Middlesbrough v Aston Villa, Sat 1st Dec @ 5.30pm | Page 18 | Vital Football

Middlesbrough v Aston Villa, Sat 1st Dec @ 5.30pm

McParlandTheGreat said:
Great first start by El Ghazi, top player by the looks of it, and he lasted the match well. And the clean sheet will have done the defence the power of good.

But reckon MOTM was rightly Hourihane, best game I've seen him play. Kept a tight grip on the midfield throughout. We're getting better all round and I think there's more to come.

A lot of us have been scratching our heads over the last 2 years, thinking we've got good players, but then we hardly ever had good performances. Now we know; we have indeed got good players. So far our dreaded run into Christmas is turning into a triumphant march. Thank you Dean.
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I thought he looked good against Reading, and couldn't understand why he was dropped by Bruce and not used by Smith
 
I'd written el Ghazi off but he's looking transformed now. I don't think anyone would fancy marking bolasie, big, powerful and fast, a defenders nightmare.
 
I’ve only watched the game twice on Sky and haven’t been to the game, but I’ll give the players a rating base on that, 10 being out of this world and 5 being average in my world. What a performance eh lads!

Nyland: 6 kept a clean sheet, flapped a couple of times. Never had much to do really did he.

Elmo: 7 Calm assured never put a foot wrong supported the attack well.

Taylor: 6 He did ok never noticed him so that is always a good sign.

Chester:7 That was more like it, kept it simple and he looked more like his old self.

Axle T: 7 Defended well but started many attacks bringing the ball well over the HW line

Hourihane: 7 Started slowly then probably had his best game in his new role as the game wore on.

SJM: 8 The boy is a human dynamo, never stops probing and pushing forwards

Super Jack: 8 starting to look like a team player and not a one-man show, forming a formidable partnership with Super John McGinn.

El Ghazi: 8 First full game and what a game he had, it’s frightening to think he could get better still.

Abraham: 8 Got his goal but his hold up play for me was so much better, looks like he loves it at B6

Bolasie: 8 Ran his man ragged best game so far, he has everything a winger needs in his locker.
Subs:
Whelan: 7 Just for his goal even he couldn’t believe it!
Hogan: 6 Looked really lively for the short term he was on, helped in the 3rd goal
Koj: 6 Came on did a decent job. Faces a battle to get his place back from Yannick and Anwar that’s for sure.

Head coach.
Smith: 9 Doesn’t get much better away at Boro, does it? spot on.

MOTM I couldn't pick one it was a great team effort
 
Cheers 57... Must admit, I don't see a major difference between being there/seeing it on tv for such things. Only difference being there, you get the feel of the atmosphere etc. On tv you get the numerous replays though!

Will front page in the morning mate.
 
Yep. Good ratings 57.

I thought El Ghazi was MOM. Can see why Sky gave it to Connor who did indeed have a good game.

What helped him was the lack of pressing from the typical Pulis side who were content to sit back. This made it much easier for Hourihane and the defence . It's seems to be when Hourihane is pressed , like against Forest, he struggles .
 
Melon Donkey said:
Yep. Good ratings 57.

I thought El Ghazi was MOM. Can see why Sky gave it to Connor who did indeed have a good game.

What helped him was the lack of pressing from the typical Pulis side who were content to sit back. This made it much easier for Hourihane and the defence . It's seems to be when Hourihane is pressed , like against Forest, he struggles .
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I feel like I pick on him but to me, he is the weak link, this week he was ok but never in a million years MOTM , which if I was pushed to pick one would have been El Ghazi
 
Silhillvilla said:
Can't agree with the amount of flak Hourihane gets. I think he's an important and vital part of the successful villa team.
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Perhaps now is not the time as he did well but I don't feel he's "vital," like McGinn or Grealish or Tammy etc as we have Barney or Whelan for that role and we have Jedi of it get tough,and we need a hard player We can't replace SJM or Jack with similar players.

Anyway he was ok this week
 
Not sure about the 8 for McGinn. Seems to me he's got one weakness, going for goal when there are better options all round. We know he can do "special" goals, but he can't do them all the time. He needs to slip in others more.

Thought Hogan in his brief outing looked the best I've seen him. Think it's because those around him are actually playing football and playing him in. DS has a lot of options.
 
McParlandTheGreat said:
Not sure about the 8 for McGinn. Seems to me he's got one weakness, going for goal when there are better options all round. We know he can do "special" goals, but he can't do them all the time. He needs to slip in others more.

Thought Hogan in his brief outing looked the best I've seen him. Think it's because those around him are actually playing football and playing him in. DS has a lot of options.
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Well couldn't give him a 9 , problem with John and Jack is their standard game is so high when they are not quite on it they are still two of the best players we have. A bit like Milner and Barry they are always a 7 at least
 
What I thought was refreshing was the obvious change of tactics from one game to another. Boro had a compact defence so instead of the usual Bruce tactics of hoofing it up to the cf, there was thought behind the moves, play out to the wings and cross it in low causing the defence more problems. In the few mins that Hogan was on, he ran with the ball, made space, the ball was played to his feet and not to his head...he looked useful!
Passing has been so much better, there's diversity in set plays, the tempo is fast, closing opposition down.. we're doing now what teams have done to us... it's crazy to think that these are the same players.... what was Bruce doing at training?! Looking forward to Friday!
 
Silhillvilla said:
Can't agree with the amount of flak Hourihane gets. I think he's an important and vital part of the successful villa team.
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I dont think we should simply discard him and its unfair to dismiss his contribution based on his previous match winning goals but I worry about him. I dont think his role is to protect the defence but at the same time he doesnt help them out at all IMO.
 
Villan57 said:
SJM: 8 The boy is a human dynamo, never stops probing and pushing forwards
MOTM I couldn't pick one it was a great team effort
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McGinn is like the Duracell Bunny isn't he? He did not look fully fit against Forest but he was really fired up against Boro. As you say, it was hard to pick a MOTM but for sheer guts, determination and non-stop running it would be SJM for me
 
Overall a 8.5 team performance, the most comfortable performance I have seen by a Villa team for many a season....

New manager syndrome? I dont think so.
 
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