a centre-half. I love watching him storming in for a crunching block tackle”, "Terry’s experience in big games will be invaluable. Having him around the club is one reason why I don’t fear the play-offs.”
"Birkir Bjarnason allows us to play football instead of preventing the other team doing so.” The 29-year-old Iceland international and former FC Basel man "is less of a physical player but more about mobility and industry. His reading of the game allows him to intercept so many opposition passes.”
"Use Jedinak against teams that play long ball, but use Bjarnason against teams that play football”, "Bjarnason’s energy is never in doubt and that’s the best part of his game”, "He has energy, guile and the ability to score from anywhere. He has found his best position as a go-between midfielder.”
"Henri Lansbury is a luxury player who has no fight.” The 27-year-old former Forest man has a rare start in a recent goalless draw at Hull. "He does nothing, floating around pretending to look busy but he gets near nobody”, "A passive player with the odd nice ball and not a dominating driving force.”
"Glenn Whelan is a solid player who nips in to get the ball and he makes a lot of sensible decisions.” The 34-year-old July addition from Stoke "breaks things up. He is always where he needs to be and keeps our play ticking over”, "He does the ugly stuff well but his football will never be eye candy.”
"Whelan’s vision is great but age has caught up with him. He can’t react as quickly or pass as sharply as before”, "Put him in against players who move the ball quickly and look to find space and he gets found wanting”, "He is in the right place to casually stick a foot on the ball without lots of running.”
"Conor Hourihane hasn’t got the ball control to be one of the best midfielders but he can strike a ball well.” The 27-year-old ex-Barnsley man was on Town’s books in the 2010/11 season but didn’t break into the team. "He picks up spaces left vacant if defenders are drawn to Grealish and Snodgrass.”
"Hourihane is fairly good at most things apart from being quick. He can pass, tackle and will work his socks off. His set-pieces are good and he can score goals, but he goes missing when the full-backs are hoofing it up to the striker”, "He’s composed on the ball but needs to trust his right foot a bit more.”
"Josh Onomah is not actually harming the game, which is an improvement for him.” The 20-year-old loanee from Spurs "is actually quite decent when he makes an effort”, "He never tries to find space, just dawdling around the pitch and literally walking around”, "He really isn’t very good at football.”
"Onomah is the laziest stand-in-one-place player I have seen, he hasn’t got a brain cell in his head to read where he should be running off the ball to pick up scraps”, "He has spells when he’s running around closing people down and others when he’s wondering what colour his next car should be.”
"The worst thing about missing out on promotion is that we will probably lose Jack. He really is a joy to watch. The 22-year-old youth product "is an old-fashioned genius number 10, our most creative and crucial player”, "He’s a wizard who carries us forward and is relentless in his positive approach.”
"His first touch is incredible. The ability to take a ball from a bad pass or throw and have it instantly under control and where he wants it is an art form”, "The timing in his passing is the best I have seen from a Villa player. He’s so calm on the ball and always looks to do something positive but simple.”
"Jack is the only player we have who tries to work the ball in the floor around the edge of the penalty area”, "Some of the things he does are unreal and leave me shaking my head”, "Every time he had the ball he forced the entire Leeds team back 10 yards, as they were constantly worried about him.”
"There is out of form and there is Albert Adomah.” The 30-year-old former Boro man "has been poor for the last five games. His performances have fallen off a cliff”, "He seems incapable of beating his man or putting in a decent cross which isn’t exactly ideal for a winger”, "We need him fit and firing.”
"I’m not sure if it’s Adomah’s confidence or if he’s still carrying that hamstring injury from February, but he seems jaded to me”, "He can create a moment of magic out of nothing but has gone lately from fizzing in threatening balls that flashed across the six-yard box to floated overhit in-swingers.”
"Snodgrass is a gem for Villa, you can’t fault his desire and application.” The 30-year-old West Ham loanee and one-time Canary "looked exhausted against Leeds after playing three games in six days. He mixed moments of real quality and utter rubbish”, "It was a kind of sublime to ridiculous display.”
"Snodgrass has been sloppy lately but he has never been lethargic. He constantly busts a gut to get back possession. His total commitment is why he gets picked so regularly”, "He is so one-footed that he’s predictable and he’s not as effective if he doesn’t have a full-back who will overlap and attack.”
"If we are going to go long, Keinan Davis is the ideal replacement to bring on.” The 20-year-old youth product "offers another dimension. He injects physicality and presence and he can bully defenders, but he needs to learn how to finish his chances. I wouldn’t quite trust him yet in a must-win match.”
"Scott Hogan makes decent runs but is often isolated when the team don’t press high up the pitch.” The 25-year-old ex-Brentford striker "is at his strongest when midfielders play the ball on the deck to link with him. He gets knocked off the ball easily and he lacks athleticism and a quick turn of pace.”
"Hogan will pull defenders all over the place with his running, giving Grealish more time on the ball. Long balls and crosses are just not his game, but we will see rewards if we start threading balls in to him”, "His movement is top notch. We just need to find him and we won’t do it with long high balls.”
"Lewis Grabban is a very clever player. He drops off deep and makes an impact.” The 30-year-old ex-Norwich frontman arrived at Villa Park on loan from Bournemouth in January, having spent the first half of the season on loan at Sunderland. "He’s a hard-working striker who moves well off the ball.”
"Grabban is our best striker at hold up play and a good finisher. He’s at his best when he can play off someone and pick up a ball in good areas. He’s better with a partner but he has great fitness and will tire out opponents”, "We needed a striker to come in and hit the ground running. He has done that.”
"Kodjia looks like he’s getting sharper.” The 28-year-old ex-Bristol City man "is our best striker and could make the difference in the play-offs”, "He draws the attention of defenders and creates space for team-mates, but he’s also capable of beating a man and is a threat even when closely marked.”
"I so wish Kodjia would score. Then he might pass some more”, "He needs to be less selfish but that will never happen”, "He’s great to watch and electric with the ball at his feet, but his selfishness does not help when we struggle to impose a pattern”, "We looked a lot better lately when he came on.”
"Our next game is at Portman Road. Unusually it is not on live television and it kicks off at 3pm on a Saturday. We visit mid-table Ipswich who still remember with fondness being runners-up to us in 1981”, "I'm hopeful on this one. We haven't got much to lose but winning might prove very helpful.”
"We haven't lost away to Ipswich in the league since 1984. Since then we've travelled to Portman Road eight times, winning four and drawing four”, "Now is not the time for us to start losing in Suffolk. It would be nice to rekindle to the winning habit away from home with the play-offs nearing.”
"It's a dead rubber game.” Claret and Blues are looking at this game as an opportunity to build some momentum ahead of the play-offs and most are confident of victory. "We have to win this against an awful team with nothing to play for and a toxic crowd (although perhaps less so now Mick's gone).”
"Ipswich can't go down. They can't go up either. It's in the Magna Carta”, "They will have hopefully downed tools for the season, Mick has departed and the players will be waiting for the summer so that they've got someone to impress.” They had plenty to say about our recently departed manager.
"Mick McCarthy has quit Ipswich immediately. Put money on them to go down next season. The club have no money and he has performed a minor miracle but their fans want him out”, "While I can understand Ipswich fans' frustrations, it must be directed properly”, "Ipswich fans will regret this.”
"I don’t think McCarthy will be greatly missed in Ipswich, but he didn’t have a bad record”, "Mick McCarthy has performed under very difficult circumstances there. If the next guy can't match him it's not a big drop-off to becoming a relegation contender. They need new money.”
"Mick is a criminally underrated manager who has done a magnificent job with tiny resources. When you look at how he guided them to the play-offs and consistently competed for them, one can only assume a lot of Ipswich fans are morons”, "Losing Big Mick is their big loss. Relegation next season.”
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