Villa V Preston: Tuesday 20th, 7.45PM

Thomas Holte

Thomas Holte

Vital Football Legend
Lots for Steve Bruce & Co to ponder over after the disappointing result at Fulham where he and the team got most things wrong.

Preston will be looking to counter-attack with speed so the right tactics are required along with the correct players being played in their correct positions.

Thoughts and predictions here folks.

Good luck to the Villa boys :94:
 
Oh, and I will add if Onomah is anywhere the first 11 and even the bench I will not be happy.

He looks disinterested and doesn't want to be here, he's not very good but what really gets me he is denying a Villa owned player like O'Hare a chance to play with for the first team with some heart, passion and a chance to influence a game.
 
Clearly a Villa win :94:

I'd be thinking about going 442 and I'd be looking at how to fit O'Hare in to provide the spark.
 
It's a sign of a teams character of how they bounce back after a defeat , and on that score I have no doubt's about ours.

What is worrying though is how effectively we compensate for the loss of Albert and possibly Jack.
 
The Fear - 18/2/2018 20:26

Clearly a Villa win :94:

I'd be thinking about going 442 and I'd be looking at how to fit O'Hare in to provide the spark.
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There is at least one spot open now for whoever wants it the most.

Landsbury, O'Hare, Lyden and RHM should all be busting a gut to make sure it's them that start against Preston.
 
We're more than a bit short of critical players, Green, Jack, Adomah and probably Elmo. Tuanzebe at RB and Snoddy at RW seems nailed on. Or is it? RHM, if he's fit, at RW and Snoddy taking Jack's role is a possibility. If we're not going to be able to feed Hogan properly then maybe it's time to play Grabban instead, if he's any good, or Davis? In spite of Jedi's qualities I'm tempted to think Barney is better in the DM role, but maybe we have to play both anyway.

As above, it's time to have Lansbury, O'Hare and RHM either playing or at least on the bench. Thought Lansbury would have been a better choice than Onomah on Saturday. Think Lyden is still injured.
 
Johnstone

Hutton Chester Terry Taylor

Thor

Snoddy O'Hare Landsbury Hourihane

Hogan

??????????????

 
I don't think we need to panic and make wholesale changes. Assuming Elmo, Jack and Albert are all out (which it looks odds on they will be), I'd go:

Johnstone

Tuanzebe / Chester / Terry / Hutton

Snodgrass / Jedinak / Hourihane / Bjarnason

Hogan / Grabban (or Davis)

Certainly like to see O'Hare on the bench at least.

We have no need to fear Preston - just play like we have been at home in the past few games and we should get a result. Yesterday was a blip and not unexpected. Just need to bounce back.

2-0 Villa :94:
 
Yep, what my new bestie Sir Dennis said.

I don't think we should go 4-4-2. Haven't we been there and done it this season and it was awful?. Not sure which game but i remember saying 4-4-2 should never see the light of day again.

Line up should be as close to what we have done since xmas. That means playing O'hare. Look at the experience around him, surely we can cope with a talented youngster playing amongst the likes of Jedi, Terry, Snoddy and all. We need creativity through the middle, there was none yesterday. Its a curve ball Preston will not expect. We have all seen enough of him to say its worth a crack. Its not coincidence that Hogan has thrived since Jack has come in. Not because Jack has set up goal after goal for Hogan but he creates space by drawing a tackle and allows others to set up things.

What have we got to lose?. I am convinced we will at least get play offs so now we need to go for automatic and that means taking risks. If indeed playing one youngster amongst that lot of experience is a risk, which it isn't in my humble. If Bruce sets up similar to yesterday and we don't win then he deserves stick. I think he will be conservative again though . The second half at Fulham was as bad as Brentford in my opinion. No pressing, no physicality, being passed off the park and not being able to string a pass together. We will see if Fulham was a bad day at the office or a revert back to pre xmas.
 
I'm not into 442 either, but Bruce has shown he is instinctively a conservative manager when injuries take hold so I can imagine he will revert to type.

I'd love to see O'Hare in for Jack and Thor in for Albert with Tuanzebe taking over if Elmo doesn't make it. Stick to what has been working so far!! But just don't think that's Bruce's style.
 
Yes we played 4-4-2 v Wolves and someone else and got played off the park. Most teams load their midfield nowadays and no way have we got a central 2 that could dominate that area.
 
sirdennis - 18/2/2018 11:32

It's a sign of a teams character of how they bounce back after a defeat , and on that score I have no doubt's about ours.
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Very true, and if you look back through our results (apart from the start of the season) after we've lost a game we've gone on another winning streak.

So let's start again with PNE
 
Preston have only lost 6 all season and they were when they had no defenders when we beat them.
I wish it was as simple as just saying we'll bounce back , if Jack plays we'll win if he doesn't i don't see what we'll bounce back with ?
Forget O'Hare Bruce won't suddenly bring him in he'll go for tried and trusted unless he has no other choices .
Like I said I think Hogan on his own has now run its course , if it really ever had a course I think it is mainly down to Jack and Albert linking and the odd showing from Snoddy that brought about the good run .
I think we need a new momentum , a new plan to combat the loss of Alberto and Jack .
Which will probably be hoofing from the Keeper as it's been before Jack .
I'd give Lansbury a run for Hourihane as his all round game offers more . We need something in midfield other than mundane players who don't create anything

This is going to be another tough game that is for sure
 
The odd showing from Snoddy ????

Disagree completely with that , he has been our most consistent player since Christmas with several goals and assists.

Ans I speak as someone who was not a fan.
 
2 up front please . I'd start Davis and hogan with Grabban as back up
Only 1 DCM needed .
We take the game to them , it's Preston not Porto !!
 
Johnstone

Tuanzebe Chester Terry Hutton

Snodgrass Bjarnason Hourihane RHM

O'Hare

Hogan

But I bet Onomah and Grabban start. As far as I know Grabban is OK, but we need to keep as close as possible to our working system, and that means Hogan up front. I reckon the above is the best chance of both competing in the midfield and going forwards. Hope Agnew has been working on an attack plan with the players he's got.

I suppose Gabby wouldn't get picked, would he?
 
With Jack onsistently showning what he can do I would have hold O’Hare “you are his understudy be prepared to step in at any time. “

So I would have stepped him in against Fulham.

Of course if Jack is fit O’Hare is still available elsewhere.

 
Erod - 18/2/2018 23:01

With Jack onsistently showning what he can do I would have hold O’Hare “you are his understudy be prepared to step in at any time. “

So I would have stepped him in against Fulham.

Of course if Jack is fit O’Hare is still available elsewhere.
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Good point.

An alternative is Snoddy covering for Jack (he's played at number 10) and O'Hare on the wing. But I'd at least try O' Hare in the middle.
 
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