Steve Bruce

[Eastie]

19 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

Yes with current squads, although a lot can change e.g. Sunderland getting taken over like us.

Possibly but such upheavals can take time and we have a team fairly settled now to hit the ground running.

[Dodgyknees]

4 hours ago, ender4 said:

Its been 6 years or more since i was excited about the next league game and waiting impatiently for it to come round.   

Thank you Steve Bruce.

 

Exactly this. I've missed that winning feeling! I hated that losing feeling, seeing my club just become a laughing stock, we were pathetic, awful, a disaster every time we walked onto the pitch.

And now we aren't.

Villa <3 

[DCJonah]

Our problem last night seemed to be the huge gap between kodjia and the rest of the team. 

We have 3 midfield players all close together and then a huge gap before a lone striker. Kodjia's hold up play isn't great so that effected how we kept the ball. We also looked for the ball over the top, for kodjia or a midfield run way too often IMO, again meaning we didn't keep the ball. 

It means we're hard to break down and can get in the way of most things but give up possession far too easy. 

At times I'd like to see landbury, grealish or Hogan fill that gap, it means one less in the middle but i think we'd have more options. 

If we had a couple of better players we could be a really good counter attacking side. Unfortunately decision making and final ball from some ruin those opportunities. 

[kurtsimonw]

46 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

Yes with current squads, although a lot can change e.g. Sunderland getting taken over like us.

Sunderland don't worry me. They're as poor as us when we went down, plus they're likely to lose a player that scores all their goals. We didn't have a single player to lose to cause that much extra trouble. 

[bobzy]

1 hour ago, kurtsimonw said:

Sunderland don't worry me. They're as poor as us when we went down, plus they're likely to lose a player that scores all their goals. We didn't have a single player to lose to cause that much extra trouble. 

They'll lose Kone too, who looks like a decent defender.  Pickford is the interesting one - good keeper.

[Demitri_C]

1 hour ago, kurtsimonw said:

Sunderland don't worry me. They're as poor as us when we went down, plus they're likely to lose a player that scores all their goals. We didn't have a single player to lose to cause that much extra trouble. 

Yeah Defoe is the difference, if he stays he will destroy this league like gayle has.

[Vive_La_Villa]

2 hours ago, Eastie said:

Don't think any of those 3 would make the top 6  next season - it will be villa and Derby setting the pace.

Boros team hasn't changed that much since coming up. They'd be well prepared to bounce back. 

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

34 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

Yeah Defoe is the difference, if he stays he will destroy this league like gayle has.

So we already know one of our signings this year then.

[Demitri_C]

27 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Boros team hasn't changed that much since coming up. They'd be well prepared to bounce back. 

That's if premier league clubs don't swoop for them

[Eastie]

53 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Boros team hasn't changed that much since coming up. They'd be well prepared to bounce back. 

Karanka was the key to their promotion - he's gone and of the players left the likes of Ben Gibson will be snapped up.

[Eastie]

1 hour ago, Demitri_C said:

Yeah Defoe is the difference, if he stays he will destroy this league like gayle has.

Defoe will not stay past this season , Ellis short has not backed Moyes and it's a sinking ship - can't see Moyes being there either .

at least Bruce has experience of this league and what's required .

Edited April 5, 2017 by Eastie

[Demitri_C]

30 minutes ago, Eastie said:

Defoe will not stay past this season , Ellis short has not backed Moyes and it's a sinking ship - can't see Moyes being there either .

at least Bruce has experience of this league and what's required .

Hope so if I was Defoe is finish up at West ham then retire rumours they went in for him in January and retiring at your boyhood club is perfect way to end your career.

As for moyes bet he regrets rejecting us for Sunderland considering we are on the up while they are sinking quicker than dropping a log

I agree give me Bruce over moyes any day 

[Dodgyknees]

3 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Boros team hasn't changed that much since coming up. They'd be well prepared to bounce back. 

It's about confidence and having the right manager as well though, they might find the right man - but losing like that through a whole season can kill a team.

[dounavilla]

52 minutes ago, DK82 said:

It's about confidence and having the right manager as well though, they might find the right man - but losing like that through a whole season can kill a team.

Sounds familiar.

[HanoiVillan]

7 hours ago, bobzy said:

They'll lose Kone too, who looks like a decent defender.  Pickford is the interesting one - good keeper.

They'll lose Pickford as well. 

[KSV]

Genuine question here for those that see us regularly lately. 

We seem to misplace passes and cant hold on to possession.. yet every other club seems to dominate us in that. 

Now.. firstly.. i think.. thats the game plan that Bruce has set.. yet Bruce comes out after and says we were poor and didnt hold on to the ball or protect the ball well. 

So whats the issue? Players like Hourihane and Lansbury are supposedly very good passers and controlled midfields at their previous clubs. 

Where do we fail most the time? Is it the defenders by passing our midfield and losing it.. are we hitting it long too often.. or Kodjia not holding up the ball well.

I just see the team on paper and think.. this is a side.. that should have 50-55% of the ball at home and really stuff a side.. as the quality is there.. yet our best win was 3-0 under RDM at the start of the season.

Considering we rely on Kodjia to score.. and not many others are chipping in.. is it our shape or tactics? players being used.. or a bit of everything. 

So whats the issue and how does Bruce fix it?

Edited April 6, 2017 by KSV

[macandally]

2 hours ago, KSV said:

Genuine question here for those that see us regularly lately. 

We seem to misplace passes and cant hold on to possession.. yet every other club seems to dominate us in that. 

Now.. firstly.. i think.. thats the game plan that Bruce has set.. yet Bruce comes out after and says we were poor and didnt hold on to the ball or protect the ball well. 

So whats the issue? Players like Hourihane and Lansbury are supposedly very good passers and controlled midfields at their previous clubs. 

Where do we fail most the time? Is it the defenders by passing our midfield and losing it.. are we hitting it long too often.. or Kodjia not holding up the ball well.

I just see the team on paper and think.. this is a side.. that should have 50-55% of the ball at home and really stuff a side.. as the quality is there.. yet our best win was 3-0 under RDM at the start of the season.

Considering we rely on Kodjia to score.. and not many others are chipping in.. is it our shape or tactics? players being used.. or a bit of everything. 

So whats the issue and how does Bruce fix it?

I don't think it is the players, or the coaches but actually the expectation and atmosphere that stifles the way we play.  Bruce is right in that players have to adapt to a club the size of Villa, the crowds, the playing surface and the environment.  It is OK being big fish in little ponds but running out at Villa Park is a quantum leap from Forest or Barnsley.

Here we expect more, faster and we are quick to moan when it doesn't go the way we expect.  As a coach you try to create a positive environment where players are free to express themselves and that is what Bruce is trying to create currently.  We as the fans play a part in that, we need to remove the collective "oooh" every time a pass is misplaced or we lose the ball cheaply and the players will be more creative, take more chances and actually relax more as the crowd won't be on their backs!

Thats my thoughts!

[Lerner's Driver]

14 hours ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

So we already know one of our signings this year then.

He doesn't even have to move, been commuting to every other club he's played for from the Belfry for the last 15 million years, unable to cope with the pain of not joining us during the Ice Age.

[sne]

44 minutes ago, macandally said:

I don't think it is the players, or the coaches but actually the expectation and atmosphere that stifles the way we play.  Bruce is right in that players have to adapt to a club the size of Villa, the crowds, the playing surface and the environment.  It is OK being big fish in little ponds but running out at Villa Park is a quantum leap from Forest or Barnsley.

Here we expect more, faster and we are quick to moan when it doesn't go the way we expect.  As a coach you try to create a positive environment where players are free to express themselves and that is what Bruce is trying to create currently.  We as the fans play a part in that, we need to remove the collective "oooh" every time a pass is misplaced or we lose the ball cheaply and the players will be more creative, take more chances and actually relax more as the crowd won't be on their backs!

Thats my thoughts!

That would be very worrying for next season as pretty much everyone expects or even demands us to be getting promotion.

ATM they are playing without pressure with nothing to lose.

Next season it live or die.

[markavfc40]

4 hours ago, KSV said:

Where do we fail most the time? Is it the defenders by passing our midfield and losing it.. are we hitting it long too often.. or Kodjia not holding up the ball well.

I just see the team on paper and think.. this is a side.. that should have 50-55% of the ball at home and really stuff a side.. as the quality is there.. yet our best win was 3-0 under RDM at the start of the season.

 

Given how often it happens I think in some ways we are happy to let the other team have the ball and then suddenly spring using the pace and directness of Kodjia and Adomah. We haven’t yet mastered the art of breaking teams down if they sit back against us but by giving them the ball it does allow you to draw them forward and then break on them at pace.

I think where Bruce and the supporters have the issue is that when we have taken the lead and are then in theory in control of the game with the emphasis on the other team to attack anyway is that we then don’t take better care of possession and exploit the natural space that comes from the opposing team having to attack due to needing a goal. It all becomes a bit panicked at times and we try to play the risky pass rather than keep the ball and be patient in waiting for an opening.

The quality of the players is there though to totally dominate games and possession I just think it will take a little longer for it all to click. If we consider that Taylor, Hourihane, Lansbury, Hogan would make up our best 11, and they all started the Norwich game, then that is almost half the outfield players and they have been here under 3 months. I am confident this squad with the remaining games of this season and a full pre season behind it will look completely different come the start of next season in terms of how we play.