roonst83

Result was all that mattered tonight. We’re expected to get past bottom of the league Sunderland but I thought they would provide a tougher test for us. Was very pleased they looked abject and a beaten team from the off. We were very sloppy up until we scored and then it strangely felt a formality we’d win and we seemed to totally control the game without getting troubled too much. Was great to get the win especially as Cardiff and Fulham won too. Fulham frighten me with how easily they seem to win games. We really need Cardiff to lose a game soon though to give us a sniff of jumping into second. They remind me of how Derby were a few weeks ago when they were in second place. Great to see us run out with a comfortable score line despite not playing as well as we can. We lack creativity and fluidity without Grealish so we need him back in the staring line up and great that he got some game time today. From what I’ve read it seems he slotted back in very comfortably and looked sharp. We need him for our promotion push. Albert too so it was good to see Adomah get 90mins. Great three points tonight. Big game up next.

All the best buddy.

Hope all is well @Chindie You’ve got the Vtalkers firmly behind you (and, naturally, ripping the piss in good faith and humour).

Yeah I tend to agree. The goal is obviously to take us back to the promised land of the Premier League but the last few years of our Premier League tenure was absolutely horrific to experience. We weren’t competitive and you could nearly guarantee the games where we would lose. I certainly lost the love and happiness of the sport in our final year. The players, the attitude, the ownership, the lack of ambition and the fact that we were a laughing stock all really hurt to see. I’ve really been enjoying the Championship, certainly this year and perhaps that seems fickle as were more competitive but I just enjoy having more of a purpose to our season than trying to cling onto a status in a league where we get perpetually drubbed. We grow up as kids playing the game and are taught to go out and try and win and enjoy ourselves. As fans we want entertainment from the sport and to feel competitive and get enjoyment. I absolutely want us to get promoted and it’s my hope we can one day become a real force to be reckoned with in the country’s top league. I guess that’s why I am enjoying the Championship as we are competitive, we can win regularly, games come thick and fast and we are a force to be reckoned with, just in a lower league. Getting relegated used to be such a big fear of mine and I would lose many a nights sleep worrying about something I have no control over. But having circled the drain for many a year in the Prem it was almost relief and I’ve a much fresher outlook on the football league in general and in fact when I speak to colleagues at work who support the likes of Southampton or Stoke I absolutely don’t envy them. Each week is a struggle, enjoyment levels are incredibly low and their only hope is to hang in the league. I want more for my club. If we make it to the promised land I hope we can get to a place where we can challenge at the top and, as we are doing now, have a sense of togetherness in the team and with the fans and can all help strive to be the very best we can, and should, be.

So true.

So true.

Tough tough test. They gave us a tough game at VP and it was by no means a walkover and this will be much tougher, I feel. They're fighting for their lives and have shown in recent games that they can be resilient and have started to get some results. We need to play on the front foot from the off. Grabben will get some abuse but their stadium hardly has the intimidating/very loud atmosphere it once had as their stadium has looked quite bare this season so hopefully he can make an impact. I'd be surprised if Grealish and Adomah both start, if they don’t then I'd go with both Davis and Grabben, which has proved successful in our last two games, as Hogan appears to be redundant without Grealish. Even with Jack, I'd start Grabben as he looks a handful for defenders. Like the look of him. Huge game with us chasing Cardiff and with Fulham right on our heels.

Fulham are the only team that I'm absolutely convinced we wouldn't get past in the play offs. The likes of Cardiff, Derby, Bristol City etc would provide a stern test but one I believe we could possibly overcome but Fulham would run out comfortable, either over two legs or in a final, should we get there.

Good stuff. Just hope the trains from London Euston are running tomorrow morning now!

We're certainly more in the hunt than I thought we would be, based on what we saw last season and at the start of this season.

Agree. The Preston game was case in point. Bruce is a reactive manager more so than a pro-active manager.

Absolutely fair enough. The views I stated in my post were my opinion and I wasn't ever speaking as a matter of fact. I wrapped up my post with "in my opinion" and should've, in hindsight, perhaps been clearer about that. But yes, you're probably right, Bruce is more cautious than he is convinced that we can't beat Wolves, that's absolutely fair. I guess I was just trying to put across my view, and it is my view, that Bruce's caution holds us back in games. But he has shown that a cautious and negative approach to his line up can also, and has also, got results. I do believe we're only realistically in the hunt for second at best. Yes bizarre things happen in football, but I never said that was a fact and expected it to be understood that, as we're on a fan's forum, it could be assumed that I was speaking subjectively. But I could've been clearer.

The problem, and indeed real difference, here is that unlike Fulham Bruce won’t believe we can beat Wolves and will almost certainly play it safe. Fulham went for Wolves and played on the front foot wherever possible and it rattled Wolves. Bruce is just too cautious. We’re only in the hunt for second and it’s imperative we stay in touch with and beat Cardiff (and Derby) when they visit VP. Wolves will run out winners I’m sure and it’s all to play for for second, in my opinion.

Could have done with Bristol City hanging on for a draw against Cardiff. Gutted to see them win again.

Massive massive win yesterday. I was quietly confident before the game that we could win, despite our injuries as Wednesday have plenty of injuries themselves and I think we’re much more suited to playing away from home. Once again Bruce went safe and not positive enough in his team selection. Onomah is useless on the left wing, Hourihane is invisible unless he’s pushed forward and Thor can count himself unlucky for being wiped from the team as when he’s been deployed in the DCM role he’s looked decent. The overriding feeling when I saw the team sheet was how baffling it was that Ohare didn’t make the bench. We’re crying out for creativity without Grealish and Ohare is the only player who has shown he can play in a similar role. Bruce’s plan was to try and stifle them and us nick it, I believe, but we, once again, didn’t seem to have a decent style of play, we had players out of their natural positions and we once again looked disjointed. Our defence looked very nervy and Wednesday caused us plenty of problems throughout. Bruce is much more of a reactive manger than a proactive manager. But his subs worked for us. Snoddy worked his nuts off as always and was our best player. We ground out the win and could easily have been dead and buried before Hourhane’s great goal. But this team does have self belief, determination and a togetherness that we’ve been crying out for for years. That’s essential for the run in. Hopefully we have some good news (for a change) on the injury front and get Grealish and Adomah back. I’d still be surprised if both are back in the starting line up, but hopefully I’m wrong. Grabben and Davis have shown themselves to be a handful and Hogan simply struggles without Grealish despite his endeavour and endless chasing. It is indeed through our pressing and chasing of the opposition when they have the ball which is helping us in games so hope we keep this up. Or defence have looked very shakey for the last few games, Terry in particular. Hopefully he, and the rest of the team, benefit from a full week of training without a game in midweek. Up next we have a West London team who will give JT pelters so hopefully Terry will be up for it and gets back to his best for us as he’s so important for us. Need to push on and get ourselves back on track by playing as we know we can against QPR next week.

A lot rests on whether we have Grealish and Adomah back. He latter is certainly unlikely to return this soon but it’s all a tad quiet about Jack. Either way we’re just proven to be a much better team with both of those starting. We cant afford to be defensive in our set up if we have aspirations of automatic promotion. Wednesday will be tough but we need to press the opposition and play with intensity. If there’s no Grealish then Hogan, for all his running, becomes redundant, sadly. Hourihane will be lucky to start as he’s been invisible for a while now. I’d be tempted to start Grabben and perhaps Davis but worry that shout Jack we appear disjointed have no shape or game plan and zero creativity to cause teams problems. We need to pick ourselves up for Wednesday away.

We looked completely disorganised and disjointed througout and were quite lucky to take a point. A positive was that Grabben looks useful and a handful so needs to start (assuming Grealish and Adomah are out for the weekend) I didn’t expect to win tonight as we seem absolutely clueless without Grealish. Hogan is redundant when Jack isn’t there. We’re just a better outfit with Grealish and Adomah. Was lucky to get the pen, silly foul by them. Soft but they get given. Saved us as PNE we’re coming right at us until the death. We looked more of a threat with Grabben but we need much more composure across the park. Needed to win tonight but I just didn’t see that ever happening. A point keeps us in the mix for automatic but we need much better if we’re going to try and keep pushing for second. Need to beat Sheff Weds away on Sat to try keep pace with the automatic places as I fully expect Derby to win tomorrow. We desperately need Grealish back.

Guy is an absolute beast.

Yeah I thought the same.

Fair enough. I’d discounted O’hare as Bruce just doesn’t play him. But you’re right O’hare is the most suitable replacement we’ve got in our squad.

Is too often invisible on the pitch. His position seems to be under no threat and that could be why he’s off the boil. We need a higher level of performance from him as he’s been poor for ages now.

Dreading it. Need a reaction. We did well against them at their place with Davis up top (best game he has played for us) so would be tempted to throw him in again or Grabben. We need to press the opposition when they have the ball and hound them. I think we need to up the tempo when we have the ball ourselves as that was seriously lacking today, although not having Grealish severely hampers our ability to counter attack quickly against teams. Big big game and important we bounce back, if possible, against another tough opponent.

Genuinely can’t remember him touching the ball today. Think he needs to start a game to be given a chance of showing what he’s capable of.

Felt inevitable if I’m honest. Contained them well enough first half but at best we were only containing them. You’re always in it at 1-0 but we threw the game away ourselves with the gifted second goal. We couldn’t match their intensity and were well beaten. Losing Adomah we can deal with, but there’s no suitable replacement for Grealish. Tuesday is massive.

Was always worried about this fixture as we just never do well here but with the news that it’s looking increasingly likely that Grealish and Adomah are both out I can’t help but think we’ll struggle to mount any kind of a threat and struggle to take a point. Without Grealish there’s almost no point playing Hogan as no one else can find and open up the pockets of space and drive at the opposition on the counter creating options and outlets that Hogan can exploit. We still have Snodgrass but our only way of getting Hogan involved is through his delivery which limits us. I’d throw Grabben up top. Without Grealish this won’t be pretty at all and I worry we’ll resort to hoofing it up. I expect Onomah to come in but he’s always hit and miss as to how well he plays.