Brentford away was awful. The new faces, along with a good long look at Andre Green, made it potentially intriguing but the game was over long before the final whistle. What did Villa fans learn from this transfer window and the dismal display on Tuesday night?
BEE-TEN
Brentford were taking the mickey by the middle of the second half last night. All three of their goals were well worked (without their striker Scott Hogan who was busy signing for Villa) and their hard work, team play and flair proves you don’t have to lump it and kick people over to progress in the Championship.
But plainly put, Villa were terrible. After the first ten minutes when they looked like a side ready to compete, with set pieces looking a threat and Kodjia among others coming close to netting early on, it all went down the drain. And that lack of self-belief led to frustration. Which led to a lack of effort. Which led to despair. All too familiar. And that with two players making their first appearances in a Villa shirt, bursting that balloon too.
You could say “it’s only one game” but…
PLUS CA CHANGE
… For all the change in managers, players and owners, is there really any long-term progress? It’s hard to believe Villa appears to have replaced players who weren’t up to the task with more than aren’t up to the task, but after games like last night’s, the bottom line was actually worse than most other games when Villa have been beaten.
In defense of the new signings (including Lansbury who at least looked upset about how things were going and probably wasn’t at his best after being bandaged up), throwing the new guys into the limelight and expecting their best is like poking an animal with a stick and saying “go on, do something!” or meeting a comedian and saying “go on, say something funny!” Bjarnason especially looked exhausted after some early promise.
But they will get better, some fans said. And logic says they will. But logic doesn’t apply to Aston Villa. The richer the owner, the more willing he is to spend, the new signings, the goalkeeper changes, the move from new manager to new manager – none of it has come up with a winning formula since the club hired Alex McLeish in 2011.
If this roll of the dice by Bruce doesn’t work, what next?
SAVE-IOR?
Sam Johnstone was a strange signing from the start. Coming in at the expense of Gollini, who was farmed out to Atalanta and probably isn’t coming back, it seemed to be replacing a young, inexperienced goalie with another one.
Is he better than Gollini in some ways? Certainly he has a better command of his area. But a goalkeeper more than any other player on a team has to be judged by results. The last line of defense has to be just that. They have to inspire confidence and lead the defenders.
When fans took to Twitter blasting the fact he “still hasn’t made a save” it was harsh, and as a goalie in a 3-0 battering he’s an easy target. And yes, if the forwards and midfield were doing their job and the team was winning 3-1 it wouldn’t matter half as much, but… well it isn’t, so it does.
NEW BOYS
Along with Hourihane, Bjarnason and Lansbury this window saw the addition of the aforementioned Scott Hogan, Neil Taylor (who will challenge Amavi for the left back position… at the expense of grumpy striker Jordan Ayew), Jacob Bedeau (who we’ve been told is one for the future… which given the recent attitude to youth players “not being ready” means fans might never see him in the first team) and right-back James Bree who was an unused sub against Brentford (who surely must get a chance ahead of Hutton soon).
This column wishes them a warm welcome and hope they settle in soon.
UTV
Follow Adam on Twitter at @keebo00
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great article, the only villa sight worth reading. imo green is too green to be near the first team, the doc has done his job now steve bruce has to do his
Thanks. Agree, the Doc has always done well by his managers, so far. They need to do right by him.
Sorry the whole back four went AWOL and Bruce played into Brentfords
by his mid field selections. Too much too soon,and it all fell apart.
There still too many high earning flops to ship out. Forget the play
Offs,this team needs a pre season. And some steel.
Ok but let’s not blame the ref for a shocking performance, no excuses for me, Poor team selection unfit players, clearly Bruce has to shoulder a lot of responsibility for this, seems to me he has no idea of team motivation. Can’t understand why we wouldn’t pay 9 mil for Rhodes and for sure that will come back to bite us, and yet we are prepared to pay up to 15 m for Hogan, haven’t seen him play yet so reserving judgment, but in honesty I’m not optimistic.
I see us finishing no better than mid table. At this moment in time seems like a lot of money wasted but time will tell.
well as copmmented at the start the concept that youth players can never be ready surely that went out the proverbial window with Green @s presence for yet another match
But no he did not score yet but nor did he let himself down in his performance as one of the better Villa players .
I also had a glimmer of hope on the team performance in the early part of the game . But there seems to have been a new rule introduced into the refs handbook that says that when a team finds it can not out perform Villa they have the right to give them a good kicking . But retaliation to such treatment is not permitted . Or was I being harsh on the ref & should tow the line in castigating the team for yet another loss ?
On thing was certain that although their heads diod not completely go down a certain amount of frustration was evident especially after Kodjia was dragged down in their box & play allowed to continue with Brentford being able to mack yet another break