Steve Bruce

[rodders0223]

Four more years!

[Johnnyp]

Thanks to sky we have a 3 day turn around. He absolutely has to make changes friday and learn from the QPR game. Lansbury and or Onomah should come in. Adomah looks bolloxed but is green fit ? If grabban is fresh then he should start. Sharp tonight. Btw leeds are shite..should put it on em early doors.

[lexicon]

19 minutes ago, Zatman said:

He was all over the place for the one Cardiff chance that hit the post. The rest of game he was OK with the long punts

Tuanzebe should never have put him in that position, don't blame him at all. 

[terrytini]

In my view Bruce set us up right and we played well.

Before the game an awful lot of people were saying Cardiff would our muscle us. They didn’t, which left them with very little.

Ive also read quite a bit about their mental resilience compared to us, yet last three games they’ve played 3, Drawn 1, lost 2, scored 1, conceeded 5, whereas we’ve Won 2, scored 5, conceded 5.

Now that’s not great, but it gives s kid to the idea its only us that have struggled.

[Jareth]

Well done Steve Bruce for getting us play-offs

[terrytini]

I don’t really agree with the view that our recent slip ups are what gave cost us.

It’s extremely rare for a Championship Side to keep winning.

The real damage done was our woeful start. 7 Points from 7 games.

If, as an example, you take the season from September 16th, we have 69 Points from 35 games - pretty much spot on the 2 Points per game many of us thought was needed. In the same time period Cardiff have played 1 game less, and have accrued 64 Points.

The damage was done early on and the players and Bruce have actually done s good job since, In my view.

 

Edited April 10, 2018 by terrytini

[Villan_of_oz]

3 minutes ago, terrytini said:

I don’t really agree with the view that our recent slip ups are what gave cost us.

It’s extremely rare for a Championship Side to keep winning.

The real damage done was our woeful start. 7 Points from 7 games.

If, as an example, you take the season from September 16th, we have 69 Points from 35 games - pretty much spot on the 2 Points per game many of us thought was needed. In the same time period Cardiff have played 1 game less, and have accrued 64 Points.

The damage was done early on and the players and Bruce have actually done s good job since, In my view.

 

Completely agree Terry. Thank you for articulating that so well.

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

36 minutes ago, rodders0223 said:

Four more years!

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

6 minutes ago, terrytini said:

I don’t really agree with the view that our recent slip ups are what gave cost us.

It’s extremely rare for a Championship Side to keep winning.

The real damage done was our woeful start. 7 Points from 7 games.

If, as an example, you take the season from September 16th, we have 69 Points from 35 games - pretty much spot on the 2 Points per game many of us thought was needed. In the same time period Cardiff have played 1 game less, and have accrued 64 Points.

The damage was done early on and the players and Bruce have actually done s good job since, In my view.

 

Unfortunately, we can't stop and start the season when we want, like a video game.

The sum still equals the whole.

Wouldn't make a difference when the "Rough patch came".

If we had won those 7 games at the start, and then lost the final 7 to fall off our target, the result would still be the same.

I understand what you are trying to say, but it still changes nothing.

The fact is, all the teams above us have been better than us, this ALSO includes their bad patches.

[vreitti]

If this isn't proof enough that Bruce's only real tactic is the sole reliance on individual brilliance to win games, I dunno what is. We got lucky once again, but luck can only get you so far. He's a horrible manager, but he's at the very least guided us to the playoffs, and for that I give him credit. Now he better make sure we bloody win it.

Edited April 10, 2018 by vreitti

[rbcuk]

57 minutes ago, lexicon said:

Great post mate! 

Yes I thought it was, still stand by what I said he didn’t look comfortable when zahore was running at him 

[briny_ear]

38 minutes ago, terrytini said:

I don’t really agree with the view that our recent slip ups are what gave cost us.

It’s extremely rare for a Championship Side to keep winning.

The real damage done was our woeful start. 7 Points from 7 games.

If, as an example, you take the season from September 16th, we have 69 Points from 35 games - pretty much spot on the 2 Points per game many of us thought was needed. In the same time period Cardiff have played 1 game less, and have accrued 64 Points.

The damage was done early on and the players and Bruce have actually done s good job since, In my view.

 

Unless they are called Wolves or Fulham, who happen now to be 1st and 2nd.

Fulham had 10 points after 7 games, not many more than us, and by the end of September they had 17 points to our 19.

So it has very definitely been their late season form that has lifted them.

It’s very rare for the Championship or any league to be set after just 7 games.

Imagine where we could be if we had done better in the eminently winnable games against QPR, Bolton, Hull and Norwich.

 

 

Edited April 10, 2018 by briny_ear

[Mark Albrighton]

One win in the first 7 games of the season. 

No wins in 5 games throughout most of December.

One win in 5 games before tonight.

We probably could have got away with one of those runs and been in with a real shout of winning the league. 

We probably would have been in real contention for automatic promotion with even two of those runs occurring.

It’s the combination of all three runs that have put paid to a title/automatic promotion push.

[bannedfromHandV]

9 hours ago, blandy said:

I don't think that's the explanation, TRO. I think essentially he sets up his team(s) to play a particular way. So he sets them up with a tactic. But that's pretty much the extent of it. There's not much in the way of flexibility, adapting intelligently to situations, seeing something not working and instigating new tactics or methods.

His tactics seem to be "keep it tight at the back" and give the ball to player A or player B and see what they do. It's been like that from day 1 and it hasn't changed a jot.

I think that my feelings on Bruce haven't changed much at all all the way through. When he came (I didn't want him as manager) I thought, OK, he's here, he's got to have 2 years to see what happens now. He initially stopped us leaking stupid goals, and I was pleased, but concerned that there wasn't much going on in a creative sense.  I hoped that would develop. It hasn't. From say 6 months ago standing at Preston watching us win 2-0 and being bored out of my head, to a couple of weeks ago standing at Bolton watching us lose 1-0 and being bored out of my head. Or any number of homes games where too often Johnson will needlessly kick it long, when there's just no thought going into the play, VIlla are basically (to me at least) mind numbingly boring. They've had a spell each of last season and this where we've looked very competent at what we do, but never remotely have we looked excellent and really worth travelling any distance to go and watch. When you play that way, you have to WIn. you have to get promoted, because unsuccessful and dull football is a one way street to sacksville.

He's not all bad, by a long way. He's mostly bought well, he's got a sense of spirit back to the club, I think, he stopped the rot and truned the ship around, but I wonder if he'll do much else with us.

 

Thing is though, would you therefore sack him and plunge the club back into uncertainty (not that anything is certain in football) in the summer should we fail to get promoted? Assuming now we at least make the playoffs. 

I understand all the criticsm, it's not as though I was thoroughly happy with tonight, particularly first half, pulling what little hair I have left out for most of it. 

I just think that all the things we do universally applaud him for, stability, unity and team spirit could disappear quickly if he left, it's a double edged sword. 

[Junxs]

53 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Unfortunately, we can't stop and start the season when we want, like a video game.

The sum still equals the whole.

Wouldn't make a difference when the "Rough patch came".

If we had won those 7 games at the start, and then lost the final 7 to fall off our target, the result would still be the same.

I understand what you are trying to say, but it still changes nothing.

The fact is, all the teams above us have been better than us, this ALSO includes their bad patches.

Exactly, especially when everyone was talking about how Bruce just needed the pre season to sort out the bad form from last season,

To be honest I still dont see any kind of style to our play and we go through a bad patch every few months.

Having said that Bruce does seem to get them motivated for the big games, we've beaten Cardiff, Wolves and Fulham (the current top 3) and also Blues and Bristol City when they were up there (2nd at the time?) - on that basis if we can get to the playoff final I fancy our chances but I'm not sure about the away leg before that. 

[MikeAVFC]

Huge win but Grealish bails him out again. Still not much evidence of tactics other than lump it long and hope for some individual brilliance. 

[terrytini]

1 hour ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Unfortunately, we can't stop and start the season when we want, like a video game.

The sum still equals the whole.

Wouldn't make a difference when the "Rough patch came".

If we had won those 7 games at the start, and then lost the final 7 to fall off our target, the result would still be the same.

I understand what you are trying to say, but it still changes nothing.

The fact is, all the teams above us have been better than us, this ALSO includes their bad patches.

Usually I agree that one can’t pick bits and pieces. And whether I agree or not I understand your view.

But in my view because it was literally the start of the season, I’m happy enough with the point I’m making....in my view it represents a good return for that period.

Of course the teams above us have been better than us but I don’t see that in itself as a crime.

[rodders0223]

He has warmed on me. He has talked some shite, boy has he talked some shite, but he wants to win, he wants to succeed.

I like that he kicks every ball.

I like that he pumps his fist at every goal.

I like that he rages at every sloppy pass, every mistake, he screams at players to get tight, press, push up, win second balls.

I like that I can see how much it means to him and it isn't just lip service.

Games like today I can smile as he walks off the pitch and start again to have a small belief we will go somewhere.

 

 

 

I just wish he wasn't a bit of a shit manager.

[terrytini]

47 minutes ago, briny_ear said:

Unless they are called Wolves or Fulham, who happen now to be 1st and 2nd.

Fulham had 10 points after 7 games, not many more than us, and by the end of September they had 17 points to our 19.

So it has very definitely been their late season form that has lifted them.

It’s very rare for the Championship or any league to be set after just 7 games.

Imagine where we could be if we had done better in the eminently winnable games against QPR, Bolton, Hull and Norwich.

 

 

Not sure of your point .....I’m well aware of the Form of those two, that doesn’t stop it being rare ? And I’m well aware Fulham have done well...does that mean we haven’t ? Not for me.

As for your “ imaginings” yes that’s obvious too.....but then where would we be if we’d lost some tougher ones, or how far behind would we be if Cardiff and Fulham had won some of the winnable games they’ve lost ?

Just because other sides have done well doesn’t mean we haven’t, and in my view ( and according to results) we’ve pretty much equalled Fulham and Cardiff since our poor start. 

[terrytini]

40 minutes ago, bannedfromHandV said:

Thing is though, would you therefore sack him and plunge the club back into uncertainty (not that anything is certain in football) in the summer should we fail to get promoted? Assuming now we at least make the playoffs. 

I understand all the criticsm, 

I just think that all the things we do universally applaud him for, stability, unity and team spirit could disappear quickly if he left, it's a double edged sword. 

I’ve wanted him out. I completely understand those who say he has to pass one Test, Promotion, else be regarded a failure and be sacked.

If he’s sacked I won’t lose sleep over it.

But I don’t want him sacked. I think your last paragraph is very pertinent and, in my view, so is our overall Points total. 

I would’ve happily gambled on the unknown after last season, or after the first two months of this one, but I’d take some convincing now that who follows him has a significantly better chance of taking us up next year.

As it happens I think it’s irrelevant as I think he has made up his mind to quit, regardless.