allani

Anyone would think that having failed to keep a clean sheet against any team other than one that is 3rd favourite to be relegated into non-league football would have highlighted that we needed to strengthen the defence. How many defenders did we sign exactly? Still we were undefeated and I suspect that the players were just not good enough today...

I promised myself that I wouldn't follow the match today so I could enjoy a Saturday afternoon....

Much more optimistic than 4-5 weeks ago. Think we will just miss out on the play-offs - mainly due to the lack of cover in defence (except right backs playing anywhere but right back) and our apparent propensity to settle for a draw. However, although my aspirations for the season are a whole lot better than they were in July (when survival was the name of the game) missing out on the play-offs should be viewed as a massive failure.

My Swansea supporting mate said he reckoned that Tammy was the best signing of the summer in the whole Championship (and I don't think he was winding me up). The only worry is that he said the Swans didn't get the best out of him because the supply was poor.... Just hope that a "good supply" is aimless punts up the pitch from the defence - if so then we should be sorted!! ?

I got as far as "you might give Bruce ideas about resigning" and got too excited... ? ? ?

Makes the decision to loan Green out look bizarre / stupid in the extreme. Sorry correct. It makes the decision to loan Green out look even more bizarre / stupid in the extreme.

Next he'll be blaming the fans for making it difficult.

It's not a new look though.

The trouble with that "debate" is that we don't know what market the owners will be looking at. For example there is no point suggesting Brendan Rodgers if the owners need a short term fixer to get through the season. But if they have a 5 year plan that includes big investment in players, coaching, etc - then there might be a project to sell that beats winning title after title in Scotland (after all not many managers get the opportunity to "do a Man City").

Strong and stable? Or just stable?

Followed by "he's done it before".

OK so don't focus on the cup. But at least pick an attacking side and tell the team to treat it like a kick about in the park and that losing 7-5 is OK. Go and put on a show. Don't pick 16 defensive players and hope to nick a 0-1 win against a team 21st in League 1. Especially after having said that the performance in the first round was not acceptable. I thought he meant unacceptable as in not good enough - not unacceptable because we dared to win.

I kind of agree. The new owners did not really have time to make anything other than a snap decision. However, based on the performances this year you'd hope that they have been working hard at identifying targets. The international break gives a bit of time to make the change - not enough and not ideal. Enough decent players for a new man to do something with and give a bit of shape too.

Please do the honourable thing now Steve and resign.

Three matches too many. Although presumably if / when we lose to Sheff Utd that means he has to go after 1 match? In which case I might concur.

Except by the sounds of it that has been EVERY single performance this season - with the possible exception of Brentford (where we needed a last second equaliser).

Whatever happens in the last 15 minutes Bruce needs to go. Burton have had more shots today than in their last 3 Division 1 matches.

It's the players' fault. Again. We need to be stronger and better. Again. We need to learn our lessons. Again. We need to improve next time. Again. We need to be there or thereabouts. Again.

Christmas has never seemed so far away...

But we were told that we would learn the lessons from the last round...

Didn't he play centre back in the last round?

Partner? We'll need to ask the EFL for special dispensation in order to field 12 men for Bruce to play 2 up front. And even then if we could play 12 players he'd probably try and find a formation that would allow us to play an extra (third) right back (and still have someone who isn't a right back playing at right back) instead. ? ? ? ?

Not sure we necessarily need someone who coaches his players. If the manager has tactics / a system and has a proper plan that involves buying players that fit into his tactics and plan then does he need to do a whole lot of coaching? If I am building a house and employ skilled architect to design the property, a skilled project manager to manage the process and skilled tradesmen to do the work then I don't need to coach any of them in how to do their job. The problem is if you employ a carpenter and then insist on him doing all the plumbing then coaching (or lack of) becomes more of an issue. However, if you had had a proper strategy and plan to start with you would probably have employed a carpenter and a plumber. And this is where my main beef with Steve Bruce is - I don't see a "style" of football in his tactics or his purchases. He has had plenty of time, opportunity, money and transfer windows now to strengthen the team, develop a system, coach players to play a different role if he thinks they will do a better job but instead we still have people used in positions or roles that do not suit their main strengths. I also think that he is building me a 1990 semi when I really want a modern villa (sorry terrible pun!) but hey that is a different discussion. Give me a tactician and planner first - get things moving in the right direction and then allow him to bring in a like-minded coaching team to train our youth and young apprentices in their trade and our "style" or a like-minded scouting team to go out and head-hunt people who will fit into our "style".

Maybe the new dawn has arrived. More shots and more shots on target in 18 minutes than in some matches last season. Come on Villa!!!

We have the third richest owners in British football. I suspect they know how to get around FFP either within the rules or not (and if the latter I suspect that they will have calculated the risk / fines involved and factored that into their thinking). The worry is more about them getting bored messing around in the lower leagues and taking their money elsewhere.