striker

Good post most of which I agree with particularly changing the team and formation too much which hasn't helped integrating the new players. That has been one of the most disappointing aspects of Bruce's reign so far for me due to his experience. I thought he would have identified his best team and formation by now and stuck to it which is backing his own judgement. I sincerely hope your right about Bruce and that more time is needed but I haven't really seen it in the performances yet or more importantly the results. The point of my previous post was that the step down in quality from the Premiership to the Championship should have compensated somewhat for the changes when you consider that most of the players brought in by Bruce were already accustomed to Championship football.

I still feel that if Bruce can settle tactically on his best team allowing them to play, win the next two games with results going our way Villa still have an outside chance of scraping into sixth. Thats a big If though concerning Bruce because currently I feel tactically he is holding the team back.

I'm all for winning no matter how Villa do it. I'd prefer of course to watch Villa play free flowing football in the same way Brentford did but it's not always possible in a league where generally you have to grind out results to escape (see Newcastle recently). Due to previously watching teams under Bruce I wasn't 100% happy with his appointment because his teams rarely play the type of football I want Villa to play but his CV said four previous promotions from the Championship so he was in my view a sensible short term appointment by Xia to get us promoted. Since that appointment and the initial new manager bounce where I praised Bruce calling him Bruce Almighty I feel the board and Xia have moved the goalposts to accommodate the failure of the manager to produce the required results to at least challenge for the playoffs. Think about that for a moment. Aston Villa even without the new additions in January were expected in some quarters to challenge for automatic promotion and at the very least expected by others to be in a position to challenge for those playoff places. The main reason being that the Championship is a rather large step down in quality from the Premiership and surely with Villa's squad and resources Villa should have been able to compete in the top 6 of a very poor division. Bruce's appointment was the glue to put all of that in place this season. I do not think those appointed had stability in the Championship over promotion to the Premiership in mind when they appointed Bruce this season or indeed their club in free fall towards the relegation places. This is why currently I feel the appointment of Bruce has been a mitigated failure where other appointments such as Monk at Leeds with less money to spend and on paper having to use an inferior squad has been an success.

Winning pretty or ugly will do but still a long way to go before I'm convinced that Bruce is the way forward for the Villa.

Villa were also playing better under RDM but he was sacked because the results were poor. The second half performance against Newcastle was poor boardering on awful and I haven't seen much improvement in the previous two games either. Hopefully that will change against Derby?

Whether Villa are relegated or not wasn't really my point. It's the condoning of and poor form Villa are in at the moment which may lead to that eventuality. It's basically saying to the manager carry on with the awful results and we will still keep you in a job no matter what happens by the end of the season. That's why I find so incredible that a board member would come out and say that. Whats that also saying to the players? No matter the results the manager will be kept on and so will we because the manager signed us? It's sending completely the wrong message. When Bruce became manager what was his original remit? Promotion this season but if you fail to do that then mid table obscurity in the Championship or worse is fine? I don't think so. How is that going to change the defeatist mentality at the club when obscurity in the Championship has become acceptable after spending millions on players? Maybe those employed by Xia don't want to admit to their boss that they may have gotten the appointment wrong? Bruce must be having a real chuckle to himself at the moment. Nice retirement home.

So Bruce is still going to be manager even if Villa are relegated? I wonder how many other clubs would have made a statement like that? Just incredible.

I really do hope he turns it around and Villa get a couple of wins in the next few games but if it's another loss against Derby with no improvement in performance then I cannot see how he keeps his job. A team not scoring after bringing in players to do exactly that while continually conceding is not going to improve unless the manager is going to change tactically.

Wouldn't lend too much weight to that last comment. Xia sacked RDM.

Would Bruce not better to promote one of the centre backs from the U21s than do this?

Bruce would have shot them for going into the opposition's box.

He's also too predictable playing out wide cutting on the inside and rarely trying to go on the outside of the defender. Every time he got the ball last night the Newcastle defence knew what he was going to do. For me doesn't hold the ball up well enough either.

Bruce describing the turnover in players as an excuse is really starting to grate with me. If he thought that was destabilising the club before he arrived why do the same again when he was getting better results with the previous squad? He can't have it both ways and it smacks of desperation. Xia's silence is deafening at the moment.

Thought Hogan was poor even considering the lack of service. His movement was practically non existent.

Currently 4 points off relegation. Awful second half from the Villa.

Poor start to second half. Giving the ball away too much with no threat going forward other than the sidestep inside from Kodjia which Newcastle defenders have read all night. Now two ffs. What another awful goal.

Horrendous defending at exactly the wrong time just before half time. No need to go chasing the game yet though. Seen enough from Villa in the first half with a bit more composure in the final third that Villa could still get something from the game.

Been very impressed with Jedinak so far. Villa look much better with him in the side which means I've been talking bollocks. Villa just need a bit more composure playing the final ball and they could steal a win here.

Looking forward to Landsbury/Shelvey rematch.

Pressure off on the players as most are expecting Newcastle to hammer Villa. With that in mind and still maintaining that player for player I really don't think there's the chasm between the teams that the league position suggests I think there could be a surprise victory on the cards. It all depends though on how Bruce sets the team up and that's still the most worrying aspect for me. The manager.

I can just imagine Rafa's face if he sees Richards name on Villa's team sheet.

My point was that Lansbury likes to try 30 yard passes. Doing that regularly to hit the forwards from deep cuts out passing through midfield.

Aludded to needing better results during the Newcastle press conference.

Putting Lansbury in front of the back four imo is giving license to bypassing the midfield.

Probably right mate. Absolute madness to replace an inexperienced keeper with another one. I wonder is there any decent keepers available on a free? Someone said here that Kirkland was available. Yes I know the record of injuries he has but bringing him in until the end of the season on a pay as you play deal wouldn't do any harm?