Bruce - Samba Will Be Used Upfront

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Manager Steve Bruce has said centre half Christopher Samba will be used as an option upfront in the future following his cameo against Hull City last weekend.


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10 months is actually quite a long time and it now includes a full pre-season as many were wanting. When Hutton gets MOTM then what more needs to be said. I am pretty sure Dion Dublin could make some very effective cameo appearances.
 
Article's dead right. With Kodjia out and McCormack going then I'm OK with Gabby and Hogan up front, but surely it's time to use Davis and RHM as backup.
 
If the plan is to use Samba as a strike option then I give up. He might be a useful option in the centre of defence but if we see him as a viable, regular forward option then that's embarrassing. Watching him ambling about on Saturday was comical.
 
villasince67 - 6/8/2017 23:23

10 months is actually quite a long time and it now includes a full pre-season as many were wanting. When Hutton gets MOTM then what more needs to be said. I am pretty sure Dion Dublin could make some very effective cameo appearances.
The only thing Dion would do at Villa Park now is turn into a housing estate
 
ironside - 7/8/2017 08:56

If the plan is to use Samba as a strike option then I give up. He might be a useful option in the centre of defence but if we see him as a viable, regular forward option then that's embarrassing. Watching him ambling about on Saturday was comical.

I'm feeling you, man.

We have two kids with great potential chomping at the bit and he is messing about with washed-up Gabby and an over-the-hill centre back.
 
I think Bruce has been out in the Portugese sun too long... it's effecting him I think.

Still, if he wants to be gone by October, he's making a good start of it......

:21:


 
It was a toss up between the dinosaur or a death wish photo :21:
 

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That's an admission that lump it forward is going to be the way we will be playing.
If I were Scott Hogan I'd be banging the managers door down, demanding a transfer, before my reputation got really destroyed by playing for this joke of a manager.
 
What Bruce is actually saying here is that Kodja is our only viable regular goal scorer and when he is not available for whatever reason we dont have a plan B. It sounds like an admission that he struggling to put out an alterative front line that offers any goal threat.
 
I remember Brian Little doing the same with Ugo in a European tie and plenty of other sides better than us like Chelsea and Man Utd have done it as well.

I think Bruce will only do this as a last resort like on Saturday when we need a goal with a couple of minutes left but I will be disappointed if it becomes a regular thing.
 
I have to say, my heart sank when I saw Samba coming on, and something died a little inside me when he went up front.

In the first game of the season!!

It had better be a very rare thing. If not, it suggests a worrying lack of ideas from Bruce. And also suggests he doesn't rate Keinan Davis or RHM (when they're fit) if Samba is considered the back up to Hogan and Gabby.
 
To put on Samba with four minutes left was a desperate move but to take off another forward like Hogan earlier and leave on Agbonlahor for the whole game and who was blowing out of his arse after 45 minutes was nothing more than sheer stupidity.
 
36 league games under bruce and we have scored more than once in a game only 10 times. Interesting that apparently we haven't won a game without jedinak playing over the last twelve months apparently.
 
Desperate measure yes but worth a punt at the end. Can't rely on youth coming through - it hasn't happened for years. Many on here proclaimed Gardner should have been playing until they saw him play regularly. Potential doesn't win anything and Bruce obviously has little faith in them at the moment. We created more chances on Saturday than for a long time so that's an improvement for me.
As for Samba I'd give him Chester's place because we're going to have score from a few set pieces if we're going to turn draws to wins.
 
A centre back up front, maybe as an absolute last resort out of desperation when your chasing the game and you have no other options or ideas but as proper game plan then that's just embarrassing.
 
Too much emphasis being put on Samba going on for a few mins up front on Saturday in my opinion. How many times do see a team lumping it forward in the last few mins to get a result. Loads and loads

It was the 90th minute not the 70th. We were chasing a win. We were having succession of set pieces at this time, which were not producing anything. What's the problem with putting a 6ft plus beast of of man into try and sneek out a goal or opportunity in the last few seconds. Literally last throw of the dice in a game definitely ending in a draw. If we were fannying around passing and passing on the edge of the box I bet the cries of 'get it in the box' would be loud on the terraces. We were not exactly passing our way through were we.
What should he have done at that point. Put Bree, Hourihane or Thor on ?. Pretty obvious that Hull would not have wanted to have Samba, , Terry and Chester to deal with in box.

Yes you can debate whether the line up was wrong in the first place hence not winning the game at that point.
But that's not the debate. At that point in the game under those circumstances cannot see why so much fuss or emphasis. If we are winning it's not a valid option and I fully expect Bruce knows this. Samba upfront will not be an option unless these circs occur again.



 
Rediculous and embarrassing substitution. Samba spends best part of 6 months to earn a contract then gets thrown on up front with a minute left. Then Bruce trumpeting how good he was at Blackburn playing up front. Dinosaur tactics.