Horrible to Watch But We’re Winning, That’s the Villa Way - Notes for Aston Villa Friday, 17th Aug 2018 10:15 by HarryFromBath HarryFromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Saturday’s game at Portman Road by delving into their forums. “We have six points out of six, but can anyone say they feel confident that Bruce is getting it right?”, “We are winning despite Bruce’s tactics, if you can call them that. I hope the owners are sounding out replacements for when our results inevitably start to reflect the reality of our performances.” “It’s great to have six goals from two games but there are questions about the manager’s selections and our cohesiveness as a unit on the pitch. The gap between our better and lesser players is huge and to succeed this year we will need everyone to be on the same page. We’re not there yet.” “I think this football is going to break me this year.” The Claret and Blues may be heading to Suffolk with three wins under their belt this season, but many believe that these have been gained in spite of, and not because of Steve Bruce’s football. “This current team under this manager is mid-table.” “It’s horrible to watch but we’re winning, that’s the Villa way”, “For how long can you ignore that’s happening on the pitch week-in, week-out?”, “It’s frustrating, even annoying to watch, since there is obviously a damned good Villa team simply waiting to be unlocked somewhere from this squad.” Not everybody is gloomy. “We have won three, we have six points from two league games and we’re third in the table. We have scored six in two league games despite having one out of form striker. We’re not bankrupt. Life isn’t as bad as you’re making out. Take a deep breath and reflect on this.” Steve Bruce“What does Steve Bruce’s Villa actually do? I still don’t know”, “I really can’t work it out. Does he think he just has to throw 11 players on the pitch and they will do the rest as our squad is quality?”, “We are relying on moments of individual quality from our better individuals to pick up results.” The 57-year-old replaced Roberto Di Matteo in 2016 and steered Villa to last season’s play-off final, where defeat to Fulham had serious financial repercussions for the club. The inability to reshape his squad due to financial constraints for most of the summer left him playing very unbalanced line-ups. “Bruce is the master of playing abysmally while winning.” Fans may not like his starting XIs, but they detest his style of football. “He has simply no idea how to set a team up to play to its strengths. Once again, we limped to a victory we didn’t deserve”, “We play football that doesn’t suit our players.” “Bruce-ball is a thing of beauty”, “If anyone watched [Saturday’s] Wigan game and honestly believes that he is the future then I’m staggered. Atrocious football, laughable team selections and no hint of shape, game plan or tactics”, “It’s too defensive in nature, passing the ball around in our own half.” “We still have that Bruce steel I have grown to admire. We need that more than ever.” His minority of supporters point to two league wins in which they have shown character to come from behind. “The constant anti-Bruce stuff is exhausting. He’s staying, so why don’t you enjoy the sodding win?” A Lack of Style, Shape and Identity “Why do we always play back to the keeper? We had possession in their half”, “That’s on Bruce”, “The closest thing we have to a tactic is to give the ball to the full-backs to aimlessly launch forward”, “There is no punch or purpose to our play. It’s one-dimensional and almost pedestrian at times.” “Our lack of movement is an issue. You would think our players are drilled enough to move into the spaces where they can expect passes, but we always stop in our tracks and it kills the tempo”, “We sit too deep with no pressure on the ball, playing aimless long balls to the striker who is isolated.” “We lack aggression, movement and any passing rhythm.” Claret and Blues are unanimous in their criticism of Bruce’s pragmatic football. “We looked better than Wigan man for man, yet our style of play completely hamstrung us”, “We don’t pressure opponents and slow attacks down too often.” NylandTuanzebeChesterJedinakHuttonBjarnasonMcGinnElmohamadyGrealishGreenKodjia
Bruce worked with wing-backs in pre-season, but he has switched to a back four and midfield three in competitive games. Saturday’s starting XI (above) for their win over Wigan included two of the players he was finally able to add this summer, keeper Orjan Nyland and midfielder John McGinn. “We have two recognised right-backs on the pitch, neither of whom are at right-back.” Four of line-up were out of position. Ahmed Elmohamady and Alan Hutton are right-backs, Axel Tuanzebe is a centre-half and Mile Jedinak is a holding midfielder. This defensive imbalance has led to problems. “We look ropey at the back. There are square pegs all over the place.” Bruce’s biggest defensive issue is around who partners James Chester. Mile Jedinak provides aerial ability but lacks mobility, Axel Tuanzebe is seen as error-prone, and many fans would drive Tommy Elphick to his new club. Fans are not convinced by the kicking and catching of new keeper Nyland, while left-back Neil Taylor’s loss of form led to Villa attempting to sign Joe Bryan from Bristol City before he joined Fulham. Alan Hutton has successfully switched across from right-back and has regularly provided a useful attacking outlet. “There were signs of a fluid passing style of play from John McGinn, Jack Grealish and Andre Green against Wigan.” McGinn made his debut against Wigan and his energy and eye for a pass gave Villa’s midfield a better attacking balance. He was an effective foil for Grealish, finding him time and space. Birkir Bjarnason started in a holding midfield role against the Latics, and fans feel that the Iceland international is a more dynamic option than the experienced but pedestrian Glenn Whelan. Conor Hourihane adds goals and clever passing but he has failed to take games by the scruff of the neck. “Our need for a striker is growing by the game.” Bruce was unable to add to his attacking options in the summer so Villa are relying on out-of-form Jonathan Kodjia and rookie Rushian Hepburn-Murphy to lead the line. Andre Green and Albert Adomah likewise are Bruce’s only established wingers. SteerHuttonChesterElphickTaylorWhelanElmohamadyHourihaneGrealishAdomahKodjia
Bruce is likely to rely the side which beat Wigan for Saturday’s game, but his line-up (above) for their season opener against Hull is worth noting for some of his likely bench options. One player who may come into contention is right-back Ritchie de Laet, who was suspended for their opening two matches. Aston Villa 3 — 2 Wigan“We got out of jail today”, “The late winning goal does not paper over the biblical cracks that are on show”, “The issues we had last year are very much still there. There were so many underwhelming moments”, “We have robbed Wigan there. We didn't deserve it, but we will sure as hell take it.” “It looks like we have nicked all three points. It glosses over the tactics Bruce played.” James Chester headed Villa in front on 13 from a John McGinn freekick on the left, but debutant keeper Nyland made a mess of a back pass from Mile Jedinak to gift Nick Powell an equaliser on 41 minutes. Former Blues loanee Callum Connolly put the visitors in front on 55 with a far-post header from Powell's cross, but Latics defender Chey Dunkley put through his own net eight minutes later in a scramble to make it 2-2. The hosts snatched a dramatic comeback win when Bjarnason slid in to put Hourihane’s cross in the net. “A bunch of defenders as well as ‘Mr Own Goal’ are ahead of our forwards”, “We were a seriously disjointed team with no rhythm. Yes, we win games but will this change? If we are to succeed, this dross is not sustainable. It has been the same for far too long”, “At times we were a shambles.” Hull 1 — 3 Aston Villa“A great result after a tumultuous summer of discontent”, A half-empty stadium and long-ball footy, I love this game”, “A perfect start but make no mistake, we were bloody awful on the whole. Hull were just worse”, “It was nice of Hull to keep turning the ball over to us 30 yards from their goal.” Hull went ahead on seven minutes when Villa keeper Jed Steer failed to deal with cross and Evandro put away the rebound. Elphick headed Villa’s equaliser on 14 and Ahmed Elmohamady pounced on a poor clearance to move Villa ahead on 70, Hutton producing an identical finish five minutes later. “All three goals from defenders. Steve Bruce, the master of total football”, “Bruce’s masterplan of playing seven defenders is paying off. Three of them are on the scoresheet”, “A great result but an indifferent performance”, “Hull could be this year’s Sunderland on that game, they were awful.” Yeovil 0 — 1 Aston Villa (Carabao Cup First Round)“Well, that was a crock of rubbish, an absolutely pitiable performance”, “This is up there as one of the worst football matches I have seen us play in a long time”, “My standards are low enough to say that I am enjoying this game”, “Is there a way to delete football games from your eyeballs?” Villa came through Tuesday’s cup tie bloodied but unbowed. Yeovil won a penalty when Elphick fouled Yeovil captain and former Town academy player Omar Sowunmi, but debutant keeper Andre Moreira saved Alex Fisher's spot-kick. Conor Hourihane sent Villa through on 77 minutes when he tapped in Jonathan Kodjia's pass. “I was looking forward to seeing this team. It turned out to be shocking”, “Even against lower-league sides we can’t keep the ball for more than a few seconds. We’re constantly giving it away with poor ball control, hopeful punts and wayward passing”, “Why are we so bad at doing the basics?” MoreiraDe LaetElphickTuanzebeTaylorWhelanGreenHourihaneDoyle-HayesAdomahHepburn-Murphy
The starting XI (above) included new keeper Andre Moreira while Jake Doyle-Hayes impressed fans in pre-season. Many see him as a holding midfielder and his inclusion alongside Whelan took away some of the team’s creative edge. Villa scored after Grealish and Kodjia appeared from the bench. Goalkeeper and Defenders“Orjan Nyland looks calm enough and a good organiser, but if you can’t claim a cross or distribute a ball you will struggle at this level.” The 27-year-old Norway international arrived from FC Ingolstadt this month. “He’s a confidence goalkeeper. It must be true as he was wobbly for the whole game.”  Orjan Nyland“If I’m honest, Nyland looked incredibly ropey. He couldn’t kick and was slow off his line, refusing to come for crosses and flapping at high balls”, “It’s hard to rate him when he doesn’t have a defence in front of him. Any keeper would have conceded given the number of chances Wigan were allowed.” “Andre Moreira looks pretty decent with his feet.” The 22-year-old also keeper joined this month on loan from Atletico Madrid. “He’s a swashbuckling Manuel Neuer type, but looked a calamity in the Yeovil game, punching balls he should be catching and charging off his line. He’s certainly creative.” “Alan Hutton is the fastest 33-year-old in world football.” The former Spurs and Rangers full-back was given folk hero treatment after his goal at Hull. “I love his attitude and assertive approach. He has better ball control than people give him credit for. He’s one of the few that takes the initiative.”  Alan Hutton“Edison Arantes di Huttimento!”, “He’s a decent defender with a good physical presence. He drives me mad at times getting drawn out of position at right-back, but it doesn’t happen anything like as often on the left”, “The Scottish Cafu is deceptively fast, he loves the club and he gives it his all.” “Ritchie De Laet was our best player in pre-season.” The 29-year-old former Leicester full-back was loaned to Royal Antwerp in January, having missed virtually the entire 2016/17 season with a serious knee injury. “I’m excited about his addition and hopefully he will become our first choice right-back.” “I like De Laet’s speed, his willingness to take someone on and whip a ball into the box”, “He missed the first two games of the season due to a ban picked up in Belgium but he had a quality pre-season and looks raring to go”, “One option would be to put De Laet at right-back behind Elmohamady.” “I used to think Neil Taylor was decent when he was at Swansea.” The 29-year-old left-back “is tough in the tackle but he always hoofs it down the line”, “He’s so out of form that it looks permanent. He was absent for the whole game at Yeovil”, “Taylor frightens me and needs replacing very quickly.” “I think we’re beginning to see why Axel Tuanzebe hasn’t started at centre-back in the league yet. He is inexperienced.” The 20-year-old loanee from Manchester United “lacks aggression and slows the game down to a tempo he likes”, “Twice he has gone half-heartedly into tackles and been beaten.” “Tuanzebe looked okay at right-back. He’s big, strong and quick, and he’s not bad on the ball”, “He is entirely right-footed and doesn’t bother bringing the ball inside”, “He’s good dealing with high balls. Defensively he is suspect but his pace will help him. He’s calm on the ball and will pick a pass out.” “I don’t trust Tommy Elphick at all.” The 30-year-old ex-Bournemouth centre-half “is an absolutely horrendous footballer. He should never start for a club with any ambitions of being in the top half”, “He looks way off the pace and is an accident waiting to happen”, “As stable as a uranium isotope.” “Please don’t tell me that Mile Jedinak is at centre-back.” The 34-year-old former Palace man “has consistently proven that he is terrible at centre-half but pretty good as a holding midfielder”, “He has never shown an ability to pick a pass under pressure in defence”, “He can be a walking disaster.” “Jedinak is great in the air, a commanding presence and positionally good. He has the tools needed to be a good centre-half. Playing one or two horrible passes may get you in trouble in the midfield. At centre-back they will cost you goals”, “If he could pass he would be a good defender. He can’t.” James Chester“Chester is a cracking defender who reads the game well.” The 29-year-old former West Brom man “is an experienced international and good organiser with a dependable fitness record”, “He gets very good tackles in but he lacks pace, so he tends to drop deep to avoid getting caught on the counter.”  Britt Assombalonga (Middlesbrough) v James Chester“If you play Chester, you need a big ally to deal with the aerial assault”, “He’s not dominant in the air and isn’t a physical monster, but he was our best player last season by a mile”, “He leads by example on and off the pitch”, “He gets outmuscled and loses some composure if opponents get in his face.” Central Midfielders“Glenn Whelan is a solid holding midfielder, but he’s so slow in body and mind.” The 34-year-old ex-Stoke man “gets plenty of credit for his defensive work but no one mentions what a liability he can be going forward and killing momentum at every turn. He never looks forward, even occasionally.” “Whelan offers stability and experience, albeit without the legs”, “He wins the ball, will put a foot in and try to protect his centre-halves”, “His technique is poor. He’s good without the ball, but unable to pass a ball properly and slows everything to a snail’s pace. He never has any urgency to his game.” “Conor Hourihane gets into good positions but he doesn’t quite have the composure or technique to make the best of these.” The 27-year-old ex-Barnsley man “struggled in a game he should have been dominating at Yeovil. It was a big chance for him to get on the ball and create but he did very little.”  Conor Hourihane“It would be nice to see Hourihane grabbing a game by the scruff of the neck and trying to dominate the midfield”, “He kept passing the ball to Yeovil men, he was running around and trying to tackle”, “As long as he keeps putting himself in good positions and creating chances, he’s doing a good job.” “We look a better side with Birkir Bjarnason playing. He’s really energetic and pushes Grealish on.” The 30-year-old former Basel man “is a decent utility player who can cover across midfield, but he’s very limited with the ball. He plays the holding role very well against a side with a decent attack.” “Bjarnason is more mobile than Whelan in a holding role, and we look less assured with him there. He is, however, an attacking option and a threat”, “I like his passion and desire to play”, “We have had enough players happy to be paid and not want to play at Villa. His attitude is the best one to have.” “You can see why John McGinn was picked over Hourihane. He wins the ball higher up the field.” The 23-year-old August arrival from Hibernian made his debut against Wigan and was an instant hit. “He was a breath of fresh air with his constant aggressive involvement no matter who had possession.” “McGinn looks really impressive with and without the ball, he will make a brilliant foil for Grealish”, “Where Jack wants to dribble and jink through defenders, McGinn looks for opportunities 10 yards further up the pitch drifting nice balls into the box”, “His deliveries are consistently on the money.” Jack Grealish“Jack Grealish in a Villa shirt at Villa Park, what a wonderful sight.” The 22-year-old youth product was the subject of a speculative bid from Spurs this summer and fans were delighted that their club fended this off. “He changes the dynamic of games completely. All our best moves go through Jack.”  Jack Grealish v Skuse“Grealish is a class act on the ball and seems to be on the same wavelength as McGinn. There’s some promise in the idea that he won’t have to shoulder the whole creative workload and may have space to exploit”, “He’s so comfortable jinking past players, he’s the only player who can relieve pressure.” Wide Midfielders and Wingers“Ahmed Elmohamady doesn’t fill me with optimism as an attacking player.” The 30-year-old played for Bruce at Hull and is viewed as a “more than capable right wing-back”, “I don’t think he can be a winger. His runs are tentative and stop-start. He’s energetic and he does get into good positions.” “Elmo’s crossing accuracy is excellent”, “He makes me sigh. He’s so risk-averse and won’t take a player on. He has a great right foot when he wants to put a cross in, but if there’s an easier option he will take it every time. He lacks the desire to play on the wing and he’s too soft to be a right-back”, “Andre Green gives us what we needed for most of last season, raw pace to get up the pitch.” The 20-year-old youth product “is diligent, sticks to his task well and does his defensive duties but he did not really threaten Wigan”, “He gives us much-needed pace when we are trying to relieve pressure.” “Green will blossom in a few years’ time but he needs more games”, “He has to learn how to stay in games the way Grealish does”, “He has looked quite timid when I have seen him, he needs to work on his awareness, decision-making and composure. His pace, power and intensity are encouraging.” Albert Adomah“I’m not sure where Albert has gone since March.” The 30-year-old ex-Boro man “offers very little. He has lost his spark big time”, “He must be really low on confidence. He has looked good in flashes but for the most part he’s quiet, playing without desire or purpose as if he has things on his mind.”  Albert Adomah“Adomah has been frustrating but I’m not sure if it’s him or the tactics. There are times when he can be effective stretching defences on the touchline but he keeps coming in side”, “All game at Hull he shied away from difficult options like beating his defender one-v-one. He just made simple passes.” Strikers“Rushian Hepburn-Murphy looks good coming off the bench.” The 19-year-old youth product “looks a live wire and merits a start in cup games”, “He’s quick and skilful with the ball at his feet, but as a lone striker he is easily controlled and he offers little more than pace up against big centre-backs.” “Hepburn-Murphy was like a lamb to the slaughter at Yeovil”, “He’s a small player with no physical presence, but of course we’re pumping 40-yard balls up to him. He’s simply not a target man”, “He was being asked to play the Scott Hogan role, isolated against two centre-halves with no support.” Jonathan Kodjia“We saw the shadow of Kodjia against Wigan. There was no threat or desire from him to pull away from his defender. When we want him to go forward he’s on his heels, and when we want him to come back, he’s away. He looks like a player who may be part of our past rather than our future.”  Mulumbu v Jonathan KodjiaThe 28-year-old former Bristol City man “isn’t a team player. He’s completely selfish with no football brain at all”, “We need to stick with him, get him firing again and see if he can recover the form he had before his ankle injury in November. We are going to have to put up with the current version.” “When Kodjia is a little off his best, he’s a long way from good”, “The worrying thing now is that he is off the pace and looks like he’s running through quicksand”, “It looks like he threw a punch at Yeovil, he got away with one there. If I was an opposition manager, I’d tell my players to wind him up.” Claret and Blues’ Views on ITFC and the Game“Ipswich have drawn at home to Blackburn, lost away to Rotherham and been knocked out of the Carabao Cup on penalties by Exeter. Even playing for their new manager I think they will struggle this season. They have been treading water in the Championship for some time now.” “I reckon we will win this 2-1 and continue our good start to the season.” Claret and Blues widely “This lot are in turmoil”, “Ipswich are one of my favourites for the drop, but as Yeovil showed you can take no one for granted. Apply ourselves properly and be more focused at the back and fingers crossed we won't need to score three this time”, “Luckily we are playing some rather poor sides.” “Looking at the Ipswich squad there isn't too much to be afraid of that I can see, so hopefully we can continue picking up points”, “We need to win and keep our momentum going. It was these sorts of games that cost us last season”, “A bit of rotation before the Brentford game might do us good.” Villa entertain the Bees on Wednesday and see that game as a far more daunting prospect. “A great chance here to start the season with three wins. If we get a performance here and a convincing win I will feel very confident going into the Brentford game, a big step up for which we need to prepare.” “Since Mick McCarthy left Ipswich have been trying to play the ball on the floor so no real need for Jedinak.” They are worried about who will partner James Chester at centre-back. “It won't be easy but if we play well we should have enough for Ipswich. We can score but defensively we’re a mess.” WebsitesThere are a large number of active Villa forums. Villa Talk is one of the busiest and easiest to navigate, and it has a large number of knowledgeable contributors.
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