Beanz gives his thoughts on the defeat v Sheffield Wednesday
It has taken me until Sunday lunchtime to calm down enough to reflect on yesterday and how Villa, and Steve Bruce in particular, turned a perfectly winnable game into another humiliation. You only need to have seen the few minutes after McGinn’s superb volleyed equaliser to realise what the team is capable of when it surges forward as a team, as opposed to most of the rest of the game when it reverted to a collection of individuals without proper organisation or plan. And, honestly, it has been like that now for 100 games.
The starting line-up – featuring Jedinak at centre-back, Grealish on the wing and Adomah starting at all – was just plain wrong and is totally down to the manager. I like Jedinak as a defensive midfielder and I like his attitude to the game generally but he will never be a centre-back. Three times in the first 15 minutes his lack of pace, poor positioning and propensity to give the ball away cheaply could have cost goals. And Bruce went on WM after the match and said what a good defender he was in yesterday’s defensive shambles.
Grealish is totally wasted out wide and even Bruce had to acknowledge that by moving him inside later in the game. And Adomah is clearly never going to repeat the one fine goal-scoring season he had last year and should not be persevered with when potentially better alternatives are on the bench.
Steve Bruce’s current line that he knows best because he played the game, and particularly because as a centre-back he understands that position and its requirements, is patent nonsense. There was an article in yesterday’s Guardian Sports, by the excellent writer Barney Ronay which totally puts that argument to bed.
I have no doubt that we have the talent in the squad to be at least in the top 6 by the end of the season and probably in the top 2 if correctly harnessed. Equally, I have no doubt that it won’t happen if Bruce remains in charge and each week that passes will make the task more difficult for his successor. I admire Bruce for his honesty and commitment even though I am convinced he is deluded about how to be successful. His time has gone and the first really big decision for the new owners and their chief executive is whether they will act decisively and urgently.
Let’s all hope they do.
Written by Beanz
