Newcastle v Villa 20th Feb 8:00pm

I've been dreading this match for months but I've changed my mind .... Bring it on!

It's not because I believe that we're anything other than rank underdogs ....it's because of our current hopelessness. The players will be expected to lose. The team will be expected to collapse!

So can we come out and throw caution to the wind and play for our pride for once?

I suspect not, but I live in hope.

Doom and gloom .... I've just realised it's yet another SKY TV match .... Bugger! Fill your boots Newcastle!

I'm wondering if we can spring a surprise in this one. And by christ a win would be a surprise.

3-0 defeat.

If Bruce and Calderwood stay at home on Monday then we've got a chance .... Sadly I'm being serious!

Play without fear and stick it to Newcastle .... Why not?

villabromsgrove wrote:If Bruce and Calderwood stay at home on Monday then we've got a chance .... Sadly I'm being serious!

That or an almost damascence conversion in our approach. Or some fluke luck.

I'm pretty sure that we now have the right players for the Championship. What they need is to be allowed to play a positive pressing game, and we can start winning again.

I don't think it's that simple. I've said it before and I'll say it again but there are players at this club that have endured so many atrocious moments in claret and blue that I don't think they can perform with any degree of confidence. I think this transmits to the new players. It's not easy if you come in to a club the size of Aston Villa when they are at a low ebb and your previous experiences have been with a Barnsley or Brentford that have punched above their weight. The pressure on them is huge, some of their teammates are mentally shot and results are far from stellar in their first few games.

I've made the point that our mentality stinks. That's the residue of a Lerner era where Premier League survival became the extent of our ambitions and the club was mismanaging its way to disaster. I think Bruce briefly resolved that in his first few games then the wheels came off. Was that down to Calderwood coming in as coach? Was it the ill-conceived attempt to bring Onegoalayear back (another player who hasn't had many good recent experiences in our shirt)? Did experienced players just fall into their pit of nerves?

Getting a result tomorrow would do us the world of good. I'm giving very little hope of it happening but I'm trying to convince myself there's a chance. Have read that there's a chance that Jedinak might be back which IS good news. We have a shocking record without him and he's a calm head who very effectively provides a poweful presence that shields our back four and his addition - Bruce tactics pending - might enable Hourihane and Angela to push up a bit and provide a bit more support to our strikers. But I know the dangers of talking myself into being hopeful about this team.

Sandie wrote:I don't think it's that simple. I've said it before and I'll say it again but there are players at this club that have endured so many atrocious moments in claret and blue that I don't think they can perform with any degree of confidence. I think this transmits to the new players. It's not easy if you come in to a club the size of Aston Villa when they are at a low ebb and your previous experiences have been with a Barnsley or Brentford that have punched above their weight. The pressure on them is huge, some of their teammates are mentally shot and results are far from stellar in their first few games.

I've made the point that our mentality stinks. That's the residue of a Lerner era where Premier League survival became the extent of our ambitions and the club was mismanaging its way to disaster. I think Bruce briefly resolved that in his first few games then the wheels came off. Was that down to Calderwood coming in as coach? Was it the ill-conceived attempt to bring Onegoalayear back (another player who hasn't had many good recent experiences in our shirt)? Did experienced players just fall into their pit of nerves?

Getting a result tomorrow would do us the world of good. I'm giving very little hope of it happening but I'm trying to convince myself there's a chance. Have read that there's a chance that Jedinak might be back which IS good news. We have a shocking record without him and he's a calm head who very effectively provides a poweful presence that shields our back four and his addition - Bruce tactics pending - might enable Hourihane and Angela to push up a bit and provide a bit more support to our strikers. But I know the dangers of talking myself into being hopeful about this team.

I hear what you say Sandie, and I know where you're coming from .... but .... Hutton is the only current first team player who remains from last season, and Bree will replace him as soon as he's fit! (Baker was a loanee for most of the time.) Villa might be shrouded in a miasma of failure, but these are all new guys (this season) untainted by previous Villa association .... so are they men or are they mice?

Bruce and Calderwood are guilty of lowering morale, by imposing a system that suggests that other teams are more dangerous than us, and therefore we need to sit deep to keep a clean sheet before we try to snatch an individual goal.

These players can win games if the manager and coaching staff get off of their backs!

Grealish has also been around through the dark days and, like Hutton, still makes the squad. Bacuna too though he isn't involved regularly. There were also one or two others who left in January and anybody who came in in the Summer could have had their confidence hit by the opening to the season were we couldn't buy a win under RDM.

Sandie wrote:Grealish has also been around through the dark days and, like Hutton, still makes the squad. Bacuna too though he isn't involved regularly. There were also one or two others who left in January and anybody who came in in the Summer could have had their confidence hit by the opening to the season were we couldn't buy a win under RDM.

I've discounted Grealish as he's demonstrated that he's not a team player and he doesn't work hard enough. Bacuna is no more than a hard working fringe player now. The first eleven should be nailed on by now as it's a fairly obvious pick, and players that are "damaged goods" should be kept off the team sheet and moved on come the summer (if possible!) That includes Grealish because he flatters to deceive. I know that's a 180 degree turn around for me, but we'll need a ball busting effort in the Championship next season, and Grealish doesn't have it in him!

Match day, and I feel a tiny bit of excitement because I'm hoping that our new players have had enough of all this negative sh*t. If we sit back we'll get beat, if we press and get in their faces, who knows. C'mon Villa!

villabromsgrove wrote:

Sandie wrote:Grealish has also been around through the dark days and, like Hutton, still makes the squad. Bacuna too though he isn't involved regularly. There were also one or two others who left in January and anybody who came in in the Summer could have had their confidence hit by the opening to the season were we couldn't buy a win under RDM.

I've discounted Grealish as he's demonstrated that he's not a team player and he doesn't work hard enough. Bacuna is no more than a hard working fringe player now. The first eleven should be nailed on by now as it's a fairly obvious pick, and players that are "damaged goods" should be kept off the team sheet and moved on come the summer (if possible!) That includes Grealish because he flatters to deceive. I know that's a 180 degree turn around for me, but we'll need a ball busting effort in the Championship next season, and Grealish doesn't have it in him!

I completely agree. He's also proved himself to be a massive liability. Was very disappointed to see him come back into the side after his suspension was served.

Let's hope Bruce has learnt that Jack is not a first teamer. I'm looking forward to tonight a bit like a masochist looks forward to having his arse paddled!

Jedinak and Taylor back in.