After a season acclimatising to the Championship, Aston Villa fans will have arrived at Villa Park on Saturday afternoon with a renewed sense of optimism.
With a few new faces added to their squad and Steve Bruce – a man who knows a thing or two about promotion – allowed to stay on for a second season, many saw them as being amongst the favourites to get back to the Premier League in 2016/17 prior to their opener against Hull City.
Things started well enough, too. With not even seven minutes of the game played, Gabby Agbonlahor’s far-post tap-in put them ahead. Villa went on to dominate the first half but failed to build on their lead.
Unfortunately from a Villa point of view, their lead didn’t last. Hull, themselves relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season, equalised through Jarrod Bowen after an hour.
Although an opening day home draw hardly spells disaster for Villa’s promotion hopes, Steve Bruce clearly didn’t want to settle for a point, and set about making the changes he hoped would help get the three points.
His final one, which came in stoppage time, saw him send central defender Chris Samba on in place of Henri Lansbury. It soon became clear that Samba – all 6’4″ of him – would be playing up front.
While attempting to utilise a defender’s height to help get a late goal isn’t exactly something we’ve never seen before, Bruce’s decision saw him mocked by many of those watching the game…
https://twitter.com/Danparkerrr/status/893899352292429824
https://twitter.com/O_J_murphy91/status/893899099661111297
https://twitter.com/LStaniforth92/status/893900091194568704
Imagine spending tens of millions on strikers, and having to resort to throwing Chris Samba up top. Jesus Christ!
— Adam Hennessey (@9_Hendo) August 5, 2017
Putting Chris Samba upfront is the most Steve Bruce thing imaginable #hcafc #avfc
— charlie (@CharlieT_16) August 5, 2017
Nothing quite like throwing on Chris Samba up front to show you've run out of ideas. #AVFCHUL
— Bustin (@bust2112) August 5, 2017
Did we really just play Chris Samba up front 😂😂😂 @beneelesavfc
— ~ (@Txkxyami) August 5, 2017
Money they've spent and they throw chris samba on up top😂😂 what an embarrassing excuse of a manager Steve Bruce is 😂 @AVFCOfficial
— Oliver Medd (@OliverMedd7) August 5, 2017
https://twitter.com/cxblast/status/893905548906823680
https://twitter.com/BoredXCore/status/893903494343741441
Football is back. Steve Bruce lashing Chris Samba upfront is exactly what we've all been waiting for!
— Ian Walsh (@walsh_i) August 5, 2017
https://twitter.com/Herbie_Cobby/status/893901594177265668
Needless to say, the game finished with the scores 1-1.
