Steve Bruce

[Grasshopper]

2 hours ago, Godders said:

Very frustrating to watch, but then again Fulham are a good side still in the hunt for the playoffs, so of course their going to be bang up for it.

I don't like the way we're playing, but if Bruce is getting good info out of this for next season then I'm reasonably happy. 

If we're in this same situation a month into next season, then my voice will be joining the detractors I think.

May as well join us now

Bruce cant/wont change

[Dodgyknees]

51 minutes ago, av1 said:

I think the formation was made worse by the personal. 

Starting with a midfield 2 of Gardner and Jedinak was far 2 defensive, and meant that the strikers were always going to be isloted. Another issue was the fact that Fulham have speedy wingers, meaning our wingbacks were run ragged and 3 CB were pulled out of postion to cover.  

The whole set up was wrong, and when Kodjia went off it got even worse, because Hogan isn't the sort of bloke that will hold it up and neither Jedinak or Gardner can pass a ball, so we couldn't keep hold of the ball. 

The line up was crap, not changing it after the sending off was just stupid. 

 

Spot on.

If we are playing 3 centre backs and two full backs, the last thing we need is immobile and defensive players in the middle, like Jedinak and Gardner. We would have been better off dropping Jedi into the back three instead of Elphick and then playing mobile players in the middle, with Jack just in behind the two strikers. This would have stopped the strikers being cut off and the defence being far too deep and also stop the frustration of Kodjia who was getting nothing to him and was starting to come real deep for the ball.

[Eastie]

7 minutes ago, terrytini said:

Nonsense IMO.

No divine rights in football.

Look at Newcastle. They came into this League light years ahead of us, retained their _ top class _ manager and still might not qualify automatically.

I just don't knows what ' should' means in this context !

 

You don't spend £80m and target a place in the top 6 - for that outlay you would expect promotion and I'm sure xia the manager and players came here expecting to get this club up next season at worst - the 2 year plan was promotion .

if you think spending £80m and getting in the play offs next season is acceptable then it is you who is talking nonsense in my opinion .

[OutByEaster?]

Well, there will be one of two things Mr Bruce - better football or pressure.

 

[Grasshopper]

1 hour ago, kurtsimonw said:

Bit disrespectful to our defenders tbh 

The very defence that just conceeded 6 goals in 2 games?

[Eastie]

1 minute ago, OutByEaster? said:

Well, there will be one of two things Mr Bruce - better football or pressure.

 

Having managed in these games he's well aware how much the derby game means in this city - he must make sure the players are equally aware of what's at stake .

[terrytini]

1 minute ago, Eastie said:

You don't spend £80m and target a place in the top 6 - for that outlay you would expect promotion and I'm sure xia the manager and players came here expecting to get this club up next season at worst - the 2 year plan was promotion .

if you think spending £80m and getting in the play offs next season is acceptable then it is you who is talking nonsense in my opinion .

I did not say 'target top 6' - however emotional you are feeling please don't put words in my mouth.

Additionally I said nothing to contradict your comments about 'the plan' being promotion - of course it is.

As for your implication that money spent must correlate with League position, it's just naive.

[theboyangel]

27 minutes ago, Ingram85 said:

I know that but what if they are? How do you change that? If they don't give a shit then what can be done realistically?

In all honesty I don't know but we have to instill that mindset of winning and being motivated for each game.

easier said than done I know!

[Godders]

28 minutes ago, Eastie said:

Gary monk is out of contract in the summer and the likes of Wagner  may also be interested in villa should the job be available - certainly should we lose our last 3 there will be serious questions asked and rightly so . 

There's often talk of this being a big job for anyone - Bruce has called this his dream job, and has also I seem to remember spoken about the huge expectations that come with it. Especially next season when promotion is the only objective. It can take a special type of character to be able to deal with that level of expectation: The worst thing for our manager to do would to be to have a crisis of confidence when the fans are laying into them after 2 losses.

I would want to see a manager with experience of succeeding at a club where minimum expectation has been promotion/long cup run. Neither Monk or Wagner have had that experience.

I'd also want a manager with experience of playoffs, or high pressure knock out games at a big stadium like Wembly since the approach to those games are completely different to others. Again, neither Monk or Wagner have that experience, so both are a no from me.  

[terrytini]

7 minutes ago, Grasshopper said:

The very defence that just conceeded 6 goals in 2 games?

Or that kept a load of clean sheets recently ?

You have valid views for not wanting Bruce without silly stuff !

[terrytini]

37 minutes ago, Ingram85 said:

I wonder if the players are already mentally on the beach mega early knowing we have nothing to play for for the rest of this season?

What makes you say this ? I only ask because I've seen no lack of effort whatsoever, and that's usually the first sign.

[Eastie]

3 minutes ago, terrytini said:

I did not say 'target top 6' - however emotional you are feeling please don't put words in my mouth.

Additionally I said nothing to contradict your comments about 'the plan' being promotion - of course it is.

As for your implication that money spent must correlate with League position, it's just naive.

Are you saying we should not expect to get promotion next season with the outlay and squad at our disposal ? 

Your post suggested that top 6 would be acceptable ?

 

[Johnnyp]

6 minutes ago, Eastie said:

Having managed in these games he's well aware how much the derby game means in this city - he must make sure the players are equally aware of what's at stake .

Ah yeah he'll get them pumped up, motivated..I mean we're still not able to play anything that resembles football but anyway. ...

[Sam3773]

3 minutes ago, Godders said:

'd also want a manager with experience of playoffs, or high pressure knock out games at a big stadium like Wembly since the approach to those games are completely different to others. Again, neither Monk or Wagner have that experience, so both are a no from me.  

[Godders]

9 minutes ago, Grasshopper said:

May as well join us now

Bruce cant/wont change

I dunno. He's averaging 1.5ppg since he's been here so far, which is 69 points over the course of a season. While slightly below what we should be looking at (If I were Xia, I'd be mandating 75 points absolute minimum next season), considering the team he inherited and the position we were in at the time, he's just about done enough to be here next season for me, regardless of what happens in the last 3 games.

I'd want us to show good points returns and a half decent goal difference after the first month or so. That's when I'll start judging I think. 

[Eastie]

Zola has quit so they will probably stay up now

[Godders]

Just now, Sam3773 said:

Haha! Fair point. Should have clarified I'd want to see success in that environment.

He also wouldn't be on my shortlist since he'd fail on my first criteria in that he's not had success at a club where the expectations have been massively high. 

[terrytini]

2 minutes ago, Eastie said:

Are you saying we should not expect to get promotion next season with the outlay and squad at our disposal ? 

Your post suggested that top 6 would be acceptable ?

 

It's not complicated. Next year, as every year, there will be about 10 Clubs capable of Promotion, of which we will be one. It's a sport, you can't guarantee anything, you can't justifiably ' expect ' anything.....You hope, you aspire. You compete.

There will be fans of other Clubs - three from the Premier League and about 6 that finish above us this year, who will consider they should be up there too.

[AshVilla]

What's the bigger risk

Getting rid of Bruce before the start of next season and getting in a manager that tactically knows what he's doing or sticking with him with the chance we will see the same garbage served up next season?

I hope the people saying "he just needs a preseason and everything will be fine" are right because we simply have to get promoted next season because we will end up championship fodder for the next 4 - 5 years if we don't when the money dries up.

Edited April 17, 2017 by AshVilla

[Harry]

57 minutes ago, terrytini said:

Absolutey counter productive to even think of sacking him, and, thankfully, it won't happen IMO.

He has faults but he has positives too and he has secured enough points to make sacking him a daft gamble.

If he was going to to go it should've been February once our last real hope of Play Offs had gone.

There is no doubt in my mind the Club would suffer far more from a change than from his retention.

If he lost regularly and team spirit\etc was poor then fine, roll the dice. But losing with 10 men in their second game in 48 hours to a very good Fulham side is no basis to call for change.

We are not pretty, but he will get us in the Play Offs, they aren't going to risk that.

 

Still agree with this (just). I think he needs the summer to continue the sort out of the squad and fill the obvious gaps and impose some sort of playing style. 

Once next season starts there will be absolutely no place to hide and if we don't hit the ground running he will be gone very quickly as I doubt Dr Tony will want to countenance a third season in the Championship.

The trouble is we now have a reputation as a club of chopping and changing managers way too frequently. OK those changes may have been fully justified but that's not how the media see it with the likes of the BBC and their overtly anti Villa stance. In reality we have made some poor managerial appointments but also good ones on paper that have been destroyed by the club.

Unfortunately we as fans do not help either as we see Villa as being a much bigger club than we actually are these days and I am as guilty as the next man. Following years of mismanagement both on and off the field we are at the level we deserve, a bang average Championship side. Sad but true.

All in all not a great draw for any manager with Dr Tony needing to have his sunshine gun on its highest setting with an extra battery pack to attract the next and a decent manager.