Hull City V Aston Villa: Mon, 6th Aug, Match Thread. | Vital Football

Hull City V Aston Villa: Mon, 6th Aug, Match Thread.

Thomas Holte

Vital Football Legend
Well, here we go, our first game of the season and no sooner than the ink was dry Sky Sports moved the dates.

I really don't know how we will get on due to the inconsistencies of not being able to have two decent 45 minutes of each half that are the same. We seem to have 1 good half then hang on defending too deeply leaving people biting their fingernails and that's not right.

Sort this out and I think we can do OK this forthcoming season and Brucie may well keep his job particularly with new owners watching from the sidelines - I hope so for Aston Villa.

The team selection will be interesting however if Steve Bruce sticks with the old guard/dad's army policy at the expense of our younger players busting a gut to get into the first team then he is immediately putting pressure on himself without any excuses.

Thoughts and predictions here folks and have a safe trip to the game all you fantastic Vital Villans who travel all over England shouting the team on.
 
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Yes it will be another Hotel job for me due to the fact I can't get a train back after 9. Suppose I could drive down and not have a drink not really an option. As for the game who knows what expect I was confident we were gonna batter them last season at home and it turned out to be a game of two halves so this season being away I have no idea.
 
180 minute games? Is that our punishment for failing FFP? :silly:

Looking at Hull's transfer activity it seems they have lost quite a bit of experience in Dawson, Hernandez, Meyler and Larsson and replaced them with on loan kids and unknown foreigners so they could be a bit of an unknown quantity.

They have signed Eric Lichaj too so up to Andre Green to rip him a new arsehole.

Think it'll end up being a Monday night bore draw 0-0.

As for lineup -

Steer

Hutton
Chester
Elphick

Elmo
Jedi
Hourihane
Grealish
Green

Adomah
Kodjia
 
Forget this game, for the first time ever, my boys and I will be attending the first home game of the season...........surely this is a more exciting talking point than a game against a few bumble bees.
 
Looking at the bookmakers odds, Hull are 4th favourites to be relegated, while we are 7th favourites for promotion.
 
I will be about mile and half away from the ground watching it in a pub with a workmate who supports Tigers. Would have liked to have gone but knowing our fantastic away support all our allocation will be gone now. Could sit in the City stands but b.....x to that, I don't want infecting thank you very much lol. As long as we win I don't care. Bragging rights and wearing a smug grin at work is all that counts. Come on you Villa boys, Fight Like Lions.
 
Bruce has experimented pre season with 3 at the back. Several times (esp West Ham) we were caught with our pants down in wide areas. I’m no Philistine in formation terms, but to play 3+wing backs you need 2 things. 1. Centre halves that are quick but can also play football (not huff)
2. Rapid high energy wing backs
England had this in Trippier/Stones/Walker but can’t say same for Elmo/Albert/Jedi.
Think with our players we should stick with four defenders, we had a mean defence set up last year, why change?
Think it will be an expensive experiment that we can I’ll afford this year
 
As for lineup -

Steer

Hutton
Chester
Elphick

Elmo
Jedi
Hourihane
Grealish
Green

Adomah
Kodjia

The setup pre-season would suggest a 3-5-2, but I find that totally baffling as we just don't have the players imho, certainly not on the left-hand side.

Bree, Elmo and de Laet all have the energy and skill set to play as wing-backs - the most important role in that system. But who plays LWB? I don't think André Green is too familiar with the role, so maybe Hutton will play there, with Taylor or Jedinak in the back three?

We just seem to fall into the 'square pegs in round holes' approach which has afflicted Villa managers for the past 10 years.
 
I agree. Team I posted was what I think it will be not what I want.

I'd stick with 4-5-1 personally.

Yep, worked well for us last season. Assuming no injuries or new signings, I'd go for something like:

Steer

de Laet, Chester, Elphick, Hutton

Adomah, Bjarnason, Hourihane, Grealish, Green

Kodjia
 
Indubitably a clearcut win for the Villa with champagne football all the way.
 
I hope he will see the second half v Dresden as a sign that the players seem far more comfortable with 4 at the back.

I think we will win this. I hope so as I will be watching it from Turkey and Ia don't want my holiday ruined.
 
Well we better win as i dont think i can cope with a loss and the predictable mass hysteria if pre season has anything to go by. Especially when we will have only 45 games left !.

This season is keep calm and carry on. With the new owners there is a bigger picture (I think /hope, Fear says it's ok doesn't he ?)
 
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3-5-2 can be set-up in a few ways.
There's the traditional two wingbacks system with three in the middle of midfield.
Then there's playing two holding or defensive midfielders. This means your two wide defenders have to cover the fullback positions, while the two DM's drop in either side of the central defender when under attack.
There's two positions the central defender can play in too.
One is as a back sweeper, where he is behind the other two offering cover.
Two is playing in front of the other two defenders slightly, filling the gap between the defensive line and midfield, taking the ground the opponents attacking midfielder wants to play in.
Which ever system you use, your wingbacks must start higher up the pitch and your central defender must be clever enough to spot if somethings not working and have the authority to change the system.
 
Yep, worked well for us last season. Assuming no injuries or new signings, I'd go for something like:

Steer

de Laet, Chester, Elphick, Hutton

Adomah, Bjarnason, Hourihane, Grealish, Green

Kodjia

That would be my choice JPA and I'd throw the boy Knibbs in if Kodjia is unfit. Got to start somewhere hasn't he?.

That said, based on the past, I expect Bruce to stick with Jedi and Elmo at the expense of De Laet and Bjarnason. As for three at the back, maybe it can be used as an option mid game when we need to change things, instead of throwing on 5 strikers and hoping

Really don't know where we will end up. We ought to be capable of challenging for play off places with Jack and Chester still here and fit. Expecting more of what we saw last season in terms of how we play. Can't see us challenging for automatic promotion without a huge slice of good fortune.

A lot may depend on whether the youngsters can add some unknown X factor with their energy, enthusiasm and drive. Be interesting to see how willing SB is to give them game time, as consistency is often lacking with young players. If we can continue to make Villa Park a positive environment who knows.

In the words of a former glam rock hero, now rightly incarcerated in disgrace, "Hello, hello It's good to be back, goodness gracious"!:utv: