Villarocker

Making that point twice makes me question if TRO really is Steve Bruce in disguise Huddersfield played some decent footie last season but now they are in the top flight they have put a lot of emphasis on having a tight defence. I think it is all about finding the right balance. For me, I'd rather watch a game where my team tries to out-score the opposition rather than try to concede less.

This ^^^^ needs to be written by a tabloid journalist so that a wider audience can see that it just isn't all about being in the Premier League - it's about being able to enjoy what we watch too! PS: I work with an Albion fan that hates Pulis with a passion and says that he would rather see Albion in the Championship playing something close to exciting football than to just plod along being defence-mind, don't lose at all cost also-rans in the Premier League.

Hope you're right but think you are underestimating Sheffield United because they look the real deal this season too!

To be fair TRO, IF Bruce is not the person responsible for tactics, he needs to fire the f***er(s) that is!

Every setback doesn't include losing your talismanic captain and best defender for a couple of months. But, that shouldn't be a problem for us as, according to you a couple of days ago, we have enough strength in depth to cope. Time will tell if you're right - I hope you are!

I can honestly say that I was not screaming for Hogan to play alongside Davis. In fact, I'm not screaming for him to play alongside anyone at our club.

At least that proves there is competition for places!

This is the problem. He's asked to do a lot of covering of the left back but gets no support with an overlap.

Not having adequate central defensive cover is the responsibility of either Bruce (thought we had enough) or the board (didn't find the money). This may well prove costly.

We have lost four games. But, it will be more than that by the time Terry returns to the team. Our next 11 games (up to and including January 13th) include home games against Sheff Utd and Bristol City plus away trips to Derby, Leeds, 'Boro, Forest, Brentford. I can't see us winning many of those!

No offence mate but, I think the players need cutting some slack for that first goal. 1) It was just 17 seconds into the game, so players wouldn't have had time to settle into positions. 2) It was an amazing goal - probably the best the player will ever score. I think sometimes we just have to applaud what was a sensational goal and give the scorer credit where due. My biggest problem is that we couldn't turn the game around in the next 90+ minutes of play.

When he bagged his hat-trick earlier this season he spoke about how having Davis up top to hold the ball up for him was just what he wanted. Playing alongside Whelan in front in the back four doesn't give him chance to show the best part of his game. He needs to be furthest forward in a midfield three.

To be fair JV, we have taken multiple measures to address the lack of goals if Kodjia failed to score or wasn't playing. Davis, Snodgrass, Onomah all coming into the team. Hourihane finding a way to get involved and Adomah switching wings have all contributed goals to the team. The defence has been different. We lost Baker, who had a very good season last season, and replaced with Terry, who has been brilliant and a massive influence on the team. I think we will miss him massively because his cover in defence lacks the quality of the cover we have for scoring goals. Having said that, I hope you are right mate!

With Terry missing I will be amazed if he doesn't start playing 4-3-3 again but this time with Jedinak partnering Whelan in front of the back four, to give more protection. If he does this it will be at the sacrifice of a more attack-minded player and will inevitably lead to less chances. Please prove me wrong Brucie and let our players attack, after all, it is supposed to be the best form of defence!

To be fair, he did charge out to an area of the pitch where he shouldn't have been and went in with his foot raised, hence he kicked the opponents boot. A bit self-inflicted and probably why he is feeling so down about it - it could have been avoided.

You'e dreaming! Bruce will put Samba alongside Chester and probably go back to 4-3-3 with Jedinak partnering Whelan to give added cover to the back four and drop either Hourihane or Onomah with the starter out of those two playing that third midfield role. The two wide men will be Adomah and Snodgrass and they will be on extra defensive duties so that Elmo and Hutton (Taylor?) can tuck in alongside the central pair. We will sacrifice attack play for stability at the back and as a result we will not score as many goals and lose further ground at the top. They just mentioned Terry could be out for the next 9 games. I reckon we will go 3 wins, 3 draws, 3 defeats. 12 points from 27 and outside the play offs by the time Terry returns. God help us if Chester gets injured or suspended at any time during those 9 games!

You say that but we really shouldn't be a one-man defence!

The big fear for me now is if we lose Chester for any reason. A centre back pairing of Jedinak and Samba will have Bruce playing Taylor ahead of Hutton down the left and Elmohamady playing ahead of De Laet down the right.

I just can't see Villa finishing in the top two and, if we finish in the play offs (I think we will struggle to do so unless Bruce starts letting the players off the leash more and gets centre back cover in January), I can't see us having the ability to beat the teams around us if we continue to play without urgency and driving forwards. Sheffield Wednesday's last three away games were at Derby, Bolton and Small Heath and they lost them all scoring just 1 goal in the process. They also only drew at Burton. Today was the first time they have scored more than one goal away from home in the league this season. We need to win home games against teams with away records like this because there will be far more difficult teams to play at Villa Park before this season is through. Conceding a first minute screamer is no excuse to lose. There are still over 90 minutes left to play to turn it around - if you're good enough!

We should be fine because we've supposedly got good squad depth.

People weren't saying that the other night when I suggested that we wouldn't have beaten a full strength Preston side. Apparently, it's all part of the game!

I've been slowly getting my 4 year old son interested in the Villa and he is now at the point where he regularly sings "Villa Villa" and he loves our golden roaring lion badge. Today, I asked him how many goals he thought Villa would score today and he said "100 million". I told him it was a good guess but probably too high. I asked him to pick a number between 0 and 5 and he said "5 goals, Dad". I asked how many our opponents would score and he said "1 to them". 5-1 it is then at 66/1 so a nice little earner for us both if the lads go for it today

This guy needs to play week in week out to be any good. It doesn't appear like he's going to get that with Kodjia and Davis ahead of him. Wouldn't surprise me if we sold him if a good enough bid comes in for him.

You say that but, would you like to see a run of games where both Chester and Terry are out injured and/or suspended? That's what Preston are facing tight now with their defence and it has resulted in their dip in form. Who would Bruce put in as our central pairing if Terry and Chester were out? Samba and De Laet? Samba and Hutton? Samba and Jedinak? It's ok to say that other teams don't have strength in depth like us but, at the back, we don't have much depth either.

Maybe I'm hard to please but, for men last night was a chance to hammer a team that has the same aspirations as us. I thought that we could have done some serious damage to the goal differences but it wasn't to be. Sorry but, I'm still not convinced we are playing well enough to trouble the teams at the top of this league. Hopefully, time will prove me wrong.