Villarocker

Nah, the way people will spot you is when youre holding up your "Get out of my club, Potato Head" banner in the Holte End!

4-3-3 today then, hopefully

"They've scored four times in the last five minutes in the last month. "We'll be guarding against that." Part of Bruce's thoughts on today's game from the OS. I guess we can expect an all-hands-on-deck at the back approach from the 85th minute then.

I hear you mate but, take that first goal for example. It is clear to see that Bruce gave the players instructions to close ranks and make it difficult for the Wolves front three to play through us. The net result of that was that Elmohamady got so used to having Snodgrass the other side of him that he neglected his basic duty of marking the player that scored. Had Snodgrass not always been there helping out maybe Elmohamady would have taken care of his own job and the goal wouldn't have happened. Bruce needs to show trust in players to take care of their own game. If he thinks they aren't capable then it shows a lot of problems - recruitment, coaching, ability etc. Further to the above, think about a job. A guy might be great at his job but as soon as you move him into another area to help out he might not be so comfortable and even become a hindrance rather than a solution. Meanwhile, that person's own job is suffering because he isn't being able to concentrate fully on his own role. I think Bruce needs to show more faith. If he sees that back two has too slow or cumbersome then he surely has to take responsibility for that because it was he that made that our centre back pairing and there were no secrets about the lack of pace of the two players occupying those positions.

I dont know about anyone else but, right now, the only thing I can see for this season is: 1) Villa beating lower teams. 2) Drawing mid table games. 3) Losing to the top teams. 4) Gathering enough points to flirt around the top 6. 5) Tail off towards the end of the season and finish around 10th. We go again!

We were 6-3-1 not 4-4-2

Just watched the highlights and it's clear as day that the players were in a back 5 or 6 whenever Wolves attacked. Hutton and Elmohamady tucked in tight to Chester and Terry, probably because Bruce was worried about their front three passing it around our slower centre backs. That totally nullified the threat of Snodgrass and Adomah though. Even Kodjia was back there ffs! Elmohamady was at fault for their first and only because he was used to having Snodgrass back there covering but he wasn't on that occasion. This defensive shit needs to stop because 1) It is boring and 2) It only works (just about) against the lower teams. Brucie, please stop with the negative crap and coach some attacking play into our players. Whilst your at it, teach them to close people down quicker!

Didn't want to read back through loads of pages but, did anyone else pick up on the fact that he actually said "we go again" in his post match comments in the Wolves game? I hoped never to hear or see that again from a Villa manager.

Cracking post with some very good points in it. That part towards the end scares me though. I can't see Villa finishing in the top two. Scraping into the next four places will leave us with three games to go up against top 6 sides and, to be honest, I'm not looking at the prospect of that with any confidence of us winning. Until we start beating the better teams in this league my belief of us going up this season will be remain almost non existent.

Last season we shopped at Barnsley, Brentford, Bristol City, Forest etc. This season, we took a Chelsea retiree, a relegated right-sided player, a utility attacker that was hardly getting a game at West Ham and, a sluggish DM from Stoke. Wolves did their shopping at top teams in Porto, Benfica, Athletico Madrid. You shop in the right places and you get quality! Years ago we would take players that have been at top team. Now we shop in lower leagues and getting what we (over)pay for.

Spot on! That is also the reason why I can't help but feel he will miss his opportunity at the Villa, end up being sold, and then turning into a very good player elsewhere, when he's about 25. Hopefully, his previous blemishes have been down to his youthfulness and he comes back tougher and more mature than before and realises the potential everybody sees in him.

We have to beat Wolves if we want to show what we are made of. Small Heathens did us a favour last night. Beat Wolves and we can really gain some ground. My only concern is that Bruce will be more mindful of what their attackers can do than what ours can do, if unleashed!

I have little idea what you mean so gave you a trophy for talking complicated shit to me

If we go back up under Bruce's managemebt and, in 10 years time we are established in the top four of the Premier League, there will be no doubting that Villa fans will be ever thankful to Steve Bruce for turning us around. Regardless of his playing style or signings etc, promotion is all that matters for our football club.

Pretty much sums it up for me! Beating a lowly Barnsley followed by a lucky win over struggling Forest and a ground out win against struggling Bolton didn't get overjoyed. However, start beating the teams at the top end of the table and he will start to convince me he has got the players performing the way he wants.

Yes, Taylor was stupid in making that challenge but, us going into the next three games with seemingly no left back cover is the fault of the manager and not Taylor. One thing I do not want to see or hear after these three games is that losing Taylor cost us dearly. A good manager has cover for all positions and Bruce has to take ownership of that.

Exactly! He might have loads of potential and even play regular first team football for France but, the facts state that he was no great shakes for the Villa and that's all that matters.

You know, I have a good feeling about Villa for this one. We are due a friendlier ref for a change and can see something happening in our favour for a change with us going there as second favourites - a bit of an underdog for a change. I have this crazy vision of us getting an early (ish) pen and them having one sent off, which leads to us sticking 4 or 5 past them. Wishful thinking probably but our luck with the refs has to change at some point! Whatever happens, as others have said, this one should be a really good game with in-form local rivals going at each other for the 3 points

I've been away to Sunderland in December and stayed overnight in Newcastle where it was -10. I was freezing and wrapped up like an Eskimo. The group of us went out on the town on the night and there were guys in short-sleeved shirts with no coat and the girls had short skirts and hardly anything on top. A woman, who was stood behind me in a queue to get into a club, asked me where I was from. She could tell I wasn't from up that way based totally on the fact I was wrapped up against the weather. Bruce is from up that way so maybe that dogged style in his personality comes from having frozen his moobs off too many times!

I think that Bruce could really get a lot of doubters on-side if he sends an attack-minded team to Wolves and wins the game. Im not sure that he will though and, if that backfires, he will undoubtedly come in for some criticism. We've had a great September Brucie, please keep it going!

It's not Coleman proportions but he probably has that against him now and if you live by the sword..........

This is exactly where I'm at. We have convincingly beaten 2 of the worst teams, struggled but beaten Forest and then struggled but beaten Bolton - both at home where we're supposed to be better. The next 4 or 5 fixtures will truly show us where we are as a team and, how Bruce is doing as the manager!

So true and there will be absolutely no excuses for him. A settled side, on the back of three straight wins, a load of games unbeaten in the league, a local derby, possible chance to make play-off positions (depending on other results) etc. There really will be no hiding place for him.

That alone right there ^^ shows the difference in professionalism between Terry and McCormack. For Ross, all he would need his a few bricks and some mortar! John Terry IS Champions League!

If we score the first goal within 20 minutes I can see us going on to win 4 or 5 to nil. If we haven't scored by the hour mark I think it could be a nervy 2-0.