Ipswich Town vs Aston Villa - Match Thread (Review)

[VTID85]

Ok ok the game was yesterday but there's no thread for it and I like each game having it's own space to dissect the fallout.

I can only comment from seeing the extended highlights, Bruce's post-game interview and reading the match reports but seems like Jedi as a centre-back is becoming a serious handicap. I can't believe it's still a case of him needing to shake off the World Cup, I think he's just not suited to playing such a crucial role any more. It's a shame because I like the guy but how many "individual errors" does he need to make? He's neither the right option nor the only option for that role, so yet again Bruce's tactics....(or lack thereof)....strategy....nouse....whatever you want to call it comes up short.

From what I've read about Adomah, he didn't have a great game again. I don't get what has changed with him, could it be the return of Kodjia? Doesn't seem to have been up to speed at all so far this season. Early days it may be, but it seems a far cry from some of the crucial performances he put in last season.

Happy to see McGinn get another assist, will be good to see him convert a goal in his own name sooner rather than later. Also nice to see Kodjia get a goal, was hard to tell from the highlights just how much else he did though so any further info would be good.

The good news is, we're a win off top-spot with a game in hand and we're unbeaten so far but against a 10-man poor Ipswich team we can't afford to be dropping points otherwise one win away quickly becomes two, three or four wins away from the top.

[Dazzle]

I think it was poor, Bruce makes a rod for his own back when he persists with players such as Jedinak and Elmohamady. I want Bruce to be able to grasp the nettle, I really do, but he just seems to revert to what he deems as the safer older players. Elmohamady just doesn’t deliver as right winger and Jedinak doesn’t cut it as a centre half, yet Bruce seems he’ll bent on getting them in the starting 11 no matter what the evidence against them. Just play the players in their correct position unless absolutely necessary! If the future is to be Tuanzebe in central defence then let’s give him a chance and pair him with Chester for a decent run of games, let them have the chance to work on the partnership. Give DeLaet a run of games to integrate himself at RB, or Bree if we want a more youthful spring to the team. We’re struggling at LB and I don’t think Taylor has cut the mustard and so I would play Hutton on the left, he done well there last season. We’ve all known that Albert has been off form for a good while now, we’re not offering him a new deal and so what’s the plan with him?
Our starting 11, until such time as loan signings are secured, should be;

...........................................Nyland................................
DeLaet............Tuanzebe..............Chester............Hutton
......................................Bjarnason..................................
............................Grealish..........McGinn.............
Green..........................Kodjia.........................Adomah

[VTID85]

I'd be happy with that line-up but no way will Bruce drop Elmo and it seems Jedi is just Bruce's "type" unfortunately. I've been a big supporter of Jedi but his time is up for me.

Also no way Green will play if Snoddy does come back, unless one of them shifts to the left to oust Adomah.

How was Nyland yesterday, aside from their goal? There seems to be fairly low confidence in both him and Moreira so far?

Edit: I'm slightly torn on Bjarnson in your line-up, as I like Hourihane.

[FoxyAV]

Our starting 11, until such time as loan signings are secured, should be;

...........................................Nyland................................
DeLaet............Tuanzebe..............Chester............Hutton
......................................Bjarnason..................................
............................Grealish..........McGinn.............
Green..........................Kodjia.........................Adomah

I agree with this although Chester and Tuanzebe are the wrong way round. As I keep on saying, Bruce always has to weaken what should be a very obvious starting 11 by playing one or two players who shouldn't be on the pitch or sticking them in the wrong positions (and that's before he gets them all defending and isolating the striker).

[FoxyAV]

I'd be happy with that line-up but no way will Bruce drop Elmo and it seems Jedi is just Bruce's "type" unfortunately. I've been a big supporter of Jedi but his time is up for me.

Also no way Green will play if Snoddy does come back, unless one of them shifts to the left to oust Adomah.

How was Nyland yesterday, aside from their goal? There seems to be fairly low confidence in both him and Moreira so far?

Edit: I'm slightly torn on Bjarnson in your line-up, as I like Hourihane.

Snoddy's not coming back. I was at Wet Spam/Bournemouth yesterday and Snoddy (on the right in a middle three of a 4-3-3) was one of the best players on the pitch. He'll do much better on the right wing of a 4-4-2 and going by how easily Bournemouth tore them apart in the middle in the second half I suspect that's how they'll be set up soon, or even with just one up front.


I too like Hourihane but we have to accommodate McGinn and if it's not Bjarnason it's going to be Whelan, and Whelan's lack of legs and regular mistakes cripple Hourihane.

[VTID85]

I'd be happy with that line-up but no way will Bruce drop Elmo and it seems Jedi is just Bruce's "type" unfortunately. I've been a big supporter of Jedi but his time is up for me.

Also no way Green will play if Snoddy does come back, unless one of them shifts to the left to oust Adomah.

How was Nyland yesterday, aside from their goal? There seems to be fairly low confidence in both him and Moreira so far?

Edit: I'm slightly torn on Bjarnson in your line-up, as I like Hourihane.

Snoddy's not coming back. I was at Wet Spam/Bournemouth yesterday and Snoddy (on the right in a middle three of a 4-3-3) was one of the best players on the pitch. He'll do much better on the right wing of a 4-4-2 and going by how easily Bournemouth tore them apart in the middle in the second half I suspect that's how they'll be set up soon, or even with just one up front.


I too like Hourihane but we have to accommodate McGinn and if it's not Bjarnason it's going to be Whelan, and Whelan's lack of legs and regular mistakes cripple Hourihane.

Fair enough. I enjoyed having Snoddy last season, he might not have been stellar always but he looked like he really loved pulling on our shirt. If he's found or made a place for himself at the Hammers then good luck to him.

Hourihane I believe has experience as a DM as well as a CM so could sit behind Grealish and McGinn, the same as Birkir does? Much as I like Bjarnason, I feel Hourihane has more potential and is more of a team player.

[FoxyAV]

For me Hourihane works as someone on the edge of the box who makes runs in when necessary or waits for balls to deflect, rebound or otherwise find their way to him to score. It's someone we didn't have for a long time before he came along. Of course with Brucey he's left in a sort of wilderness when he's not defending - Jack tends to come back for the ball from the defence but seems to play mostly up the left side. It would be interesting to see him at DM but shouldn't that have happened in pre-season? Ah, no, Whelan was played there.

[VTID85]

For me Hourihane works as someone on the edge of the box who makes runs in when necessary or waits for balls to deflect, rebound or otherwise find their way to him to score. It's someone we didn't have for a long time before he came along. Of course with Brucey he's left in a sort of wilderness when he's not defending - Jack tends to come back for the ball from the defence but seems to play mostly up the left side. It would be interesting to see him at DM but shouldn't that have happened in pre-season? Ah, no, Whelan was played there.

In Bruce's world, pre-season is just a kickaround, it's the first ten or so competitive games when you work out your plan!

[FoxyAV]

We already know what the plan is after two seasons of it. What he does in the first ten competitive matches is piss around with players in different positions and then blame them all when they don't do what he's told them to do.

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