Steve Bruce

[Harry]

3 hours ago, Xela said:

I didn't say that did I? 

Some posters haven't given Bruce a chance from day 1 and weren't happy even when we were winning games. As soon as we lose its as though they can't wait to come on here and crow about that fact.

I have doubts and concerns like most fans do BTW. 

Exactly my thoughts. As I have said before there are loads of things wrong with Bruce at the moment but he deserves the chance to improve the side both in terms of the squad and tactics. Bear in mind he is picking up Villa after five years or so of utter shite and mismanagement.

If not Bruce who? Loads of names get thrown in the ring, some people have heard of those suggested, others are obscure foreign managers. At the risk of raining on the parade of some posters Aston Villa are just not that attractive a gig for many managers these days. Sad to say but when we parted company with RDM I very much doubt most of the better managers in the Championship suggested would give us a second thought. Sad but also very true.

[AJ]

31 minutes ago, Harry said:

Exactly my thoughts. As I have said before there are loads of things wrong with Bruce at the moment but he deserves the chance to improve the side both in terms of the squad and tactics. Bear in mind he is picking up Villa after five years or so of utter shite and mismanagement.

If not Bruce who? Loads of names get thrown in the ring, some people have heard of those suggested, others are obscure foreign managers. At the risk of raining on the parade of some posters Aston Villa are just not that attractive a gig for many managers these days. Sad to say but when we parted company with RDM I very much doubt most of the better managers in the Championship suggested would give us a second thought. Sad but also very true.

[VillanousOne]

I thought from day 1 Bruce was a really sensible appointment, the players we have bought since he has been in charge have been made sense mostly, with only Hogan feeling like a gamble.

We haven't dominated any games under him, in fact we have largely been poor aside from being more difficult to beat and Kodjia's goals. I don't think sacking him is the answer, but following now and pre-season if he doesn't get things right tactically and the best out of a group of expensive players then I think we will have to look elsewhere but he deserves longer to get things right.

[terrytini]

No problem with today for me. I've said more in match ratings but for me we played well overall, could easily have won, created chances, Bruce's subs weren't bad, nor his approach, and Hourihane and Lansbury look increasingly impressive.

Clearly some don't see it that way but I was pretty pleased with today.

Whilst some will have a critical view based on performances - fair enough - there were quite a few saying only results mattered - I guess they are a large proprtion of the unhappy ones tonight !!

 

[Harry]

1 hour ago, AJ said:

I literally have no idea what this means......sorry.

[AJ]

1 minute ago, Harry said:

I literally have no idea what this means......sorry.

The poisoned chalice....the lower we go and the more managers we sack makes it less likely to attract a decent manager.

[Harry]

Just now, AJ said:

The poisoned chalice....the lower we go and the more managers we sack makes it less likely to attract a decent manager.

Ok got you, too late and too much gin!

[AntrimBlack]

15 hours ago, Xela said:

How I imagines some posters greeted today's result.

Nothing wrong with having an opposing view. A reasoned discussion is better than silly sniping.

[TRO]

I see him playing more kids, between now and the end of the season.

[PompeyVillan]

Whatever he's doing isn't having much of an effect on how we retain the ball. It's been garbage all season.

Unless he can transform how we play, we'll suffer with mistakes and sloppy goals.

Jedinak, as much as we have needed him this season, is a CB in midfield. He's awful on the ball, and it doesn't seem as if any of our other midfielders are capable of taking a game by the scruff of the neck like he can. But he gives the ball away so often it's a liability.

It's simple stuff really but it worries me that we'll need another CB who can play the ball, a central midfielder with presence, a left midfielder/winger in the summer. Oh and a goalkeeper. At least.

 

[TRO]

The tricky bit at our stage is you fix something like being "hard to beat".... then try to improve the play and the "hard to beat" slips back.

much to do, long way to go.

However.........persevere.

ps judging by the reports it seems like  Reading played us at our own game.

Edited April 16, 2017 by TRO

[Johnnyp]

38 minutes ago, TRO said:

I see him playing more kids, between now and the end of the season.

I don't.  He's too conservative .

[TRO]

16 minutes ago, Johnnyp said:

I don't.  He's too conservative .

I think he knows, some of our current players he has been watching are not good enough.

He will be working on next season now and working out who needs to go and who needs to stay.

I think that will be his main focus.

Edited April 16, 2017 by TRO

[TRO]

He has said too many times this season "that we don't take care of the ball enough"

to say that as many times as he has and have no intention of working on it is tantamount to a dereliction of duty. I don't think he will ignore this.

He will be working on that and I suspect the new faces will feature highly in that fix.

I do not subscribe to the theory that the present football we are witnessing is any way reflective of where Bruce sees us months down the line......its merely a means to an end IMO.

given  he is here for some time I.e. Couple of years......I don't think in terms of faces, you will recognise this team in a few seasons.

It will be incrementally changed until he can get the required end product.

 

Edited April 16, 2017 by TRO

[Guest av1]

7 minutes ago, TRO said:

given  he is here for some time I.e. Couple of years......I don't think in terms of faces, you will recognise this team in a few seasons.

It will be incrementally changed until he can get the required end product.

 

I can't agree with this mate. I doubt even Bruce believes he will be our manager behond next season if he doesn't guide us to promotion. 

I simply can't see the club sticking with Bruce if he fails to get us up next season, given the financial backing he likely to receive. This season was a kind of free hit given the mess he inherited, but next season he needs to take us up. 

[Eastie]

22 minutes ago, av1 said:

I can't agree with this mate. I doubt even Bruce believes he will be our manager behond next season if he doesn't guide us to promotion. 

I simply can't see the club sticking with Bruce if he fails to get us up next season, given the financial backing he likely to receive. This season was a kind of free hit given the mess he inherited, but next season he needs to take us up. 

I think Bruce will be gone if he fails to get promoted next season , and rightly so .

he has the money and backing and also a very decent squad here compared to other teams - he has the tools and I think he will take us up next season - failure to do so and he needs to go no matter what .

[TRO]

 

AV I understand what you are saying, but I am not suggesting we have to wait for promotion that long.I am merely suggesting the players we see now will be changed Imo, for various reasons.

what has prompted me to say this was when I was talking directly to Graham Taylor many moons ago.....He explained, that when a club has gone through a long protracted spell of demise, it takes a lot to get it back and you cannot go from one point to another in one fell swoop, he was rolling his fingers in explanation and said it has to be a gradual process of progression.

Edited April 16, 2017 by TRO

[TRO]

27 minutes ago, av1 said:

I can't agree with this mate. I doubt even Bruce believes he will be our manager behond next season if he doesn't guide us to promotion. 

I simply can't see the club sticking with Bruce if he fails to get us up next season, given the financial backing he likely to receive. This season was a kind of free hit given the mess he inherited, but next season he needs to take us up. 

I think he needs to too.

[Eastie]

5 minutes ago, TRO said:

 

AV I understand what you are saying, but I am not suggesting we have to wait for promotion that long.I am merely suggesting the players we see now will be changed Imo, for various reasons.

what has prompted me to say this was when I was talking directly to Graham Taylor many moons ago.....He explained, that when a club has gone through a long protracted spell of demise, it takes a lot to get it back and you cannot go from one point to another in one foul swoop, he was rolling his fingers in explanation and said it has to be a gradual process of progression.

Graham didn't do too badly in turning things around here with a huge turnover in playing staff but I get the point he's making .

momentum is the thing - when a big club slides its hard to stop but when a big club gets momentum it can really swing the other way and become a juggernaut .

imperitive that we get off to a good start !

Edited April 16, 2017 by Eastie

[TRO]

18 hours ago, Eastie said:

Graham didn't do too badly in turning things around here with a huge turnover in playing staff but I get the point he's making .

momentum is the thing - when a big club slides its hard to stop but when a big club gets momentum it can really swing the other way and become a juggernaut .

imperitive that we get off to a good start !

I think managers, need little pockets of wins along the way or players they have signed to show some form that adds value....in order to secure credibility, whilst they are dealing with the longer, bigger job.