HEAT IN VILLA HOT-SEAT
FRANK’S FANCIED
4 ............. Shots on Target .......... 4 3 ............. Shots off Target ..........5 5 ............... Blocked Shots ............ 4 1 ...................... Corners .................. 4 9 ....................... Fouls.....................11 1 ..................... Offsides .................. 2 1 ................. Yellow Cards .............0 0 ................... Red Cards ................0 65.7....... Passing Success .... 78.9 22 ................... Tackles..................16 77.3 ......... Tackles Won % ..... 68.8 42.7 ............ Possession ..........57.3 51 ...... Territorial Advantage .. 49 347............ Total Passes......... 445 11 ............... Total Crosses ............31 49.4 .......... 1st Half Poss. ....... 50.6 35.9 ..........2nd Half Poss. ....... 64.1
Jukiewicz’s inviting cross from the left landed at the feet of Maikel Kieftenbeld who hit the outside of the post from six yards out when it looked easier to score.
Brighton’s response was swift and positive when Anthony Knockaert shot towards the near post where Tomasz Kuszczak made a comfortable save.
The early goalmouth action was followed by stretches of midfield deadlock and defensive dominance as both teams struggled.
Blues started the second half equally as brightly as the first but this time they managed to find the target in the 52nd minute. that the eight new players signed in the summer are still coming to terms with the weight of expectation as the fallen former Premier League giants deal with life in the Championship.
He said: “The history and support, the tradition, means there is a big club scenario.
“It is a bigger demand than they have had to deal with before.
“As a player I experienced something like that when I joined Manchester United when I had been at Hartlepool and Colchester. What I did was to try to enjoy the challenge, and that’s what these players need to learn to do now.”
Villa’s Chinese owner Dr Tony
David Davis dinked a cross in from the left and the dangerous Jukiewicz climbed higher than Shane Duffy to arc a looping header back into the bottom corner.
But Brighton produced a stunning equaliser when Knockaert swept a first-time shot home after a run and cross from Solly March.
And in the last few seconds of stoppage time Glenn Murray stole the points with a glancing header. Xia fell out with Ian Holloway in the summer when the QPR boss, then a Sky pundit, forecast the club could get relegated again and said the dressing room was divided.
Bruce added: “For every club that gets relegated it is difficult, but I have found no divide in the dressing room. The players have been excellent – apart from the other night – and I made it pretty obvious to them that I won’t accept another performance like that.” FRANK McPARLAND has been approached by Birmingham City to be the club’s new director of football.
Rangers’ assistant manager is mulling over a move to the Championship from Scotland in the wake of Gary Rowett’s surprise sacking last week.
McParland, 56, has played an integral role as Mark Warburton’s head of recruitment at Ibrox.
And it is hoped he could do a similar job at St Andrew’s supporting new boss Gianfranco Zola. IAN HOLLOWAY is backing misfiring striker Conor Washington to prove he is no big-money flop.
Washington has scored just three goals since joining QPR from Peterborough for £2.5million almost a year ago.
But Holloway has shifted the 24-year-old centrally from the wide role favoured by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
Hoops boss Holloway said: “I see getting the best out of him is to let him do what he knows best. He has a great chance of scoring goals.”