Aston Villa and Steve Bruce head to Reading needing a new revival

There is a distinct irony, therefore, that this term’s trip to the Madjeski Stadium arrives at possibly the lowest point of Bruce’s time in charge.

Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Cardiff was a chastening experience for Bruce, a rude awakening in every sense of the phrase.

It was the kind of performance which will have resulted in sleepless nights and perhaps some soul-searching from a manager suddenly forced to re-evaluate every aspect of his plan.

Bruce headed to Wales confident of having solved the fragility so often the cause of Villa’s torment away from home last season. Yet he returned having been left in no doubt the same problems still exist and there is an increasing urgency to solve them.

Just a week into the campaign, there is certainly no need to panic.

By the same token, Bruce knows performances like Saturday’s cannot be repeated or pressure will quickly mount and patience among the fanbase quickly erode.

These next few weeks could be pivotal in determining whether his reign ends in success or failure.

Tough as Saturday was, Bruce will also have taken some valuable lessons, both in Villa’s overall approach to the game and the performance of certain individuals who are now consistently falling below what is expected.

Bruce noted in the immediate aftermath how ‘wide open’ his team were at Cardiff, where a more attacking shape left them continually susceptible to the counter-attack.

Tonight is likely to see a reversion to the more familiar safety-first approach which saw Villa grind out results under Bruce last season. Changes to the starting line-up also seem inevitable. Bruce claimed to not having a ‘load of options’ at present and it is true the continued absence of both Jonathan Kodjia and Mile Jedinak is being keenly felt.

Even so, there are players waiting in the wings who now deserve their chance. It would be a surprise if the likes of Conor Hourihane, James Bree and perhaps even Birkir Bjarnason were not brought into the side.

Reading, beaten play-off finalists last season, have experienced a rather subdued start to the campaign themselves, losing 2-0 to QPR and then drawing 1-1 with Fulham on Saturday, despite the visitors being reduced to ten men when Tomas Kalas was sent-off in the opening minute.

Villa are likely to face old boy Leandro Bacuna, who signed for Reading on Sunday night.

Expected line-up: Johnstone, Bree, Chester, Terry (c), Taylor, Adomah, Whelan, Hourihane, Bjarnason, Onomah, Hogan.