Steve Bruce

[TheStagMan]

1 hour ago, wazzap24 said:

I don't disagree there. 

I don't want a slow painful death, he needs to turn it around or go quickly. 3 more games at most, 7 points and a decent showing or go. Him leaving still isn't the only option though and I still have a slight hope it might come good. If it did, it would be the best thing for the club all round. 

In which case he needs to go now. What is going to change in the next 3 games that hasn't shown any signs of changing in the last 40?

[TheStagMan]

I will admit, when we first appointed Bruce I thought it was a sensible appointment, dull, predictable and unlikely to get any hearts beating but sensible - workmanlike to get us promoted, and then we could look to build from there. A safe pair of hands. Some people were concerned that he was not right for the job in hand, posts from fans of previous clubs he managed were reviewed, but the negatives were dismissed. He has an excellent CV. He got Hull and Birmingham City promoted, he must be able to do the same for us.

But ultimately, last season was a disaster, we went on a run of losses, then some wins, which never looked convincing, then some more losses. But we were told its OK. He needs time to turn it around...... we had a Jan transfer window, and a slight improvement, but it didn't last. Then we were told that he just needed a summer break, transfer window and pre-season with his team. All would then be well, we would once again be feared. A force to be reckoned with.

I was all excited for this season, everything would be in place - Bruce has had his mystical pre-season with HIS players (apparently this is all that was needed), the team was all balanced and all the signings made sense. 

But the pre-season games were worrying - nothing seemed to have changed. All the old problems and weaknesses were there on display - but we were told that "pre season doesn't mean shit", "its all about fitness", and we "shouldn't read anything into the performances". Those of us that expressed concerns were ridiculed. 

OK, so the season starts, surely now we can hit the ground running? We have a great squad for this level, we have an experienced manager with FOUR, count them FOUR promotions on his CV. FOUR!!!!!! Surely a fifth was now on the cards to grace that illustrious CV. 

Then we played HULL. Oh dear! For 20 minutes I thought we had turned a corner...... we looked bright. Even that Gabby bloke looked lively and scored a goal, maybe Bruce was right after all. And then we went back to being shit. again. 

But its OK, Hull are a good team (albeit one that has been stripped of its best players, in meltdown with a manager who has never managed in England in his first game). We shouldn't expect to win. That's OK then.

Then we played the League 2 powerhouse that is Colchester United. We beat them. Just. During that game our defence was torn apart on several occasions. But its OK, it was the conditions, apparently these conditions did not affect the other team. That's OK then.

And then we played an actually decent team with a decent enough manager (albeit one most Villa fans would think was too shit for us), and the feared hammering happened. We could have been looking at 6-0 if Cardiff were a bit more accurate and our Keeper wasn't at the top of his game. You know what??? ITS NOT OK ANY MORE. ENOUGH!

Cardiff showed that the excuses are done. Bruce has to go. People will say that we are a laughing stock for sacking our manager after 2 games, but ultimately over 40+ games there has been no improvement shown. There is no reason to think more games will produce anything but more of the same. If we want to get promoted we have to act now. 

The pundits and "experts" on the telly will wring their hands and say how Steve has not been given a chance, how it is unfair and he needed more time, and how Villa are really nasty. Well BOLLOX to them. We need to do what is right for ASTON VILLA. Stevey boy Wonder has had 40+ games, with the kind of backing and resources at his disposal that pretty much every manager at this level would crawl over broken glass for, and many of them have achieved far more with far less. 

Adios Bruce. Your time is up. 

 

 

Edited August 14, 2017 by TheStagMan

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

I just realised that Guardian article was saying he was outdated, 7 YEARS AGO. Dear god.

[Daweii]

12 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

I just realised that Guardian article was saying he was outdated, 7 YEARS AGO. Dear god.

Yeah plus he basically retired from management a year or so ago and came back to manage us for some reason.

The man is not just outdated, but he's likely by his own conscious or sub-conscious admission passed his prime. I mean you don't retire and go on holiday for a year if you are still at one with the job. 

[Kiwivillan]

I read the Guardian around when he joined and is one of the reasons I've been in the Bruce Out brigade for a long time 

[sne]

2 hours ago, Kiwivillan said:

I read the Guardian around when he joined and is one of the reasons I've been in the Bruce Out brigade for a long time 

Same here.

I posted that article in this thread again a week ago, the similarities between that Sunderland and this Villa are scary.

Anyway, hopefully we'll see some development today.

[DaveAV1]

Hopefully our board are busy negotiating a deal with SB for his severance package and with Fulham and Jokanovic for his replacement. Fulham won't give him up easily, but we need to grow a pair and act like a big club instead of just playing like one. Get him in, he sounds like he has the right sort of arrogance to not be overawed by the size of the challenge ahead and the right style of play to back it up. 

[pacbuddies]

It just about sums up Bruce when he has a player in his match squads at the start of the season then sells him. If he didn't think he was good enough to keep then why the hell play him at all!

[Grasshopper]

6 hours ago, TheStagMan said:

I will admit, when we first appointed Bruce I thought it was a sensible appointment, dull, predictable and unlikely to get any hearts beating but sensible - workmanlike to get us promoted, and then we could look to build from there. A safe pair of hands. Some people were concerned that he was not right for the job in hand, posts from fans of previous clubs he managed were reviewed, but the negatives were dismissed. He has an excellent CV. He got Hull and Birmingham City promoted, he must be able to do the same for us.

But ultimately, last season was a disaster, we went on a run of losses, then some wins, which never looked convincing, then some more losses. But we were told its OK. He needs time to turn it around...... we had a Jan transfer window, and a slight improvement, but it didn't last. Then we were told that he just needed a summer break, transfer window and pre-season with his team. All would then be well, we would once again be feared. A force to be reckoned with.

I was all excited for this season, everything would be in place - Bruce has had his mystical pre-season with HIS players (apparently this is all that was needed), the team was all balanced and all the signings made sense. 

But the pre-season games were worrying - nothing seemed to have changed. All the old problems and weaknesses were there on display - but we were told that "pre season doesn't mean shit", "its all about fitness", and we "shouldn't read anything into the performances". Those of us that expressed concerns were ridiculed. 

OK, so the season starts, surely now we can hit the ground running? We have a great squad for this level, we have an experienced manager with FOUR, count them FOUR promotions on his CV. FOUR!!!!!! Surely a fifth was now on the cards to grace that illustrious CV. 

Then we played HULL. Oh dear! For 20 minutes I thought we had turned a corner...... we looked bright. Even that Gabby bloke looked lively and scored a goal, maybe Bruce was right after all. And then we went back to being shit. again. 

But its OK, Hull are a good team (albeit one that has been stripped of its best players, in meltdown with a manager who has never managed in England in his first game). We shouldn't expect to win. That's OK then.

Then we played the League 2 powerhouse that is Colchester United. We beat them. Just. During that game our defence was torn apart on several occasions. But its OK, it was the conditions, apparently these conditions did not affect the other team. That's OK then.

And then we played an actually decent team with a decent enough manager (albeit one most Villa fans would think was too shit for us), and the feared hammering happened. We could have been looking at 6-0 if Cardiff were a bit more accurate and our Keeper wasn't at the top of his game. You know what??? ITS NOT OK ANY MORE. ENOUGH!

Cardiff showed that the excuses are done. Bruce has to go. People will say that we are a laughing stock for sacking our manager after 2 games, but ultimately over 40+ games there has been no improvement shown. There is no reason to think more games will produce anything but more of the same. If we want to get promoted we have to act now. 

The pundits and "experts" on the telly will wring their hands and say how Steve has not been given a chance, how it is unfair and he needed more time, and how Villa are really nasty. Well BOLLOX to them. We need to do what is right for ASTON VILLA. Stevey boy Wonder has had 40+ games, with the kind of backing and resources at his disposal that pretty much every manager would crawl over broken glass for, and many of them have achieved far more with far less. 

Adios Bruce. Your time is up. 

 

 

Amen

[Villarocker]

Bruce will be under massive pressure tomorrow night.

We drew our first game at home yo a relegated club and that could be compared to drawing at home to Newcastle last season. We lost away at Cardiff, just as we did last season but, by a wider margin.

We won both of these next two fixtures last season and I think a minimum of 4 points is going to be needed from these next two games to keep his job. Don't know about anyone else but I just can't see that happening. I think he'll be gone by next Monday morning. 

Xia will want to give any new manager plenty of time to get enough points to take us up. Bruce came in last season and said there was still enough to play for to go up and he failed. Xia will want to give any new manager more games to succeed.

[omariqy]

I was very happy when we appointed Bruce. I wanted stability and a manager to get us up, whatever the football looked like. Since the end of last season I've been of the opinion that he will go early on in the season. Everything points to it. Pre-season was a shambles. We played with no cohesion, set style or anything resembling tactics. That's where you test ideas out. We had none. Everything he has said in pre season and now points to him knowing his times is up. Moaning about funds, injuries, selling players and now fully admitting he can't get it right. It's now now a question of if but when. 

[wilko154]

I have joined the Bruce Out Brigade.

Hoping to see some development on this today but think he will be given a few more weeks to turn things around. The danger is, as we found out last season, you quickly become left behind in this league.

Also hoping when he does go he takes Calderwood with him. Give the team to Terry or Little for a game or two until the new manager is brought in.

[Kiwivillan]

I would love Little as a caretaker manager and see if he gets them playing

[Demitri_C]

8 hours ago, TheStagMan said:

I will admit, when we first appointed Bruce I thought it was a sensible appointment, dull, predictable and unlikely to get any hearts beating but sensible - workmanlike to get us promoted, and then we could look to build from there. A safe pair of hands. Some people were concerned that he was not right for the job in hand, posts from fans of previous clubs he managed were reviewed, but the negatives were dismissed. He has an excellent CV. He got Hull and Birmingham City promoted, he must be able to do the same for us.

But ultimately, last season was a disaster, we went on a run of losses, then some wins, which never looked convincing, then some more losses. But we were told its OK. He needs time to turn it around...... we had a Jan transfer window, and a slight improvement, but it didn't last. Then we were told that he just needed a summer break, transfer window and pre-season with his team. All would then be well, we would once again be feared. A force to be reckoned with.

I was all excited for this season, everything would be in place - Bruce has had his mystical pre-season with HIS players (apparently this is all that was needed), the team was all balanced and all the signings made sense. 

But the pre-season games were worrying - nothing seemed to have changed. All the old problems and weaknesses were there on display - but we were told that "pre season doesn't mean shit", "its all about fitness", and we "shouldn't read anything into the performances". Those of us that expressed concerns were ridiculed. 

OK, so the season starts, surely now we can hit the ground running? We have a great squad for this level, we have an experienced manager with FOUR, count them FOUR promotions on his CV. FOUR!!!!!! Surely a fifth was now on the cards to grace that illustrious CV. 

Then we played HULL. Oh dear! For 20 minutes I thought we had turned a corner...... we looked bright. Even that Gabby bloke looked lively and scored a goal, maybe Bruce was right after all. And then we went back to being shit. again. 

But its OK, Hull are a good team (albeit one that has been stripped of its best players, in meltdown with a manager who has never managed in England in his first game). We shouldn't expect to win. That's OK then.

Then we played the League 2 powerhouse that is Colchester United. We beat them. Just. During that game our defence was torn apart on several occasions. But its OK, it was the conditions, apparently these conditions did not affect the other team. That's OK then.

And then we played an actually decent team with a decent enough manager (albeit one most Villa fans would think was too shit for us), and the feared hammering happened. We could have been looking at 6-0 if Cardiff were a bit more accurate and our Keeper wasn't at the top of his game. You know what??? ITS NOT OK ANY MORE. ENOUGH!

Cardiff showed that the excuses are done. Bruce has to go. People will say that we are a laughing stock for sacking our manager after 2 games, but ultimately over 40+ games there has been no improvement shown. There is no reason to think more games will produce anything but more of the same. If we want to get promoted we have to act now. 

The pundits and "experts" on the telly will wring their hands and say how Steve has not been given a chance, how it is unfair and he needed more time, and how Villa are really nasty. Well BOLLOX to them. We need to do what is right for ASTON VILLA. Stevey boy Wonder has had 40+ games, with the kind of backing and resources at his disposal that pretty much every manager would crawl over broken glass for, and many of them have achieved far more with far less. 

Adios Bruce. Your time is up. 

 

 

This is where I am at. Each game we have got worse from the 3 games already. The Cardiff one easily could ahve been 6 like you say. 

No excuses there, he has to go. I suspect XIa will give him one last chance tomorrow night. If we get humbled/lose he will be gone by weekend as Villa Park will be toxic vs Norwich 

[tomav84]

11 minutes ago, Kiwivillan said:

I would love Little as a caretaker manager and see if he gets them playing

it's a romantic notion, but he's been out of the game too long

[hippo]

I was a big backer of Bruce. And I still think him getting it right is our best chance of PL football in the near future. - That said I don't see him turning this round - to many of signings have flopped , and heaven knows why he didn't get another striker in. Breaking up the Baker/Chester partnership looks a ropey move - especially as baker had his best years in front of him - yet we have replaced him with a guy who doesn't look to have a full season in him.

When not if for me.

 

[Kiwivillan]

52 minutes ago, tomav84 said:

it's a romantic notion, but he's been out of the game too long

I know but I trust him to at least play the squad we have in their proper positions and look to score goals

[Demitri_C]

50 minutes ago, hippo said:

I was a big backer of Bruce. And I still think him getting it right is our best chance of PL football in the near future. - That said I don't see him turning this round - to many of signings have flopped , and heaven knows why he didn't get another striker in. Breaking up the Baker/Chester partnership looks a ropey move - especially as baker had his best years in front of him - yet we have replaced him with a guy who doesn't look to have a full season in him.

When not if for me.

 

Mate if he cant get it right in almost a year there is no way he ever will. This is his team, he had the full pre season and we have managed to be worse! The only real hammering we received last season was at Brentford and he has managed that in his second league game. Unless he goes on a run (which he wont) his job is untenable, the fans are turning 

[TrentVilla]

 

Still here then, another day wasted in the recovery of the club.

[terrytini]

People say he's under pressure tomorrow I don't think he is.

He must know he is all but done, so actually the pressure is off.

Will this lead to a removal of the suffocating blanket of non- football, of caution over bravery, of endeavour over ability ?

No, I think is the answer .

As others have said, why still here ? I'd have thought we had a better chance against Reading with him already gone.

Edited August 14, 2017 by terrytini