Re: Cardiff V Aston Villa: 2nd January 15:00

by **Sandie** Mon Jan 02, 2017 7:44 pm

I just hope this is the end of Westwood. I have a nagging doubt that Bruce will dismiss it as a bad day in the office and start picking him again.

by **villabromsgrove** Tue Jan 03, 2017 11:55 am

Bruce says he regrets not starting with Gabby! Is he starting to lose the plot? Forget about these players Steve .... go and get some players who want to play football for Villa! Westwood should never play again for Villa. Gardner and Westwood cannot play together anyway. McCormack cannot play up front on his own without service. Bunn is a liability! Bacuna's only position in this team should be as right back or on the bench! Grealish is turning into a drama queen!
Is there anything else you need to know before you hit the transfer market Steve?

by **Sandie** Tue Jan 03, 2017 1:31 pm

Why do I have a feeling now that we'll be seeing a lot of Gabby during the AFCON period? I can guarantee one thing we won't be seeing in this case and that's Villa goals. The big selection clanger was playing Westwood instead of Tish.

Agreed with most of your points, VB, but I always thought Bacuna was shocking at full back. A loan right back until the end of the season is yet another thing we require in this trading period.

by **villabromsgrove** Tue Jan 03, 2017 1:51 pm

Sandie wrote:Why do I have a feeling now that we'll be seeing a lot of Gabby during the AFCON period? I can guarantee one thing we won't be seeing in this case and that's Villa goals. The big selection clanger was playing Westwood instead of Tish.

Agreed with most of your points, VB, but I always thought Bacuna was shocking at full back. A loan right back until the end of the season is yet another thing we require in this trading period.

I remember your views of Bacuna at right back Sandie! Very Happy

Why do I feel that if you and I sat in a room with a computer and a telephone and a never ending supply of coffee, we could sort Villa's shortcomings in a few days? Our targets should be blo*dy obvious .... it should not be possible to approach the wrong players! Why do I fear that we will get it wrong again?

by **Sandie** Tue Jan 03, 2017 3:09 pm

I have a theory that a lot of people in football have massive egos and, at least when it comes to transfers or team selections, like to prove how smart or knowledgeable they are. As a result, they're always determined to take a less obvious course of action or take a gamble on a player. They'll take a chance on a youngster or someone from the Honduran second division to say "Look at this great talent I spotted" or try to rehabilitate a fallen star whose career has stalled. Some times they research and scout thoroughly and it pays off. When it doesn't these players are cheap so people only remember the gems. If you do the obvious thing, you often pay more and people tend to bear it in mind.

I like to think Bruce is too much of a straight talker to do that and I don't think he's stupid enough to ignore the gaping holes in our midfield. The question is only to be how they are filled.

by **villabromsgrove** Tue Jan 03, 2017 6:08 pm

You make a good point about management ego. It's held us back for years because managers have wanted to put their own stamp on things. This has almost always shown them to be lacking in the footballing IQ department. Sometimes the obvious thing to do, is the right thing to do.

It should never have been Sherwood's team, or Garde's team, or Di Matteo's team, or even Bruce's team .... it's Villa's team, and if each manager had remembered that and added just a couple of nailed on first team players to the team we wouldn't be stuck with the malfunctioning bunch of individuals that we have now.

by **Sandie** Tue Jan 03, 2017 7:56 pm

I'm not sure Sherwood and Di Matteo were about egos. Those two were just idiots. Just look at RDM's kid in a sweet shop approach buying all those strikers.

by **villabromsgrove** Wed Jan 04, 2017 6:21 pm

I think Di Matteo had an arrogant over inflated opinion of his abilities. Sherwood just loved the limelight. Bruce is refreshingly honest but still believes in "his way". The job takes ego to a certain extent, but managers have to understand that it is never their team. They are building for the future as well as having to win in the present.

by **Sandie** Wed Jan 04, 2017 6:50 pm

It seems that the stats going around about Grdner and Westwood were actually false. Actual figures were 41 and 30 touches respectively.

by **villabromsgrove** Wed Jan 04, 2017 7:11 pm

Sandie wrote:It seems that the stats going around about Grdner and Westwood were actually false. Actual figures were 41 and 30 touches respectively.

That's more believable, but the two of them simple should not play together. Bruce was not happy with them, but that was partly down to him not accepting Westwood's total physical inability to compete in his area of the pitch.

by **Sandie** Wed Jan 04, 2017 11:36 pm

Gardner has been fine when played alongside someone competent. Westwood seems to drag other players down to his level, however.

by **villabromsgrove** Thu Jan 05, 2017 12:25 pm

Sandie wrote:Gardner has been fine when played alongside someone competent. Westwood seems to drag other players down to his level, however.

Gardner doesn't have the pace to cover the huge hole that Westwood leaves, as he charges around in large circles supposedly "pressing" the opposition. When he plays with someone stronger and with more discipline he will be okay. He played some decent football alongside Lansbury at Forest.

by **Sandie** Thu Jan 05, 2017 3:06 pm

Bringing in Lansbury would suddenly make our midfield situation look a lot more positive. We'd have him and Jedinak as a regular partnership whilst Gardner and Tshibola could remain options. Add a decent attacking player to that mix and we would have turned it around completely.

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