BETTER THAN THE GREAL THING
Jack of diamonds gives Bruce an unbeatable hand as Villa run riot
STEVE BRUCE insists Jack Grealish has ‘manned up’ after Villa made child’s play out of Bristol City.
Beefed-up Jack Grealish, 22, was involved in two goals and hit the post as Villa clinched their biggest win since thrashing Sunderland 6-1 at home in April 2013.
It was the one-time England hopeful’s best performance under Bruce after missing the first four months of the season with a kidney injury.
Villa boss Bruce said: “The injury scared him and all of a sudden, he looks a man and he’s just 22. The strength and conditioning coach, Ollie Stevenson, has done a marvellous job in the gym and he’s worked tirelessly with him for five or six months on his running ability and his strength.
“We all know what a good footballer he is but he gave a really top performance – certainly his best under me.”
Villa went to fifth and five points off the automatic promotion slots after making it back-to-back wins and Bruce believes getting his stars back is key to their push.
John Terry is due to return on Saturday against Peterborough in the FA Cup and Grealish has recently returned with Mile Jedinak.
“I’m sure we’d have been better team with Jack fit for six months, but I’m sure that’s the same with Jonathan Kodjia, John Terry and a few of them,” he added.
“They’re our big players, and Jack Grealish is a big player. The last two results have been excellent in adversity with injuries and illness to some of them.
“I’ve been here 14 months and it is obviously the most convincing win.
“But only three games ago a certain element were asking for my head.”
Scott Hogan headed in exRobins winger Albert Adomah’s cross in the 23rd minute, then Robert Snodgrass hooked home after Luke Steele tipped away Hogan’s header.
Bristol City missed the chance to reduce the arrears after 48 minutes when Aden Flint’s header hit his own team-mate Matty Taylor on the goal-line. Snodgrass punished them by curling home after a 50-yard run by Grealish, before sub Birkir Bjarnason scored with his first contribution after Alan Hutton beat the offside trap.
Conor Hourihane drilled in the fifth from Rushian Hepburn-Murphy’s deflected cross five minutes from time.
City crashed to their biggest defeat since losing to Preston in April by the same scoreline.
Boss Lee Johnson admitted their last-gasp defeat to leaders Wolves 48 hours earlier had taken too much out of his squad.
“It was probably a game too far for them,” he said. “The fixtures – it’s too much.”
Johnson was also angered after Bruce mis-controlled a ball that flew into touch as Villa were cruising.
“It’s interesting Villa fans mocking us and Steve Bruce flicking balls up all over the gaffe,” said Johnson.
“We have to use that as ammunition. They’re still three points behind us.”