Harry

Maybe one to shift before the window closes?

Maybe a nice choice to have?

As I said........

The fact that he seemingly cannot get the players to do what he wants on the pitch says more about him as a manager than it does the players. I can just about buy the idea that there is more than just one player, RMC, might not want to be at the club but I can't believe that there are a number. If there are I suspect that is because they are utterly hacked off with the coaching and tactics of SB and his team rather than the club. It is a total cop out to blame the players. Terry for example is a consummate professional and personally I think that could be said of a lot of the squad. Much as Hutton gets stick on here, he never gives less than his best, regardless of how good that is! Anyway even if he does think the players are the problem he needs to MANAGE the situation to get the best out of them. Spoiler alert....he is not going to get an entire new squad before 31 August.

I know its irrelevant at the moment but it is somewhat sobering that we are bottom of the league.

Spotted at the test match today. I am happy to report he only drank water all day.

Maybe singled out is the wrong phrase but there is focus on him as a new signing. Written off is probably more apt phrase. All I am saying is it's too early to judge.The middle part of the Jedinak thread, for example, is an interesting read given how he is viewed now. My concern is the tactics, formation, game plans and management of the whole side rather than one player's performance particularly so early in his Villa career.

Well yes. The whole side has been abject with just a few glimpses of what we should be capable of so I don't think it's particularly constructive to single out a single player Whelan is a decent player who has not played well, so far, who already seems to have been written off by some fans and let's not kid ourselves we have previous in that department.

So not going to happen.

Good to see we have already found a new hate figure amongst the players and it's only taken three games.

I found myself reading that in north east accent....bizarrely. .......sound awfully familiar.

We can't let him go now. Not that l wanted him to leave.

It is very difficult to see a way back for Bruce now. Unless we win convincingly on Saturday (unlikely) I think he is finished, if not before. I fully expect a loss in the next game and I think that will be that. Our recent outgoing managers have alluded to problems at the club or even openly criticised the club Much of that was, in the past, well justified but I think now it would be hard for Bruce to do that. The media love to knock Villa but the simple facts are he has had plenty of investment in players, full control, experienced football people running the club, a very supportive owner and until this season supportive fans. The media will spin it as Villa chopping and changing again and how fickle the fans are but when you watch these dreadful performances and then listen to a manager who seems to have a complete inability to even begin to explain what has gone wrong and then admits he 'does not really do tactics' what is the club supposed to do?

FIVE YEAR CONTRACT FOR BRUCE?

That's me done I think. I can't bear this shite any more. Assuming he is still our manager on Saturday it will be very very ugly if we don't win. A draw won't be good enough.