Reading vs Aston Villa (could this be his last stand?)

After I started the Luton thread I've got a 100% record thus far. I must admit I did debate within my head whether I should start this thread as I simply do not want to get Bruce out of this mess ...but oh well it is what it is.

I've got a bad feeling old potato head will do what most managers under pressure do and that is to throw everything at the wall and hope something sticks. Will he dare contrive to go back to the 532 crap again? Or will he be sensible and go 433 and actually try to take the game to the opposition?

My Team

.................Johnstone....................

.....Bree...Chester...Terry....Taylor.....

..............Whelan..Onomah.................
.....................O'Hare..............
...........Adomah..........Green..........
......................Hogan............................

Subs: Steer, Samba, Hourihane, Davis, Lansbury, Gabby, Hutton

If Green isn't fit yet then but Thor there. Don't want to see Hutton or Gabby anywhere near the side, but let's be honest, they'll probably be the first names on the team-sheet, won't they?

I'm hoping he actually has to WIN tomorrow in order to save his job. Because I'd happily take a draw if that were the case. If we lose though then surely there can be no way back for him? SURELY?

Can't see but another loss, as Bruce won't/can't change his approach.
He is a dead man walking, the only decision is when (probably when it is all too late this season again)!

Achilles I think you are right and the waiting is agony! I hope TX is drawing up a list of replacements as we speak and they are all ambitious!

Can't see a win so a loss or a draw?

Well I've predicted two wins so far, so I think we're gonna lose 80-0

I'm staying out of this. Last season when I predicted a win we lost and when I tried to be clever and predict a loss I was right.

If anyone's driving, there's a good park and ride the other side of the M4. This is my first match and I suspect I'm not going to get to many this season and I'm not looking forward to it.

I want us to win, but a victory won't bring the joy it usually brings, because it will mean, Bruce keeping his job for longer, sad situation.

I'd have Bree, Hourihane and O'Hare all starting tomorrow, hopefully Green is fit again as well, and I'd put Hepburn-Murphy on the bench.

Spot on that team AT - that's who I'd go with.

I'm supposed to be getting my Bristol City away ticket soon, I really can't summon up the enthusiasm whilst SB is in charge. I'll go, of course I will, if only because of the licensed buffet car on the train up, but it might be an endurance rather than a pleasure, once the whistle for kick-off goes.

deadbuzzardalive wrote:I want us to win, but a victory won't bring the joy it usually brings, because it will mean, Bruce keeping his job for longer, sad situation.

I'd have Bree, Hourihane and O'Hare all starting tomorrow, hopefully Green is fit again as well, and I'd put Hepburn-Murphy on the bench.

Tell you what, if I get home from work and spot Hutton in that starting line-up I'm gonna have another stroke.

Another loss of at least 2-0

...............................Johnstone................................
Bree.............Terry.......................Chester............Taylor
.....................Whelan.............Hourihane....................
.........Adomah............Onamah.................Agbonlahor..
................................Hogan....................................


As far as I am concerned the best and fairest way to let a player know that what they are producing isn't good enough is to drop them, and so Lansbury and Hutton would be fairly dropped. Bree and Hourihane get their opportunity to keep the shirt. Whelan is fortunate that we've nobody else fit to really replace him with, and he's new to the club and so gets the benefit of any doubt at this stage. Agbonlahor keeps his place as I think he was pretty decent in the opening game and I don't think it'd be fair to expect Green to come in and deliver the goods in this game, he would ideally get more time in a winning Villa team to ease the pressure. All in all the two stand out candidates to be dropped are Hutton and Lansbury, I'd hope to see O'Hare on the bench alongside DeLaet with Lansbury and Hutton nowhere to be seen for this game, they need a reality check.

Dazzle wrote:...............................Johnstone................................
Bree.............Terry.......................Chester............Taylor
.....................Whelan.............Hourihane....................
.........Adomah............Onamah.................Agbonlahor..
................................Hogan....................................


As far as I am concerned the best and fairest way to let a player know that what they are producing isn't good enough is to drop them, and so Lansbury and Hutton would be fairly dropped. Bree and Hourihane get their opportunity to keep the shirt. Whelan is fortunate that we've nobody else fit to really replace him with, and he's new to the club and so gets the benefit of any doubt at this stage. Agbonlahor keeps his place as I think he was pretty decent in the opening game and I don't think it'd be fair to expect Green to come in and deliver the goods in this game, he would ideally get more time in a winning Villa team to ease the pressure. All in all the two stand out candidates to be dropped are Hutton and Lansbury, I'd hope to see O'Hare on the bench alongside DeLaet with Lansbury and Hutton nowhere to be seen for this game, they need a reality check.

I thought Lansbury and Hourihane played really well together against Brighton at the end of last season. Sure, I don't think Lansbury's done well enough so far but I'm willing to give him another go.

Hutton out. Bree in. Hepburn Murphy to lead the line with Hogan.Hourihane in for dead ball situations.Green, if fit to left midfield. Onomah in the hole.
Tell them to go for it! Best form of defence etc.

Davis and O'Hare won't be involved tomorrow, they're both starting for the u23s tonight aganst West Brom. I can understand Davis, but not O'Hare, he should be starting tomorrow, if not that, then at least on the bench as an option.

deadbuzzardalive wrote:Davis and O'Hare won't be involved tomorrow, they're both starting for the u23s tonight aganst West Brom. I can understand Davis, but not O'Hare, he should be starting tomorrow, if not that, then at least on the bench as an option.

Just pathetic. But that's Bruce isn't it? All he's thinking about is saving his bacon tomorrow...so no doubt he'll be sticking with the "experienced pro's".

I can't understand it myself, he's been one of the best players in the last two games, and looks our best bet at the moment if we want some creativity, in the final third. It's almost as if Bruce is punishing him for daring to be a positive player.

Before the game tomorrow all Bruce will talk about is how we have to 'turn up with our boots on' (his new favourite phrase), show resiliance, and suchlike, without any reference to improving tactics.

I wonder if Bacuna will start?

FoxyAV wrote:I wonder if Bacuna will start?

I'd say he would start and will probably score, probably will look like a good player now he's somewhere else

deadbuzzardalive wrote:Davis and O'Hare won't be involved tomorrow, they're both starting for the u23s tonight aganst West Brom. I can understand Davis, but not O'Hare, he should be starting tomorrow, if not that, then at least on the bench as an option.

Well there's Bruce's 1st mistake for the Reading game, I cannot see him not making more. I wonder what sort of message it actually gives players when they clearly are performing better than most "senior" pros and yet find themselves put back in their "age group"? It seems Bruce is one of those old blokes that thinks these young upstarts must wait their turn, no matter their credentials. I worked under an older guy like that when I was a 21yr old spark, I couldn't stand him and left the company to go my own way..............I'm now 44 with my own successful business and he's waiting for retirement at the same company having remained doing the same thing day in and day out.

I tell you what, I'm always very interested in SBs team selections and I've been frustrated/puzzled more often than not.
Because I believe tonight is last chance saloon, I'm even more curious as to what the team will be.
As was obvious from last night's U23s team, I've already been shocked that O'Hare played as I expected to see him on the team sheet against Reading.
So as far as I'm concerned, that"s strike 1 against Bruce.
If Hutton is selected, that's strike 2.
I can only assume strike 3 and out will be the scoreline.

Not predicting because i jinx things.

De Kuip wrote:I can only assume strike 3 and out will be the scoreline.

3 will either be the number of times the striker successfully receives a pass from midfield or the number we'll multiply our total number of shots on or off target by to get Reading's total number of shots on goal.

FoxyAV wrote:

De Kuip wrote:I can only assume strike 3 and out will be the scoreline.

3 will either be the number of times the striker successfully receives a pass from midfield or the number we'll multiply our total number of shots on or off target by to get Reading's total number of shots on goal.

Whilst sadly predictable Foxy, not sure if that alone is enough for strike 3 - Bruce sacked, although there is a depressing inevitability that your example will contribute to strike 3 - a heavy defeat.

Would anyone take a defeat over a win, if it guaranteed Bruce getting the sack?

Also, if we do win tonight, it will be the first time we've won a league game without Jedinak, since he first signed for the club during August last year.

Sadly Bruce is missing all the tools he needs to get the job done. By which I mean he's not the man for the job, we have some really good players available.

Based on these:

https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1192347/MatchReport/England-Championship-2017-2018-Reading-Fulham

https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1192310/MatchReport/England-Championship-2017-2018-Queens-Park-Rangers-Reading

Reading are good at getting crosses in from their wings.

I love this on the Cardiff/Villa thread:

https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1192318/MatchReport/England-Championship-2017-2018-Cardiff-Aston-Villa

Under Cardiff it lists strengths as lots of chances from little possession, chances from individual skill, good at opportunities from long shots and flanks. Under Aston Villa it says: 'Team has no significant strengths'

Even better, we had no significant strengths against Hull either!

https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1192313/MatchReport/England-Championship-2017-2018-Aston-Villa-Hull

So we're going to be mullered down the flanks and we have no significant strengths. My 11 looks like this:

                      Johnstone - Steer
Hutton - Bree - Chester - Samba - Terry - Taylor
                              Whelan
                          Elmo - Gabby

Now before you ridicule my selection, let's look at my reasoning. We don't need a midfield other than Whelan (because Bruce signed him) because they neither help defence nor contribute with goals or assists. Elmo is an automatic starter because Adomah is better at defending and attack and Gabby has a bad goatie. Assuming De Laet is injured and Elphick can't be sold as damaged goods, we only have six defenders, although Samba is going to be played as box-to-box defender, which is a new position I've just made up and allows him to go wherever the ball isn't so we always have someone there to receive long balls. I can't decide if I prefer Johnstone and Steer and frankly I like both of them, so they both get to play as rush goalie. So it's a sort of 2-6-1-2 formation, which is going to completely flummox Reading.

Tactic is obviously to keep the ball in the air as long as possible so when Tony receives Bruce's faxed (assuming Bruce has something as modern as a fax machine) report on Monday he can quote possession stats and blame the players for not having their shoelaces tied or whatever. Elmo and Gabby are going to be instructed to not be anywhere near the opposition goal so Hutton's crosses into the box have a chance of getting to them. That's about it. Any questions?