Aston Villa vs Bolton Wanderers Friday Night 2nd Nov

[1958Villan]

Whelan and Hourihane both get stick when playing for Ireland for their lack of contribution. One of many poor buys by Bruce.

You have it spot on Wicked.
Hourihane especially only plays when we have the ball.
Lansbury is the same, as are a few others in the squad.

As for the debate about a No 10, Grealish could be a decent No 10, if theres a player further back who will kick his arse if he drifts back to pick up balls from the defence, as is his habit. Mr Smith also has to highlight to Grealish, that there are another 9 outfield players in the team and that he, Grealish, cannot do it all himself.

 

[Melon Donkey]

I hate when this happens, I am not advocating playing the man in the starting 11 or ahead of Grealish I am just saying he has two uses and both are essentially as a pure goal threat. I don't think a lad who has scored 10+ goals for us (and many many of those were important) should be as easily abused and discarded as some suggest. This isnt a black and white issue its a grey area. The man has a place in the squad we're not that blessed with talent.

To answer you're No. 10 point I'd agree those are the things a modern No. 10 has but the No. 10 role in todays game has many different forms. The classic No. 10 wasnt fast two of the best Zidane and Riquelme were slow as wet weeks but by god did they have touch, vision and a pass.

Hourihane has one of those things on your list 'a trick up his sleeve' and that is being in the right place at the right time. I know you didnt intend it that way but its the truth. To play at 10 you need to be doing something, you need to pull something out of nowhere when the team needs and Hourihane has done that.

To clarify and reiterate this I am not advocating starting him at all but if he did have to start it is the only place I'd play him. Pure liability anywhere else.

Couple of points CDX.

I agree. It is a grey area. Which is why I said earlier that the Hourihane situation is a weird one. On the one hand you have a player who can score a goal and assist. But overall does he do enough?. He isn't and doesn't score and assist every week otherwise he wouldn't play for us or be around very long before being snapped up. So what does he contribute otherwise. Not a great deal in my opinion. I remember last season it was mentioned a few times that Hourihane pulled a goal out of the bag everytime he had a run of games where people were questioning whether he should start. That's been his pattern .
Secondly, I don't think there is any abuse going on ?.

 

[Chieftoast]

Just watched the post match interview from Dean Smith. Refreshing that even after winning the game and playing relativity well, he didn't just pander about saying how great everyone was, still made points about how we could be better. And the point of showing players clips at half time, I can't imagine Bruce doing that... I like how he's set us up- wants to start fast and gets 3.5 goals a game. Passing has been better, players playing in their correct position.... so simple, why hasn't anyone thought of this before?!

 

[CDX_EIRE]

Couple of points CDX.

I agree. It is a grey area. Which is why I said earlier that the Hourihane situation is a weird one. On the one hand you have a player who can score a goal and assist. But overall does he do enough?. He isn't and doesn't score and assist every week otherwise he wouldn't play for us or be around very long before being snapped up. So what does he contribute otherwise. Not a great deal in my opinion. I remember last season it was mentioned a few times that Hourihane pulled a goal out of the bag everytime he had a run of games where people were questioning whether he should start. That's been his pattern .
Secondly, I don't think there is any abuse going on ?.

I'd agree he definitely doesnt you have to wonder what he did at Barnsley because he needs to be kept up field out of the way.

Not necessarily abuse but it won't be long until it gets there. Like the man can pass a ball and pick out a pass but every game its confirmation bias of the 5 passes he made sideways or backwards. I often wonder do other fans criticise their own players in the same way because there is hardly a team in the top two divisions who don't have a player(s) like that who start.

 

[Silhillvilla]

Hourihane can score and create he proved that last year. I agree he was largely anonymous last night. In his right position/role he's a useful asset , DS over to you

 

[danvilla2]

I had a look though some old Barnsley games on the sky sports website as it shows the lineups in a nice visual, it looks to me like he largely played in the middle of a 4-4-2 from the games I found which surprised me.

 

[holtelower]

Fair few ST holders near me were missing last night, so it's nothing to do with pricing.
Let's be honest some "fans" still wouldn't go id it was free if the lazy bastards can sit at home and gawp at Sky

Congratulations for the most condecending post ever.

Tell you what Villan. Thanks for the offer.

My son lives in Cardiff, he travelled by train to Hereford, where I picked hin up, and drove the two hours to Villa Park.

My daughter also lives in Cardiff, although yesterday she was in Swansea until 6pm.

As you consider her a lazy bastard for not being able to get from Swansea to Birmingham in 1.5 hours on a Friday night with no car , thanks mate, I will tell her YOU will pick her up next time.

Where do you live by the way ?

Dusgusting post !

 

[McParlandTheGreat]

Thought Hourihane did OK last night. Got in the right positions, did the right things. Bolton came back into it because the team as a whole had a breather, not because of him.

Having said that, he can be inconsistent, and he annoyed me by going for chancy shots near the end when Hogan was making runs and just waiting for a pass.

For where we are, he's OK when we need him, but he's not an automatic choice. I'd prefer Barney. We could do with somebody as solid as Whelan but a lot quicker; we've nobody else as solid as that.

 

[Silhillvilla]

Fair few ST holders near me were missing last night, so it's nothing to do with pricing.
Let's be honest some "fans" still wouldn't go id it was free if the lazy bastards can sit at home and gawp at Sky

Some of us work for a living and find it hard for certain kick offs
But thanks for your input

 

[Erod]

Hourihane is an old inside left , or the left side of of a midfield three.
Eg the Colin Harvey of Kendall Ball and Harvey.....,,,,only not so good.

To much football our gates are marvelous considering sky , prices , and what’s on offer. When we get Euro league , premier league, and championship that’s when the gates will dip

 

[1958Villan]

A win albeit against a poor Bolton side.
Observations from the game.

Nyland is a superb reaction keeper.
Which means that Neil Cutler, our new goalkeeping coach, has work to do teaching Nyland when and how to punch and when and how to catch the ball, as well as when to come out to collect a ball.
He also has to work improving Nylands spatial awareness.
By that I really mean Nylands positional awareness, so that he knows where the goal-posts are at all times, (and yes I am aware that the goal-posts don't move), no matter where he is in the box.
Then there is the improvement needed in Nylands distribution, especially from his kicking.

Abraham really needs a lot of shooting practice because of his apparent inability, in front of the goal, to do anything in less than three touches of the ball.
His apparent inability to shoot first time, along with his poor scoring record at swansea last season, has me beginning to think his prolific season with Bristol City, just might have been a one-off.
If he doesn't improve swiftly, I wouldn't blame Mr Smith for moving him out wide and playing Kodjia in the middle, either that or cancelling his loan in January.

Jack Grealish needs to be locked in a room for eight hours watching a video loop of the ball played through Boltons back four for him to score his goal, while similtaineously hearing audio instructions telling him, "This is how an attacking midfielder sets up chances for a forward to score".

 

[Villan57]

Some of us work for a living and find it hard for certain kickoffs
But thanks for your input

Half the workforce in the west midlands finish early on a Friday, Some people put themselves out others don't, they make excuses.
I could say I don't do away games because I can't get tickets but the truth is if I really really wanted to I'd find a way. I just don't have that kind of commitment. I'd never blame KO times
15 years or more I've been on this site, and every time without fail I mention people who don't go, someone takes it personally, I'm generalising!! 11,000 empty seats compared the Swansea game they aren't all working late on Fridays! If we were playing the Blues they'd all be there!
My Granddaughter didn't go as she's 8 and not that bothered, the bloke who normally sits next to me didn't go, and he's retired . his son didn't go either, all ST holders, so it wasn't down to price or work.
It was Bolton, it's on the TV and it's cold, but had it been Saturday 3 pm there might have been a couple of thousand extra.

 

[The Fear]

15 years or more I've been on this site,

Good God, it feels sooooooooooooooooo much longer.

 

[Villan57]

Good God, it feels sooooooooooooooooo much longer.

Probably is JF if you count the old Hole tenders site, back in the days when Fieldy knew nothing, come to think of it nothing has changed

 

[gdav]

Congratulations for the most condecending post ever.

Tell you what Villan. Thanks for the offer.

My son lives in Cardiff, he travelled by train to Hereford, where I picked hin up, and drove the two hours to Villa Park.

My daughter also lives in Cardiff, although yesterday she was in Swansea until 6pm.

As you consider her a lazy bastard for not being able to get from Swansea to Birmingham in 1.5 hours on a Friday night with no car , thanks mate, I will tell her YOU will pick her up next time.

Where do you live by the way ?

Dusgusting post !

Hereford to Villa Park 2 hours? Bloody milk floats have no go anymore!!

 

[pvb1968]

Some fans have to come some serious distance to watch villa and its commendable. I have to come from Nuneaton, literally around the corner compared to some.

 

[tmg513]

Hereford to Villa Park 2 hours? Bloody milk floats have no go anymore!!

I have to allow 90 mins to Villa Park from just the other side of Worcester at the moment. There's usually a 20 minute queue on the M5/M42 junction and it often takes 15-20 minutes to get over the river at Worcester. 2 hours from Hereford is par for the course I'd say.

 

[JuanPabloAngel]

I have to allow 90 mins to Villa Park from just the other side of Worcester at the moment. There's usually a 20 minute queue on the M5/M42 junction and it often takes 15-20 minutes to get over the river at Worcester. 2 hours from Hereford is par for the course I'd say.

We left Stratford at 5.00pm on Friday night - 28 miles through the city centre and out on the A34 is the quickest route for us and we still didn't get there until 6.45pm, and that was with quite favourable traffic.

I wonder if they will ever finish sorting out the Bristol Road traffic lights and the redevelopment around Broad Street. It's been going on for what seems like years now.

 

[danvilla2]

I have to allow 90 mins to Villa Park from just the other side of Worcester at the moment. There's usually a 20 minute queue on the M5/M42 junction and it often takes 15-20 minutes to get over the river at Worcester. 2 hours from Hereford is par for the course I'd say.

Only 10k signatures are required for a government response to a petition, shall we start one to get VP moved to Longbridge?

Tmg513
Holtelower
TheFear
Deanovilla
Danvilla2

In all seriousness, villa do a lot in the local area around Sutton, Lichfield, Tamworth, Cannock etc. Would love to see more around the Worcestershire area for kids such as the soccer schools. Maybe they do and I’m not seeing it as I’m exiled in London these days but there’s a generation of Villa fan in the area who are sadly of an age whereby their time is limited and a generation like me who grew up in the 90’s high, but I bet there’s more Man City and Chelsea tops in the local schools than Villa these days.

You hook a kid to Villa and they’re worth a fortune over their lifetime. Maybe the economics in the short term don’t make sense, but using Gabbys salary for a year he no longer gets would fund it.

Poor kids could end up becoming Dingles like
Half of my school mates

 

[1958Villan]

Half the workforce in the west midlands finish early on a Friday, Some people put themselves out others don't, they make excuses.
I could say I don't do away games because I can't get tickets but the truth is if I really really wanted to I'd find a way. I just don't have that kind of commitment. I'd never blame KO times
15 years or more I've been on this site, and every time without fail I mention people who don't go, someone takes it personally, I'm generalising!! 11,000 empty seats compared the Swansea game they aren't all working late on Fridays! If we were playing the Blues they'd all be there!
My Granddaughter didn't go as she's 8 and not that bothered, the bloke who normally sits next to me didn't go, and he's retired . his son didn't go either, all ST holders, so it wasn't down to price or work.
It was Bolton, it's on the TV and it's cold, but had it been Saturday 3 pm there might have been a couple of thousand extra.

And half of the workforce in the west midlands have other committments 57, like family.
I also doubt your assumption about the number of people finishing early on a friday, office workers maybe but, tradesmen and shopworkers I doubt very much.
Also a lot of people can't afford to go for every home game, retiree's on the state pension for starters, add to that people who are in minimum wage jobs, or are unemployed.
There are lots of reasons people decided not to go and yes, one of them probably was, that it was a cold night and the game was on the box.