srsmithusa Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 11 minutes ago, TRO said: Something clearly out of the ordinary happened last night. when your best game and worst game in a season is back to back, its baffling. Or, Bruce is right, they were just too tired and he screwed up because he played them anyway. And, when our plan A, isn’t working (high crosses into box) we never seem to be able to shift to a credible blan b. Even though we clearly have talented players who could. We make changes designed to force plan A harder It’s a familiar error, one that has found us out multiple times. Similarly, being unwilling to change things up (being too cautious) is why tired old men play when they are too tired to compete physically and the clubhouse with talented young players don’t even make the bench. These are not new or surprising problems to those of us who have been pointing them out for months. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ingram85 Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 (edited) Bruce should go if he fails to get us up, if we do go up I’d be tempted as well as he isn’t that great in the prem. Championship promotion chasing is his thing. Can see us being in the Derby ‘always the bridesmaid’ role for a few years if we don’t go up this year, much like Brighton were for a good few years running before going up. Personally, I don’t think we are strong enough to go up. It will be Dingles/Cardiff and Fulham. Hope I’m wrong though. Edited March 14, 2018 by Ingram85 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 3 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said: If we don't go up this season we should be parting ways with Bruce in my opinion. Will need a manager that can start again from scratch. Will be one of most important appointments ever. I think the very opposite. His first season, was a major confidence rebuild. This season has been a significant improvement, but i still don't think we are quite strong enough in certain positions mainly centre mid and full back, we may need a dominant centre half particularly in the air, if JT leaves. I think Steve Bruce has shown improvement, it would be folly to put a halt to that. i still think he has had to come from such a back marker as opposed to pulis who has had a stronger squad to take over. I feel sure he knows our weakness and will remedy it as opposed to another manager, who has to start all over again. The last few days has been a wake up call.....but he has shown he can out think the best of managers......what it had shown Imo he is short of certain types of players to deal with the physical side when called on to tackle quintessential championship sides. I would definately keep him in charge......anyway, we haven't got the funds to benefit the sort of manager we think we want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted March 14, 2018 Author Share Posted March 14, 2018 1 hour ago, Rob182 said: I refuse to believe that it will be as bad as some people are making out. Maybe Xia has balanced the books so well this season that staying in the Championship wont be a financial disaster? Maybe we'll still have enough available money to bring Terry back for another year? Undoubtedly our team will change, but lets not forget that we still have a number of good players on our books that we will keep (we're not going to lose everyone), and we have good youngsters like Green, Doyle-Hayes, Davis * Hepburn Murphy. Also, we don't know how the Wolves investigations will go, and the questions raised by the Leeds owner. Maybe some guidance will be given around the level of fine that teams should receive for breaching FFP, in which case Xia might see it as a worthwhile gamble. Rob i honestly think you will be massively disappointed. there is noway next seasons championship squad will be as strong as this Nothing is going to happen to wolves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srsmithusa Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 3 minutes ago, TRO said: I think the very opposite. His first season, was a major confidence rebuild. This season has been a significant improvement, but i still don't think we are quite strong enough in certain positions mainly centre mid and full back, we may need a dominant centre half particularly in the air, if JT leaves. I think Steve Bruce has shown improvement, it would be folly to put a halt to that. i still think he has had to come from such a back marker as opposed to pulis who has had a stronger squad to take over. I feel sure he knows our weakness and will remedy it as opposed to another manager, who has to start all over again. The last few days has been a wake up call.....but he has shown he can out think the best of managers......what it had shown Imo he is short of certain types of players to deal with the physical side when called on to tackle quintessential championship sides. I would definately keep him in charge......anyway, we haven't got the funds to benefit the sort of manager we think we want. Why am I not surprised? Equally, you are not surprised I disagree. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davkaus Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, Rob182 said: I refuse to believe that it will be as bad as some people are making out. Maybe Xia has balanced the books so well this season that staying in the Championship wont be a financial disaster? Maybe we'll still have enough available money to bring Terry back for another year? Terry's one of the few I wouldn't worry about, I think he'd stick around for another year in the Championship. He has no desire to go back to the PL, and he has another season left in him. I can't see Grealish, Adomah, Kodjia, Chester and Snodgrass being Championship players next season though, no way. Edited March 14, 2018 by Davkaus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob182 Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 12 minutes ago, Demitri_C said: Rob i honestly think you will be massively disappointed. there is noway next seasons championship squad will be as strong as this Nothing is going to happen to wolves I won't be massively disappointed, because I never am. That's the benefit of always being an optimist. I wasn't massively disappointed when we got relegated because I thought "It's alright, we'll get promotion one day". I wasn't massively disappointed when we didn't get promotion last year, because I thought "Maybe next year". I won't be massively disappointed if we lose all of our players at the end of the season and have to use kids, loans and frees, because when it comes down to it, we're Aston Villa, and even a bunch of League Two nobodies would look the business in our beautiful kit in our beautiful stadium. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob182 Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 5 minutes ago, Davkaus said: Terry's one of the few I wouldn't worry about, I think he'd stick around for another year in the Championship. He has no desire to go back to the PL, and he has another season left in him. I can't see Grealish, Adomah, Kodjia and Snodgrass being Championship players next season though, no way. I can actually see cases for all of them staying. Grealish is a Villa fan, still young and might want to stay at a team that is being built around him. Adomah said he would sign a 10-year contract if we offered it him, he's never been a Premier League player, so a team would need to take quite a risk to poach him for the league above. Kodjia has been out injured for most of the season, so teams will be less inclined to take a risk on him, and Premier League teams even more so. Snodgrass is a tougher one, because he's definitely good enough to stay in the Premier League, but you just never know. It's not unheard of for a player to drop down a league when they get older, and he sure seems to like it here. Of course West Ham could get a new manager and he might want to go back there, but equally, they could get relegated and he might hand in a transfer request to make Villa his 'last big move'. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 23 minutes ago, Rob182 said: I won't be massively disappointed, because I never am. That's the benefit of always being an optimist. I wasn't massively disappointed when we got relegated because I thought "It's alright, we'll get promotion one day". I wasn't massively disappointed when we didn't get promotion last year, because I thought "Maybe next year". I won't be massively disappointed if we lose all of our players at the end of the season and have to use kids, loans and frees, because when it comes down to it, we're Aston Villa, and even a bunch of League Two nobodies would look the business in our beautiful kit in our beautiful stadium. Thats the spirit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted March 14, 2018 Author Share Posted March 14, 2018 28 minutes ago, Rob182 said: I won't be massively disappointed, because I never am. That's the benefit of always being an optimist. I wasn't massively disappointed when we got relegated because I thought "It's alright, we'll get promotion one day". I wasn't massively disappointed when we didn't get promotion last year, because I thought "Maybe next year". I won't be massively disappointed if we lose all of our players at the end of the season and have to use kids, loans and frees, because when it comes down to it, we're Aston Villa, and even a bunch of League Two nobodies would look the business in our beautiful kit in our beautiful stadium. Everyone is entitled to their prerogative. I have more ambitions and think see a more realistic picture should we fail to gain promotion. It won't be fun thats for sure i dont enjoy saying that. I have a funny feeling bruce will leave in summer if we don't go up and end up at West Brom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastie Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 4 minutes ago, Demitri_C said: Everyone is entitled to their prerogative. I have more ambitions and think see a more realistic picture should we fail to gain promotion. It won't be fun thats for sure i dont enjoy saying that. I have a funny feeling bruce will leave in summer if we don't go up and end up at West Brom I think we might as well stick with Bruce promotion or not - if we don’t go up then there will be half this team gone in the summer , the younger lads will get their chance next season if we are in this division as our hands will be tied financially . 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 1 hour ago, Ingram85 said: Bruce should go if he fails to get us up, if we do go up I’d be tempted as well as he isn’t that great in the prem. Championship promotion chasing is his thing. Can see us being in the Derby ‘always the bridesmaid’ role for a few years if we don’t go up this year, much like Brighton were for a good few years running before going up. Personally, I don’t think we are strong enough to go up. It will be Dingles/Cardiff and Fulham. Hope I’m wrong though. Not sure about the going up, I think we will go up like Huddersfield, in the play offs.....on our day, we have proved we can beat anyone in this league when we have a full team.....we struggle with the day to day scraping. However, where I don't think we are strong enough is ......We allow ourselves to be knocked out of our stride much to easily, we can tend to be a bit lightweight in certain situations.....teams who are much less talented than us, can carve out nothing opportunities very easily through nothing more than endeavour......its not an endearing trait and certainly not a tuned to a team searching automatic promotion 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 4 minutes ago, Eastie said: I think we might as well stick with Bruce promotion or not - if we don’t go up then there will be half this team gone in the summer , the younger lads will get their chance next season if we are in this division as our hands will be tied financially . Much my feelings, but I would bring in a couple of physically adapted players too, not just cloggers but players who can mix it......Baker might have been useful last night to give JT a breather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgyknees Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 (edited) I was under the impression that Bruce is a promotion specialist, if he fails to do that he has failed in his duties. No excuses, Cardiff have suffered injuries and have less of squad yet are way ahead of us. No promotion = failure, no amount of revisionism will change that. I know it’s seen as wrong to be critical of Bruce, but that is the truth. Promotion or bust - which it could quite literally be. Edited March 14, 2018 by Dick 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taxahunter Posted March 14, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted March 14, 2018 If we fail to win promotion, Bruca has to go. He have had one of the most expensive squads in this league and has failed, plus i still dont think that he is tactically smart enough. He fell over a winning formula by luck, he makes the most mind baffling changes during the games, changes formation and doesnt react fast enough, when it doesnt work. For me he just isnt good enough. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastie Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 8 minutes ago, Taxahunter said: If we fail to win promotion, Bruca has to go. He have had one of the most expensive squads in this league and has failed, plus i still dont think that he is tactically smart enough. He fell over a winning formula by luck, he makes the most mind baffling changes during the games, changes formation and doesnt react fast enough, when it doesnt work. For me he just isnt good enough. The problem is with no cash to spend we wouldn’t attract anyone of note to take the job so might be a case of better the devil you know . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted March 14, 2018 Author Share Posted March 14, 2018 The thing is with bruce is it wpuld be two seasons he has failed to take us up. We can maybe forgive last year after the RDM era. But this year he has had little excuse. He started poorly and we have had always 2nd to play catchup. The squad at this stage should be closer than 7 points to 2nd at this stage of the season. I am a bruce in but it will be tough I think to keep bruce for a 3rd year if he fails to deliver promotion. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 13 minutes ago, Taxahunter said: If we fail to win promotion, Bruca has to go. He have had one of the most expensive squads in this league and has failed, plus i still dont think that he is tactically smart enough. He fell over a winning formula by luck, he makes the most mind baffling changes during the games, changes formation and doesnt react fast enough, when it doesnt work. For me he just isnt good enough. I just could not disagree more, but respect your view. In the cold light of day he presided over a team that had just beaten the league leaders comprehensively.......not just the result, out played them at times. I am as frustrated and baffled as the next Villa Fan.....I have a suspicion, whats wrong but thats all it is and its a general thing not just about last Night or Saturday. I know it sounds crazy, but I don't think the team is still quite right for Auto Promotion.....just my take.....Nothing to do with the managers selections or set up or substitutions, I don't think we have the right players available in the squad for certain situations like last night......maybe something he will review. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 1 hour ago, Davkaus said: Terry's one of the few I wouldn't worry about, I think he'd stick around for another year in the Championship. He has no desire to go back to the PL, and he has another season left in him. I can't see Grealish, Adomah, Kodjia, Chester and Snodgrass being Championship players next season though, no way. Snodgrass isn't ours anyway from the rest , Grealish is the only one a prem team would take ..and even then it would be the likes of a bottom half team so he might just as well stay at Villa and earn more money than he'd get at Cardiff or Huddersfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 11 minutes ago, Eastie said: The problem is with no cash to spend we wouldn’t attract anyone of note to take the job so might be a case of better the devil you know . plus the fact, we have got this far, he may as well finish it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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