striker

Can't see it if this run of results continues. Bruce is also on a rolling contract so little to think about in severance pay.

Less I would guess.

Sitting deep and trying to hit teams on the break requires a solid defence because you're continually allowing teams more possession. Villa are still leaking goals playing this way so it's up to Bruce to change and go for it.

Looking at how Bjarnson plays I'm in no doubt he could make the sitting midfielder his own position in the run in allowing Bruce to play his two attacking mids further forward. More energy and more skilful that Jedinak. Just needs 1 or two more games to adjust to the Championship.

Will state it again. If Bruce can get his tactics sorted and the team go on a winning run watch the teams in 5th and 6th start to choke allowing Villa to close the gap. It will take more offensive tactics though and I still hope Bruce will go for it with a much better midfield. Maybe with Jedinak back in the team Bruce will allow his new midfielders to push further forward but I still don't rate Jedinak.

Suffers from the same affliction as Ayew yet Kodjia is viewed more favourably due to his goal scoring. To me Ayew was much more skilful with a better first touch but didn't score enough. Kodjia needs to improve on his first touch and hold up play because generally I find him a frustrating player to watch with the ball continually bouncing off him to the opposition. It's this first touch in particular that if it doesn't improve will hamper him being a successful forward in the Premiership when Villa get there.

Your first point concerning Kodjia is fair enough but I'm not so sure it would have made much difference, losing again when Kodjia returned. Villa were already struggling to put any kind of performance together with Kodjia in the side. Top ten outside the playoffs must be seen as abject failure if you are going to apply your previous point concerning Kodjia's importance to the team. I don't think any Villa fan would have settled for that at the start of the season or when Bruce first arrived.

It should be noted that results under Bruce took a nose dive using the same players where he originally got the new manager bounce. Considering the drop in level from the Premiership most expected those better results to continue and not tail off. With his new signings those results have continued on a downward trajectory even though admittedly it is early days yet but Bruce has already made fundamental mistakes not expected of such an experienced manager and it has cost the club dearly in Villa's quest for promotion this season. Despite Xia's tweet and lets face it the owner was highly unlikely to publicly criticise the manager when in the process of buying players I feel that Bruce is already under pressure to turn it around. I sincerely hope that he does just that and he should with arguably the best squad in the Championship (minus the goalkeeping). He is also well liked by the fan base but liking someone as a person doesn't secure you position as manager if the results aren't there.

Good post and one which I totally agree with.

I fully agree that he should be given until the end of the season with his signings. I can't see a new manager making up 13 points unless the teams occupying the playoff places have a catastrophic loss of form with Villa improving by the same margin. However my point is that there must be at least some disappointment within the board how results and performances have taken a nosedive since the initial new manager bounce under Bruce as he has failed to reach that initial expectation to at least be competing for a playoff spot. Some fans I would expect were hoping for more than that although that has proven unrealistic.

I've seen some say or allude to that Bruce is the short term option to gain promotion. I would hazard a guess that Xia also thought along those lines when he first employed Bruce envisaging with his new manager's prior record of promotions that Villa would at least be in a position to challenge for promotion this season. Being 13 points off sixth at this stage, if you pardon the pun, isn't what the Dr ordered despite Xia's recent tweet.

Normally they can also turn defence into attack by breaking up play and finding a team mate. Jedinak is woeful at that. In the games I've seen him play for Villa rarely have I seen him win tackles because he's blowing out his arse trying to catch the player first. He does head the ball a lot though, normally to the oppo. Awful footballer.

Exactly and we're already defensive enough without him.

Would like to see Thor become Villa's DM until the end of the season rather than see Jedinak back.

Watch teams rough him up on corners now with shots galore coming at him from all directions and oppo forwards following up at every opportunity. Because of that Bruce needs to rest him but it depends on the loan agreement?

Is Bruce also on a rolling contract? Thought I heard him say that after just being appointed but may be wrong?

Bringing a new manager in wouldn't necessarily mean wholesale changes. There are several examples of new managers joining clubs and having to make do with the squad at hand. Concerning the formation. While like everyone else I do want Bruce to settle on a system it has to be the right one. Villa are conceding goals a plenty playing on the break because to sit back and soak up pressure and then hit teams on the break requires a solid defensive unit you can depend on. I don't see that at the moment. Keeper is highly suspect and the central defensive unit are diving in and making silly elementary mistakes. Those elements might improve of course but to date the central defensive partnership has regressed. Note your comments on having the right players in place towards promotion next year. Going forward I agree but as it's looking more likely that the playoffs are becoming less tenable it might be difficult to hold onto those players in the summer?

I posted earlier in this thread about Bruce's tactics handing the initiative to the opposition by being too negative. While it was a better performance tonight and with better luck Villa could have actually won the game comfortably, sitting off Championship teams negates the fear factor those teams might feel playing Villa. Newcastle on the other hand whom player for player I don't believe are that much better than Villa have gone for the throat from the start. Rafa is showing very little respect to Championship teams and because of that it is those Championship teams who are standing off Newcastle allowing Newcastle's better players to express the difference in quality. Bruce has just purchased a new ball playing midfield yet he is stifling those players asking them to play on the break when they've been playing pass and move football at their previous clubs. Hourihane in particular has become a ghost of the player he was overnight due to being asked to do something which is completely alien to him. Watch any recent Villa throw ins. The player is standing behind the line with the ball stuck behind his neck for what seems like an eternity due to very little movement beyond the halfway line. I've noted opposing fans and the ref getting restless because they think the Villa player is time wasting. Not the case. He just hasn't anyone making enough space to throw it to. Thor actually executed a foul throw tonight for that very reason. I like Bruce as a person and want him to do well for the Villa but reading this forum most want to see Villa play like Brentford in the previous game or indeed Forest tonight. I feel Villa have the wrong manager to do that.

Too slow and will be targeted time and time again by the opposition if played. Usually when I hear a manager say that such and such is a model pro it's to compensate for not playing him.

Still feel there is an outside chance of the Villa reaching the playoffs if the manager gets the tactics right and settles on his best side. If Villa start breathing down the necks of those in the playoff spots I can see them dropping points due to nerves. An absolute must win tonight though.

I think Bruce sees Lansbury as the new Huddlestone.

Apologies for cutting your post up but I don't want to get involved in your debate with another poster. Its really the last bit of your post I'm interested in. Even though I've been critical of Bruce over the last 5-6 games I do still believe that reaching the playoffs is not insurmountable if our manager can find his best team and a system that can get the very best out of that team quickly. With the squad of players at the Villa now the opposition in the remaining games of the season are all beatable in a poor league. Villa have arguably the best spine in the Championship, probably as good if not better than Newcastle's and should really push on onto a very good run until the end of the season. Considering imo it is no longer the squad we should be worried about because as stated above the players are again imo plenty good enough to go on a playoff breaching run, I wonder if you doubt whether Bruce can organise his own signings to improve performances, bust a gut for him and the club until the end of the season?

Brilliant post mate, thanks for explaining and I fully understand where you are coming from now.

Good post one which reiterated my opinion a few weeks ago but I'm starting to waver from that initial viewpoint. It hasn't been 'the occasional shit show.' It has been a consistent run of games of poor performances with inept tactics that have given the initiative to the opposition. I also strongly disagree that it is the fans that have to change. Do you expect the fan base to applaud more of the same from a manager who has a track record of promotions yet has presided over a plethora of performances that would have made McLeish proud? It isn't the fans who are picking the team or employing tactics either that have arguably cost the club points against teams most would expect Villa to beat by showing a little more ambition on the pitch. Neither McClaren nor Lambert have needed time or the fans to change to improve results at their respective clubs. I'm not advocating the removal of Bruce yet but I and other fans should be able to voice their disapproval at recent results culminating in being stuffed by Brentford rather than being told we are the ones who need to change.