Re: Promotion discussion thread

by achilles Sat Mar 31, 2018 9:59 am

The Utterer wrote:That Derby performance today is actually a worry as i don't see them doing anything other than getting royally stuffed when they play Cardiff at theirs. If that happens sadly i think we're done for this season regards Automatic.

As for Fulham well. It seems everything is going for them, the opposite of what is happening to us actually. Teams just seem to roll over against them where they raise their game against us.

So that means likely the awful playoffs...

Typically now Wolves have had two reds thus weakening them for the Cardiff clash! It's just not rolling for us this year is it.

That is to be expected as we are a big club in this division but if you can't react to this challenge and be inspired by playing for Aston Villa then you don't belong here!

Definitely think it is going to be the lottery of the playoffs this year, which in my eyes is failure!

by The Utterer Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:33 pm

Yes i agree Achilles, the playoffs is akin to putting the names of the teams who play well in them in a hat, which usually seems to be 2 or 3 of the 4 with one or two either having an injury crises or drop in form at the vital time. Of the 2 or 3 who do turn up you may as well put those names in a hat and pluck one out.

by AstonThriller Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:57 pm

deadbuzzardalive wrote:Cardiff are ten points ahead of us now, having played the same amount of games as us, and we've only got eight games left to go. The reality of the situation is that we're not catching up with them, we won't win enough games, and they're not going to just conveniently lose all these so called tougher fixtures, some of them they'll win.

Obviously we have to keep trying to win our games, but if we're to go up now, it's going to have to be via the play-offs.

Too many folks are so ready to throw in the white towel whether it's for second place or to Fulham in the playoffs!!!..it's ridiculous. If Cardiff win five of their last eight games then fair enough, but that isn't guaranteed like people seem to think it is. It was only the other day they went on a terrible run, but folks forget that.

by AstonThriller Sat Mar 31, 2018 1:00 pm

The Utterer wrote:Yes i agree Achilles, the playoffs is akin to putting the names of the teams who play well in them in a hat, which usually seems to be 2 or 3 of the 4 with one or two either having an injury crises or drop in form at the vital time. Of the 2 or 3 who do turn up you may as well put those names in a hat and pluck one out.

Man for man we have the best side out of all the teams in the playoffs imo. Especially If Koj is back to full fitness by the time they come around.

by achilles Sat Mar 31, 2018 1:14 pm

AstonThriller wrote:
deadbuzzardalive wrote:Cardiff are ten points ahead of us now, having played the same amount of games as us, and we've only got eight games left to go. The reality of the situation is that we're not catching up with them, we won't win enough games, and they're not going to just conveniently lose all these so called tougher fixtures, some of them they'll win.

Obviously we have to keep trying to win our games, but if we're to go up now, it's going to have to be via the play-offs.

Too many folks are so ready to throw in the white towel whether it's for second place or to Fulham in the playoffs!!!..it's ridiculous. If Cardiff win five of their last eight games then fair enough, but that isn't guaranteed like people seem to think it is. It was only the other day they went on a terrible run, but folks forget that.

I disagree I don't think it is being ridiculous, it is being realistic judged on how Villa have performed so far this season which has not been good enough.
I think that it is immaterial whether Cardiff win five of their last eight games or not as Villa are not capable of putting the required results on the board to overtake them.

by AstonThriller Sat Mar 31, 2018 3:29 pm

achilles wrote:

I disagree I don't think it is being ridiculous, it is being realistic judged on how Villa have performed so far this season which has not been good enough.
I think that it is immaterial whether Cardiff win five of their last eight games or not as Villa are not capable of putting the required results on the board to overtake them.

We won seven In a row recently and beat the leaders 4-1 just a few weeks ago. But hey, we're obviously one of the poorest teams In the division no doubt.

by deadbuzzardalive Sat Mar 31, 2018 3:52 pm

First and foremost we need to get back to winning ways by beating Hull today, and then take it from there.

by Villa_Dan Sat Mar 31, 2018 3:57 pm

Regardless of whether we catch Cardiff or not, we HAVE to go into the playoffs in form and winning games

by achilles Sat Mar 31, 2018 4:01 pm

AstonThriller wrote:
achilles wrote:

I disagree I don't think it is being ridiculous, it is being realistic judged on how Villa have performed so far this season which has not been good enough.
I think that it is immaterial whether Cardiff win five of their last eight games or not as Villa are not capable of putting the required results on the board to overtake them.

We won seven In a row recently and beat the leaders 4-1 just a few weeks ago. But hey, we're obviously one of the poorest teams In the division no doubt.

You do get very childish and rather pathetic if people disagree with you!

For your information we actually lost to Peterborough in the FA Cup in the 'unbeaten' seven in a row which I wasn't going to mention as I try not to be pedantic!

Anyway I will leave the forum to you, as soon you will be talking to yourself, as everybody else will have left! I'll get my coat

by smetro Sat Mar 31, 2018 4:46 pm

Watch out for Brentford they are an excellent team - in cracking form - the even drew 1-1 with Shef U yesterday ! - we should go get super Dean Smith ! #irony !

by Villa_Dan Sat Mar 31, 2018 7:24 pm

We will not win the playoffs

by deadbuzzardalive Sat Mar 31, 2018 7:46 pm

I have no faith in us winning the play-offs whatsoever, this run has killed our season, and perhaps our chances of going up for the foreseeable future. What will become of us next season with all the financial cuts I dread to think, but given the club have tried to get the FFP limits raised, and have complained about Wolves, then it makes us look pretty desperate.

by smetro Sat Mar 31, 2018 10:38 pm

deadbuzzardalive wrote:I have no faith in us winning the play-offs whatsoever, this run has killed our season, and perhaps our chances of going up for the foreseeable future. What will become of us next season with all the financial cuts I dread to think, but given the club have tried to get the FFP limits raised, and have complained about Wolves, then it makes us look pretty desperate.

There are ways around FFP limits. I really don't believe XIA has the cash to pump into Aston villa. Keith Wyness has hinted as much. Apart from the initial spurlge (common when new owners come in) there hasn't been much expenditure on anything. Xia has these lofty ambitions, and grand plans but they are all pie in the sky.

by deadbuzzardalive Sun Apr 01, 2018 5:52 am

Wyness hasn't hinted at Xia not having any money as far as I can tell, in fact this is what he said at the Villa Trust AGM on Xia's finances...

Q.
With how volatile things are in the world do we have a Plan B as we don't know what will happen with China?

A.
Keith Wyness – It’s been the strangest year for political goings on. Tony Xia is not in it for short term but the long term. He has significant assets offshore (which gives Keith comfort) and other things in global business but we are a small part compared to his other parts. So, there’s no need for a Plan B.

If they had no money they wouldn't be trying to get the FFP limit raised so we can spend more. The stadium/Aston redevelopment plans wouldn't be entirely funded by Recon anyway, there would be outside investment, as is usually the case with these things. It's kind of pointless to think about at the moment though, because money or no money, none of it will happen whilst in the Championship, which going by the way we're playing is where we will be for a while to come.

by DelboyVilla Sun Apr 01, 2018 7:36 am

AstonThriller wrote:
The Utterer wrote:Yes i agree Achilles, the playoffs is akin to putting the names of the teams who play well in them in a hat, which usually seems to be 2 or 3 of the 4 with one or two either having an injury crises or drop in form at the vital time. Of the 2 or 3 who do turn up you may as well put those names in a hat and pluck one out.

Man for man we have the best side out of all the teams in the playoffs imo. Especially If Koj is back to full fitness by the time they come around.

Maybe on paper but we play on grass plus we have the worst manager! Bruce is a fraud!

by deadbuzzardalive Mon Apr 02, 2018 5:05 pm

After today's results we still have an eight point cushion on seventh place, which with goal difference is effectively nine points, which will still be the case even if Sheffield United win tonight. So a win tomorrow really would go a long way towards us clinching a place in the top six at least.

by deadbuzzardalive Mon Apr 02, 2018 9:47 pm

Sheffield United should have won the game comfortably, but Cardiff still manage to snatch a point in injury time, I was starting to convince myself that we could maybe catch them, with them playing Wolves next and then us. Still lets get our dance shoes on and give Reading the runaround, and take it from there.

by jeffvilla Tue Apr 03, 2018 8:39 am

I am a passionate Villa supporter, like 99% of TBAR, but I could not believe how much I wanted United to win last night. I do not support Sheffield united , but my eyes were glued to the set. When Cardiff scored I could not believe the obscenity's I used, even my misses who has no clue about football came in from the other room to ask me what the feck I was doing. I was distraught, fed up and fecked off. And it was not even my team.
I am just hoping that Villa turn up for the reading game. !!!!!!!!

by **De Kuip** Tue Apr 03, 2018 8:56 am

jeffvilla wrote:I am a passionate Villa supporter, like 99% of TBAR, but I could not believe how much I wanted United to win last night. I do not support Sheffield united , but my eyes were glued to the set. When Cardiff scored I could not believe the obscenity's I used, even my misses who has no clue about football came in from the other room to ask me what the feck I was doing. I was distraught, fed up and fecked off. And it was not even my team.
I am just hoping that Villa turn up for the reading game. !!!!!!!!

Yeah it was a sucker punch wasn't it but also the sign of a good team that they can grind out a win or a draw at the death when all seems lost. Consistency wise it would be tough to put us in the same bracket as wolves Cardiff and Fulham because whilst we had that cracking run we all know what has happened since then. It was a measure of the other's consistency that even when we were winning multiple games back to back we weren't climbing as fast as we all hoped because they were all picking up points as well.
I've become reasonably philosophical about things over the last month as I'm pretty sure we'll qualify in the play offs and still get through. No way do I think we deserve auto promotion on our season long performances and I lay that blame squarely on Bruce's shoulders. Having said that, those that go up deserve to go up and if it does turn out that we don't get there this season (as I've said ad nauseum) then we weren't ready and hopefully it gets rid of Bruce.
I'm not a blinkered villa fan and I don't think we have some divine right to be in the Prem but I do expect a certain quality and standard of leadership at the club and I don't believe we have that whilst Bruce is at the helm.

by The Utterer Tue Apr 03, 2018 11:38 am

At least Cardiff dropping 2 points may reignite our lot a little as if they had won that i fear it would have flattened morale completely. We need a big performance tonight now as lose/draw again and i fear for us. Readings players appear to believe they can do us too so it ain't gonna be an easy night by the looks of it.

I just wish we could develop an attractive & effective "Villa" brand of football! But then i guess most every football fan in the World would love the same thing.

Lets secure a playoff place for now though, then secure a 4th or 5th place and see whats left after that.

by FoxyAV Tue Apr 03, 2018 11:44 am

The Utterer wrote:As for Fulham well. It seems everything is going for them, the opposite of what is happening to us actually. Teams just seem to roll over against them where they raise their game against us.

We rolled over against them, they didn't even need to up their game!

by FoxyAV Tue Apr 03, 2018 11:58 am

AstonThriller wrote:Man for man we have the best side out of all the teams in the playoffs imo. Especially If Koj is back to full fitness by the time they come around.

Absolutely, we have some of the best players in the division, plucked from other teams. Hogan and McCormack scored for fun at their previous clubs and look where they are. Kodjia scored one in eight this season before getting injured, maybe he'll be up to speed for the playoffs. Lansbury and Hourihane had great stats when they came in - one is barely played and the other scores goals but goes missing for whole matches. What we have is a large selection of the best players in the league and a manager who doesn't know what to do with them. Perhaps it could have been Kodja had he not been injured but imagine where we'd be had we had a striker able to score goals in the first half of the season - we scored something like four (I think) from our strikers combined.

Of course playing a defensive midfielder on loan from Spurs as our attacking midfielder and including Whelan to cripple our midfield helped massively.

I really do think we have some excellent players but our game plan seems to be very simple and easy for the opposition to pick apart and nullify our main threats: Jack is the only one who will come through the middle and needs to be fouled. Full backs will try to cross the ball. Wingers will try to cut in and score. Striker is there for hoofball or rebounds. Every time our goalie gets the ball it will be hoofed to our isolated striker so stick two men on him and Villa concede possession again. Bruce can't seem to change a game in play. He's resorted to the desperate tactic of subbing on as many strikers as possible. We can watch an entire match with glaring issues (isolated striker starved of both support and supply being one of the main ones) without the manager doing anything to change it. Can't get the striker involved in the match? Bring on another striker. Now have a 4-4-2 formation? Keep the wingers trying to cut in but as we're weaker in midfield watch as our full backs are pegged back so now we have two strikers starved of supply.

So yes, you're right, we have a fantastic squad, we just don't have a manager equal to the situation.

by deadbuzzardalive Tue Apr 03, 2018 11:58 am

At the latest AGM, Round said that the 'Villa Engine' is about hard work, passion and getting the ball into the box to a 'no.9', Wyness also said that if the manager leaves, he wants as many of the coaches to stay as possible, and to bring in another manager 'who fits the existing philosophy'.

So even if Bruce does leave, I'm not hopeful that's it going to herald a new way of doing things, someone with a similar approach to Bruce will be brought in, i.e someone who's less about tactics and more about hard work and getting stuck in, which is what Round's 'Villa engine' appears to be about, why it's being talked about as a new philosphy introduced to the club, I don't know, things like pride, and passion should be a given, and the coaching that we instill in our players from a young age should be about an actual way of playing the game, not tired old British football cliches.

by AstonThriller Tue Apr 03, 2018 10:08 pm

Anyway that's one game out of the way and the gap is back to seven points. The next seven days are really gonna be crucial. Bruce done well to take off Snoddy and Adomah with half an hour to go because we're gonna need the lads to be as fresh as possible going into these next two games.

Friday is gonna be massive. Just wonder who will be more affected by the game being played on Friday? TBh Wolves may well have a disadvantage but one would hope that they would be concerned about being overtaken enough to dig In and fight for the points.

Fulham winning is frustrating but tbh I wouldn't mind them snatching second If we don't as it would make life much easier In the playoffs I think. Even though I'd be confident against whomever we face.

But yeah, first we'll see what transpires on Saturday, and then If everything goes well then we have a biggun at Norwich to get through. Looking at our fixtures this season and it's noticeable that every time we've won a game we've gone on a little run, so let's hope the trend continues.

by **De Kuip** Wed Apr 04, 2018 1:44 pm

AstonThriller wrote:Anyway that's one game out of the way and the gap is back to seven points. The next seven days are really gonna be crucial. Bruce done well to take off Snoddy and Adomah with half an hour to go because we're gonna need the lads to be as fresh as possible going into these next two games.

Friday is gonna be massive. Just wonder who will be more affected by the game being played on Friday? TBh Wolves may well have a disadvantage but one would hope that they would be concerned about being overtaken enough to dig In and fight for the points.

Fulham winning is frustrating but tbh I wouldn't mind them snatching second If we don't as it would make life much easier In the playoffs I think. Even though I'd be confident against whomever we face.

But yeah, first we'll see what transpires on Saturday, and then If everything goes well then we have a biggun at Norwich to get through. Looking at our fixtures this season and it's noticeable that every time we've won a game we've gone on a little run, so let's hope the trend continues.

That's a good point about Fulham if not us as I'd love to beat Cardiff in the play offs just to see Colin Wanker have an absolute melt down, the slope- foreheaded twat.

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