Steve Bruce

[Mjvilla]

7 minutes ago, Johnnyp said:

It's not so surprising to see Bruce get tactically owned 2nd half by a manager who's won 3 Russian leagues, managed in the champions league and managed russia. Thought hull had some lovely patterns to their play 2nd half and correct me if I'm wrong but didn't he switch grosicki to the right 2nd half ?  Caused a lot of problems.  When Bruce was getting Birmingham out of this league it was full of muggy managers then he struggled in a higher league with better managers. Scrapped over the line with hull last time. Championship much different league now. Some exciting British coaches with progressive ideas in it like dean smith and gary monk but and you may laugh why shouldn't villa make a play for someone like prandelli. Out of work. Wow, imagine the players learning stuff in training! 

I get Bruce made a number of mistakes yesterday, completely understand that. I've even bought it up myself, but for 60 minutes yesterday, we were the better side. The first half and last 15 minutes. So, how can you say he was 'tactically owned' that's bizarre. You could argue, that Bruce starting Gabby on the left was his decision and surprised the ruski and lo and behold, gabby scores. It's not like we were battered for 90 minutes, we were the better side for large parts.

The same Garry Monk and Dean Smith who both lost their opening games 1-0 yesterday? Imagine if we had lost 1-0, this place would've gone wild. I think we can do better than Bruce, but Monk and Smith are not exciting potential appointments in my opinion. I think we would be in exactly the same position in a few months with either of those 2 in charge of us.

[Stevo985]

I was disappointed with yesterday.

My reaction to the lineup wasn't good, but I think both gabby and Hutton justified their inclusion in the first half (the less said about Bacuna the better)

I thought the formation first half worked really well and we created a lot and in reality should have been clear by half time. but this is Villa, we don't do that.

 

Second half was dreadful. My biggest criticism of Bruce remains, and that is a lack of willingness to change things early when it clearly isn't working.
It was obvious after 5 minutes of the second half that Hull had come out of the blocks and we needed to do something different to counter it. Yet I knew a change wouldn't come until about 70 minutes, and that's what cost us the 3 points. 

When the changes were made they were decent enough. It wasn't enough to win us the game this time, but it easily could have given we missed two very good chaqnces. But even so, it weathered Hull's pressure and put us back on the front foot, which makes it all the more frustrating that we didn't do it earlier.

 

So positives are the first half was genuinely good. We were by far the better team and if we do more of that we'll go far. Negatives are the same old Vila crept in second half and that's Beruce's main task now, stop that happening.

Edited August 6, 2017 by Stevo985

[romavillan]

This thing of only ever playign for one half if we play at all is worrying, his half time team talks almost always seem to result in us falling to bits if we had anything going first half. It's more than likely that the opposition manager's are adjusting to what they've seen first half and Bruce is not and we get found out and are seemingly incapable of changing things ourselves to sort it out.

For all the chances we had to go 2-0 up we still did not play decent football IMO, Hull showed more second half, you could say less effective as we have a good defence it seems, but it was clearly nicer football.

[Stevo985]

Just now, romavillan said:

This thing of only ever playign for one half if we play at all is worrying, his half time team talks almost always seem to result in us falling to bits if we had anything going first half. It's more than likely that the opposition manager's are adjusting to what they've seen first half and Bruce is not and we get found out and are seemingly incapable of changing things ourselves to sort it out.

For all the chances we had to go 2-0 up we still did not play decent football IMO, Hull showed more second half, you could say less effective as we have a good defence it seems, but it was clearly nicer football.

I agree with your first paragraph.

Disagree with your second though. The football first half was perfectly fine from us. Not spectacular, but decent and we created quite a lot. I don't think Hull's was better. They only created one real chance second half which fair enough, they took.

[Bunnski]

In the pre season games in Germany we played it out from the back and showed we can actually play good football as we have the players to do it but then yesterday it's back to the same old shit from last season. Bruce out!

[TRO]

14 hours ago, terrytini said:

On the bright side we played decent for half hour. I'm convinced Bruce COULD do a great job. He's bought well.

But we just don't go for the kill. Yes in today's game we created chances but the overall story was the same as so many other games. So often only one or two up. Opposition allowed to get back into game.

Surely it's no good him just saying "this keeps happening" he has to look at how webapproach games.

 

we need a forward who can play with his back to goal a target man who can bring in the midfield.....we were just being picked off by physical centre halves.

Bacuna......I'm stuck for words.....I am unsure what Steve Bruce see's in him.

Edited August 6, 2017 by TRO

[KJT123]

 

[TrentVilla]

7 minutes ago, TRO said:

we need a forward who can play with his back to goal a target man who can bring in the midfield.....we were just being picked off by physical centre halves.

Bacuna......I'm stuck for words.....I am unsure what Steve Bruce see's in him.

Then Bruce should have signed one rather than all the midfielders he has collected or Hogan who he doesn't know how to use.

Last week Whelan was supposed to be the answer to us being able to play, now we need a target man.

Personally I'm increasingly of the view we just need a different manager.

[DCJonah]

25 minutes ago, TrentVilla said:

Then Bruce should have signed one rather than all the midfielders he has collected or Hogan who he doesn't know how to use.

Last week Whelan was supposed to be the answer to us being able to play, now we need a target man.

Personally I'm increasingly of the view we just need a different manager.

First point is an excellent one. 

Actually it all is. 

Edited August 6, 2017 by DCJonah

[romavillan]

https://www.avfc.co.uk/News/2017/08/05/the-boss-on-hull-city-draw

 

In there he says he is concerned by us being poor second haf, and that it's happened a lot since he's been here. Good he is aware of it, bad thing though is he thinks it's down to "intensity", which for my money it isn't. Saygin stuff like that makes it seem like he thinks just shouting louder at them to run more is going to sort it out. 

Those pass maps above are interesting, almost all of our passing is amongst the defensive players with little to no link to the forwards. Teams let us give it to Hutton and Taylor to get forward. It's pretty obvious our attacking play is primitive and we don't know how to pass the ball from back to front. Having a target man would mean we see even less of the ball IMO. Lumping it at Samba is a prelude to how we'd play with a target man and it's not pretty.

[TheStagMan]

11 hours ago, TRO said:

Seems like a good day for you.....particularly as all the fancied teams faultered.

the title was never won on the first game of the season.

 

No, it's a bad day for me when I watch my team rolling over and drawing when we should have won. It's a bad day for me when we play Samba as a striker, it's a bad day for me when Bacuna is on the pitch, it's a bad day for me when our second half performance is turgid. It's a bad day for me when we demonstrate that our frailties have not been improved, it's a bad day for me when we are under the cosh and everyone can see a goal is coming yet our manager does nothing until it is too late.

It's a bad day for me when Villa are in the Championship. 

I take no pleasure in criticising Bruce because it means that Villa are not doing well. He has been given time, he has demonstrated nothing to show improvement or even a plan. Hopefully he will turn it round, but if he doesn't I reserve the right to criticise him. Especially on days like yesterday when he earns that criticism.

Edited August 6, 2017 by TheStagMan

[Morley_crosses_to_Withe]

11 minutes ago, romavillan said:

https://www.avfc.co.uk/News/2017/08/05/the-boss-on-hull-city-draw

 

In there he says he is concerned by us being poor second haf, and that it's happened a lot since he's been here. Good he is aware of it, bad thing though is he thinks it's down to "intensity", which for my money it isn't. Saygin stuff like that makes it seem like he thinks just shouting louder at them to run more is going to sort it out. 

Those pass maps above are interesting, almost all of our passing is amongst the defensive players with little to no link to the forwards. Teams let us give it to Hutton and Taylor to get forward. It's pretty obvious our attacking play is primitive and we don't know how to pass the ball from back to front. Having a target man would mean we see even less of the ball IMO. Lumping it at Samba is a prelude to how we'd play with a target man and it's not pretty.

I'm sure seasoned professionals John Terry, James Chester and Glenn Whelan definitely don't know how to pass from back to front. 

[Lichfield Dean]

That passing plot shows just how important the Hutton/Elmo combination was to us and how much of a mess the Gabby/Bacuna/Taylor axis was (basically one too many players in the same area). And when Hull neutralised Elmo in the second half we just collapsed entirely until Green came on and restored balance. Just why couldn't Bruce see what was happening earlier? Surely he could have brought Green on to counter Hull's tactical switch? And if Green was not fit enough for more than 20 mins then at least make some other kind of adjustment. Very frustrating.

[striker]

What concerned me most yesterday particularly in the second half was Villa's lack of movement. Really static and no wonder the final ball is rubbish because the passer has nothing to hit.

As Hendrie said post match it was just all flat in the second half and that's a trait under Bruce which is continuing from last season.

Playing Samba as a forward in the last few minutes was a desperate panick move and at the moment I don't see Bruce lasting beyond Christmas.

[terrytini]

32 minutes ago, TheStagMan said:

No, it's a bad day for me when I watch my team rolling over and drawing when we should have won. It's a bad day for me when we play Samba as a striker, it's a bad day for me when Bacuna is on the pitch, it's a bad day for me when our second half performance is turgid. It's a bad day for me when we demonstrate that our frailties have not been improved, it's a bad day for me when we are under the cosh and everyone can see a goal is coming yet our manager does nothing until it is too late.

It's a bad day for me when Villa are in the Championship. 

I take no pleasure in criticising Bruce because it means that Villa are not doing well. He has been given time, he has demonstrated nothing to show improvement or even a plan. Hopefully he will turn it round, but if he doesn't I reserve the right to criticise him. Especially on days like yesterday when he earns that criticism.

Yup.

Couldnt wait to get started. Hoping to get to every game home and Away. Sang and sang first half, big effort to keep going second half, but the truth is - sorry to those who think he's being unfairly treated - by 80 minutes I just wanted it to end.

After just 1 game (except it isn't really is it ?) I already care less about going, and certainly less about promotion. I just want to stop seeing the same dross unfold every time I watch us.

[Eastie]

14 minutes ago, striker said:

What concerned me most yesterday particularly in the second half was Villa's lack of movement. Really static and no wonder the final ball is rubbish because the passer has nothing to hit.

As Hendrie said post match it was just all flat in the second half and that's a trait under Bruce which is continuing from last season.

Playing Samba as a forward in the last few minutes was a desperate panick move and at the moment I don't see Bruce lasting beyond Christmas.

If dr x does decide to get rid then it would be too late by xmas - I'd expect a change in the October international break if there is to be a change - I'd say Bruce has 9 games to sort it out and get a few wins on the board.

A similar start to last season and the axe will fall.

Edited August 6, 2017 by Eastie

[Straggler]

 

The Dr Has spotted that the same problems are evident.  I wonder if he is drawing the same conclusion as many on here that it may not be the playing staff?

[sne]

10 minutes ago, Straggler said:

 

The Dr Has spotted that the same problems are evident.  I wonder if he is drawing the same conclusion as many on here that it may not be the playing staff?

Complaining about lack of funds and serving up performances like this.

You'd have to think Bruce is on borrowed time.

[terrytini]

12 minutes ago, Straggler said:

 

The Dr Has spotted that the same problems are evident.  I wonder if he is drawing the same conclusion as many on here that it may not be the playing staff?

Indeed.

The problem with blaming fate or history or a curse is they are not real.

The problem with blaming the players is you can go back to January and look at every team we've put out and it's different players.

There is one constant theme to our problems, and one constant factor.

Im not sure how he can fail to be thinking about it. Reading between the lines of Wyness  the other day, and now Tony, allied to Bruce's comments about finances, I am sure the topic is very much at the front of his mind.

 

Edited August 6, 2017 by terrytini

[TrentVilla]

4 minutes ago, terrytini said:

Indeed.

The problem with blaming fate or history or a curse is they are not real.

The problem with blaming the players is you can go back to January and look at every team we've put out and it's different players.

There is one constant theme to our problems, and one constant factor.

Im not sure how he can fail to be thinking about it. Reading between the lines of Wyness  the other day, and now Tony, allied to Bruce's comments about finances, I am sure the topic is very much at the front of his mind.

 

Well I think questions may need asking of Wyness given his two appointments.