Well, one week since that home defeat against Wednesday, and one week away from the continuation of league hostilities following the international break. Just how will Bruce treat that home defeat? Wholesale changes to the team or more-or-less no change?
It must be said that last week's match was extraordinary: going one-down to a shot like that after just 18 seconds and then losing the skipper within the first half-hour. And while the defence is sorting itself out, they pop another into the net. And we started one of our players with cracked ribs and soon had to change him as well.
But let's face it, Wednesday played with consummate skill and self-belief, a commodity we didn't seem to have too much of, and we really never looked like getting back into the match despite Chester's clear chance a few minutes before the end.
People have said that we didn't play to Hogan's and O'Hare's strengths, and there may well be some truth in that. But I have yet to see Hogan play a good game in any of Villa's serious matches. How he notched the number of goals he did seems curious to me. Perhaps he just can't hack playing for a big club? I think he's had enough opportunities to have put away more goals than he has and thereby gain confidence, but I can't see him progressing. Another expensive mistake, it would seem.
As for O'Hare, it looks as though we shall see plenty of him in the future as, indeed, we should see a lot of the likes of Davis and Green as well. But perhaps not yet as far as O'Hare is concerned. In Jack Grealish's 15 minute cameo last week I saw signs that perhaps he has learnt a lesson or two and that he's able to step up a gear. So that brings us back to next week, for I see Grealish as being the immediate future and O'Hare one to savour later.
Assuming Jack is now able to get his mojo working then I see Villa bouncing back with a vengeance. If he doesn't - for surely he will start next week - then anything may happen. We might even go backwards; but I think not. Despite Terry's absence on the pitch he'll still be a presence on the sidelines to influence the team's performance.
Dare I use that phrase? I do see a bright future!
How about reading about Villa's proud past? Read about The Villa Way.
It must be said that last week's match was extraordinary: going one-down to a shot like that after just 18 seconds and then losing the skipper within the first half-hour. And while the defence is sorting itself out, they pop another into the net. And we started one of our players with cracked ribs and soon had to change him as well.
But let's face it, Wednesday played with consummate skill and self-belief, a commodity we didn't seem to have too much of, and we really never looked like getting back into the match despite Chester's clear chance a few minutes before the end.
People have said that we didn't play to Hogan's and O'Hare's strengths, and there may well be some truth in that. But I have yet to see Hogan play a good game in any of Villa's serious matches. How he notched the number of goals he did seems curious to me. Perhaps he just can't hack playing for a big club? I think he's had enough opportunities to have put away more goals than he has and thereby gain confidence, but I can't see him progressing. Another expensive mistake, it would seem.
As for O'Hare, it looks as though we shall see plenty of him in the future as, indeed, we should see a lot of the likes of Davis and Green as well. But perhaps not yet as far as O'Hare is concerned. In Jack Grealish's 15 minute cameo last week I saw signs that perhaps he has learnt a lesson or two and that he's able to step up a gear. So that brings us back to next week, for I see Grealish as being the immediate future and O'Hare one to savour later.
Assuming Jack is now able to get his mojo working then I see Villa bouncing back with a vengeance. If he doesn't - for surely he will start next week - then anything may happen. We might even go backwards; but I think not. Despite Terry's absence on the pitch he'll still be a presence on the sidelines to influence the team's performance.
Dare I use that phrase? I do see a bright future!
How about reading about Villa's proud past? Read about The Villa Way.
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