Steve Bruce

[S-Platt]

it's the safe option you don't gamble so early but he is now under pressure to deliver.  Relatively easy start to the season.  No excuses now.  

Think the owners see the money they can spend better invested in retaining Grealish/Chester.

Personally think he needs to pull some decent loan signings out the bag to really give us a shot.

[tomav84]

Below are my thoughts:

• No manager could get this squad promoted, especially if we lose grealish, but i know Bruce wont take us down
• The owners are probably realistic in their expectations this season so i doubt he's getting sacked as long as we're top half
• Hate words like "Bruceball" and "Dinosaur tactics" - the football really wasn't that bad, and considering we were 3rd highest scorers in the league i was quite happy most of the time
• I dont think there was much to the Henry rumours. The Star wrote an "Exclusive" and every other report was either quoting said exclusive or began with "Reports suggest"...no other media outlet i saw indicated there was any truth to it
• There is no reason to suggest Henry would have played attacking football aside from the fact that he's younger than 50 and used to play as a striker. In fact had Bould joined as his assistant this probably indicates we would have been more defensively minded
• The players seem to enjoy playing for Bruce and JG in particular has indicated how much Bruce has done for his development

[jacketspuds]

If Bruce signs Snodgrass on loan I'd be happy with that. But, as others have mentioned, we lack pace throughout the side. I also think we need a bit more creativity, and a proper DM wouldn't go amiss either. Oh, and a CB. Too many things need reinforcing.

[weedman]

7 hours ago, vreitti said:

Keeping Bruce is the worst decision we've ever made. Nothing will change. Another season of mind numbing rhetorics about being 'there or thereabouts', yet ultimately failing. 

The worst decision we've ever made?! You are aware that decision making over the last 2 years has led us to the brink of administration about a week ago? Prior to that it led to us circling the drain for years before being relegated as one of the worst teams to ever play in the PL? 

Choosing not to sack the manager and replace him with a total novice a week before the start of the season with absolutely no time for him to actually implement anything is most definitely not the "worst decision we've ever made", it's probably one of the few decisions that's been properly thought out and pragmatic in about a decade 

I can't imagine Bruce shares the new owners vision, or that he will be here long after they have time to put things in place at the club, but a week before the season starts, virtually no staff in any of the positions above the manager at the club and new owners that have been here a matter of days who have just saved us from financial ruin, it's the correct short term decision.

A lot of people here baulked at the idea of challenging this season as it was, by the time a new man had had time to assess the squad and identify a couple of signings the transfer window would be shut and we'd be left with half a team. Keep Steve Bruce for now, have him tide us over with a few signings or loans in positions we desperately need then use this season to put the systems in place to really kick on.

Its a sensible short term decision while the long term plan can be worked out and implemented 

[Stevo985]

I don't think there's anyway Bruce can win with the fans this season.

I think the overwhelming expectation in the fanbase is promotion this season and I just don't think it's going to happen with this squad.

Could a better manager achieve it? Probably, although I'm not sure we'd have been able to attract that manager had we sacked Bruce.

 

I'll be hugely and pleasantly surprised if Bruce gets us promoted this season. I think he's in for a tough ride.

 

Edit: the above sounds a bit like a free pass for Bruce or an attack on the fans. Not meant in that way. Bruce is part of the reason we're still in this league.

Edited July 26, 2018 by Stevo985

[Raver50032]

1 minute ago, Stevo985 said:

I don't think there's anyway Bruce can win with the fans this season.

I think the overwhelming expectation in the fanbase is promotion this season and I just don't think it's going to happen with this squad.

Could a better manager achieve it? Probably, although I'm not sure we'd have been able to attract that manager had we sacked Bruce.

 

I'll be hugely and pleasantly surprised if Bruce gets us promoted this season. I think he's in for a tough ride.

Personally, I have no expectations for the coming season. Given all the hassle that's gone on, I'm not sure what to expect and will cut my 'expectations cloth' accordingly as the first couple of months pan out. As of right now, it is churlish to expect promotion either via auto or play off spot. There hasn't been enough positive change to effect that towards fruition. On balance, I don't think we get relegated. It's more likely to be a stabilisation season in my opinion than a stab at promotion. But we'll see.

That's not to say Bruce gets a free pass. He needs to up his game in some ways, or as you say, he will get a tough ride from those more vocal.

[Hoof hearted]

I'd written next season off regardless of who was steering the ship but looked forward to seeing some of our (very good) U23s make the step up, with Bruce staying I fear that won't happen now, Jake Doyle-Hayes was outstanding last night and under Bruce I won't be surprised if we take a has-been on loan in his position for quadruple JDHs wages and never hear of him again. 

After sleeping on it, Bruce staying is the sensible option but long term he will ruin our youngsters chances with his safety first mindset.

[TRO]

10 hours ago, Junxs said:

A lot of people are overlooking the fact that it wasn't about Bruce v Henry, and judging Bruce staying only on that

The new owners had a chance here to really announce themselves with a new plan and change of direction, if they had done their homework they would have known Bruce had the biggest budget by some distance and failed. Ask yourselves, would Man City or Man Utd had settled for finishing 5th in the league and missing out on the champions league places? I think not.

They have instead chosen to reward mediocrity by keeping Bruce at the helm, It's not about Henry v Bruce for me - we don't even know Henry was considered as fact, they have the whole world to choose from. I'm hoping the real reason for this decision is that they are restricted by FFP and not basing their decision on the belief that Bruce will take us up at the 3rd time of asking with a smaller budget.  

I personally think this squad is good enough to still go up, but not with Bruce in charge, though I will back him now as the decision has been made so I will make no more comments in this thread until I feel the need to.

• I think it was more a timing issue....they will stick with SB for now, but in the meantime have one eye on a new guy.
• This club still has too many fires to put out and the new owners need time to carefully study their next move.....we can't be compared with any other clubs due to the issues.
• I don't think this first team is good enough to go up now or last season......close but just not quite good enough as a whole.

[wilko154]

The most sensible decision was Bruce staying, seeing in the new season and letting him take us as far as he can prior to Christmas before making a decision.

Let's be honest no manager resigns these days, it's not worth walking away from a club without a payoff.

If we can get a few loans in now I would expect us to push forward this season with a slightly younger team. We may look shaky for the first few games but once some of the younger players settle into the first team I think we will see some more attacking, expansive football that Bruce is possibly not used to. The youth teams seem to be coached in a different way from the first team and I think we will start to see that come through.

I'm hoping we don't continue with 5 at the back though as we just don't have the players for it.

Snodgrass, Tuanzebe and Onomah could all do a job this season with the latter two getting more game time, that's if we are at all able to bring them in. Add Green, Doyle-Hayes, O'Hare, Davis, Suliman and RHM with those and we have some young players who are all coached in a similar way that will know how to play attacking, possesion based football. Just look at the way some of the England youth, and even Villa youth teams play their football.

[TRO]

10 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Looked one of our better players as always but really nothing special. He didn’t really try much to be fair.  Then again we hardly ever had the ball. 

sounds to me like we just came up against a much better team.

[Demitri_C]

Not expecting us to challenge esp if we don't sign any players. However i think we will be building a good side that will be back in premier league within 2-3 years.

[villa89]

23 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

I think the overwhelming expectation in the fanbase is promotion this season and I just don't think it's going to happen with this squad.

Is it? We have lost/will lose Johnstone, Terry, Snodgrass, Grealish and there will be little to no money to get new players in. Anyone expecting anything other than a slog to get into the playoffs is going to be disappointed. 

Edited July 26, 2018 by villa89

[eholm]

8 hours ago, KSV said:

This is odd... those Henry rumours were serious..  no denials were being made and even Steve Bruce was worried.

Suddenly we have made a U turn.. kept Steve. Some brief statement saying hes staying and then Bruce refuses to talk to the media after the match? Maybe they are forcing Henry as his coach and he wasn't happy as he feels he will be forced out eventually. Who knows. Maybe its just me reading into it too much

I agree.

1) The generic zero-detail statement whose brevity is very telling - no personal endorsement from the owners for SB 

2) Not even a mention of SB in their first interview....or even ‘management’. 

3) SB declines to speak to media when you would have thought he would have been shouting from the roof tops about how great the meeting went and that he knows he is the right man for the job etc etc. 

Ok, I really want Bruce to go, however, just looking at the facts above, something doesn’t add up here. I would suggest that any assurances SB has been given are rather short term and he maybe realises that he is on borrowed time following discussions yesterday. 

 

IMO timing of the takeover has kept SB in a job and that’s about it. Change is afoot....just a bit further away than I had hoped. Personally, I would not be surprised to see Henry in place before Christmas. 

[tomav84]

1 minute ago, villa89 said:

Is it? We have lost/will lose Johnstone, Terry, Snodgrass, Grealish and there will little to no money to get new players in. Anyone expecting anything other than a slog to get into the playoffs is going to be disappointed. 

Then there's going to be plenty of disappointed folks on here. A lot of the reaction to Bruce staying has been that we now have no chance of promotion indicating that they expected it with Henry

[cb_82]

We could no longer pay for the players food at bodymoor and were mortgaged up to the eyes balls this time last week........................

 

let that sink in and then back the decision of the guys who have effectively saved this club and get behind the man that they have backed

Edited July 26, 2018 by cb_82

[Fairy In Boots]

6 hours ago, Kiwivillan said:

Never been a Bruce fan. I think we'll regress this season. I liked the idea of Henry for if nothing his contacts. 

All that said I think is shrewd move by new owners even though I think we'll have to accept another season without promotion. Going on the BM polls it seems the masses want Bruce to stay so he gets one more season no more excuses. We wind down some leech contracts like Richards and next season in much better shape to launch from

Lose Grealish for definite by then, probably Green to because we’re not progressing quickly enough. Everyday in the championship is a step backwards for this club.

[Jareth]

I'd have liked a change but I don't see why we can't challenge with Bruce again - but it's all about this window. To challenge we need to keep Jack, new keeper, JT back or replacement, happy with Green for Snodgrass, and then a few loans to plug gaps - it's not too much to ask. However, if we do not add to the squad then that is definitely the writing on the wall for Bruce, both for what he can achieve and what the owners believe he is capable of.

[ViewFromT2]

45 minutes ago, jacketspuds said:

If Bruce signs Snodgrass on loan I'd be happy with that. But, as others have mentioned, we lack pace throughout the side. I also think we need a bit more creativity, and a proper DM wouldn't go amiss either. Oh, and a CB. Too many things need reinforcing.

Is it just me that thinks those 2 statements are totally contradictory?

I like Snodgrass in terms of his effort etc, but really don't want to see him back again. 

[TRO]

11 hours ago, TheStagMan said:

Hang on, defending was supposed to be Bruce's strong point.

Yes it is, but I don't think we are strong enough defensively, particularly in the air.....We don't have pace either, so we defend deep to avoid getting caught out.....that leaves gaps in midfield for the opposition to exploit, that subsequently sucks in midfielders to defend more than attack they just gravitate towards defending.....We get the job done in the main, but have too many hands to the pump, because too many individuals can't cope on their own.

Our stats 42 goals against was not that bad, but we just have to deploy too many players to that cause and it leaves offensive positions under deployed.

In my mind, I am convinced we need at least one maybe two big powerful dominant centre's who can win aerial ball and get the team moving forward with more conviction......as they say you defend from the front and the attacks start at the back.....paradox, I know....but its true.

[ViewFromT2]

3 minutes ago, Jareth said:

I'd have liked a change but I don't see why we can't challenge with Bruce again - but it's all about this window. To challenge we need to keep Jack, new keeper, JT back or replacement, happy with Green for Snodgrass, and then a few loans to plug gaps - it's not too much to ask. However, if we do not add to the squad then that is definitely the writing on the wall for Bruce, both for what he can achieve and what the owners believe he is capable of.

The only players we need to keep are Grealish and Chester. The rest are easily replaced. I would keep the nucleus of youngsters as long as they are going to get enough chances. Other than that, there isn't one player I would be sorry to see go.