Steve Bruce

[BOF]

1 hour ago, sheepyvillian said:

They were just better managed .

 

35 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

Nope they are better than us. I don't get enjoyment out of saying it but that is the reality of the situation.

Both of those things are true over the course of our entire season (oh hai Roberto), but not only that, Newcastle were only relegated by 2 points.  They were in a much much better state than we were, and they hit the ground running in the transfer market by virtue of having the same manager right through their relegation and into the new season.  They had already begun to turn a corner in the Premier League with Rafa at the tail end of the season so their momentum, even in relegation, was upwards.  They finished the Premier League season 4th in the form guide.  They were unbeaten in their last 5 games including hockeying Spurs 5-1 on the final day (albeit in a dead rubber), winning their last 3 home games and drawing 2 away (at Anfield and Villa Park).

Frankly had they NOT gone back up it would have been a monumental **** failure.

 

EDIT : Not a dead rubber to Spurs though!

[bobzy]

14 hours ago, NottingVilla said:

Chelsea and Real Madrid don't mess about with their managers and it doesn't do them any harm.

I mean, apart from Chelsea finishing 10th last season... sure.

Ludicrous comparison anyway, not even monetarily, but as Chelsea and Real Madrid go after proven, winning managers.  That's exactly what we've done with both Di Matteo and Steve Bruce.  And we don't mess around with our managers.

Your basic point is "I want to win matches" which we all do.  Including Bruce.

[Demitri_C]

38 minutes ago, BOF said:

 

Both of those things are true over the course of our entire season (oh hai Roberto), but not only that, Newcastle were only relegated by 2 points.  They were in a much much better state than we were, and they hit the ground running in the transfer market by virtue of having the same manager right through their relegation and into the new season.  They had already begun to turn a corner in the Premier League with Rafa at the tail end of the season so their momentum, even in relegation, was upwards.  They finished the Premier League season 4th in the form guide.  They were unbeaten in their last 5 games including hockeying Spurs 5-1 on the final day (albeit in a dead rubber), winning their last 3 home games and drawing 2 away (at Anfield and Villa Park).

Frankly had they NOT gone back up it would have been a monumental **** failure.

 

EDIT : Not a dead rubber to Spurs though!

Good points cant argue with that. if we thumped Brighton 5-1 final game that would be a statement for next season 

Edited May 4, 2017 by Demitri_C

[srsmithusa]

47 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

Good points cant argue with that. if we thumped Brighton 5-1 final game that would be a statement for next season 

We won't score 5.  Our only goal scorer broke his ankle.  We'll be lucky to score 1.

Unless all that great behind the scenes work Bruce has been doing to coach and prepare our team to play exciting, positive, football with a bit of possession and attacking threat suddenly works (out of the blue) and we get 1 from Hogan and 4 more from the midfield he signed !!!!  

See, optimism is easy.  It's realism that bites.

[Grasshopper]

Last chance for Bruce to convince Tony that he should be "relieved of his duties".

No "get out of jail" card in Kodjia.

Chance to use Hogan as he is supposed to be used, by providing him with the right service.

Some attacking intent from Green, Adomah, Hourihane & Lansbury dominating midfield and the Brighton half.

A stable defence in Bree, Chester, Baker, Taylor & Jedi solid doung their defensive jobs using the midfield and wings as outlets.

Youth player in goal. With everything in front of him working a treat we wont need him often.

But alas, I predict a mass of defenders, Hutton our outlet down the right, long balls to Hogan who gets replaced by an uninspiring Gaby on 70mins.

An embarassing defeat, with no shots on target, a number of defensive mistakes punished by a good solid opposition of square pegs in square holes.

An aftermatch interview stating not only the obvious, but a deja vu of the last 20+ games postmatch talks to please the british press and their little Englander bias.

What a shit show

Bruce out

[Craigy1874]

2 minutes ago, Grasshopper said:

I predict a mass of defenders, Hutton our outlet down the right, long balls to Hogan who gets replaced by an uninspiring Gaby on 70mins.

An embarassing defeat, with no shots on target, a number of defensive mistakes punished by a good solid opposition of square pegs in square holes.

An aftermatch interview stating not only the obvious, but a deja vu of the last 20+ games postmatch talks to please the british press and their little Englander bias.

What a shit show

Bruce out

You just know this is exactly how the game will go

[briny_ear]

.

Edited May 4, 2017 by briny_ear

[vreitti]

3 minutes ago, Grasshopper said:

Last chance for Bruce to convince Tony that he should be "relieved of his duties".

No "get out of jail" card in Kodjia.

Chance to use Hogan as he is supposed to be used, by providing him with the right service.

Some attacking intent from Green, Adomah, Hourihane & Lansbury dominating midfield and the Brighton half.

A stable defence in Bree, Chester, Baker, Taylor & Jedi solid doung their defensive jobs using the midfield and wings as outlets.

Youth player in goal. With everything in front of him working a treat we wont need him often.

But alas, I predict a mass of defenders, Hutton our outlet down the right, long balls to Hogan who gets replaced by an uninspiring Gaby on 70mins.

An embarassing defeat, with no shots on target, a number of defensive mistakes punished by a good solid opposition of square pegs in square holes.

An aftermatch interview stating not only the obvious, but a deja vu of the last 20+ games postmatch talks to please the british press and their little Englander bias.

What a shit show

Bruce out

I so so so want to disagree, but knowing that all of the above is in fact the most likely outcome, it just makes it altogether impossible. 

I hope we get an honest assessment of the season from the owner in the coming days. I'd very much like to know if he thinks we've improved and are on the right track.

[TRO]

5 hours ago, striker said:

Do you think there is a reason why Bruce has set up so defensively this season in that he is trying to put a sticking plaster over the weaknesses in the team until the summer even though the last few games presented a chance to introduce a more offensive style of play?

I ask this because your above post suggests that there will be a dramatic change in the balance of the team with yet more new players coming in and a distinct improvement in results next season.

My point is that all of the above considered if Villa continue to play so defensively next season despite more new players coming in (style of play didn't change when signing Lansbury, Hourihane and Hogan) then how are style of play and results going to improve?

Bear in mind these are only opinions not fact.

I know SB is no messiah, but he is no idiot either.....If you read between the lines and see some of his comments after games, he is clearly not happy with it so my deduction is this is not his style of play, but equally I don't think a swashbuckling, cavalier style is him either. He wants to fix it but he hasn't got the personnel to do it....in his mind....well and mine.

I don't want to go in to deep, because I don't want a deluge of posts to answer.....remember its just a suspicion, no more.

Sometimes in life a problem source is not always where the problem surfaces and I think that can be said for football too.....and I think it applies to us.

I think players are being asked to play defensive for a reason, not because Steve Bruce fancies us playing that way.

For various reasons managers cannot come out and pin point these things us in fear of so many others picking up on it.....watch the summer window.....I think much will be revealed.

 

 

[TRO]

3 hours ago, mykeyb said:

How do you know he knows or are you assuming he knows and dont know that he knows for sure.

 

let us know.

Intuition, experience a nose for a deduction, call it what you will.I don't think he is a great manager or in the class of Graham Taylor, but I equally don't think he is an idiot.

I am no ITK either.

also, I find it hard to criticise anyones posts because they are opinions, their opinions and they carry no more weight or less weight than mine.

I have no interest whatsoever in being right....I just want my team to play well and win and do so with an air of dignity.

I am searching for answers as to why we are playing so badly, but I just don't share the view that it is all down to the manager or better explained, he has his hands tied, by not being able to field the players to fix the problems.

I have no doubt at all like all posters, the football, the balance the things we all see, is low,low grade.

but we all know that, what we don't know, but speculate on is why.

I respect everyones opinion on here, even the posters who want him out, because I know deep down, they just want to watch their team and be proud of it win, lose or draw ( we all want to win) I am also experienced to know , you can't win every game and you can't just be happy if you win, we have to be happy with the team in their performances as well as their results.

I renewed my season Ticket for next year after 10 years lapse and during that 10 year wilderness, I have not missed much in terms of a team to be proud of ( always been proud of the Institution, else i wouldn't be a fan).

I am not expecting to see this team in the guise that it presently is next season......and I am expecting us to be challenging.

FWIW in the present guise this team is not capable of challenging, in my view.

Looking forward to next season......and leaving "Annus horibillus"

[hippo]

Theres only one guy to blame for non promotion this season - and it isn't Bruce ! 

[vreitti]

26 minutes ago, TRO said:

Bear in mind these are only opinions not fact.

I know SB is no messiah, but he is no idiot either.....If you read between the lines and see some of his comments after games, he is clearly not happy with it so my deduction is this is not his style of play, but equally I don't think a swashbuckling, cavalier style is him either. He wants to fix it but he hasn't got the personnel to do it....in his mind....well and mine.

I agree, him and you saying "he wants of fix it" and that we don't have the "personnel to do it", is just opinions.

Facts (actual games played) tell us he isn't trying to fix it, since (almost) no progress has been made after 35 games. Furthermore, facts tell us from how the players performed at previous clubs (this season), that we do seem to have the personnel to do it. 

We've gone through this for about 300 pages now, so there's no point in repeating what we all know. Whatever Bruce is trying to do, just isn't working, another rather evident fact.

For the life of me I cannot understand how anyone can still be behind him, when there is so little to support it will get better with time.

Edited May 4, 2017 by vreitti

[TRO]

16 minutes ago, vreitti said:

I agree, him and you saying "he wants of fix it" and that we don't have the "personnel to do it", is just opinions.

Facts (actual games played) tell us he isn't trying to fix it, since (almost) no progress has been made 35 games. Furthermore, facts tell us from how the players performed at previous clubs (this season), that we do seem have the personnel to do it. 

We gone through this for about 300 pages now, so there's no point in repeating what we all know. Whatever Bruce is trying to do, just isn't working, another rather evident fact.

For the life of me I cannot understand how anyone can still be behind him, when there is so little to support it will get better with time.

• Its a fact we are playing poor, its not a fact he isn't trying to fix it, that is an opinion.
• We couldn't only get one  win in the first 15 games, so to say there is no progress is an opinion, not a fact.
• The players you refer to played well in teams playing alongside other players, they are now playing in our team alongside our players, its an opinion that they can do it, not a fact.
• What Steve Bruce is trying to do isn't working to our/his liking, I agree Fact......to say its just not working carte Blanche is your interpretation.....we beat Norwich and sheff Wed recently....something was working then.
• You cannot understand how anyone can still be behind him.....maybe many do not share your opinion and willing to give him time to work on the job.

I appreciate your opinions.....you just need to tend to "your facts"

Edited May 4, 2017 by TRO

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

29 minutes ago, hippo said:

Theres only one guy to blame for non promotion this season - and it isn't Bruce ! 

Trump?

[sheepyvillian]

1 hour ago, hippo said:

Theres only one guy to blame for non promotion this season - and it isn't Bruce ! 

It certainly isn't me .

[vreitti]

41 minutes ago, TRO said:

• Its a fact we are playing poor, its not a fact he isn't trying to fix it, that is an opinion.
• We couldn't only get one  win in the first 15 games, so to say there is no progress is an opinion, not a fact.
• The players you refer to played well in teams playing alongside other players, they are now playing in our team alongside our players, its an opinion that they can do it, not a fact.
• What Steve Bruce is trying to do isn't working to our/his liking, I agree Fact......to say its just not working carte Blanche is your interpretation.....we beat Norwich and sheff Wed recently....something was working then.
• You cannot understand how anyone can still be behind him.....maybe many do not share your opinion and willing to give him time to work on the job.

I appreciate your opinions.....you just need to tend to "your facts"

Well then, we'll have to (some extent) also disagree on what's "fact" and what's "opinion". 

The only relevant fact is we've been playing poorly from the day Bruce was appointed, and even though he's managed a few lucky wins with his dire brand of football, we are still playing poorly after 35 games. 

 

[srsmithusa]

1 hour ago, hippo said:

Theres only one guy to blame for non promotion this season - and it isn't Bruce ! 

pray tell

[Godders]

1 hour ago, hippo said:

Theres only one guy to blame for non promotion this season - and it isn't Bruce ! 

Ashley Westwood

[srsmithusa]

Randy Lerner?

 

[BOF]

This fella certainly had a say in the matter in more ways than one.