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Which one Eastie? The Gaffer or Made in Sheffield?

What was he like and why do you think unable to handle pressure, mate?

Unbelievable!! Hey Steve..how about training all the players not on international duty. How about working with your coaches to pinpoint exactly what is wrong with the team/set-up and then putting it right with an effective system and game plan. How about being the bloody Aston Villa manager - the job you were always waiting for! Nah, just piss off for a 'well earned' break! Please, please just stay out there and don't come back.

Fair point mate and I tend to agree. However, think we're stuck with KW and SR for the foreseeable......

He may be likeable but if we look at his 40 odd games in charge it shows that at our club he has just not been a very good football manager. These inconsistencies have been evident over his entire tenure so, imo, he has now long outstayed his welcome and we need a more modern thinking Manager who would undoubtedly get so much more out of our very talented squad. We have no time left to wait and see with SB - we must get promo this season or the future remains very Championship-based!! An interesting 3-4 weeks ahead!!

Sorry mate didn't phrase my reply too well. I was more interested in your comment re 'not right for the club to sack him yet'. Is your concern one of lack of stability?

Why not when he has around 40 games to turn us into a team that is competitive at the top end of the division with a clear game plan and system? At what point would you sack him?

Just imo, but I would be amazed if DrT hadn't already instructed Round and Wyness to start looking for a replacement; or at least discussed options. A bad defeat vs Brentford and I wouldn't be surprised if Bruce was sacked.

Nail on head, sir.

I am sure there must be such a manager out there who would walk to VP. I think Jokanavic (sic) would be gettable and my first choice.....if not there are other managers outside of the usual suspects currently out of work. I'd even be tempted to give Smith a go - averaging around 25 shots a match with 60% possession for the season. Team plays the expansive football we require. Agreed Brentford are a bit suspect defensively at moment but with better defenders this would be resolved. Admittedly Smith would be a gamble but I genuinely think he would do a better job than SB. Bruce already has the 'must not lose' mentality engrained into his phsyche and will never change. I understand your point TRO but Bruce will not take us up so do we just stick with him because there is no obvious replacement in your eyes? We should NEVER go away to a championship team and play 5 because Bruce thinks it would 'make us more solid' !! I mean come on......and Bruce wants us to get our 'swagger' back??!! We are Aston Villa, we should go at every team we play and attempt to dominate them and try to blow them away (within reason) as we did vs Norwich first half. This job, or rather the expectation, is too big for SB - he will never succeed because if this. We must change now or else the season is over and a third season in the championship makes me extremely nervous.

Shocking set up from Bruce. Again we go away and pay far too much respect to a mid table team. We are Aston Villa ffs!! The boost it must have given City seeing our line up. Bruce returns to his negative, defensive setting which totally wasted the first 20 mins and allowed City to get their tails up. If anyone seriously thinks he will get us promoted after watching our first 5 games of the season as a collective is, imo, deluded. We now have the ideal opportunity to replace him with a forward thinking, expansive manager who will quickly recognise that attack for us will reap the rewards. Bruce out....for the sake of this season.

I see your point, however, if SB doesn't see RMC being good enough for us and would rather replace him with someone who is better/more suited to the team but has to move RMC on before doing so i can sort of understand the thought process. Fully agree that it is a gamble but if RMC will just sit on the bench/be unused all season replacing him would make sense......Also, SB maybe does not see RMC being in the right condition to be a success elsewhere in this division....only time will tell I guess as i'm pretty sure this loan will go through sooner rather than later.

Bruce clearly doesn't fancy RMC and so is looking to replace him but cannot at present due to FFP limits. If however, (and I may be wrong), for example Sunderland pay £20k/wk of his wages that will free up these wages for a loan/new signing without exceeding FFP. Additionally any loan fee would also contribute to reducing our FFP commitments. All IMO but I can see why SB is willing to allow the loan to take place.

No mate, I failed to spot the obvious irony......it's been a long day!!

Not convinced all round tbh mate. The shot-stopping weakness is clearly his biggest one IMO and for a keeper its pretty fundamental. Don't get me wrong, not primarily looking for 'worldy' saves..... would be very happy with Friedel-esque goalkeeping; very consistent, steady and worth +10 points per season.

When did he demonstrate this 'shot-stopping' ability you speak of? IMO I've rarely seen a keeper beaten so easily by almost every shot on target he has faced. For me, this is my biggest concern with SJ - he's just not that good at saving shots!!

If RMC does indeed move on we simply must invest in a proper No.10 as he is the only player we have with the ability and intelligence to play this vital link role. By far he is our most intelligent player but clearly he is not fancied and/or is not doing enough to warrant a place. IMO Jack is not the player to play that role but I sincerely hope he changes my opinion.

Maybe not spending to the levels he has which is surely sensible strategy. IF we don't go up next season the finances will be even tighter so a prudent approach IMO especially considering the investment he has already made and the comparison to other more successful teams in the Championship. I don't agree with your last point as I am sure he will invest very heavily again once/if promotion is achieved.

This is Tony restricting spending purely due to FFP compliance and the potential consequences and has nothing to do with his willingness, or lack of, to invest in the squad. Two completely different things IMO.

Bit OT I know but does anyone know if any pubs on Broad St still show Villa games with 3.00 ko? (ie non-televised games)

Good finisher and no coincidence that he consistently finds space in between the two centre backs. Excellent movement and positioning.....looks the most natural goal scorer we've had since DB (....but with much more to his overall game)

Agents fees holding up the deal according to VillaTransfers...expected to go ahead soon.

Villa Transfers has been spot on with all of our recent transfers even going back into the Summer. Plus he always releases info before any other journalist etc...The only info he got wrong was JK being available for Cardiff. Of all the BS on twitter, he is the only one who clearly has a link to the medical centre that we use for our medicals as well as a contact at the club.

Does anyone really think he would do this wearing a Villa top??....the Sun really are poor.

A google news search for FC Opava and Kozak takes you to a Czech paper called Denik which appears to confirm that he has joined on loan for 6 months; in effect ending his time with us.