Villa 2-3 Wolves: Verdict Thread

I wonder who Bruno was looking for when the winner went in?

Tony Towner said:

He's become more exposed since Bennett and Boly stopped being the regular players either side. Tall players like Mitrovich, Antonio, Ambrose and this season Toney have always pulled on to him and bullied him physically but we are now expecting him to pick up the runs and movement of the likes of Vardy and Ings which he can't do. Basically we now want him to play as a 3rd centre half rather than a sweeper which I don't think he can to the level required

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I don't disagree, but worth mentioning Toney is 5ft 10.

AndyWolves said:

I don't disagree, but worth mentioning Toney is 5ft 10.

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Fair enough, should have said physical rather than tall

He was a physical beast. You don’t have to be 6’4” to be that beast.

SSB said:

I wonder who Bruno was looking for when the winner went in?

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Probably waiting for VAR to cancel it

It's always interesting reading the matchday comments back because it always seems a lot different to being at the game. Yesterday was a pretty poor game all round to be honest, both sides were sloppy with the ball and gave it away quite a lot and a draw would have probably been spot on but we got that extra bit of luck in the end. Hwang should have done better early on and so should Ings and Adama but 0-0 was fair. The difference in the game then seemed to be the first 5 minutes of the second half where we were very poor and Villa came out with a bit more intensity and got the goal. It wasn't great defending but McGinn did well and Ings finished it well. They didn't dominate from there but we were still very sloppy with the ball especially in forward areas and when McGinn scored it looked like that was that.

I think everyone thought Bruno took too long to get the subs on and no one was sure why Raul didn't come on but it worked. Podence was excellent and Fabio put himself about against a back line that looked nervous from minute one but didn't really have any pressure put on it. When we got the first back you just knew we were going to get another, the whole game and atmosphere changed and there was only one team in it from then. Would have taken the draw when Coady equalised and definitely didn't expect Neves to score from the free kick, called that it would hit the ball but credit the bloke in front of me who then said yeah and deflect in only for that to happen 5 seconds later. Away end was crazy, little bit gutted that i got tickets in the upper this year because the celebrations in the lower looked class but even up where we were bodies were all over seats.

In terms of Bruno and the team i think we have to understand that they're very inconsistent and Bruno still needs players in to get what he wants from them. At times we play some great football but then it breaks down too easily because of the inconsistency. Everyone is rightly saying how good Podence was when he came on and now everyone wants him to start but he was awful a Southampton. Hwang was brilliant against Newcastle but looked like a competition winner at times yesterday. Adama does what Adama does beating players, just smashing chances, not getting to balls he probably should but then his run got the corner that started the sequence for the first goal and he won the free kick for the winner and his cross for the second was outstanding.

I saw people were very reluctant to give Bruno credit for yesterday because it wasn't great and we all want Raul to play and most probably are fed up with Marcal etc... but he changed it and it worked. No one would have put Adama at left wing back and it probably wouldn't work most weeks but it did yesterday and he deserves credit for that. The football isn't as free flowing as it was in the first 3 games but it's still there at times and we're now grinding out results that are massive for us. We've definitely got a lot to improve on but to be where we are is a pretty good start and it will be interesting to see how we try to improve from now.

Just back on the differences from being at the game for example Donk actually played pretty well, got himself about the pitch made a few good runs that with better balls could have got him in behind. Did well for Hwang's early chance too and then for the equaliser attacked the back post well. Maybe it's not being at the game vs not being at the game though more that people struggle to move away from their preconceived ideas and it's easy to blame or criticise the players they don't like.

AndyWolves said:

I don't disagree, but worth mentioning Toney is 5ft 10.

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Toney is definitely at least 6 foot and jumps higher than most players on top of that.

Well, im still on a massive high from yesterday. I spoke to a Villa mate last night who said " your substitutions were miles better than ours", Got to agree with him, although i felt Bruno had left it too late. I still think were carrying Marcal though, but at the moment im still in the clouds, especially living in Brum.

slink said:

Toney is definitely at least 6 foot and jumps higher than most players on top of that.

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He isn't 6ft tall.

I'm only making the point because it's surprising

Ivan Toney is definitely not 5ft 10. Your eyes tell you that.

Transfermarkt has him at 185cm which looks about right to me

Brentfords own website has him at 179

Yes and I’m telling you it’s wrong. He was massive compared to Marcal who looks about 5ft 10.

As I said, my eyes tell me Toney is not 5ft 10

PuntsWolf said:

Yes and I’m telling you it’s wrong. He was massive compared to Marcal who looks about 5ft 10.

As I said, my eyes tell me Toney is not 5ft 10

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Pretty sure I heard him on Talksport last week saying he was 6ft 3”.

Might be wrong (me, not him).

Weirdly, one of the big positives for me yesterday was that Donck and Semedo combined exceptionally well when they got down the right flank together. Good to see as Semedo has definitely struggled to find a mental connection with our attacking players since arriving.

I really don’t think we were as bad overall as some here do, but hey ho, swings and roundabouts.

I watched the whole game on Sky last night, and i would imagine that I was more positive because i knew how the result went, but i didn't think it was anywhere near as bad a performance as I read on the match thread.

Watched it again today.

In the ground felt it was two terrible teams and neither deserved anything, and we scored 3 of the scrappiest goals ever in the space of 15 mins to win. Although the first was a decent pass and cross.

On reflection it wasn’t that bad but with that team we were always going to lack anything going forward. And no idea why it took so long to make changes

PuntsWolf said:

Yes and I’m telling you it’s wrong. He was massive compared to Marcal who looks about 5ft 10.

As I said, my eyes tell me Toney is not 5ft 10

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Most of the places I've looked say 179cm, I've tried to find a squad photo of Brentford to no avail.

He does seem bigger but then Les Ferdinand was 'only' 5 11

Our three goals were all a result of good attacking play. Neves‘s through ball and Traore’s pass/cross were quality and Traore driving at the Villa defence brought the free kick. If we had scored those goals over 90 minutes rather than the last 15 the whole performance might be viewed a little more positively.

We gifted Villa two goals and there were too many loose passes but we played a different system without any work on the training ground this week and without Raul…and it shows just how important an on form Raul is because any other combination up front is just not as good by a distance. Hwang isn’t an adequate replacement for Raul on that performance. Without Raul we don’t keep the ball well up front.

Podence though. Such a clever player and has ability. If we can get the best out of him on a consistent basis he is such a game changer.

AndyWolves said:

Most of the places I've looked say 179cm, I've tried to find a squad photo of Brentford to no avail.

He does seem bigger but then Les Ferdinand was 'only' 5 11

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6ft 2 here.

Am still rocking at the win!
We didn't start playing until 30mins in, and then for the fist 30 of the second half as well.
We have to cut out the nonsense at the back with goal kicks and back passes, it is just stupid!
Marcel is a full back not a wing back, and ran seems to me to be the opposite, great going forward but not so great defending.
I think semedo has curbed his attacking exploits based on his misses in front of goal earlier in the season and needs a confidence boost (Bruno?).
Ifbwe are going to play 4 at the back we need a top class centre forward, and a DM who can also get forward as near as we can to kante class.
As for Raul, three games ago we were saying he is nowhere near match fit yet, he then had two great games and then fucked off half way around the world to play for mehiko, and may have managed a nap on the plane back the day before the game, am not surprised he was left out, and actually not surprised at Hwan's performance, he has been great in a two with Raul, but much of a muchness when left to his own divides. Too many flicks and nonchalant passes, see back pass for second goal.
All in all we got away with one, but villa we only great when we let them, and Bruno isnowed by fosun after the white summer transfer break, so he is still in credit as far as I am concerned.
Podence changed the game, ah! Would that he could do that every week for 70\90 minutes.