Match Thread; Walsall Away,18th July 19:45.

Thomas Holte

Vital Football Legend
Even though losing against Shrewsbury wasn't the end of the world something resembling a bit of a reaction from the players and coaching staff would be a nice start to the game for us to see.

It would also be nice for SB to show a bit more attacking intention rather than his general defensive line of thought. An organised pattern of play with the players all knowing their roles and linking midfield to attack would be nice to see in the first half to help score a few goals and settle the players and increase confidence. However, in the second half, I would expect that this will become disjointed with the substitutions but these subs should still know their expected roles. However please Steve no more suicidal combinations like Richards and Hutton as our centre-backs that's just asking for trouble and you got it!

I would like to see Lansbury and Hourihane getting more forward because this is what they were good at their previous clubs rather than being made to play too deep - It would also be nice to see less of this sideways passing in our own half which seems to have become part of our turgid, slow approach to games and enables teams to get organised and often double up on our attacking players.

Retain the ball, close down quickly, don't keep passing the ball to the other team, put players in the roles they are good at, attack as a unit and defend as a unit and who knows Steve Bruce might just get us promoted....After all, it's not rocket science, and it's only what other teams continually do to us!
 
The problem is Thomas, Steve Bruce was a centre back, so his whole philosophy is, don't concede a goal.
While it isn't impossible for someone to change their outlook, even after being stuck in it for over 40 years and with a reasonable amount of success but, it is very difficult.
Unfortunately football is no longer part of the entertainment Industry.
 
1958Villan - 17/7/2017 12:24

The problem is Thomas, Steve Bruce was a centre back, so his whole philosophy is, don't concede a goal.
While it isn't impossible for someone to change their outlook, even after being stuck in it for over 40 years and with a reasonable amount of success but, it is very difficult.
Unfortunately football is no longer part of the entertainment Industry.

Yes, that's all correct 1958Villan and I guess there is something in the saying a team reflects the manager on the pitch!?

 
So this is tomorrow, the 18th? Great, I thought it was Saturday. Going into Glangwili Hospital Carmarthen on Friday for a couple of days so thought I'd miss it.

Think Richards & Hutton as centre-backs meant that Bruce had seen all he wanted to and wasn't taking it seriously. Don't think we'll be treated to that again.

How big is the Walsall pitch? It's certainly a factor at clubs like Shrewsbury. The home team knows how to pack the defence on their own small ground.
 
Would like to see Bruce go back to the 4-3-3, just don't get the feeling we can play two strikers after watching last season and the start of this season.

Also agree with everyone who was talking about our midfield's fear of going forward. It boggles the mind to see us go down the wing and get right around the side of their 18 yard box only to pass it all the way back to defense and hoof it up in panic. Would much rather see someone try to play forward and give it away in an advanced position than to pass it back to defense and then give it away.

I'd like to see:

Johnstone
Bree, Chester, Terry, Taylor
Hourihane, Veretout, Lansbury
Green, Hogan, Bjarnasson
 
For those not going to the game please don't forget you can watch the game live here ... https://www.youtube.com/user/avfcofficial

So far the coverage of each game has been decent so well done to the club for enabling this facility for us.
 
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??? We have now sold out our allocation for this evening's pre-season clash at @WFCOfficial.

Thanks for your support as always Villans!
 
Surely it must be time for SB to move towards picking his preferred eleven as much as possible. I'm not panicking, but there's no real fluidity so far in the pre-season games, and we need to start the season with the players knowing their individual roles.

 
Without Jedinak , Kodjia and possibly Grealish it won't happen romanianvillain.

Is it me ? or is there more focus on pre season this year. I don't remember them taken this seriously by us in the past , or maybe I am wrong.
 
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Team: Johnstone, Bree, Samba, Terry ©, Taylor, Lansbury, Hourihane, Bjarnason, Amavi, Green, Agbonlahor.
 
According to the good Dr X's tweet up to 4 more ins and 7 outs. Can't play his best team yet as we don't have it. Can read plenty into this team though - Bree over Hutton, no McCormack, no Vertout, no Elphick etc.

He'll have a good look at Samba as well.
 
hightrinity - 18/7/2017 20:00

The passing is atrocious.

Standard.

And the ridiculous tactic of switching Green and Amavi now and agin - why??!! Amavi is pretty ordinary on the left, and that's his good side!!