dont_do_it_doug. Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 44 minutes ago, pacbuddies said: Do you mean the away hoodoo that hasn't seen us win away since the last time we won away at QPR? Yes. I think that was December 18th? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 40 minutes ago, DCJonah said: If Hogan was fit I have no doubt we'd be playing 2 up front who have no idea how to play together. Maybe it would finally have clicked, but on previous evidence I doubt it. Defence is looking better and he deserves credit for that and also midfield with Jedinak has improved. But again, that just makes me question why we didn't play Gardner holding to allow lansbury more freedom in the first place. It's a small start in improving. But he needs to promote us next year, still a long way from looking like that can happen. Football is part judgement and part luck. Managers stumble across systems and even players by 'accident' all the time and sometimes you need a bit of luck when your form is in the toilet, as Bruce's was. No matter why, he still picked the system and the players these last two games. He's still the manager. He can show his quality by sticking with it and building on it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lerner's Driver Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 11 minutes ago, DCJonah said: I'll continue to moan and pick holes if there's obvious and clear flaws IMO. Hope we fall so I can be proved right? What a load of shit. Yes I hope I can keep going to watch my club in the championship for many years so I can say I was right on an internet forum. Good lord. It's not as if everyone can't see the flaws, or crucially that the people in charge don't care about them (maybe under Lerner, but clearly not any more), so difficult though it may be, a break in the incessant whingeing would be more than welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted March 1, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted March 1, 2017 55 minutes ago, DCJonah said: Defence is looking better and he deserves credit for that and also midfield with Jedinak has improved. But again, that just makes me question why we didn't play Gardner holding to allow lansbury more freedom in the first place. Probably because gardner is absolutely terrible. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted March 1, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted March 1, 2017 7 hours ago, dont_do_it_doug. said: I thought Gardners energy in the first half was crucial. I have no criticisms of the manager today, even for the first half performance which was scrappy as hell. They are clearly still struggling a bit with confidence, but that second half will do them the world of good. Excellent. I can't wait till Saturday, desperate to break that away hoodoo. Agree with you apart from the Gardner bit. I thought he had an absolutely shocking half of football (or 37 minutes). I'm also convinced he got the hook, it wasn't because he was too injured to make it to half time (judging by the way Bruce shouted at him from the touchline) I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say the injury he picked up in the first minute affected him badly, for his sake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 15 minutes ago, Stevo985 said: Probably because gardner is absolutely terrible. He's not great but if it allows hourihane and especially lansbury more freedom it might have helped during that period without Jedinak. Playing lansbury as a holding midfield player certainly didn't work. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 23 minutes ago, Lerner's Driver said: It's not as if everyone can't see the flaws, or crucially that the people in charge don't care about them (maybe under Lerner, but clearly not any more), so difficult though it may be, a break in the incessant whingeing would be more than welcome. It's an internet forum for people to post opinions. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 28 minutes ago, dont_do_it_doug. said: Football is part judgement and part luck. Managers stumble across systems and even players by 'accident' all the time and sometimes you need a bit of luck when your form is in the toilet, as Bruce's was. No matter why, he still picked the system and the players these last two games. He's still the manager. He can show his quality by sticking with it and building on it. Agree on the last part. If we build on it then it doesn't matter. But I'm waiting to be convinced he can build on it. Playing Rotherham is a fantastic opportunity to do just that though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 3 minutes ago, DCJonah said: Agree on the last part. If we build on it then it doesn't matter. But I'm waiting to be convinced he can build on it. Playing Rotherham is a fantastic opportunity to do just that though. Likewise. However, credit where it's due. And it's due. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JE- Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 (edited) Hi folks First post since joining and thought the best way to start is with our current manager. Bruce was brought in to reach the play offs this season by the board no question for me and here we are in 15th place and 7 days ago genuinely worried about relegation. It's been nothing short of a disaster under Bruce since trying to employ his own tactics and went on that awful run of losses. Villa need a modern manager who is tactically astute and that man is not Bruce Edited March 1, 2017 by JE- 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted March 1, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted March 1, 2017 25 minutes ago, JE- said: Hi folks First post since joining and thought the best way to start is with our current manager. Bruce was brought in to reach the play offs this season by the board no question for me and here we are in 15th place and 7 days ago genuinely worried about relegation. It's been nothing short of a disaster under Bruce since trying to employ his own tactics and went on that awful run of losses. Villa need a modern manager who is tactically astute and that man is not Bruce Anyone worried by relegation is paranoid to be honest. We're pretty much safe already and we've got 10 games to go. Things aren't great, but let's not sensationalise it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PieFacE Posted March 1, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted March 1, 2017 2 minutes ago, Stevo985 said: Anyone worried by relegation is paranoid to be honest. We're pretty much safe already and we've got 10 games to go. Things aren't great, but let's not sensationalise it. 2 games ago I thought it was a real possibility. Now i'm not worried in the slightest. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted March 1, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted March 1, 2017 Ah my bad, I misread @JE-'s post, I didn't see the "7 days ago" part. That's fair enough. Apologies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post markavfc40 Posted March 1, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted March 1, 2017 9 hours ago, Stevo985 said: I mean, maybe it's a case of the team beginning to gel and Bruce's intentions finally translating into the pitch, rather than this farcical implication that the team are starting to play better despite Bruce? It was interesting listening to his comments after the game last night. He once again said that it wasn’t pretty especially first half when it was a war of attrition and we didn’t get the ball down and play it. Then second half we did and played much better. Every time I have heard Bruce speak after every game he has described the game exactly as I and most of us have seen it. He has picked out the same failings. He has never dressed up a poor performance even if we have won the game. Based on those comments, based on what I see him doing on the side-line every game, quite often going bat shit at things such as long misplaced passes, I get the impression he has been as frustrated as the rest of us that it has/is taking a while for things to click and the players to implement his instructions. Second half last night was, based on what he said after the game, more like the way he wants us to play. Very much on the front foot getting the ball down and passing it with pace. His job now is to ensure that we maintain that level of performance. That will certainly be made easier though by having a more confident bunch of players and it was visible last night that after we scored it was as though a cloud lifted, the shackles came off, and we played with a real freedom and intent. Two wins, two clean sheets and with Rotherham to come on Saturday and a great chance to build on it. Things are perhaps finally looking up after a dire couple of months and perhaps Bruce is finally getting the players to play as he wants and they are gelling and gaining in confidence. Hopefully it is onward and upwards from here. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilko154 Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 34 minutes ago, JE- said: Hi folks First post since joining and thought the best way to start is with our current manager. Bruce was brought in to reach the play offs this season by the board no question for me and here we are in 15th place and 7 days ago genuinely worried about relegation. It's been nothing short of a disaster under Bruce since trying to employ his own tactics and went on that awful run of losses. Villa need a modern manager who is tactically astute and that man is not Bruce Thing's haven't been great under Bruce for the last few weeks but Saturday, and especially in the second half last night we proved we can play some decent football under him. With the confidence of two clean sheets and a couple of goals I'm hoping the brief spells of decent football will get longer and longer as this season draws to a close and we can then build on it over the summer and going into next season. Everything Bruce has said in interviews suggests that the type of football we played in the first half, long balls, in the air, no passing or movement; is not what he's instructing the team to do. Last night proved that if we use the midfield we have bought properly then we are a threat when in possession. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilko154 Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 3 minutes ago, markavfc40 said: It was interesting listening to his comments after the game last night. He once again said that it wasn’t pretty especially first half when it was a war of attrition and we didn’t get the ball down and play it. Then second half we did and played much better. Every time I have heard Bruce speak after every game he has described the game exactly as I and most of us have seen it. He has picked out the same failings. He has never dressed up a poor performance even if we have won the game. Based on those comments, based on what I see him doing on the side-line every game, quite often going bat shit at things such as long misplaced passes, I get the impression he has been as frustrated as the rest of us that it has/is taking a while for things to click and the players to implement his instructions. Second half last night was, based on what he said after the game, more like the way he wants us to play. Very much on the front foot getting the ball down and passing it with pace. His job now is to ensure that we maintain that level of performance. That will certainly be made easier though by having a more confident bunch of players and it was visible last night that after we scored it was as though a cloud lifted, the shackles came off, and we played with a real freedom and intent. Two wins, two clean sheets and with Rotherham to come on Saturday and a great chance to build on it. Things are perhaps finally looking up after a dire couple of months and perhaps Bruce is finally getting the players to play as he wants and they are gelling and gaining in confidence. Hopefully it is onward and upwards from here. Absolutely this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JE- Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 13 minutes ago, wilko154 said: Thing's haven't been great under Bruce for the last few weeks but Saturday, and especially in the second half last night we proved we can play some decent football under him. With the confidence of two clean sheets and a couple of goals I'm hoping the brief spells of decent football will get longer and longer as this season draws to a close and we can then build on it over the summer and going into next season. Everything Bruce has said in interviews suggests that the type of football we played in the first half, long balls, in the air, no passing or movement; is not what he's instructing the team to do. Last night proved that if we use the midfield we have bought properly then we are a threat when in possession. Hi mate Bruce has never been a manager for pretty football so i can't believe for one minute he is going to turn us into a good footballing side. Derby lost to Blackburn last night which puts that win into perspective and Bristol are very poor also. These are teams we should be winning at home with money that has been spent. In delighted with the 2 wins but no way does that make Bruce the right man Because we have beaten 2 sides who are in dire form as much as us have been this is to he expected with our lot. The reason we are in this mess in the first place is due to poor managers buying poor players and who are not up to the modern standard of today's footballing world and next season will be alot harder than this season 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgyknees Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 Delighted with the two wins, but even happier with two clean sheets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted March 1, 2017 Author Share Posted March 1, 2017 Glad we didn't sack him. Had a feeling we would bounce back under him. Last two games 3 goals 0 conceded. Bruce needs to remain until Summer regardless of results for now. I see no point sacking now. He deserves a chance to turn it around and I think we will have a strong finish. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrytini Posted March 1, 2017 Share Posted March 1, 2017 I take on board the views of those who say Bruce has always wanted us to play like we did second half and there is merit in some of it IMO. But it can reasonably be countered by pointing at selections, systems, and performances which show the opposite. Even as recently as last night. Gardner was selected ahead of Hourihane - which one provided the football ? Maybe as with many things the truth is it's a bit of both. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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