Steve Bruce

[honest_bertie]

2 hours ago, DaveAV1 said:

That analogy is spot on. It's not the firing of managers that's the problem, it's the hiring of poor ones that's the problem. We've not been sacking managers for the sake of it. If we find a good one, the biggest problem we will have is holding on to him. 

As for new managers wanting new players every time, that's to do with the nature of the manager we've been hiring. They've been buying journeymen players, or players who are at the end of their careers, who have no affinity with either the club or the manager. Most of the teams, who in recent years have been promoted, have done so largely with unknown players outside their own clubs. However as a group of players they've grown together and formed a very strong team and a culture that is embedded in the club. 

Yes we all want promotion asap, but quick fixes rarely work and yes I would agree a manager needs time to fix the years of decline. But it has to be a manager with a plan for the long term who has a vision of what can be created. Of course the short and medium terms can't just be ignored, but I think most people would give time to a manager who showed progress as he built an exciting and effective team. One half against Hull, beating a clearly off form Norwich and a League Cup win against 3rd division opponents after almost a year in the job, during which we've played truly awful, negative and boring football, ain't progress and ain't fixing anything. 

Spot on

[Eastie]

10 hours ago, TheStagMan said:

See, one of my nieces thought this about her abusive, scumbag boyfriend. She wouldn't leave him because she was scared of being alone. It took a major event happening (him attacking her sister) for her to see the light and to leave him and now she couldn't be happier and is flourishing. 

Wonder what our major event will be to finally see the light and get rid of Bruce?

Frankly at this point a cat in a suit could get better performances and results out of this group of players.

He's on the list  

[Grasshopper]

Bruce will scrape by untill the promotion ship has sailed.

2 parties will be at fault for this.

1 - Bruce and his staff for F**** it up

2 - Those who made the decision not to sack him earlier.

The Brinners and Brouters are just commenting on their opinions. 

[Eastie]

1 minute ago, Grasshopper said:

Bruce will scrape by untill the promotion ship has sailed.

2 parties will be at fault for this.

1 - Bruce and his staff for F**** it up

2 - Those who made the decision not to sack him earlier.

The Brinners and Brouters are just commenting on their opinions. 

Depends who replaces him whether the promotion ship can be refloated in time to save the season . 

[TheStagMan]

14 minutes ago, Eastie said:

He's on the list  

I'm freaked out by the cat head and human hand. Catmanager OUT

[lexicon]

I'd say that his position is somewhat tenuous at the moment, we seem just as likely to go on the sort of winning streak we did pre-Burton last season, as we do to have another shit streak. 

Suffice to say, the former has to be what we all want, surely? 

[villabromsgrove]

After Friday night's match Bruce was asked a question about Davis and his performance. He said that he thought he was poor in the first half and gave the ball away too much.

Bruce was totally responsible for Davis being isolated in the first half because of his bizarre initial set up, and yet he blames his young striker who was expected to play without support.

SB has been in charge for 40 matches and has had a full pre season, there should be an identifiable pattern of play by now but there isn't. I get the feeling that the players still don't know what is expected of them as a unit when they go out on the pitch, because Bruce doesn't know and is playing an embarrassing guessing game.

The buck has to stop with you Steve. Don't blame young players for your own shortcomings.

[AntrimBlack]

11 minutes ago, villabromsgrove said:

After Friday night's match Bruce was asked a question about Davis and his performance. He said that he thought he was poor in the first half and gave the ball away too much.

Bruce was totally responsible for Davis being isolated in the first half because of his bizarre initial set up, and yet he blames his young striker who was expected to play without support.

SB has been in charge for 40 matches and has had a full pre season, there should be an identifiable pattern of play by now but there isn't. I get the feeling that the players still don't know what is expected of them as a unit when they go out on the pitch, because Bruce doesn't know and is playing an embarrassing guessing game.

The buck has to stop with you Steve. Don't blame young players for your own shortcomings.

That really annoyed me.

[VillaCas]

18 hours ago, terrytini said:

The biggest concern must surely be that we cobble along just doing enough to stay in touch with play - off places ( how hard can it be to stay in touch with 6th ffs !) until it's too late to actually achieve anything

Exactly this. We'll be good enough for top ten but not good enough for promotion spots. It's not that Bruce is awful, it's just that he is far too careful. We'll have ups and downs and some good results which Bruce supporters will point to, but we will never get on top of the 1.9-2.0 points a game required 

[VillaCas]

17 hours ago, Eastie said:

We have 7 games in September of which 5 are at home and the away are Barnsley and burton which we must go to win - there can be no excuses if after next month we are not in the top 8 at a very minimum .

Top 8 is not good enough. We will be top 10, we won't be top 6 and the whole thing will drag on and on

[TrentVilla]

1 hour ago, villabromsgrove said:

After Friday night's match Bruce was asked a question about Davis and his performance. He said that he thought he was poor in the first half and gave the ball away too much.

Bruce was totally responsible for Davis being isolated in the first half because of his bizarre initial set up, and yet he blames his young striker who was expected to play without support.

SB has been in charge for 40 matches and has had a full pre season, there should be an identifiable pattern of play by now but there isn't. I get the feeling that the players still don't know what is expected of them as a unit when they go out on the pitch, because Bruce doesn't know and is playing an embarrassing guessing game.

The buck has to stop with you Steve. Don't blame young players for your own shortcomings.

I didn't know he had said that but can't say I'm surprised, it's been endless excuses and finger pointing for some time now.

I can't listen to him or read interviews with him any more because every time he opens his month, irrespective of if we've won, lost or drawn I find myself getting angry.

He has his agenda, which is to keep his job and/or protect his reputation. Every single time he is interviewed I think this agenda is drving what he says, there is nothing to be learned from listening to what he has to say.

It would take something remarkable now for my view of him to improve. I'd still rather he turn it around than us have to make another change but ultimately I'm looking forward to the day he is no longer our manager because irrespective of any success he may have or had he simply isn't the manager we need to rebuild this club.

[Eastie]

2 minutes ago, VillaCas said:

Top 8 is not good enough. We will be top 10, we won't be top 6 and the whole thing will drag on and on

Of course top 8 is not good enough but are are already playing catch up and  it is not going to be done in just a month unless we take at least 16 from 18 and even then we would still be below the 2 point per game ratio .

we needed a decent start and Bruce admitted he'd targeted 10 points by this stage - we have only half of that tally and my fear is that we will gain enough in September to keep his job and then have a shit October and fall adrift again .

[VillaCas]

17 hours ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

I love that line haha.

Would it be unrealistic to attempt at throwing lot's of money and a huge project proposal at someone like Wagner?

Yes I know, he is in the Premier League doing well etc, and I have slated people wanting Benitez but I feel it is a slightly different kettle of fish.

Main concern is if Huddersfield continue to do well, he might well attract interest from larger clubs.

I'm a big Wagner fan but that ship has sailed! Wagners next move will be a big one not a backward step to the championship 

[VillaCas]

12 minutes ago, Eastie said:

Of course top 8 is not good enough but are are already playing catch up and  it is not going to be done in just a month unless we take at least 16 from 18 and even then we would still be below the 2 point per game ratio .

we needed a decent start and Bruce admitted he'd targeted 10 points by this stage - we have only half of that tally and my fear is that we will gain enough in September to keep his job and then have a shit October and fall adrift again .

Top 10 or top 8 it doesn't matter - bottom line is that we have the best squad in the league and should have hit the ground running. Top 2 is what is required not a punchers chance in the playoffs. 

By the time Xia pulls the trigger yet another season (and final parachute payment) will have drifted away. Wyness and Bruce out

[terrytini]

1 hour ago, TheStagMan said:

I'm freaked out by the cat head and human hand. Catmanager OUT

Yes, it gave me a funny feline too.

[TrentVilla]

1 minute ago, terrytini said:

Yes, it gave me a funny feline too.

That is pretty paw.

[terrytini]

I have to say the things Bruce keeps spouting are annoying me a lot more than his crap performance, and that's saying something.

I actually can't think of a Manager whose comments have been quite so self serving and destructive as his have been since the start of this season.

Having said all summer he deserved at least until the break we are now on I can't wait to see the back of him to be honest.

[AJ]

Comparing RDM to Bruce, what sticks in my mind is that RDM shot himself in the foot by loaning out and selling most of our midfield, leaving us with bare bones in the middle of the park, and poor results ensued. Bruce inherited that team, and did actually did pretty well with it. With the transfer window around the corner, things were looking pretty good, as he now had the opportunity and resources to address our shortfalls.

So, he got his players, but we started going backwards. Even though there was plenty of notice, he didn't address the issue of Kodija being away for a month. Yes, we got Hogan, and we also got Lansbury and Hourihane, and we also got the excuses that the new players needed time to settle in.

When Bruce came in, it was clear that he didn't have the tools to get the job done. That job being at best promotion, but at least getting Villa playing to the best of their potential, which is the very least you would expect from your manager. Now that Bruce the builder had his shiny new tool kit, it is becoming painful watching him use it, kind of like watching him change a light bulb with a hammer and tighten screws with a hacksaw blade.

He has now had nearly 2 transfer windows, a pre season, and he still doesn't know how to get it right.If he does get it right, it is usually more by serendipity than by design. He is just another chancer.

I don't like the idea of having a manager who adopts a playing lotto approach to managing my Villa. I would rather have somebody, anybody, that knows what they want and what they are doing.

Bruce out.

[Eastie]

33 minutes ago, terrytini said:

I have to say the things Bruce keeps spouting are annoying me a lot more than his crap performance, and that's saying something.

I actually can't think of a Manager whose comments have been quite so self serving and destructive as his have been since the start of this season.

Having said all summer he deserved at least until the break we are now on I can't wait to see the back of him to be honest.

This is so true - he is alienating fans with his comments rather than hold up his hands and admit his mistakes it's a string of excuses from him blaming everything but himself. 

[Grasshopper]

2 hours ago, Eastie said:

Depends who replaces him whether the promotion ship can be refloated in time to save the season . 

we've seen that that doesnt work