Re: Play Off 2018 Chat

by smetro Tue May 01, 2018 3:40 pm

FoxyAV wrote:I'm not sure I necessarily want to stay in the Championship because we win more games although it is nice to do so occasionally after a few years of decline and struggling to win anything. It's a shame I don't feel much enthusiasm even though we're in fourth and going into the playoffs, Bruce just hasn't succeeded in putting together a properly functioning and integrated version of Hull - sorry, I mean team - and we seem to struggle through every match, whether winning or not.

I don't however think we're ready for the PL. We spent years having the team rebuilt every season, only for the occasional player to work and the manager to change and bring in new formations and occasionally tactics. We have no momentum and no decent style of play other than HOOF (or Jack collecting it and running through the middle). If we make it up we'll need a new manager and a new set of players. We're then dependent on the owner, and going to have to hope Bruce doesn't spend the money because if he does we'll be stuck with a new set of Gabbys, Richards' and Whelans, taking huge wages for the next three years.

Bruce took our solid defence and weakened it by throwing away Baker and sticking in Terry, who is not a good prospect for the future. We don't have LBs or RBs good enough for the PL, our midfield is Jack plus a supporting cast of ex-PL players and ones probably at their level. The strikers are all over the place and the wingers seemed to work when the strikers weren't functioning but no longer score now they are.

On top of this the goalie, one of the wingers and main striker are on loan. Very few of our players are good enough for the PL. Chester, Grealish, er... We appear to have bought the best players in the Championship and some PL rejects and created a team that's good enough for the Championship playoffs. Wolves already look like a PL team, we look a mess.

Essentially we're (at least) another season away from having a coherent team ready to move forward. Having said that the worst thing that could happen would be to stay in the Championship and start to lose all our good players. We've not really been bringing academy players through (when Bruce would rather play Jedi in defence than one of our U23 defenders, for example). It's been a very disappointing two years in the Championship overall.

Think youre overthinking it. Grand strategies , and philosophies rarely work out. By and large its all about putting the best team out you can for the next season - concentrate on that, win enough games the future will take care of itself. Its only when the first team is getting walloped every week that the manager runs for cover and tells the players weren't fit enough under the previous manager, and that he is implementing modern coaching technques, building for the future. Football is mostly about the here and now.
Having watched the u23's a few times this season, sure there are some decent hopefuls - But I m not really seeing much to make a sustained impact in the first team. You only have to look at Sullimans two disastrous loan spells to see how big the step up is.
I wasn't a fan of the terry signing - but I have to say I have been proved wrong on that one !

by deadbuzzardalive Tue May 01, 2018 7:00 pm

Whichever division we find ourselves in next season we're going to see a number of changes, in the premier league because we'll need better player or in the championship because we'll need to trim the wage bill, in fact if we stay down that would probably result in a bigger upheaval. The difference is in the Premier league we'll be signing players for big money, probably breaking our transfer record, whereas if we stay in the championship we'll probably have to resort to finding bargains from the lower leagues, and bringing in more youngsters on loan from Prem teams.

I just wish the play-offs would hurry up and get here now, so we can sort it all out, hopefully something goes right for us for once.

by The Utterer Thu May 03, 2018 2:49 am

Yes i agree DBA, just want to know the outcome now so we can deal with whichever situation we end up in.

by deadbuzzardalive Thu May 03, 2018 8:37 pm

Well in just under two weeks we'll know if we've reached the final or not, and if we do make it, that final is only just over three weeks away, so should all happen very quickly.

My mind's refusing to let me conceive of the idea that we're going to be successful, suddenly Middlesbrough seem like formidable opposition, whereas during the season I didn't really rate them at all, even we get past them there's the likelihood of having to play Fulham in the final, promotion feels a long way away, even if the play-offs aren't.

by Boldfinger Mon May 07, 2018 1:08 pm

Villa derby final. We win 3-1.
Can't wait. This is what being a football fan is all about.

by deadbuzzardalive Fri May 11, 2018 8:51 pm

Seeing so many celebrate that Derby are beating Fulham, seemingly forgetting that we haven't actually beaten Derby this season, and if they beat a Fulham team on an amazing run of form, they will be ultra confident going into the final. Also there's the small matter that we haven't even beat Middlesbrough yet.

by **NARLA24** Fri May 11, 2018 9:08 pm

deadbuzzardalive wrote:Seeing so many celebrate that Derby are beating Fulham, seemingly forgetting that we haven't actually beaten Derby this season, and if they beat a Fulham team on an amazing run of form, they will be ultra confident going into the final. Also there's the small matter that we haven't even beat Middlesbrough yet.

agreed matey

by deadbuzzardalive Fri May 11, 2018 9:35 pm

Yes, I can understand people having a preference for facing Derby in the final should we get there, but I don't know about celebrating the prospect of playing them, as if they're pushovers. By all accounts Weimann has missed a number of chances tonight, if it stays at 1-0, I'd still fancy Fulham to turn it around in the second leg.

by VTID85 Fri May 11, 2018 9:42 pm

Fulham not at the races tonight. When attacking the Derby box, chose to continually play short passes rather than anyone taking a shot or otherwise tactic seemed to be to try and get it to Mitriovic who was always backing into a player hoping to shoot from a 180 turn.

Derby looked like a much more solid unit. Will be interesting to see whether they can maintain their solidarity or whether Fulham are going to turn it on at home.

by **De Kuip** Sat May 12, 2018 1:14 pm

Shit's getting real now folks!

Got butterflies already for later on.

My 2 year old's birthday today so I asked her to wish for a villa win when she blew out her candles Dancing Banana

by Saunders82 Mon May 14, 2018 9:55 pm

So Fulham have made it to Wembley and will be cock a hoop, we need to see off Boro now, but if we do I think we should have enough to upset the cockney apple cart, they will think its going to be easy cos they beat us at their place BUT this time we will have our first team there (hopefully) UTV Play Off 2018 Chat - Page 2 1815562058

by **De Kuip** Tue May 15, 2018 9:48 am

Saunders82 wrote: So Fulham have made it to Wembley and will be cock a hoop, we need to see off Boro now, but if we do I think we should have enough to upset the cockney apple cart, they will think its going to be easy cos they beat us at their place BUT this time we will have our first team there (hopefully) UTV

Yeah has to be two main hopes doesn't it?

First is obviously we win tonight but a close second is that we do so without injuries.

by Dazzle Tue May 15, 2018 10:55 am

Is it asking too much for Villa to have this tie wrapped up so we can sit back and enjoy the final 10 minutes? Lord it would be nice if we could be 3-0 up after an hour!!

by Army villain Tue May 15, 2018 12:47 pm

More edge of the seat stuff tonight, as long as we put a shift in , and attack we should be ok, the fans should give us another edge, getting behind the team onwards and upwards.

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