Who R Ya – Aston Villa

Vital QPR assesses Tuesday night’s opponents – Aston Villa

THE LATEST

Steve Bruce continues his rebuilding job Villa Park but from the outside you get the impression that there is a little way to go before Villa can be considered automatic promotion prospects in the Championship.

The spending levels have been impressive from the Clarets – something that cannot be ignored when discussing Villa this season. There was clearly a level of trust placed in Roberto di Matteo to bring in the talent to fire them into the higher echelons of the Championship with the money being splashed on Championship experience across the pitch.

With the Italian falling by the wayside and expensive flop Ross McCormack managing to lock himself indoors, it would be fair to say it’s not been an easy ride for former Birmingham City man Steve Bruce. Flourishes of quality have been tempered by inconsistent form. They failed to win until the 25th February in 2017 – a nine match winless run involving seven defeats.

Since then however Bruce had led them to six wins in the last seven, something that augurs well for the summer and moving into next season. Promotion contenders? – Perhaps, perhaps not; but at least for Villa supporters it would appear that the momentum is slowly turning in the correct direction.

FACTS & FIGURES

Founded: 1874

Nickname: Villa

Ground: Villa Park – 42682

Manager: Steve Bruce

HONOURS & RECORDS

Honours

First Tier

First Division – Champions: 1893-94, 1895-96, 1896-97, 1898-99, 1899-1900, 1909-10, 1980-81

Second Tier

Second Division – Champions: 1937-38, 1959-60

Cup

FA Cup – Winners: 1886-87, 1894-95, 1896-97, 1904-05, 1912-13, 1919-20, 1956-57

League Cup: Winners – 1960-61, 1974-75, 1976-77, 1993-94, 1995-96

European Cup: Winners – 1981-82

European Super Cup: Winners – 1982

Records

Record Attendance: 69492 v Wolverhampton Wanderers (December 1949)

Record league victory: 12-2 v Accrington (March 1982)

Record league defeat 0-8 v Chelsea (December 2012)

Record Buy: £18,000,000 – Darren Bent from Sunderland (January 2011)

Record Sale: £26,000,000 – James Milner to Manchester City (August 2010)

Record Appearances: Charlie Aitken – 657 (1859 – 1976)

Record Goals: Billy Walker – 244 (1919 – 1933)

THIS SEASON – STATS

GOALS: Jonathan Kodjia – 17, Albert Adomah – 3, Jack Grealish – 3, James Chester – 2.

YELLOWS: Leandro Bacuna – 8, Mile Jedinak – 7, James Chester – 6, Nathan Baker – 5.

REDS: Leandro Bacuna – 1, Jack Grealish – 1.

SQUAD LIST

2 – Nathan Baker
3 – Neil Taylor
4 – Micah Richards
5 – Henri Lansbury
6 – Tommy Elphick
7 – Leandro Bacuna
9 – Scott Hogan
11 – Gabriel Agbonlahor
12 – James Chester
13 – Jed Steer
14 – Conor Hourihane
16 – James Bree
18 – Libor Kozák
19 – André Green
20 – Birkir Bjarnason
21 – Alan Hutton
22 – Gary Gardner
23 – Jordan Amavi
25 – Mile Jedinak
26 – Jonathan Kodjia
27 – Ritchie De Laet
29 – Rushian Hepburn-Murphy
31 – Mark Bunn
34 – Sam Johnstone (on loan from Manchester United)
37 – Albert Adomah
38 – Jordan Lyden
39 – Keinan Davis
40 – Jack Grealish

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