dn1982

It's starting to flag badly. We are still taking big numbers but we are losing the casual fan as we are at home games. We sold more for a midweek night game last year. We took more to Reading last season aswell. I'm only going to Barnsley so I can get a Blues ticket. if we'd have started this season well we'd have sold out easily.

If the kids parents didn't want at the time to go to the police Villa hands were tied to a degree. It was an era when these things were unheard of. There wasn't a responsibility to go to the police. It's unthinkable now to not report such allegations but then things were different it's not a justification it's just fact so before any witch hunt starts wait till the report is complete and then judge it with an idea of the climate of the time.

This notion we don't give managers time is a load of crap. RDM aside all have had long enough to prove they weren't good enough. RDM was sacked because of a slow start but that was as much the board panicking as anything. Bruce has had 11 months without improvement. If Mellberg wanted the job and ticked the boxes I'd have him on ability not sentiment. Dean Smith a Villa fan could be a better option and tick your bond with fans box. Ultimately we need a. Manager that knows how he wants to play and how to get his team to do it something I thought Bruce could do with all his experience.

There's a few decent managers out of work but we'd still be a big attraction to a lot of in work managers. If we wait any longer we write this year off. We need a change now to unite the fans as it's toxic really. Virtually all have lost faith in Bruce and think he won't get us playing now as he's had 40+ games already and it's worse than RDM.

The rush is the gap to the play offs! If we leave it too late we have to write this year off and get in a long term youthful manager.

Last nights events will mean he gets another go. He's lost the plot though. If he can't see 1win in 7 is bad or 29 in 34 in 2017 he's mad. Saying you've been here 6 months really as he doesn't count the close season will he knock weeks off for internationals soon? Last night we had an extra man for an hour yet Bruce thinks it 40 min? He thought before Brentford we'd had 1 bad half all season? You know a manager is feeling the pressure when he starts revising stuff to make him look better. This morning a few local reporters are backing him so he's probably pulled in a few favours. Now we go to Barnsley on TV where he won't get to hide. We have to win and win well or the away fans that are already fed up will vent and it'll be national news!!

Why? Ive heard people saying this and the same for Round but why? RDM was allegedly appointed by Xia and when it looked like we wouldn't go up they appointed Bruce. Now at the time even if You hated him you can argue it was a horses for courses appointment. Hopefully with thus Villa Engine being pushed so much our next manager will fit in with this philosophy.

I've a feeling Bruce will flap it big time and go ultra defensive so it's Johnstone Hutton Chester Terry Taylor Elmo Whelan Jedinak Hourihane Lansbury Hogan which will be 45 1

We will soon have way too many players for Bruce to manage. He'll pick the worst RB in Hutton and bomb Adomah to get Elmo in bench. I hope I'm wrong! I'd like to see Johnstone RDL Chester Terry Taylor Snodgrass Whelan Hourihane Green Hogan Davis will be happy if Onomah plays instead of a CF though and 433

You keep saying this that tactics only take you so far but players do the rest but a good manager uses tactics to get the best out of his players. Brentford last season played far better football than us with far less rated players. Reading passed us off the park this year. Cardiff hammered us. Bruce is at fault no matter which way you look at this. They are his players. He's bought them. He's trained them. He's told them how to play. He's picked them. He's swapped formations. Bruce has been here long enough to get a coherent plan together with a highly respected squad capable of winning enough games to challenge. The buck stops with the manager or there's no point in having one. He's got no excuses left. His players we've enough time to get them doing what he wants. Brentford needs to be a convincing win. Hopefully then we can pick a settled side and let the opposition worry about us for a change.

That's a load of crap. If Nigel Clough keeps Burton up he's done a good job. His target is 20th. He is 20th. Our target is promotion. We are a long way off so hence Bruce is doing a worse job. Managers are judged on how they do to their target and I'm sure you are aware of that and that seems the yardstick all will be judged on. Bruce is 4pts off his minimum target and 7pts off his actual one. Very similar to RDM but without the 10 months and 2 windows to sort it. No more excuses. Bruce has to deliver.

Can I give him credit for a completely stupid team selection? I think Bruce is a good experienced manager but he is struggling under the pressure of the job. There's no other reason to keep swapping and changing. He never even had the balls to commit to 3 at the back. You either go for it or not. We ended up playing 541. You either pick the right players to try to go 352 or 343 we never. Bruce needs to grow a pair or he's done for. Don't speak about shutting people up after 1 good result talk about winning the league and us being one of the best teams in this league. You've got the pressure already. Embrace it and give us fans the confidence you can do the job. Starting with attacking Brenford for 90 min.

Just reading this thread suns up Taylor. When he came he made us solid so it looked like a great signing but this year he's looked shaky added to the fact he is crap at attacking he's looking like another liability. He needs competition. Hopefully he's just started slowly this year and will get better but he needs to overlap Green a lot more to help out the attacks.

Bruce has signed 2 RW this window when we've been crying out for an AM. From what I've see no of Elmohamady he's not as good as Adomah so he's a pointless signing. Jota going to Blues for £6m is good business but He's exactly what we need. On the plus side he won't be able to rip us apart next game!! We've made some good signings this window but so far it's left me really uninspired. I'm not sure though if that's more to do with Bruce. The DR says 2/3 maybe 4/5 transfers today hopefully we will finish with a flurry. Hijack Jota and sign an attacking LB

That's how deep we where

We don't need lots of players. We need left sided cover that's about it. We've got plenty enough here already to be challenging. If we kept McCormack and Elphick I'd be happy as long as Bruce uses them McCormack especially.

I don't think there is that many new formations and tactics. Most have been used before. We played 3 at the back 20+ years ago and we weren't the first for instance. What you have to be able to do is adapt to the current game. That's where Bruce is lacking. He's still playing defensive football when every other team just attacks when they get the chance. He lacks tactics yet tries to adapt to the opposition. Just concentrate on us. We have better players than nearly all the teams just get them confident and attacking.

I made it 551 and I don't class playing that formation innovative against Real Madrid let alone Bristol City!! This is the Championship we don't need innovation we need motivation as we have the players. When he says picked the right players in the right positions and motivated them we've looked good but he seems to worry about the opposition more than he does worry about getting our players playing well.

Just as long as he's not an old Lerner

There's a massive differnce between midfielders that sit and ones that are out and out defensive midfielders. Jedinak is an out and out defensive midfielder and Whelan is more of a holding one. One thing I do agree on is we should be challenging I just think we wont with 2 DM like those pair.

Can you name any teams that'd play 2 DM like them though? Jedinak struggles in a 2 and isn't that good at keeping possession. Whelan would have to be the legs and also the one who helps out attacks and that's not his game. I can see Bruce doing it though.

For me Hutton and Gabby were 2 of the bggest culprits when were relegated yet both are still heavily involved so when he says he's moved on the relegated lads for their careers why hasn't heckling focused on getting these pair out? Bruce has 6 games left. He has to win the majority or I think the DR will sack him. I've a feeling it's only Wyness and Round keeping him in a job but hopefully they're doing their due diligence so if he fails in the next 6 we can get a quick replacement in. I can see us getting 2/3 wins out of the 6 but I don't think that's good enough. We have to win 4/5 to get back in with a chance of automatic. Minimum is the 2points a game target but we are behind so need to be getting over that. We've got a squad full of the best players in this league but one that's got no identity or playing style. Roll on Brentford it'll be a long month.

Can anybody tell me what Elmo does that Adomah can't? This sums Bruce up for me. Adomah is a player that can give you 9/10 performances. He will win you games on his own. He will also have a mare and look crap so can perform 4/10. Where from what I've seen so far Elmo will give you a 7/10 every week. And that's Bruce all over. It seems Bruce sets up not to lose then hopes the 7/10 performances get enough wins. How can you go away and play 541? What message does that give a bunch of players. You're setting up not to lose. We should with our squad be saying We are Aston Villa We are going for the title. Try to stop us. I just can't see Bruce changing and that I fear means one thing. 10 pts from 10 games again and a new manager. Let's hope 6th is still in sight by then.

I'd say as a whole our squad is better and you'd be in the minority to think otherwise. Individually we are a very good squad. Snodgrass is a right winger mainly so Bruce has just made the squad more unbalanced as he's already bought one and the one we had already was one of our highest assist makers last year! The last 2 games have shown we can create and score if you get the players to attack more. It'll be interesting where Snodgrass plays and how fit he is now.

Tonight is massive. We have to win if we don't Bruce will stay just long enough that this season is a write off. If we grind out a 1nil win I'll be just as happy as a cavalier 3 nil one. The reason? We've got the players we just need to get the confidence away from home that we have at home that we will win. Bruce needs to realise clubs will raise their game but our squads a lot better than virtually all so can handle it. Start talking like a manager of a big club and maybe the players will play like ones that are able to pay for one. I always thought Bruce was a good man manager but every presser is littered with excuses from FFP to handling the pressure. When JT arrived he said we have to go up and he wants the title. That's what we need to be drilling into the players and the fans.We are all in this together. Talk positive. Encourage. We've not sold out tonight as already fans are fed up with the away form. Last year we all believed. That's ebbing away. I want a brash manager saying we are going to win every game and It'll be tough but we will attack from minute one. Then the fans will sell out every away game and home crowds will come back as it's enjoyable trying to win. Tonight is the start.