ozvillafan Posted February 13, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted February 13, 2017 He needs time - even when he is making system/tactical changes that often baffle. He has to the end of the season to show signs of progress. If we don't look to be improving, I'm not sure what is going to change over the upcoming preseason to be confident of promotion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted February 13, 2017 Moderator Share Posted February 13, 2017 We'd be more likely to be in the play off places with Sherwood as a player than a manager. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villarocker Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 I find it a bit strange when Bruce, in his post-match comments, says that we are finding scoring a bit of a struggle at the moment yet it was him who selected two defensive wing backs against Ipswich. Maybe Bacuna and Amavi would have helped us with our attacking play. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vreitti Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 The thing that eats me the most is I'm fairly certain Bruce won't change his overly cautious approach, and that'll most likely be his downfall. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vive_La_Villa Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 Maybe the players can't handle the pressure.m? Why do supposedly good players turn poo or average when they sign for us? Yes manager sets them up but he can't make them forget the basics of football. It must be the pressure and until we start turning teams over and feeling we should be every game the struggle with continue. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilko154 Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 The one thing I don't get about Steve Bruce... Surely he has a preferred formation that he wants to use at the club in order to get us promoted. He then gets to January, he can sell who he likes, he can buy who he likes. Why not go into that window and buy players around the formation that he wants to play.?Players that fit into his plan and better the team. Instead we have come out of January with a larger squad of players, but no idea how to utilise them in a first team. It's like RDM all over again. If Jedinak coming back from injury is key to unlocking the midfield and letting Hourihane and Lansbury play further forward, why not buy another defensive midfielder in January as he surely knows that Jedinak can't play every game in a Championship season? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaCas Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 I think Bruce's mindset is the biggest problem - when he has been successful elsewhere it has been in the main by taking a group of journeyman players and giving them belief, unity and focus. Villa I think need someone with a different mindset - we are fortunate that we can (at the moment) afford quality players (by Championship standards) and we need a similar mindset to a Chelsea or Man City, or in the Championship to the type of approach Benitez has at Newcastle. Instead of going into games against average teams with 5 at the back and hoping to snatch a 1-0 win, we should be on the front foot and putting fear into the opposition. It becomes a self-fulfilling thing with confidence breeding confidence Someone earlier mentioned that Sherwood would have us in the play-offs by now. He wouldn't, because he is a complete plum, but I understand the thinking that we would be better concentrating on attacking rather than defending (and yes of course you need to do both) I'm absolutely convinced that Wagner would have had us right up there by now and we would be playing with style and confidence. 4 points from the next two games or its curtains for Steve 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 1 hour ago, Tommo_b said: Lol. If hypothetically Sherwood was never appointed before and was appointed when Bruce was, I think we would've been in the play off places. If Sherwood was never appointed we'd have gone down in 14/15, gone back up last season and be top of the Prem now. I'm ITK, I've been to that dimension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honest_bertie Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 (edited) Never wanted him and used to really hate Bruce, but since he came here I realise i just hated the teams he managed and his style of football. I actually quite like him as a person but want him gone as the turgid football is too bad and it feels like he is running out of ideas. I believe we have a good enough first 11 to be beating anyone in this league. We have tried the tried and tested manger route lets go with someone more risky now. Dean Smith or if Huddersfied don't go up then Wagner. I don't mind the championship, but want to see us winning and playing good football. Edited February 13, 2017 by honest_bertie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted February 13, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted February 13, 2017 5 hours ago, Tommo_b said: I genuinely think we might've been in the play off places if we had appointed Sherwood instead of Bruce. Best joke I've heard all year. Cheered me up on a Monday morning. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted February 13, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted February 13, 2017 45 minutes ago, wilko154 said: The one thing I don't get about Steve Bruce... Surely he has a preferred formation that he wants to use at the club in order to get us promoted. He then gets to January, he can sell who he likes, he can buy who he likes. Why not go into that window and buy players around the formation that he wants to play.?Players that fit into his plan and better the team. Instead we have come out of January with a larger squad of players, but no idea how to utilise them in a first team. It's like RDM all over again. If Jedinak coming back from injury is key to unlocking the midfield and letting Hourihane and Lansbury play further forward, why not buy another defensive midfielder in January as he surely knows that Jedinak can't play every game in a Championship season? I think he's done exactly that. But we've played a grand total of two games with his new formation/system and his new players. I don't think anyone can conclude the players don't work in his system. They might not, it might continue to be terrible and we'll carry on this crap form. But I don't think it's fair to conclude that yet. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG_Villa_Fan Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 5 hours ago, Tommo_b said: I genuinely think we might've been in the play off places if we had appointed Sherwood instead of Bruce. ^ A good reminder that things could always be worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted February 13, 2017 Moderator Share Posted February 13, 2017 6 hours ago, Tommo_b said: I genuinely think we might've been in the play off places if we had appointed Sherwood instead of Bruce. Somewhere in a parallel universe this makes sense, just not this one. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foreveryoung Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 15 hours ago, Grasshopper said: I remember being laughed at when I said 55mill wasnt enough for the beginning of the season. We must buy a new GK, still have no cover at CB & DM, we needed another winger and striker. What happens when one or more of Baker, Chester or Kodjia gets injured? We'll have a shit GK, 1 Shit CB, No DM (Jedi out for a further 3/4 games) and 1 Striker who cant play to hoofball. We needed in excess of 100mill True but this is the Championship not the premier league, so we should be winning games with players we have. 100 million should have been more than enough. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHV Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 (edited) 1 hour ago, Stevo985 said: I think he's done exactly that. But we've played a grand total of two games with his new formation/system and his new players. I don't think anyone can conclude the players don't work in his system. They might not, it might continue to be terrible and we'll carry on this crap form. But I don't think it's fair to conclude that yet. There are not many teams that can successfully play a 3-5-2, FWIW I don't think we have the right players to play this system. I am quite surprised Bruce has tried to experiment with this tricky to master formation at this time of year. It was a huge gamble to do this now. I actually think we can set up nicely for a 4-1-2-2-1. I don't think the signings are anything special either. Edited February 13, 2017 by KHV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted February 13, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted February 13, 2017 1 minute ago, KHV said: There are not many teams that can successfully play a 3-5-2, FWIW I don't think we have the right players to play this system. I am quite surprised Bruce has tried to experiment with this tricky to master formation at this time of year. It was a huge gamble to do this now. I actually think we can set up nicely for a 4-1-3-2-1. I don't think the signings are anything special either. I agree, which is why I said before we'd even tried the 3-5-2 once, that if Bruce decides he wants to go down that route then it needs time. This season is a write off, for me the rest of the season is about seeing if Bruce can get the team performing better. I don't agree about the signings for the most part. Lansbury, Hourihane and Hogan especially are good signings. Taylor and Bree should be adequate too. If they don't perform in our team then that's our fault, not theirs, imo (obviously assuming no dodgy behaviour from them) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giro Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 6 hours ago, Tommo_b said: I genuinely think we might've been in the play off places if we had appointed Sherwood instead of Bruce. Just wow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHV Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 2 minutes ago, Stevo985 said: I agree, which is why I said before we'd even tried the 3-5-2 once, that if Bruce decides he wants to go down that route then it needs time. This season is a write off, for me the rest of the season is about seeing if Bruce can get the team performing better. I don't agree about the signings for the most part. Lansbury, Hourihane and Hogan especially are good signings. Taylor and Bree should be adequate too. If they don't perform in our team then that's our fault, not theirs, imo (obviously assuming no dodgy behaviour from them) The problem we have now is that we are starting to look over our shoulders, we are not that far away from the relegation places. A formation experiment is not what is required at this stage. I also don't remember Bruce ever being a 3-5-2 man so I'm not sure where this has come from. It's understandable Conte did it at Chelsea as he has played that way for years at Juventus. Pochettino has used it at Spurs but he is blessed with 4 tremendous wing backs and 3 high quality centre backs with a world class goalkeeper. I realy dont see why we are trying it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted February 13, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted February 13, 2017 Just now, KHV said: The problem we have now is that we are starting to look over our shoulders, we are not that far away from the relegation places. A formation experiment is not what is required at this stage. I also don't remember Bruce ever being a 3-5-2 man so I'm not sure where this has come from. It's understandable Conte did it at Chelsea as he has played that way for years at Juventus. Pochettino has used it at Spurs but he is blessed with 4 tremendous wing backs and 3 high quality centre backs with a world class goalkeeper. I realy dont see why we are trying it Bruce got Hull promoted last season playing primarily 3-5-2. Agree about relegation. My statement above was assuming we don't get seriously dragged into that battle. I don't think we will. But if we're sat here in 3 or 4 games having picked up no more wins and genuinely looking like we'll get sucked into that then I'll be all for letting bruce go. I don't think it will come to that though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morley_crosses_to_Withe Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 7 hours ago, Tommo_b said: I genuinely think we might've been in the play off places if we had appointed Sherwood instead of Bruce. We'd have probably put a short run together, but we'd already be running out of steam, and he'd be running out of ideas and crying in each post match interview by now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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